On This Day

On This Day - 18 November

1914

HMAS AUSTRALIA, (battle-cruiser), steamed off the Mexican west coast in search of the German Pacific Squadron. On 26 November she rendezvoused with the Japanese cruisers ASAMA, IDZUMO, and HIZEN.

1916

The Australian transport BERRIMA, (ex-HMAS BERRIMA, armed merchant cruiser), was torpedoed by a German submarine off Portland, England. BERRIMA was empty, having unloaded 1600 troops at Plymouth two days before. The vessel was beached and later salvaged.

1942

The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS HORSHAM, was commissioned. HORSHAM was laid down in Williamstown Naval Dockyard, VIC, on 26 June 1941, and launched on 16 May 1942. The Garden Island Company of the Volunteer Defence Corps commenced training. The Company was initially a RAN unit. It was armed with Oerlikon guns, machine-guns and small arms, and trained to resist commando-type raids on the dockyard. The unit was absorbed into the Army later in the war.

1943

The River class frigate HMAS GASCOYNE, (LCDR J. Donovan, RAN), was commissioned. GASCOYNE was laid down in Mort's Dock, Sydney, on 3 July 1942, and launched on 20 February 1943. Lady Wakehurst, (Wife of the Governor of New South Wales), performed the launching.

1949

The RN Fourth Submarine Flotilla was commissioned at Sydney to provide a submarine training facility for personnel of the RAN and the RNZN. The first submarines to join the flotilla were HMS TELEMACHUS and HMS THOROUGH.

1951

The Battle class destroyer HMAS TOBRUK, (CMDR Richard I. Peek, RAN), destroyed a complete Communist freight train between Songjin and Chongjin, Korea.

1994

HMAS Kanimbla II arrived in Sydney for the first time after commissioning in the United States.

2001

A memorial to HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser),which was sunk in the action with the German raider KORMORAN, was dedicated at Mount Scott in Geraldton, WA. The memorial consists of a dome formed by 645 interlocking metal seabirds, one for each of SYDNEY's complement. The memorial dominates the Geraldton skyline, and has sweeping views of the Indian Ocean where the wreck of SYNDEY still lies.