Japanese bombers sank HMS PRINCE OF WALES, (battleship), and HMS REPULSE, (battle-cruiser), in the South China Sea. HMAS VAMPIRE, (destroyer), picked up survivors. One of those lost in the sinking ...
Australian Naval History on 10 December 1941
Australian Naval History on 9 December 1941
The Director of Naval Intelligence, CMDR R. B. M. Long, RAN, warned the Government:- ‘It is likely in view of Japan’s present attack against Hawaii that raids will be made ...
Australian Naval History on 8 December 1941
HMA Ships VAMPIRE and VENDETTA, (destroyers), and BURNIE, GOULBURN, BENDIGO, and MARYBOROUGH, (corvettes), were at Singapore when Japan mounted her first air raid at 0300. MANOORA was also at Singapore, ...
Australian Naval History on 7 December 1941
The Siege of Tobruk ends after 242 days. RAN ships supported the Allied forces in Tobruk by running a ‘ferry service’ bringing in ammunition, food, water, medical supplies, and fresh ...
Australian Naval History on 5 December 1941
HMAS YARRA and HMS FLAMINGO, (sloops), were heavily attacked by German bombers between Mersa Matruh and Tobruk. FLAMINGO was hit in the engine room and was taken in tow by ...
Australian Naval History on 4 December 1941
HMAS NEPAL, (destroyer), was launched at Thornycraft’s Yard, England. The Australian Government deferred a decision to sail Australian shipping in convoys. ...
Australian Naval History on 1 December 1941
An RAN interrogation team, consisting of CAPT Farquar-Smith, CMDR Dechaineaux, CMDR Ramage, and LCDR. Salm, (Royal Netherlands Navy), questioned prisoners from the German raider KORMORAN. CAPT H. B. Farncomb conducted ...
Australian Naval History on 30 November 1941
The Australian Naval Board announced that six boats and two rafts, carrying a total of 315 German survivors from the raider KORMORAN, had been either picked up at sea, or ...
Australian Naval History on 29 November 1941
ADML A. B. Cunningham, C in C, Mediterranean, signalled: ‘I deeply deplore the loss of HMAS PARRAMATTA. This fine little ship had built up for herself a splendid standard of ...
Australian Naval History on 28 November 1941
The Commanding Officer of the German raider KORMORAN, (CAPT T. Detmers), was interrogated at Carnarvon, WA. On the same day HMAS HEROS found a Carley float from HMAS SYDNEY. The ...
Australian Naval History on 27 November 1941
The sloop HMAS PARRAMATTA, (CMDR J. H. Walker, RAN), was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U559, while on passage to Tobruk. Of the ships complement of 162, there ...
Australian Naval History on 26 November 1941
CAPT Theodor Detmers, (German raider KORMORAN), claimed the last signal hoisted by HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), was the two flags IK:- ‘You should prepare for a hurricane or a typhoon’. The ...
Australian Naval History on 25 November 1941
HMAS NIZAM, (destroyer), and HM Ships JERVIS, JACKAL, and HOTSPUR, (destroyers), picked up 450 survivors from HMS BARHAM, (battleship), sunk by the German submarine U331 south of Crete. ...
Australian Naval History on 23 November 1941
The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS DELORAINE, (LCDR D. A. Menlove, RANR(S)), was commissioned. DELORAINE was laid down in Mort’s Dock, Sydney, on 19 March, 1941, and launched on 29 ...
Australian Naval History on 19 November 1941
HMA Ships HOBART NAPIER and NIZAM, (destroyers), supported the Battle Fleet in the bombardment of key German and Italian defences in the Halfaya Pass, Libya. The cruiser HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT ...
Australian Naval History on 17 November 1941
The cruiser HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT J. Burnett, RAN), handed over the escort of the troop ship ZEALANDIA, to HMS DURBAN in Sunda Strait. ...
Australian Naval History on 15 November 1941
HMAS CANBERRA, (cruiser), was damaged in a collision with the transport KATOOMBA, at Fremantle, WA. HMAS VAMPIRE, (destroyer), was damaged in a collision with the steamer PERAK, off Keppel Harbour, ...
Australian Naval History on 13 November 1941
HMS ARK ROYAL, (aircraft carrier), was torpedo by the German submarine U81, 25 miles east of Gibraltar. LEUT V. A. T. Smith, RAN, was awarded the DSC for outstanding service ...
Australian Naval History on 11 November 1941
HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), sailed on her last voyage as escort to the transport ZEALANDIA. ...
Australian Naval History on 3 November 1941
LEUT Ashley-Brown, while commanding a boat from HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), found the abandoned French sealing vessel L’ESPERANCE, grounded on Cat Island in the Kerguelen Group. The ship had been abandoned ...
Australian Naval History on 1 November 1941
HMAS AUSTRALIA arrived at Desolation Island to search for a German raider. The cruiser laid a minefield before departing. Post-war records showed the island had been used by the raider ...
Australian Naval History on 30 October 1941
The cable repair ship HMAS INNISFAIL, was commissioned. INNISFAIL was laid down in Mackie & Thompson Ltd, Govan, Scotland, in 1912. She was requisitioned for the RAN, from her owners, ...
Australian Naval History on 27 October 1941
The destroyer HMAS NORMAN, (CMDR Henry Burrell, RAN), embarked a British Trade Union delegation at Archangel, Russia, for passage to England. ...
Australian Naval History on 26 October 1941
The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS WOLLONGONG, (LEUT G. A. Keith, RANVR), was commissioned. WOLLONGONG was laid down in Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, on 29 January 1941, and launched on ...
Australian Naval History on 24 October 1941
CAPT H. M. L. Waller, DSO and Bar, RAN, was appointed to HMAS PERTH, (cruiser). ...