On This Day - 6 July
- 1915
- HMAS PIONEER, (cruiser), and HMS HYACINTH, (cruiser), bombarded the German cruiser KONIGSBERG, and shore defences in the Rufigi River, East Africa.
- 1940
- LCDR O. Becher, RAN, was awarded the DSC for conspicuous gallantry in the evacuation of troops from Namsos, Norway, while serving in HMS DEVONSHIRE.
- 1942
- HMAS QUIBERON was commissioned at Cowes, Isle of Wight. The auxiliary minesweeper HMAS MERCEDES, was commissioned. MERCEDES, (as HMS MEDUSA), was laid down in Taikoo Dockyard, Singapore, in 1913. The auxiliary minesweeper HMAS MEDEA, was commissioned. MEDEA, (as HMS CIRCE), was laid down in Taikoo Dockyard, Singapore, in 1912.
- 1943
- Coastwatchers LEUT H. Josselyn, RANVR, and SBLT R. Firth, RANVR, rescued 165 survivors of the USS HELENA, (cruiser), sunk off Vella Lavella Island by Japanese destroyers, in a night engagement. The Coastwatchers cared for the sailors until they were taken off, despite the presence of an enemy garrison of 600 troops on the island.
- 1945
- The services reconnaissance department (SRD) craft HMAS NYANIE, (LEUT R. F. Saunders, RAN), was commissioned.
- 1946
- HMA Ships QUADRANT and QUEENBOROUGH, (destroyers), were docked in the Captain Cook Graving Dock at Garden Island. They were the first ships of the RAN to use the dock. All previous dockings were of ships of the British Pacific Fleet.
- 1967
- HMAS HOBART, (guided missile destroyer), and USS EDSON, fired on a petroleum store, sank two large enemy landing craft, damaged four more, scattered a truck convoy, and disrupted North Vietnamese communications in a whirlwind attack near Don Hoi, Vietnam.
- 1972
- HMAS GASCOYNE, (frigate), left Melbourne under tow for breaking up in Japan.
'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.