February 10th - On This Date - Royal Australian Navy

1814

Captain John Piper resigned his army commission to assume the duties of Naval Officer, Port Jackson.

1940

HMAS WARREGO, (sloop), was launched at Cockatoo Island, Sydney.

1941

Three sailors from the minesweeper HMAS LISMORE drowned in Jervis Bay. They were returning to the ship in one of the ship's boats that was swamped in heavy seas. Those who lost their lives were ERA Edward Dunn, AB John Irving, and AB Tom Lee.

1943

HMAS WARRAMUNGA, (Tribal class destroyer), picked up survivors from the merchant-ship STARR KING, torpedoed and sunk by the Japanese submarine I-21 east of Sydney.

1944

HMAS STUART, (destroyer), was taken in hand by Garden Island Naval Dockyard for conversion to a fast transport.

1945

The main body of the British Pacific Fleet arrived at Sydney. At its peak strength the BPF numbered 336 vessels.

1964

HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier), and HMAS VOYAGER, (destroyer), collided in a night exercise off Jervis Bay. VOYAGER sank with a loss of 82 lives. The GC was awarded posthumously to CPO Jonathon Rogers, DSM, for conspicuous bravery in rescue following the collision. The subsequent inquiries and two Royal Commissions into the cause of the collision shook the RAN to its foundations.

1967

The crews of HMAS DERWENT, (destroyer escort), and HM Submarines TABARD and TRUMP, landed to fight disastrous bushfires near Hobart, TAS.

1969

HMS TRUMP, the last of the British submarines to serve on loan with the RAN, sailed from Sydney to return to Britain. TRUMP was credited with making the last British torpedo attack on an enemy vessel during World War II.

1974

HMAS TORRENS escorted the royal yacht BRITANNIA on the Royal Tour of the Pacific.

1988

The ex lighthouse tender MV LUMEN, was renamed MSA BROLGA, (auxiliary minesweeper), and commenced service in the RAN.

1991

Survivors of the HMAS VOYAGER sinking held a delayed service for comrades lost when their ship was run down and sunk by HMAS MELBOURNE on 10 February, 1964.

2006

The Armidale class patrol boats HMA Ships LARRAKIA, (LCDR Anthony Powell, RAN), and BATHURST, (LCDR Andrew Quinn, RAN), were commissioned in Cairns, QLD. Both ships were laid down in Austral Ships, Cairns, QLD.

2007

The Armidale class patrol boat HMAS BROOME was commissioned at Broome, Western Australia.

Credit:
'On This Day' is based on the book "Navy Day by Day: Historic Naval Events in Australia and Abroad" written by the late Lew Lind.