The evacuation of Crete ended. During the campaign the RAN committed HMA Ships PERTH, STUART, VAMPIRE, VOYAGER, VENDETTA, WATERHEN, NAPIER, and NIZAM. Despite frequent attacks by enemy aircraft, only PERTH ...
Australian Naval History on 31 May 1941
Australian Naval History on 30 May 1941
The sloop HMAS PARRAMATTA, (LCDR W.H. Harrington, RAN), re-floated the streamer MOUNT OTHRYS, which had run aground on a sand bar near Port Suez. HMA Ships NAPIER and NIZAM, (destroyers), ...
Australian Naval History on 29 May 1941
HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), and HM Ships CALCUTTA, COVENTRY, GLENGYLE, JERVIS, JANUS, and HASTY, evacuated over 6000 Allied troops from the beach at Sfakia, Crete, PERTH’s total being 1188. During the ...
Australian Naval History on 28 May 1941
HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), embarked two landing barges, and sailed for Crete with HM Ships PHOEBE, CALCUTTA, COVENTRY, GLENGYLE, JERVIS, JANUS, and HASTY. The auxiliary minesweeper HMAS BOMBO, was commissioned. BOMBO ...
Australian Naval History on 27 May 1941
The German battleship BISMARCK was sunk in the North Atlantic Ocean. HMAS NESTOR, (destroyer), was one of the ships involved in the hunt. Other RAN personnel, then serving in British ...
Australian Naval History on 26 May 1941
HMA Ships VOYAGER and VENDETTA, (destroyers), along with HM Ships HEREWARD and DECOY, (destroyers), escorted the damaged HMS FORMIDABLE, (aircraft carrier), to Alexandria. HMAS NIZAM, (destroyer), and HM Ships ABDIEL ...
Australian Naval History on 25 May 1941
HMA Ships VENDETTA and VOYAGER, (destroyers), were part of the screen protecting the 1st Battle Fleet in its air strikes on Scarpanto, in the eastern Mediterranean. Aircraft from HMS FORMIDABLE ...
Australian Naval History on 24 May 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, ...
Australian Naval History on 23 May 1941
HMA Ships STUART, VOYAGER, and VENDETTA were sent to help HMS FIJI reported sinking after aircraft attack. Ordinary Seaman Ian Rhodes, a RAN Volunteer Reserve sailor, was awarded the Conspicuous ...
Australian Naval History on 22 May 1941
Six ratings from HMAS YARRA, (sloop), disguised as Arab fishermen, carried out a daring reconnaissance of Maqil, Iraq. This was in preparation for Operation Scoop, which was the British invasion ...
Australian Naval History on 21 May 1941
HMAS NIZAM, (destroyer), in company with HM Ships JERVIS and ILEX, bombarded enemy airfields at Scarpanto, which were being used by the Germans to re-supply their forces in Crete. HMAS ...
Australian Naval History on 20 May 1941
The Battle of Crete commenced, and lasted until 31 May, 1941. HMA Ships PERTH, STUART, VAMPIRE, VENDETTA, VOYAGER, WATERHEN, NAPIER and NIZAM, (destroyers), were all involved in evacuating Allied troops ...
Australian Naval History on 18 May 1941
The sloop HMAS YARRA, (LCDR W. H. Harrington, RAN), provided close support for British troops landing at Basra, Iraq, during the Allied takeover of the country. HM Ships FALMOUTH, COCKCHAFER, ...
Australian Naval History on 16 May 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 ...
Australian Naval History on 15 May 1941
CAPT J. Burnett, RAN, took over command from CAPT J. Collins, CB, RAN, of HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser). Just over 6 months later SYDNEY was sunk in her ill fated action ...
Australian Naval History on 14 May 1941
Australian merchant vessel RABAUL, was sunk by the German raider ATLANTIS, 700 miles north-west of Walrus Bay. Nine members of the ship’s crew were killed in action. ...
Australian Naval History on 12 May 1941
HMAS WHYALLA, (minesweeper), was launched at Whyalla, SA. ...
Australian Naval History on 11 May 1941
The tug HMAS WATO, was commissioned. WATO was laid down in J. T. Ettingham & Co in 1904 for the Adelaide Steam Tug Co, and served with the RN in ...
Australian Naval History on 10 May 1941
The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS BENDIGO, (LEUT S. J. Griffith, RANR), was commissioned. BENDIGO was laid down at Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, on 12 August 1940, and launched on ...
Australian Naval History on 9 May 1941
HMAS VENDETTA evacuated wounded from Tobruk during the night of 9/10 May to Alexandria ...
Australian Naval History on 8 May 1941
HMAS NESTOR’S log recorded:- ‘At 2100 what we believed to be the conning tower of a submarine was sighted on the port bow and course was altered to ram. However ...
Australian Naval History on 7 May 1941
The 6th Destroyer Flotilla, of which included HMAS NESTOR, captured a German weather ship in the Arctic. ...
Australian Naval History on 5 May 1941
HMAS PARRAMATTA arrived at Suez to reinforce the Mediterranean Fleet. However, she was ordered to remain there temporarily to provide anti-aircraft protection for liners QUEEN MARY and QUEEN ELIZABETH. HMAS ...
Australian Naval History on 4 May 1941
HMA Ships NAPIER and NIZAM, (destroyers), arrived at Alexandria to join other units of the RAN based there. ...
Australian Naval History on 2 May 1941
HMAS WATERHEN, (destroyer), picked up the crew of an aircraft from HMS FORMIDABLE, (aircraft carrier), which had ditched in the sea off Crete. ...