On This Day
1919-1938 > Depresssion and between the wars
On This Day - 1919-1938
- March 13, 1921
HMAS CERBERUS, (former HMC turret ship), was moved to Corio Bay, VIC, and was re-commissioned as HMAS PLATYPUS II, (submarine tender).
- January 21, 1921
HMAS Melbourne was involved in the dramatic rescue of 18 people from the sinking US registered schooner Helen B Sterling. The Helen B Sterling had departed Newcastle in early January bound for San Francisco with a cargo of coal. The schooner encountered a storm north of New Zealand and began to sink. Fortunately the Helen B Sterling had a wireless onboard and sent out a distress call which was received by Melbourne, then on a deployment to New Zealand waters
- January 4, 1921
The following ships were laid up in reserve in Sydney: HMA Ships ENCOUNTER, (cruiser), PARRAMATTA, YARRA, WARREGO, HUON, SWAN, and TORRENS, (destroyers), and MALLOW, (sloop).
- November 10, 1920
HMS Verdun (destroyer) transported the body of the Unknown Warrior from France to England.
Correction:
November 2014 – This entry previously said that HMS Vendetta (later HMAS Vendetta) transported the body of the Unknown Warrior. This was incorrect.- November 1, 1920
The Ex-Navalmens Association was inaugurated in Melbourne, with approximately 100 members. In 1922, the China Naval Contingent Association, (which had been formed in 1901), was amalgamated with the Association. In 1960 the name was changed to The Naval Association of Australia, and currently has 90 sub-sections throughout Australia, and 52 Ship Associations which are affiliated with the Association.
- October 1, 1920
The Hydrographic Department of the RAN was established under CAPT E. Robins, RN.
- September 30, 1920
HMAS Encounter paid off into reserve . She was assigned to the naval base at Garden Island as a depot ship in May 1923, and was renamed HMAS Penguin
- September 1, 1920
Flinders Naval Depot was commissioned as a training establishment for the RAN. It was officially renamed HMAS CERBERUS in December 1962.
- August 18, 1920
HMVS NELSON was broken up.
- July 19, 1920
HMAS Torrens was paid off into reserve. The destroyer was relocated to Flinders Naval Depot in July 1924, and although not recommissioned, was used for the training of naval reservists. Torrens was later transferred to Port Adelaide, where she was again used for training until March 1925. The ship returned to Sydney on 11 May, with occasional use for reservist training. During the general reduction in naval activity imposed by lack of finance during the Great Depression, it was decided to scrap Torrens and her five sister ships. On 24 November 1930, after being stripped of useful materials, Torrens was towed outside Sydney Heads by the tug Heroic, and was used for gunnery target practice. The destroyer withstood considerable shelling before being scuttled by a charge of gelignite.