On This Day
1940 > WW2
On This Day - 1940
- June 9, 1940
LEUT G. L. Fowle, RAN, commanded the former Dutch schuyt HMS DOGGER BANK, in the evacuation of troops from Cherbourg and St Malo. He later brought out civilians from the Channel Islands, hours before the German occupation. Fowle was later awarded the DSC for gallantry while serving in HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), in the Philippines.
- June 3, 1940
HMAS VENDETTA, (destroyer), commenced a long refit at Malta. During this time her ships company were loaned to the Army, and became part of the force ready to repel a possible invasion of the island by enemy forces.
- May 31, 1940
Convoy US3, escorted by HMA Ships CANBERRA and AUSTRALIA, (cruisers), headed north from Cape Town.
- May 27, 1940
The 19th Destroyer Division (Stuart (I), Vampire, Voyager (I), Vendetta (I) and Waterhen (I)) and the 20th Destroyer Division (HM Ships Dainty, Diamond, Decoy and Defender) combined to form the 10th Destroyer Flotilla under the command of Commander Hec Waller.
- May 26, 1940
The cruiser HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT J. A. Collins, RAN), joined the 7th Cruiser Squadron operating in the Mediterranean.
LEUT F. N. Cook, RAN, was rescued from the sea off Narvik, following the sinking of his ship, HMS CURLEW, (anti-aircraft cruiser), by German bombers. This was LEUT Cook’s second sinking in less then a year. He was also a survivor from the sinking of HMS ROYAL OAK, (battleship), which had been sunk at Scapa Flow, Scotland, by a German U-Boat, (U-47), in October 1939.
- May 22, 1940
The cruiser HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT J. A. Collins, RAN), arrived at Aden, en-route to the Mediterranean. During the ship’s passage from Sydney, she had struck, and cut in half, a whale.
HMAS NAPIER, (destroyer), was launched at Fairfield’s Yard, England.
HMS MELBOURNE, (armed trawler), was sunk by German aircraft during the battle for Narvik, Norway. The battle honour ‘Narvik’ is now carried by all RAN ships to carry the name MELBOURNE.
- May 21, 1940
The Australian Government approved the building of the Captain Cook Graving Dock between Potts Point and Garden Island Navy Base, Sydney.
- May 20, 1940
HMS SHROPSHIRE, (cruiser), relieved HMAS CANBERRA, (cruiser), as escort for troop convoy US3, in the Indian Ocean. SHROPSHIRE was commissioned into the RAN as a replacement for CANBERRA in 1943.
- May 17, 1940
The Australian War Cabinet accepted the Admiralty offer of HMS CERES and HMS COLOMBO, (cruisers), for service in Australian waters. The decision was reversed a week later.
- May 15, 1940
HMA Ships CANBERRA and AUSTRALIA, (cruisers), were escorting convoy US3, when about halfway between Fremantle and Colombo, The British Admiralty ordered it alter course for Britain via the Cape Town.