On This Day

1942 > WW2

November 10, 1942

Australian Coastwatcher, LEUT P. E. Mason, RANVR, signalled from Buin:- ‘At least 61 ships this area viz 2 Nati, 1 Aoba, 1 Mogambi, 1 Kis, 1 Tatsuta, 2 sloops, 33 destroyers, 17 cargo, 2 tankers, and 1 passenger liner of 8000 tons’. Mason identified the cruisers by their class names from a page of Jane’s Fighting Ships.

November 9, 1942

The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS BOWEN, (LEUT G. L. Olsen, RAN), was commissioned. BOWEN was laid down in Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD, on 9 February 1942, and launched on 11 July 1942. Mrs G. Crittall performed the launching ceremony.

November 8, 1942

HMAS QUIBERON, (destroyer), participated in Operation Torch, the Allied landing in North Africa.

November 7, 1942

Coastwatcher LEUT W. J. Read, RANVR, on the north end of Bougainville, reported a convoy of 12 Japanese ships steaming south for the Solomons.

The USN requisitioned the following Australian vessels between 7 and 17 November:- KAROORA, WORTANNA, MULCRA, NOORA, and ARGOSY LEMAL. The latter vessel was a small, auxiliary engined, schooner rigged coaster.

November 6, 1942

The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS LATROBE, was commissioned. LATROBE was laid down in Mort’s Dock, Sydney, on 27 January 1942, and launched on 19 June 1942. The Reverend A. G. Rix, (of St John’s Parish, which included Mort’s Dock in it’s boundaries), performed the launching ceremony.

November 4, 1942

The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS GYMPIE, (LCDR C. W. J. Patterson, RANR), was commissioned. GYMPIE was laid down in Evans Deakin Yard, Brisbane, on 27 August 1941, and launched on 30 January 1942.

The survey vessel HMAS PALUMA, (LEUT I. Champion, RANVR), surveyed Japanese-held Oro Bay, New Guinea, and buoyed the channels. LEUT Champion distinguished himself in coastwatching operations in this area.

November 3, 1942

LEUT John Stuart Mould, GM, RANVR, was awarded the GC for outstanding courage and devotion to duty in the rendering safe of new types of enemy mines.

November 1, 1942

HMAS QUIBERON, (destroyer), was part of Force ‘Q’ which destroyed an Italian supply convoy.

HMAS QUICKMATCH, (destroyer), was involved in the destruction of the Italian ship CORTELLAZZO off Capr Finisterre.

October 30, 1942

The sloop HMAS WARREGO, (LCDR A. D. C. Inglis, RAN), surveyed the passage from Milne Bay to Cape Nelson, New Guinea, for the amphibious assault on Buna by Australian and American troops.

October 28, 1942

Williamstown Dockyard, VIC, was acquired by the Commonwealth of Australia.