On This Day - 16 May
- 1917
- HIJM Ships CHIKUMA and HIRADO, (cruisers), arrived in Australian waters to bolster naval defence in the area. At that point the majority of the RAN's warships were serving overseas in the North Sea and the Mediterranean, with only HMAS ENCOUNTER operating on the Australian Station.
- 1941
- HMAS Vampire (I) delivered 102 troops & stores to Tobruk to support the besieged 7th & 9th AIF Divisions. Vampire departed Tobruk the next day just as an air raid began, evacuating 180 wounded troops.
- 1942
- HMAS HORSHAM, (minesweeper), was launched at Williamstown Dockyard, VIC, and HMAS BUNBURY, (minesweeper), was launched at Evans Deakin, Brisbane They were a part of the programme of 60 vessels of the class built in Australia during WWII. HMAS WARRNAMBOOL, (minesweeper), evacuated 41 Dutch troops of Plover Force from the Aru Islands, in the Arafura Sea.
- 1944
- HMAS SHROPSHIRE, (cruiser), bombarded Sawar Airfield, Dutch New Guinea.
- 1945
- HM Ships INDOMITABLE, (aircraft carrier), and QUILLIAM, (destroyer), collided off Okinawa. HMAS NORMAN, (destroyer), stood by to assist the damaged QUILLIAM.
- 1987
- HMA Ships ADELAIDE and SYDNEY, (guided missile frigates), were placed on standby to assist with the potential evacuation of Australian nationals from Fiji, following a military coup.
'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.