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HMAS Vigilant
HMAS ''Vigilant'' (later known as HMAS ''Sleuth'' and HMAS ''Hawk'') was an auxiliary patrol boat serving with the Royal Australian Navy during the Second World War. Notably it was the 120th ship built by the Cockatoo Island Dockyard and the first aluminium ship built in Australia. History PV ''Vigilant'' was a prototype ship designed and built at Cockatoo Island Dockyard in 1937–38. The hull and wheelhouse were constructed entirely of aluminium to save weight. As a result, the ship had a total displacement of only 106 tons. It was built for the Department of Trade and Customs, intended for use patrolling waters to the north of Australia in conjunction with the ''Kuru''. It was initially based at Townsville. Naval service The ship was still undergoing sea trials when it was requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy in October 1940, commissioning as HMAS ''Vigilant'' on 12 November 1940. It was classed as an auxiliary patrol vessel. It was initially equipped with a 3 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cockatoo Island Dockyard
The Cockatoo Island Dockyard was a major dockyard in Sydney, Australia, based on Cockatoo Island. The dockyard was established in 1857 to maintain Royal Navy warships. It later built and repaired military and battle ships, and played a key role in sustaining the Royal Australian Navy. The dockyard was closed in 1991, and its remnants are heritage listed as the Cockatoo Island Industrial Conservation Area. Colonial ownership It was established by the colonial Government of New South Wales, commencing operations in December 1857 with the opening of Fitzroy Dock. Planning had begun as early as May 1846, when Governor George Gipps had recommended the construction of a dry dock at Cockatoo Island to the British government to service Royal Navy vessels. Construction had begun in 1851, with Captain Gother Mann as engineer-in-chief, and taken six years. It was known as the Government Dockyard – Biloela while in colonial control. Shipbuilding facilities, such as slipways and workshops, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neptuna Explosion 19 February 1942
MV ''Neptuna'' was a 5,952 ton cargo motor vessel. She was launched as MV ''Rio Panuco'' in 1924, renamed MV ''Neptun'' in 1931 and finally became MV ''Neptuna'' in 1935. She was sunk during the Japanese air raid on Darwin on 19 February 1942, during World War II. Career ''Rio Panuco'' was built and launched in 1924 in Kiel by Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft, Kiel for H. Schuldt's Flensburger Dampfer Co. She traded between Germany and Central America until 1931 when the company went bankrupt in the Great Depression. She was sold to Norddeutscher Lloyd Line (NDL) of Bremen, who renamed her ''Neptun''. By 1934 was running her on the service between New Guinea and Hong Kong in competition with Burns, Philp & Co. Burns, Philp asked the Australian Government to stop NDL from operating out of New Guinea but the government declined. Instead the Australian government offered to pay the interest on any money Burns, Philp borrowed to buy her. This was agreed so in 1935 Burns, Philp bought ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Patrol Vessels Of The Royal Australian Navy
A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as Law enforcement officer, law enforcement officers, military personnel, or Security guard, security personnel, that are assigned to monitor or secure a specific geographic area. Etymology From French language, French ''patrouiller'', from Old French ''patouiller'' “to paddle, paw about, patrol”, from ''patte'' “a paw”. Military In military tactics, a ''patrol'' is a sub-subunit or small tactical formation, sent out from a military organization by land, sea or air for the purpose of combat, reconnaissance, or a combination of both. The basic task of a patrol is to follow a known route with the purpose of investigating some feature of interest or, in the assignment of a ''fighting patrol'' (U.S. ''combat patrol''), to find and engage the enemy. A patrol can also mean a small cavalry or armoured warfare, armoured Military organization, unit, subordinate to a troop or platoon, usually comprising a Section (military un ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HMAS Benalla (J323)
HMAS ''Benalla'' (J323/M323), named for the city of Benalla, Victoria, was one of 60 ''Bathurst''-class corvettes constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Built by HMA Naval Dockyard in Victoria, ''Benalla'' was fitted out as armed survey ship instead of a minesweeper like the rest of the class, and was commissioned into the RAN in 1943. ''Benalla''s duties included convoy escort and performing hydrological surveys prior to amphibious landing operations. The corvette was present at the Japanese surrender of Timor at the end of the war. Post-war, ''Benalla'' performed survey work around north-west Australia until late 1945. She was decommissioned in 1946, and sold for scrapping in 1958. Design and construction In 1938, the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board (ACNB) identified the need for a general purpose 'local defence vessel' capable of both anti-submarine and mine-warfare duties, while easy t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HMAS Castlemaine
HMAS ''Castlemaine'' (J244/M244/A248), named for the city of Castlemaine, Victoria, was one of 60 ''Bathurst''-class corvettes constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially crewed and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Launched in 1941 and commissioned in 1942, ''Castlemaine'' operated during World War II in the waters of Australia, New Guinea, and Timor. She remained in service until 1945, when she was decommissioned into reserve and converted into an immobilised training ship. In 1973, ''Castlemaine'' was presented to the Maritime Trust of Australia for conversion to a museum ship. She is one of two surviving examples of the ''Bathurst'' class, the other being HMAS ''Whyalla''. Design and construction In 1938, the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board (ACNB) identified the need for a general purpose 'local defence vessel' capable of both anti-submarine and mine-warfare duties, while easy to construct and operate.Stevens, ''The Australian Corve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military tradition, military units may be acknowledged for their achievements in specific wars or operations of a military campaign. In Great Britain and those countries of the Commonwealth which share a common military legacy with the British, battle honours are awarded to selected military units as official acknowledgement for their achievements in specific wars or operations of a military campaign. These honours usually take the form of a place and a date (e.g. "Cambrai 1917"). Theatre honours, a type of recognition in the British tradition closely allied to battle honours, were introduced to honour units which provided sterling service in a campaign but were not part of specific battles for which separate battle honours were awarded. Theatre h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bentley Park, Queensland
Bentley Park is a suburb of Cairns within the local government area of Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It is located approximately south of the Cairns City. In the , Bentley Park had a population of 8,018 people. History Bentley Park is situated in the Yidinji traditional Aboriginal country. The origin of the suburb name is from a property titled Bentley Hall in England, named by an early settler Isaac Abraham Hartill. The Edmonton Catholic School was established on 29 April 1929 by the Sisters of Mercy with an initial enrolment of 30 pupils. In 1965 it was renamed St Therese’s School. As suburban development increased around Edmonton, the rising number of students made it necessary to relocate the school to neighbouring Bentley Park in 1995. Although now under lay leadership, the school continues to be operated in the Mercy tradition. Bentley Park State School was originally opened in 1997. In 2004, the construction of high school facilities made it a P-12 sch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Australia is Australia's largest state, with a total land area of . It is the second-largest country subdivision in the world, surpassed only by Russia's Sakha Republic. the state has 2.76 million inhabitants percent of the national total. The vast majority (92 percent) live in the south-west corner; 79 percent of the population lives in the Perth area, leaving the remainder of the state sparsely populated. The first Europeans to visit Western Australia belonged to the Dutch Dirk Hartog expedition, who visited the Western Australian coast in 1616. The first permanent European colony of Western Australia occurred following the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HMAS Armidale (J240)
HMAS ''Armidale'' (J240), named for the then town of Armidale, New South Wales, was one of 60 ''Bathurst''-class corvettes constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).Royal Australian Navy, ''HMAS Armidale (I)'' Launched in early 1942, and initially assigned to convoy escort duties, ''Armidale'' was transferred to Darwin in October 1942. The corvette was attacked and sunk off Betano Bay (), on the south coast of Portuguese Timor, (now East Timor) by 13 Japanese aircraft on 1 December 1942, while attempting to evacuate Australian and Dutch soldiers and deliver a relief contingent. She was the only ''Bathurst''-class corvette to be lost to enemy action.David Stevens et al., 2001, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', opposite p. 112 Design and construction In 1938, the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board (ACNB) identified the need for a general purpose 'local defence vessel' capable of both anti-submarine ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of Timor
The Battle of Timor occurred in Portuguese Timor and Dutch Timor during the Second World War. Japanese forces invaded the island on 20 February 1942 and were resisted by a small, under-equipped force of Allied military personnel—known as Sparrow Force—predominantly from Australia, United Kingdom, and the Dutch East Indies. Following a brief but stout resistance, the Japanese succeeded in forcing the surrender of the bulk of the Allied force after three days of fighting, although several hundred Australian commandos continued to wage an unconventional raiding campaign. They were resupplied by aircraft and vessels, based mostly in Darwin, Australia, about to the southeast, across the Timor Sea. During the subsequent fighting, the Japanese suffered heavy casualties, but they were eventually able to contain the Australians. The campaign lasted until 10 February 1943, when the final remaining Australians were evacuated, making them the last Allied land forces to leave South ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bombing Of Darwin
The Bombing of Darwin, also known as the Battle of Darwin, on 19 February 1942 was the largest single attack ever mounted by a foreign power on Australia. On that day, 242 Japanese aircraft, in two separate raids, attacked the town, ships in Darwin's harbour and the town's two airfields in an attempt to prevent the Allies from using them as bases to contest the invasion of Timor and Java during World War II. Darwin was lightly defended relative to the size of the attack, and the Japanese inflicted heavy losses upon Allied forces at little cost to themselves. The urban areas of Darwin also suffered some damage from the raids and there were a number of civilian casualties. More than half of Darwin's civilian population left the area permanently, before or immediately after the attack. The two Japanese air raids were the first, and largest, of more than 100 air raids against Australia during 1942–1943. The event happened just four days after the Fall of Singapore, when a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bren Light Machine Gun
The Bren gun was a series of light machine guns (LMG) made by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1992. While best known for its role as the British and Commonwealth forces' primary infantry LMG in World War II, it was also used in the Korean War and saw service throughout the latter half of the 20th century, including the 1982 Falklands War. Although fitted with a bipod, it could also be mounted on a tripod or be vehicle-mounted. The Bren gun was a licensed version of the Czechoslovak ZGB 33 light machine gun which, in turn, was a modified version of the ZB vz. 26, which British Army officials had tested during a firearms service competition in the 1930s. The later Bren gun featured a distinctive top-mounted curved box magazine, conical flash hider, and quick change barrel. The name ''Bren'' was derived from Brno, the Czechoslovak city in Moravia, where the Zb vz. 26 was designed (in the Zbrojovka Brno Factory) and Enfield, site of the British Royal Small A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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