LEUT E. T. Lees, RANVR, was awarded the DSC for bravery and conspicuous service while serving in HM trawler ARAB, during the Norwegian Campaign. Lees was First Lieutenant of the ...
Australian Naval History on 16 August 1940
Australian Naval History on 15 August 1940
CAPT H. Howden, RAN, commanding HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), was appointed Senior Naval Officer at Berbera. Howden successfully directed the evacuation of the port as it was invaded by superior Italian ...
Australian Naval History on 14 August 1940
CMDR H. J. Buchanan, RAN, was awarded the DSO for conspicuous gallantry while commanding HMS VANITY, (destroyer), during the evacuation of Dunkirk. CMDR Buchanan later commanded HMA Ships NORMAN and ...
Australian Naval History on 10 August 1940
At the request of the army HMAS HOBART sent ashore 3 volunteers to man a 3-pounder Hotchkiss saluting gun. The sailors were PO H. Jones, AB H. C. Sweeney, and ...
Australian Naval History on 9 August 1940
The auxiliary minesweeper HMAS GOONAMBEE, was commissioned. GOONAMBEE was laid down in the State Dockyard, Newcastle, NSW, in 1919. She was requisitioned for the RAN, from her owners, Cam & ...
Australian Naval History on 8 August 1940
HMAS HOBART’S, (cruiser), amphibian aircraft, made a solo bombing raid on the Italian airfield at Zeila, Somaliland. Italian bombers retaliated by straddling HOBART with bombs. ...
Australian Naval History on 1 August 1940
HMAS BATHURST, (minesweeper), the first of 60 of the class to be built in Australia, was launched at Cockatoo Island, Sydney. The RAN Depot at Fremantle was commissioned as HMAS ...
Australian Naval History on 30 July 1940
HMAS PARRAMATTA, (sloop), and HMS REGENT, (submarine), arrived at Aden after an unsuccessful search in the Indian Ocean for the German raider ATLANTIS. ...
Australian Naval History on 29 July 1940
HMAS DURRAWEEN, (auxiliary minesweeper), was commissioned. HMAS STUART, (destroyer), picked up the pilot of a Gladiator fighter from HMS EAGLE, (aircraft carrier), in the central Mediterranean. The fighter shot down ...
Australian Naval History on 28 July 1940
HMAS SYDNEY and HMS NEPTUNE sank the Italian tanker ERMIOMI in the Aegean Sea. ...
Australian Naval History on 27 July 1940
HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT J. A. Collins, RAN), was near-missed by two bombs which caused minor casualties, and damaged the ship’s new aircraft. ADML A. B. Cunningham saw the cruiser veiled ...
Australian Naval History on 26 July 1940
HMA Ships VAMPIRE and VENDETTA, (destroyers), with HMS ORION, (cruiser), demonstrated off the Italian-held island of Castellorizo to divert enemy attention from an important convoy bound for Greece. ...
Australian Naval History on 25 July 1940
HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), was painted in camouflage colours at Alexandria. The effectiveness of camouflage on ships at sea was the subject of controversy throughout the war. ...
Australian Naval History on 22 July 1940
HMAS ALFIE CAM, (auxiliary minesweeper), was commissioned. ...
Australian Naval History on 19 July 1940
The cruiser, HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT J. A. Collins, RAN), sank the Italian ship BARTOLOMEO COLLEONI, (cruiser), off Cape Spada, Crete. BATOLOMEO COLLEONI, and her sister ship GIOVANNI DELLE BANDA NERE, ...
Australian Naval History on 18 July 1940
The cruiser HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT J. A. Collins, RAN), with HMS HAVOCK, (destroyer), left Alexandria to protect four destroyers which were to hunt down Italian submarines, (HM Ships HYPERION, ILEX, ...
Australian Naval History on 17 July 1940
HMAS FALIE, (transport and stores ship), was commissioned. The cruiser HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT J. A. Collins, RAN), returned from the fleet action in the central Mediterranean to Alexandria, was immediately ...
Australian Naval History on 15 July 1940
The examination vessel HMAS KING BAY, was commissioned. KING BAY was laid down in Fremantle, WA, in 1938. She was requisitioned for the RAN on 8 July 1940, from her ...
Australian Naval History on 13 July 1940
HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), joined the 1st Cruiser Squadron at Scappa Flow, Scotland. ...
Australian Naval History on 11 July 1940
Gunner(T) Mr. J. H. Endicott, RN, in HMAS VAMPIRE, (destroyer), was killed in an Italian air attack on the ship. He was the RAN’s first battle casualty in WWII. ...
Australian Naval History on 9 July 1940
HMA Ships SYDNEY, (cruiser), STUART, VAMPIRE, and VOYAGER, (destroyers), participated in the Battle of Calabria. The signal, ‘Enemy battle fleet in sight,’ was hoisted for the first time in the ...
Australian Naval History on 8 July 1940
HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), came under air attack whilst preparing for the Battle of Calibria. ...
Australian Naval History on 7 July 1940
HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), was straddled by a stick of bombs while operating with the Mediterranean Fleet. The C in C, ADML A.B. Cunningham, recorded in his journal: ‘On this day ...
Australian Naval History on 6 July 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. ...
Australian Naval History on 4 July 1940
HMAS NIZAM, (destroyer), was launched at John Brown’s, Yard, Scotland. HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), engaged in the removal of the French fleet from the Mediterranean, records in her war diary, ‘Situation ...