On This Day

On This Day - 28 September

1901

CAPT William Creswell, RN, submitted his historic report on Australian sea defence, commerce, and ports.

1938

HMAS ALBATROSS, (seaplane carrier), was transferred to the RN as part payment for HMAS HOBART, (cruiser, ex-HMS APOLLO). The modified Leander class cruiser, HMAS HOBART, was commissioned. HOBART was laid down in Devonport Dockyard, England, on 15 August 1933, and launched on 9 October 1934. Completed and commissioned on 13 January 1936, she served in the RN as HMS APOLLO, (CAPT R.R. Stewart, RN). Lady Boyle, (Wife of ADML Sir W.H.D. Boyle, RN), performed the launching ceremony. Purchased by the RAN, she was renamed by Mrs S.M. Bruce, (wife of the Australian High Commissioner), and commissioned HMAS HOBART at Devonport Dockyard

1940

HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), was directed to return to Britain from the Mediterranean

1942

Coastwatcher LEUT W.J. Read, RANVR, signalled from Buka Passage:- "A ship, which may be a cruiser and probably another, entered Kessa 1 pm, believe from the north. Heavy destroyer and light cruiser, derrick on stern, just entered Buka Passage. Unusual air activity today, nine fighters landed drome. Believe about 20 fighters and bombers now here. First mentioned ship now leaving Kessa, believe may come this way". The anti-submarine escort vessel HMAS ABRAHAM CRIJNSSEN, (LEUT A.I. Chapman, RANR), was commissioned. ABRAHAM CRIJNSSEN was laid down in Werf Gusto, Schiedam, Holland, for the Royal Netherlands Navy, and launched on 22 September 1936, completed in 1937. She had escaped to Australia and arrived at Fremantle on 20 March 1942. She was the last vessel to successfully escape from Java

1943

The Fremantle based USS CISCO, (submarine), was sunk by Japanese aircraft off Mindanao. Six parties of Coastwatchers were landed on New Britain by USS GROUPER, (submarine), to prepare for an Allied landing.

1944

The British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, informed the House of Commons: 'We owe it to Australia and New Zealand to help them remove forever the Japanese menace to their homelands. We have offered the fine modern British Pacific Fleet and asked that it should be used in the main operations against Japan'. The Fremantle based HMS PORPOISE, (submarine), captured the 100 ton junk MUSTIKA, for use by the Commandos of Operation Rimau.

1951

The frigate HMAS MURCHISON, (LCDR A. N. Dollard, RAN), penetrated the Han River, Korea, and came under heavy Communist gunfire. MURCHISON withdrew after suffering light damage. HMAS Labuan paid off to reserve and was sold for disposal on 9 November 1955. The landing ship was heavily damaged during the 1951 visit to Heard Island. Labuan attempted to sail home, but broke down completely en route. The vessel had to be towed back to Fremantle, arriving on 1 March

1968

HMAS TORRENS, (destroyer escort), was launched at Cockatoo Island, Sydney.

1985

The RAN, Port Authorities, and shipping lines, participated in Operation Bell Buoy, a world-wide exercise to standardise procedures in the naval control of commercial shipping in states of emergency.