On This Day
1940 > WW2
On This Day - 1940
- August 22, 1940
The Grimsby type escort sloop HMAS WARREGO, (CMDR R. V. Wheatley), was commissioned. WARREGO was laid down in Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, on 15 May 1939, and launched on 10 February 1940. Mrs R. G. Menzies, (Wife of the Prime Minister, Mr R. G. Menzies), performed the launching ceremony.
- August 19, 1940
The cruiser HMAS HOBART, (CAPT H. Howden, RAN), bombarded the main buildings and port installations of Berbera, as the Italian Army entered the port. During the bombardment three exhausted soldiers of the King’s African Rifles were seen on the beach. LEUT T. M. Synnot, RAN, took a boat in close to the beach, and stood off while AB V. E. Lewis swam ashore and brought the men off.
- August 18, 1940
The evacuation of Berbera was completed. HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), launched her Seagull amphibian aircraft soon after dawn, on a reconnaissance of the Berbera Plains. No enemy activity was observed.
- August 17, 1940
The Port of Sydney was closed, when objects suspected of being mines were sighted, off Botany Bay.
HMA Ships STUART, VENDETTA, and WATERHEN, (destroyers), were on the screen of HM Ships WARSPITE, MALAYA, and RAMMILLIES, (battleships), during the bombardment of Italian military positions near Bardia, Libya.
- August 16, 1940
LEUT E. T. Lees, RANVR, was awarded the DSC for bravery and conspicuous service while serving in HM trawler ARAB, during the Norwegian Campaign. Lees was First Lieutenant of the trawler, which fought off continuous German air attacks over a period of six weeks, and carried out a series of evacuations of British and French troops cut off by German advances. ARAB’S CO, LEUT R. B. Stannard, RNR, was awarded the VC.
- August 15, 1940
CAPT H. Howden, RAN, commanding HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), was appointed Senior Naval Officer at Berbera. Howden successfully directed the evacuation of the port as it was invaded by superior Italian forces. The ships available for the task were HMAS HOBART, HM Ships CARLISLE, CERES, KIMBERLEY, KANDAHAR, CHAKDINA, LAOMEDON, SHOREHAM, VITA, (hospital ship), and AKBAR, (transport ship). Two tugs, ZEILA, and QUEEN, and four barges were manned by HOBART’S crew. The evacuation was completed on the night of 18th August, and the only loss was the tug QUEEN.
- August 14, 1940
CMDR H. J. Buchanan, RAN, was awarded the DSO for conspicuous gallantry while commanding HMS VANITY, (destroyer), during the evacuation of Dunkirk. CMDR Buchanan later commanded HMA Ships NORMAN and NAPIER, the latter as CAPT (D), in the Burma Campaign.
- August 10, 1940
At the request of the army HMAS HOBART sent ashore 3 volunteers to man a 3-pounder Hotchkiss saluting gun. The sailors were PO H. Jones, AB H. C. Sweeney, and AB W. J. Hurren. The gun was in position at Tug Argan Gap. In a losing struggle they were taken prisoner. HMAS LISMORE was launched at Evans Deakin, QLD.
- August 9, 1940
The auxiliary minesweeper HMAS GOONAMBEE, was commissioned. GOONAMBEE was laid down in the State Dockyard, Newcastle, NSW, in 1919. She was requisitioned for the RAN, from her owners, Cam & Sons Pty Ltd, on 28 June 1940.
Engaged in the Battle of Tug Argan Gap, HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), landed her 1.3kg Hotchkiss saluting gun, mounted on a temporary carriage, to stiffen the British line near Berber. A crew of three volunteers, PO H. Jones, AB H.C. Sweeney, and AB W.J. Hurran, manned the gun, and fought alongside the troops until the position was captured by the overwhelming Italian forces. The gun crew was taken prisoner, until 1 April 1941, when British troops captured Eritrea.
- August 8, 1940
HMAS HOBART’S, (cruiser), amphibian aircraft, made a solo bombing raid on the Italian airfield at Zeila, Somaliland. Italian bombers retaliated by straddling HOBART with bombs.