On This Day - 24 May
- 1914
- The RAN's first two submarines, AE1 and AE2, arrived in Sydney after a record voyage from England. Within a year both submarines had been lost on active service, with AE1 lost during the campaign in German New Guinea, and AE2 lost in the Sea of Marmora during the Gallipoli Campaign.
- 1941
- The sloop HMAS YARRA, (CMDR W. H. Harrington, RAN), was involved in the attack on Iraqi positions at Habib Shawi, and landed Gurkha troops to neutralize the position. On completion, the troops were re-embarked. HMAS NAPIER was sent to relieve destroyers and joined in a sweep. Four members of RAN killed when HMS Hood was sunk - HALL, David G, Ordinary Seaman (RANVR) HALL, George W, Ordinary Seaman (RANVR), SHANNON, John D, Ordinary Seaman (RANVR) and STARTUP, Ian G E, Ordinary Seaman (RANVR),
- 1944
- The Fremantle-based US Submarines GURNARD, LAPON, and RATON, sank four Japanese ships. GURNARD torpedoed the tanker TATEKAWA MARU, off Mindanao; LAPON torpedoed the transports WALES MARU and BIZEN MARU, off Saigon; and RATON sank the destroyer escort IKI, in the South China Sea.
- 1952
- HMA Ships KIAMA and STAWELL, (minesweepers), were transferred to the RNZN.
- 1967
- North Vietnamese shore batteries fired on HMAS HOBART, and USS FECHTELER, (destroyers), in the Bay of Brandon area, Vietnam.
- 2006
- HMAS Adelaide (II) entered Dili Harbour as one of the first units to arrive in the Area of Operations for Operation ASTUTE, the ADF’s response to the request for assistance from the Government of Timor Leste to restore civil order.
'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.