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 20 May 1941
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. ...
Australian Naval History on 1 May 1941
The auxiliary minesweeper HMAS PATERSON, was commissioned. PATERSON was laid down as a coastal steamer in 1920, and requisitioned for the RAN on 1 May 1941. ...
Australian Naval History on 30 April 1941
The auxiliary minesweeper HMAS COOMBAR, was commissioned. COOMBAR was laid down in Port Glasgow, Scotland, in 1912, and requisitioned for the RAN from her owners, Wm Crosby & Co, Melbourne, ...
Australian Naval History on 29 April 1941
HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), engaged a German E boat with her main armament in Kasos Strait, off Crete. The E boat withdrew at high speed. ...
Australian Naval History on 28 April 1941
A Seagull amphibian aircraft from HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), was shot down by German aircraft off Anti Kyrethia, Greece. The aircraft crashed into the sea, but her crew of three, (Flight ...
Australian Naval History on 27 April 1941
HMA Ships STUART, VENDETTA, VAMPIRE, and WATERHEN, (destroyers), sailed from Suda Bay to Alexandria as escort to convoy GA12. RAN ships evacuating troops from Greece, picked up the last message ...
Australian Naval History on 26 April 1941
HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), carried 911 Australian and New Zealand troops, and HMAS STUART, (destroyer), evacuated 109, from Tolos to Suda Bay, Crete. Earlier that night STUART had ferried 600 troops ...
Australian Naval History on 24 April 1941
Operation Demon, (the evacuation of Greece from 24-29 April), took place. HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), and HMA Ships STUART, VAMPIRE, VENDETTA, VOYAGER, and WATERHEN, (destroyers, the Scrap-Iron Flotilla?), all took part ...
Australian Naval History on 22 April 1941
HMAS GEELONG, (minesweeper), was launched at Williamstown, VIC. ...
Australian Naval History on 21 April 1941
HMAS VENDETTA, (destroyer), sank an Italian supply schooner in a night action off Derna, Libya. HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), and HM Ships AJAX and ORION, (cruisers), provided support for the bombardment ...
Australian Naval History on 20 April 1941
HMAS VAMPIRE, (destroyer), took off the crew of the burning tanker BRITISH JUDGE, while under heavy air attack north of Crete. ...
Australian Naval History on 19 April 1941
HMA Ships STUART, VOYAGER, and WATERHEN, (destroyers), covered a landing by British Commandos on enemy positions near Bardia, Libya. The German raiders ATLANTIS and KORMORAN rendezvoused in the Indian Ocean. ...