On This Day

On This Day - 6 August

1900

HMCS PROTECTOR, (CAPT W. R. Creswell, RN), sailed from Adelaide to China, to participate in quelling the Boxer Rebellion.

1915

HMAS Psyche sailed from Sydney for what was to be a routine patrol in the Bay of Bengal but ended up being a deployment of 2 years and 43 days. During this time she had many duties and travelled through waters around Singapore up to Hong Kong and as far north as Japan.

1917

'When a submarine is sighted, I am going for her,' signalled CMDR Warren, RAN, commanding HMAS PARRAMATTA, in the Red Sea. Obviously impressed by Lord Nelson's fighting spirit.

1941

HMAS NESTOR, (destroyer), attacked a surfaced German submarine off Gibraltar. The submarine fired a torpedo which passed down the destroyer's length.

1943

Coastwatcher LEUT Evans, RANVR, rescued the Captain of the US vessel, PT109, (torpedo boat), LEUT John F. Kennedy, and his crew, on Wana Wana Island. The future President of the USA's command, had been rammed and sunk by the Japanese destroyer AMAGIRI.

1944

The frigate HMS LOCH KILLIN, (LCDR. S. Darling, RANVR), depth-charged the German submarine U736, off the French coast. The U-boat was blown to the surface and jammed across LOCH KILLIN'S stern. The submarine's crew stepped onto LOCH KILLIN'S, deck to be taken prisoner. U736 was freed, and sunk by HMS STARLING, (sloop).

1946

HMAS PIRIE, (minesweeper), was transferred to the Turkish Navy, and renamed AMASRA.

1992

HMAS OTWAY, (Oberon class submarine), became the first RAN submarine to fire Mk48 torpedoes against a manned submarine, when she fired on the US Submarine NEW YORK CITY, during RIMPAC exercises.

2003

HMAS NEWCASTLE, (guided missile frigate), enters the Persian Gulf to relieve her sister ship HMAS SYDNEY, (guided missile frigate), on Maritime Interdiction Operations.