The first dedicated minesweeping vessels in the RAN made their appearance in Australian waters at the end of WW1 to sweep minefields sown by a German raider during the war, ...
Australian Units
HMAS Vendetta WW2
This is part 3 of an hitherto unpublished personal account was given to the Editor shortly before the death of the author, together with several other brief accounts of his ...
Commander J.M. Alliston DSO, DSC*, US Legion of Honour, Royal Navy
Commander John Alliston, who has died aged 94, was one of the Second World War’s most highly decorated destroyer captains, who afterwards brought up his family on a remote island ...
Australian Naval History on 23 September 2004
The mine-hunter HMAS DIAMANTINA, (LCDR Peter Bartlett, RAN), returned to Sydney after six weeks service in the Solomon Islands, as part of Operation Anode. During her deployment her ships company ...
Book Review: Minesweeper HMAS Hawk, Indonesia 1965-66
Hands To Boarding Stations: The Story Of Minesweeper HMAS Hawk, Confrontation With Indonesia 1965-66 By John Foster Published by Australian Military History Publications 13 Veronica Place Loftus NSW 2232 Available ...
Australian Naval History on 13 September 2004
Exercise Bersama Lima 2004 commenced in Singaporean and Malaysian waters. This majorFive-Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA) Exercise involved over 30 ships, 80 aircraft, and some 3,000 personnel. The RAN was represented ...
Australian Naval History on 27 August 2004
The frigate HMAS ANZAC, (CAPT Richard Menhinick, CSC, RAN), rescued 15 Indonesians from a sinking vessel south of Batam Island. The crew of the vessel lit a fire to attract ...
Australian Naval History on 16 August 2004
15 sailors from HMNZS ENDEAVOUR, (tanker), were injured during a life boat drill that went awry, while the ship was berthed at Fleet Base East, Sydney. During a regular test ...
Australian Naval History on 13 August 2004
The mine-hunter HMAS GASCOYNE, (LCDR Dean Schopen, RAN), returned to Sydney after seven weeks service in the Solomon Islands, as part of Operation Anode. During the deployment, her crew helped ...
Australian Naval History on 11 August 2004
Exercise Singaroo, (joint exercise involving the RAN and the Singapore Navy), commenced in the waters off Darwin, NT. RS Ships VICTORY and VIGILENCE, (Victory class corvettes), were involved, along with ...
Australian Naval History on 30 July 2004
The guided missile frigate HMAS ADELAIDE, (CMDR B. R.Victor, RAN), departed from Fleet Base West to deploy to the Persian Gulf as part of the ADF contribution to Operation Catalyst. ...
Australian Naval History on 13 July 2004
HMAS BRISBANE, (former guided missile destroyer), was handed over to the Queensland Government in a ceremony at Fleet Base East, Garden Island, Sydney. The ship left Sydney Harbour, under tow, ...
Australian Naval History on 30 June 2004
The banner of the Scrap Iron Flotilla Association, was laid up at HMAS WATERHEN, (mine-countermeasures shore-base, Sydney), for safe keeping. The date of the loss of HMAS WATERHEN, (destroyer), during ...
Action off Endau
After the tragic loss of Force Z (HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse) the previous month, HMAS Vampire experienced a short, defiant action against the invading Japanese off the Malayan ...
A Short History of HMAS Albatross
Reprinted from a Welcome Aboard pamphlet (date unknown) The decision to build an airfield on the land now occupied by the Naval Air Station was taken soon after WWII was ...
HMAS Perth Part2 – Outbreak of war
This is part 2 of an hitherto unpublished personal account was given to the Editor shortly before the death of the author, together with several other brief accounts of his ...
Australian Naval History on 29 June 2004
Exercise RIMPAC 04, (the 19th in the series which commenced in the early 1970’s), began in Hawaii. RAN units involved included HMA Ships NEWCASTLE, (guided missile frigate), SUCCESS, (fleet oiler ...
Australian Naval History on 26 June 2004
The ANZAC class guided missile frigate, HMAS BALLARAT, (CMDR D. J. Hunter, CSC, RAN), was commissioned. BALLARAT was laid down in Tenix Williamstown Dockyard, VIC, and launched on 22 May ...
Australian Naval History on 18 June 2004
The frigate HMAS NEWCASTLE, (CAPT T. N. Jones, CSC, RAN), was en-route to Hawaii for Exercise Rimpac 04, when she was diverted to rescue three Danish sailors from the yacht ...
Australian Naval History on 16 June 2004
The tanker MT DELOS, was purchased by the RAN as a replacement for HMAS WESTRALIA. MT DELOS is a 37,000 double-hulled tanker built in South Korea. The tanker was to ...
Visit To HMAS Sheean – Garden Island 2003
The Editor managed to score an unexpected conducted tour of one of the RAN’s latest Collins Class submarines, HMAS Sheean, alongside the dedicated submarine berth in Fleet Base East. ON ...
By Dawn’s Early Light
HMAS Hawkesbury and Singapore POWs return
With the unveiling by CDF General Cosgrove at Ballarat on 6 February 2004 of the memorial dedicated to 35,000 Australians who became prisoners-of-war in all conflicts, journalist and Navy veteran ...
Australian Naval History on 3 June 2004
The Minister of Defence, Mr Robert Hill, announced the purchase of a new tanker to replace the aging HMAS WESTRALIA. The tanker DELOS, which had been built in South Korea ...
Australian Naval History on 2 June 2004
During a two week ‘blitz’ on illegal fishing vessels in Northern Australian waters, more then 15 Indonesian fishing vessels were detained. HMA Ships BUNBURY, WARRNAMBOOL, and WHYALLA, (patrol boats), assisted ...