On This Day
1944 > WW2
On This Day - 1944
- October 19, 1944
The Fremantle-based Dutch submarine ZWAARDFISCH sank the ITSUKUSHIMA, Japan’s largest minelayer.
The American tanker YORK landed survivors from HMAS GEELONG at Langemak, New Guinea.
- October 18, 1944
HMAS GEELONG, (minesweeper), was sunk in a collision with the US tanker YORK, off Langemak, New Guinea. CAPT H. Birkland of the YORK reported in his log:- ‘We struck the HMAS GEELONG on the port quarter. [The minesweeper’s stern was severed abaft the minesweeping hatch.] They signalled they were listing badly and sinking, and asked for immediate assistance. I launched two lifeboats and they proceeded towards GEELONG, and picked up two boatloads each of survivors. We were standing by about a quarter of a mile away. We succeeded to get the whole crew on board our vessel. At 9.51 p.m. the GEELONG sank. Our running lights were on medium bright. GEELONG had no navigation lights on’.
HMAS GASCOYNE, (frigate), buoyed shoals in San Pedro Bay, Leyte, while under fire from enemy shore batteries.
- October 17, 1944
HMA Ships NORMAN and QUIBERON, (destroyers), operated with Force 63 in Operation Millet, the air strike and bombardment of the Nicobar Islands.
LCDR J. M. Alliston, RN, assumed command of HMAS WARRAMUNGA, (destroyer), at sea, relieving CMDR N. A. MacKinnon, RAN, who was taken seriously ill.
- October 16, 1944
HDML 1074 was rammed at night by an unidentified vessel while under tow by USS PEBBLE. The craft was severely damaged, but reached Leyte safely.
- October 15, 1944
The destroyer HMAS VENDETTA, (LEUT W. F. Cook, RAN), sloop, HMAS SWAN, (LCDR D. W. Hodges, RANR), frigate, HMAS BARCOO, (LCDR C. G. Hill, RANR), and ML802, (LEUT V. T. Shortus, RANVR), were designated to halt Japanese barge traffic, and provide bombardment support, in the Jacquinot Bay area.
- October 13, 1944
US Ships CANBERRA and HOUSTON, (cruisers), were torpedoed off Leyte. USS CANBERRA was named in honour of HMAS CANBERRA, (cruiser), lost at Savo Island in 1942, and USS HOUSTON was named after the US cruiser lost with HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), in the Battle of Sunda Strait.
- October 6, 1944
The Fremantle-based submarine HMS TALLY HO, sank a Japanese submarine chaser in the Malacca Strait.
- October 5, 1944
The Fremantle-based Dutch submarine ZWAARDFISCH, sank the German submarine U 168 off Java. The German submarine was transporting vital scientific equipment from Germany to Japan.
- October 1, 1944
HM Ships GLENEARN and LOTHIAN, the first RN landing ships to operate in the Pacific, joined HMAS WESTRALIA, (landing ship infantry), at Humboldt Bay.
- September 30, 1944
HMS TERRIBLE, (aircraft carrier, later HMAS SYDNEY), was launched at Devonport, England.