On this day in Royal Australian Navy History 14 July 1866 HMVS VICTORIA, and the Government steamer PHAROS, rescued 452 passengers and crew from the clipper ship NETHERBY, wrecked on King Island, Bass Straight, off Victoria. 1936 HMA Ships AUSTRALIA and SYDNEY, (cruisers), were attached to the Mediterranean Fleet during the Abyssinian crisis. 1941 HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), refloated HMS GLENEARN, after the landing ship ran aground following a collision with the troop ship GEORGIC, at Port Tewfik. AB W. L. E. Danswan and AB T. W. Todd, from shore establishment HMAS TORRENS were the first men of the RAN to lose their lives as a result of direct enemy action on Australian soil. They were killed while attempting to render safe a German mine washed ashore at Beachport, SA. 1942 HMAS PENGUIN, (shore establishment in Sydney), was commissioned. 1944 TF74, HMA Ships AUSTRALIA and SHROPSHIRE, (cruisers), ARUNTA and WARRAMUNGA, (destroyers), and US Ships AMMEN and BACHE, continued close gun support on the American perimeter at Aitape, New Guinea. An American ground force report later confirmed the effectiveness of the support, which caused a Japanese force of more than 500 to retire, leaving many dead. 1967 The Minister for Defence, Mr. A. Fairhall, announced that an RAN Helicopter Flight would be sent to Vietnam.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Jul 2013 23:52:32 +0000
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