On This Day - 5 February
- 1788
- Governor Arthur Phillip allocated Garden Island, Sydney, to HMS SIRIUS for use as a ship's garden.
- 1909
- The Fisher Government in Australia adopted the 24 destroyer plan. Without consulting British Admiralty, the Australian Government ordered three River class torpedo boat destroyers, later named HMAS PARRAMATTA, YARRA, and WARREGO, to be built forwith in the United Kingdom.
- 1940
- The auxiliary anti-submarine vessel HMAS BINGERA, was commissioned. BINGERA was laid down in Denny Bros Ltd, Dumbarton, Scotland, in 1935, for the Australian Steam Navigation Co Ltd, and requisitioned for the RAN on 2 December 1939. The auxiliary minesweeper HMAS BONTHORPE was commissioned. BONTHORPE was laid down in 1927 as a fishing trawler.
- 1941
- HMAS SYDNEY arrived in Fremantle from the Mediterranean. The destroyers HMAS Stuart and HMS Wryneck departed Alexandria for Tobruk where they were to land minesweeping gear. They arrived off Tobruk the next day in a heavy sandstorm but were able to land the minesweeping gear after which they departed for Alexandria.
- 1942
- HMAS YARRA, (sloop), took off 1304 troops from the burning troop transport EMPRESS OF ASIA near Sultan Reef, Singapore. The rescue was effected under heavy air attack. LCDR W H Harrington, RAN, captain of YARRA recorded: "I was becoming a little dubious of the stability of HMAS YARRA and on getting clear gave orders for all hands to sit". YARRA shot down one aircraft confirmed and was credited with two probables.
- 1943
- Reverend L. N. Kentish, Methodist missionary, was executed by Japanese troops on Dobo Island in the Arafura Sea. The Japanese rescued Kentish from the sea after HMAS PATRICIA CAM was sunk. He was suspected of organising Coastwatcher operations in the Arafura Sea.
- 1945
- HMAS NEPAL struck an uncharted obstruction in the Kaliendaung River in Burma, damaging her starboard propeller. The destroyer was withdrawn to Colombo for repairs.
- 1951
- The destroyers, HMAS WARRAMUNGA and USS LIND, inflicted heavy damage and casualties on North Korean forces when they foiled an attempted ambush. The ships were returning to a pre-arranged rendezvous with an intelligence group landed several days before by USS LIND. The recognition flashed from the shore was incorrect, and the destroyers replied with their full armament.
'On This Day' is based on the book "Navy Day by Day: Historic Naval Events in Australia and Abroad" written by the late Lew Lind. More information.