IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS of ‘gunboat diplomacy’, the Royal Navy maintained a large number of sloops designed for overseas service, powered by both steam and sail. By the turn ...
Australian Units
HMAS Una – a Work Horse – 1914
ONE OF THE SPOILS from the capture of the German New Guinea colonies in 1914 was the steam yacht Komet. Built in 1911 as the Government yacht for the colonies, ...
Spakhia
ON A SMALL BAY on the south coast of Crete is a village or township called Spakhia. Landward approaches are steep-to and the harbour has – or had – no ...
A Peaceful Scene – Sydney 1921
H.M.A. Ships Encounter and Australia with Huon and two other “Rivers”, and Tattoo and two other S class boats laid up in Sydney Harbour in 1921. ...
Detail Action
The following poem “Detail Action” has been attributed to CPO Fred “Gaity” Crawford, the well known identity of the Boys Training Ship “Tingira”, and this could quite possibly be true. ...
Letters – HMAS Pioneer as a Midshipman
Early in 1914 1 did an extended period of training in HMAS Pioneer, as a Midshipman RANR. One Saturday in April, 1914, when Pioneer was in Corio Bay to give weekend ...
Cradle of the RAN – Revisited
In our last Review we published a short history of HMAS Cerberus at Crib Point. The title, or rather sub-title, drew a sharp comment from Commander R.S. Veale, RANR Rtd. Commander Veale points out ...
Australian Naval History on 5 March 1983
HMAS CESSNOCK, (Fremantle class patrol boat), was commissioned. ...
Australian Naval History on 29 January 1983
LEUT G. A. Ledger, RAN, piloted an Iroquois helicopter in a hazardous night operation to rescue 13 passengers trapped in four cable cars over Keppel Harbour in Singapore, during a ...
HMAS Pioneer – The RAN’s First Cruiser
IN A PREVIOUS ISSUE of the Naval Historical Review we gave a short resume of the career of the 3rd class protected cruiser Pioneer in the Royal Navy. Let us ...
Flinders Naval Depot
Flinders Naval Depot – The Cradle of the RAN ONE RESULT OF THE FAMOUS HENDERSON REPORT of 1910 was the establishment of a naval depot at Crib Point, Victoria. Originally ...
The Tribals
Australian Naval History on 17 December 1982
HMAS Banks ceased to be a commissioned ship of the RAN , but this was not the end of her sea going career as she was retained in service, performing ...
Bastock, John – Naval Artist & Writer
Australian Naval History on 13 November 1982
The Fremantle class patrol boat HMAS IPSWICH, was commissioned. ...
The Navy in New Guinea in 1914
ON THE 11TH SEPTEMBER 1914, Lieutenant R.G. Bowen, RAN, with 25 men of the left half company of No. 6 Company of the Naval Battalion of the Australian Naval & ...
The Supermarine Seagull V
TO REPLACE THE SEAGULL III AMPHIBIAN AIRCRAFT that were carried in the seaplane carrier Albatross a more robust unit was required. Being of wooden construction, the Seagull III was not ...
Australian Naval History on 28 October 1982
HMAS SWAN, (destroyer escort), was the largest warship docked at the port of Fremantle to this date. ...
Australian Naval History on 27 October 1982
HMA Ships SNIPE and CURLEW, (minehunters), based at HMAS Cairns, detonated a WWII mine on Ribbon Reef, north of Cooktown, QLD. ...
I’m Jesus, the Canteen Manager (Part 6-Conclusion )
Sleuth – A Pretty Little Ship
THERE ARE VERY FEW SHIPS AFLOAT that served in the Great War of 1914-18, and in Australia possibly the only one is a small fishing boat now under repair in ...
Australian Naval History on 12 October 1982
The crew of HMAS TORRENS, (Type 12 frigate), ‘spliced the mainbrace’ to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, on completion of TORRENS tour of duty as escort to HMS BRITANNIA, (The ...
Preserved Naval Relics
Australian Naval History on 25 September 1982
HMAS IPSWICH, (Fremantle class patrol boat), was launched at Cairns, QLD ...
Australian Naval History on 14 August 1982
HMAS Barbette temporarily changed her pennant number from 97 to 83 for her role as the fictional RAN patrol boat, HMAS Ambush, in the second series of the popular ABC ...