February 4th - On This Date - Royal Australian Navy

1858

The Naval Brigade from the screw corvette HMS PELORUS, (CAPT F. P. B. Seymour, RN), landed at Rangoon to garrison Meaday Fort. PELORUS was flagship on the Australia Station in 1860.

1868

HMVS NELSON, (Acting CMDR C. B. Payne, RN), arrived in Hobsons Bay, VIC. The wooden battleship was first commissioned in 1815 as a three-decker, mounting 120 guns. She was converted to a two-decker, 72 guns, and fitted with auxiliary machinery at Portsmouth.

1942

Event #1 

While escorting the troopship AQUITANIA to Batavia, Netherlands East Indies, HMAS CANBERRA, (cruiser), sighted a Japanese submarine directly ahead of the troopship. The submarine dived and escaped before CANBERRA could launch an attack.

Event #2

HMAS YARRA, (destroyer), was bombed in Banka Strait whilst escorting a convoy.

1944

The Australian Government resolved “that all higher Royal Australian Navy appointments would be Australian”.

1945

The main units of the British Pacific Fleet, one battleship, four fleet carriers, three cruisers and 10 destroyers arrived at Fremantle. The BPF was to number 336 vessels at its peak strength.

The Fremantle based USS BARBEL, (submarine), was sunk by Japanese aircraft off Palawan. There were no survivors.

1963

HMAS QUIBERON, (destroyer), was rammed by the South Vietnamese escort ship KY-HOA, at Saigon. QUIBERON’S starboard side was opened to the sea and KY-HOA required docking.

1974

RADM D. C. Wells, CBE, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Her Majesty’s Australian Fleet.

1986

HMA Ships IPSWICH, DUBBO, CAIRNS, and BENDIGO, (patrol boats), assessed the damage and rendered assistance to civil authorities in Northern Australia in the wake of Cyclone Winifred.

1994

HMAS OTWAY, (Oberon class submarine), was decommissioned at Sydney.