The auxiliary patrol vessel HMAS VIGILANT, was commissioned. VIGILANT was laid down in Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, and launched on 12 February 1938. She was renamed SLEUTH in April 1944, and HAWK on 13 March 1945.

HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), and HMS MOWHAWK, (destroyer), attacked an Italian convoy of four merchant vessels and two destroyers, north of Otranto. All four merchant ships were sunk, and the destroyers were driven off. When SYDNEY rejoined the Mediterranean Fleet, the C-in-C, ADML A. B. Cunningham, signalled:- ‘Did you have a wild Australian night?’