January 23rd - On This Date - Royal Australian Navy

1861

 A naval brigade of 74 officers and ratings from HMS FAWN, (screw corvette), was despatched from Sydney with a military contingent to put down lawlessness amongst miners at Lambing Flats, NSW.

1885

The Queensland Naval Brigade was formed under LEUT Walton Drake, RN.

1941

HMAS NIZAM, (destroyer), sustained underwater damage in a collision with the wreck of HMS ROYAL OAK in Scapa Flo

1942

Event #1

HMAS ARMIDALE, (minesweeper), was launched at Mort’s Dock, Sydney.

Event #2

HMAS KATOOMBA, (corvette), was severely damaged when struck by the U.S. oiler PECOS at Darwin.

Event #3

ADML Royle informed the Australian War Cabinet that an invasion of Australia by the Japanese was a distinct possibility.

1943

Event #1

The examination vessel HMAS MATTHEW FLINDERS was commissioned. MATTHEW FLINDERS was laid down in Fleming & Ferguson Ltd, Paisley, Scotland, in 1914. She was requisitioned by the RAN from the Queensland Government on 23 January 1943.

Event #2 

Brisbane based USS GUARDFISH, (submarine), sank the Japanese destroyer HAKAZE off Rabaul.

1968

HMAS PERTH, (guided missile destroyer), and USS BORDELON, destroyed or damaged 12 enemy buildings in a storage area at Dong Hoi, Vietnam.

1973

RADM A. M. Synnot was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Her Majesty’s Australian Fleet.

2003

HMAS KANIMBLA, (CMDR D. G. McCourt), departs Sydney for service in the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Bastille. The LPA had previously served in the Persian Gulf during the period December 2001 to March 2002 as part of the RAN force allotted to Operation Slipper.

2004

Event #1

HMAS WARRAMUNGA, (frigate), intercepts the illegal fishing vessel MAYA V near Heard Island. Due to bad weather and heavy seas a Navy boarding party was fast roped, from a Seahawk helicopter, onto the vessel to take control of it and steam her to Fremantle. The tanker HMAS SUCCESS supported WARRAMUNGA and provided fuel to enable her to return to Australia from Heard Island.

Event #2

The Minister of Defence, Mr Robert Hill, announced that a small group of RAN personnel would soon deploy to Iraq to assist rebuilding the Iraq Navy. The 12 personnel under the command of LCDR Tony Powell, RAN, would be based at the port of Umm Qasr and assist RN and USN personnel with the training of the Iraqi Coastal Defence Force.