On This Day

On This Day - 26 February

1890

HM Ships DART and PALUMA surveyed waters off Cape York, QLD.

1916

HMAS MELBOURNE, (cruiser), searched Brazilian waters for the German raider PUNGO. On the same day her sister-ship, HMAS SYDNEY, was scouring the coast off Cape St Roque for the armed merchant cruiser KRON PRINZ WILHELM.

1924

HMA Submarines J1, J2, J4, and J5, were sold to the Melbourne Salvage Syndicate for breaking up. The hulks of JI and J2 were scuttled off Barwon Heads, J3 off Swan Island, J4 sank at Williamstown, and J5 and J7 were scuttled off Queenscliff.

1941

The depot ship and accommodation vessel HMAS KUTTABUL, was commissioned. KUTTABUL was laid down in Walsh Island Yard, Newcastle, NSW, in 1922, as a passenger ferry. She was requisitioned for the RAN on 7 November 1940.

1942

RADM Karl Doorman, (Dutch Navy), sailed with his fleet of five cruisers, including HMAS PERTH, and nine destroyers, from Sourabaya. At the same time a striking force formed on HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), sailed from Tanjong Priok, to attempt the interception of a Japanese convoy approaching western Java.

1946

HMAS ADELAIDE, (light cruiser), was paid off for breaking up.

1949

HMAS LABUAN, (landing ship tank), arrived back at Melbourne after a voyage to Antarctica supplying Australian bases.