|
Naval Base Adelaide
Naval Base Adelaide was a United States Navy base at Adelaide and Port Adelaide, South Australia, Australia during World War II. Northern Australian ports were within reach of Japanese long-range bombers. The bombing of Darwin on February 19, 1942, demonstrated that a more southern port was needed, with Adelaide, in southern Australia, being distant from the possibility of any current or future attacks. The existing port facilities at Adelaide were large enough to support the staging of future actions. Local civilians were hired to help in the unloading and loading of US Navy, US Army and World War II United States Merchant Navy, Merchant Navy ships. History Protected by Fort Largs, Port Adelaide was an Army staging port from May 1942 to July 1942, with depots supplying the 32nd Infantry Division (United States), 32nd Division of the United States Army. Camps were built from the Port of Adelaide. Proposed Japanese invasion of Australia during World War II, Japan planned an inv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Australian Central Standard Time
Australia uses three main time zones: Australian Western Standard Time (AWST; UTC+08:00), Australian Central Standard Time (ACST; UTC+09:30), and Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST; UTC+10:00). Time is regulated by the individual state governments, some of which observe daylight saving time (DST). Australia's external territories observe different time zones. Standard time was introduced in the 1890s when all of the Australian colonies adopted it. Before the switch to standard time zones, each local city or town was free to determine its local time, called local mean time. Now, Western Australia uses Western Standard Time; South Australia and the Northern Territory use Central Standard Time; while New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, Jervis Bay Territory, and the Australian Capital Territory use Eastern Standard Time. Daylight saving time (+1 hour) is used in jurisdictions in the south and south-east: South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of The Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. Taking place in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, the battle is historically significant as the first action in which the opposing fleets neither sighted nor fired upon one another, attacking over the horizon with aircraft carriers instead. To strengthen their defensive position in the South Pacific, the Japanese decided to invade and occupy Port Moresby (in New Guinea) and Tulagi (in the southeastern Solomon Islands). The plan, Operation Mo, involved several major units of Japan's Combined Fleet. Two fleet carriers and a light carrier were assigned to provide air cover for the invasion forces, under the overall command of Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue. The U.S. learned of the Japanese plan through signals intelligence and sent two U.S. Navy carrier task forces and a joint Australian-American cruise ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
General Douglas MacArthur Monument At Terowie Railway Station, South Australia
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED Online. March 2021. Oxford University Press. https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/77489?rskey=dCKrg4&result=1 (accessed May 11, 2021) The term ''general'' is used in two ways: as the generic title for all grades of general officer and as a specific rank. It originates in the 16th century, as a shortening of ''captain general'', which rank was taken from Middle French ''capitaine général''. The adjective ''general'' had been affixed to officer designations since the late medieval period to indicate relative superiority or an extended jurisdiction. Today, the title of ''general'' is known in some countries as a four-star rank. However, different countries use different systems of stars or other insignia for senior ranks. It has a NATO rank scal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
SS President Taft (1920)
SS ''President Taft'' was launched as one of the "state" ships, ''Buckeye State'', completed by the United States Shipping Board as cargo passenger ships after originally being laid down as troop transports. ''Buckeye State'' had been laid down as ''Bertrice'' but was converted and renamed before launching. Originally assigned to the Matson Navigation Company as the Shipping Board's agent, the ship was later renamed ''President Taft'' and assigned to Pacific Mail Steamship Company for operation. In 1925 the Shipping Board sold the ship to Dollar Steamship Company. ''President Taft'' was operated by Dollar and then its successor American President Lines until requisitioned by the War Department on 17 June 1941. ''President Taft'' was renamed and operated as USAT ''Willard A. Holbrook'' throughout World War II. In the closing days of the war the ship was undergoing conversion to an Army hospital ship with the proposed name of ''Armin W. Leuschner'' but the conversion was suspended in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
MS West Honaker
MS ''West Honaker'' was a diesel-powered cargo ship of the United States Maritime Commission (USMC) that was part of the "Corncob Fleet" of old ships sunk as part of the "gooseberry" breakwater off Utah Beach during the Normandy invasion. The ship was originally built as SS ''West Honaker'', a steam-powered cargo ship built for the United States Shipping Board (USSB), a predecessor of the USMC. At the time of her completion in 1920, the ship was inspected by the United States Navy for possible use as USS ''West Honaker'' (ID-4455) but was neither taken into the Navy nor ever commissioned under that name. ''West Honaker'' was built in 1920 for the USSB, as a part of the ''West'' boats, a series of steel-hulled cargo ships built on the West Coast of the United States for the World War I war effort, and was the 28th ship built at Los Angeles Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company in San Pedro, California. In 1926, ''West Honaker'' was outfitted with diesel engines that replaced her origin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
MV Duntroon
MV ''Duntroon'' was a passenger motor ship built for the Melbourne Steamship Company, that saw military service as a troopship between 1942 and 1949. She was built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne, and entered service in 1939. At the start of World War II, ''Duntroon'' was requisitioned for conversion into an armed merchant cruiser, but was returned as unsuitable. In November 1940, ''Duntroon'' collided with and sank the auxiliary minesweeper ; the RAN's first loss of the war. In February 1942, ''Duntroon'' was requisitioned by the Australian Army for use as a troopship. The ship was involved in a second fatal collision in November 1943, sinking the destroyer . Her army service continued until 1946, when she was chartered by the RAN for transport duties with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. ''Duntroon'' was returned to her civilian owners in 1950. In 1961, the ship was sold to Kie Hock Shipping Co. and renamed ''Tong Hoo''. She was sol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
SS America (1939)
SS ''America'' was an ocean liner and cruise ship built in the United States in 1940, for the United States Lines and designed by the noted American naval architect William Francis Gibbs. It carried many names in the 54 years between its construction and its 1994 wreck: SS ''America'' (carrying this name three different times during its career); troop transport USS ''West Point''; and SS ''Australis'', ''Italis'', ''Noga'', ''Alferdoss'', and ''American Star''. It served most notably in passenger service as ''America'' and the Greek-flagged ''Australis''. It was wrecked as the ''American Star'' at Playa de Garcey on Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands on 18 January 1994. The wreck deteriorated and completely collapsed into the sea. As of 2022, it is no longer visible on the ocean surface and has become an artificial reef. Construction (1936–1939) ''America'' was laid down under the first Maritime Commission contract on 22 August 1938, at Newport News, Virginia, by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
USS Briareus
USS ''Briareus'' was originally the cargo ship SS ''Hawaiian Planter'' laid down as a Maritime Commission type C3 Mod. at Newport News, Virginia, by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company for the Matson Line and delivered 15 May 1941. After a brief pre-war commercial service and allocation to the Army for transport the ship was purchased by the United States Navy in February 1943 and converted to a repair ship. Commercial service Matson intended the ship to join ''Hawaiian Shipper'' and ''Hawaiian Merchant'' in the U.S. Pacific coast and Australia route. On 8 October 1941 the ''Hawaiian Planter'' departed the U.S. mainland with a load of drummed aviation fuel under United States Army charter operating in an attempt to build up supplies for bomber missions in the event of war at Singapore and in Australian territory at Rockhampton, Darwin, Port Moresby and Rabaul. On 3 December she departed Honolulu with intent to drop 1,020 drums at Rabaul, 7,140 drums at Port More ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
USS Ancon (AGC-4)
USS ''Ancon'' (AGC-4) was one of three identical ships built for the Panama Railroad Company put into operation in 1938. The ship was converted to a troop ship by the Army in January 1942, making several voyages to Australia with troops as an Army Transport. In August 1942 the ship's operation was transferred to the United States Navy for the duration of World War II and converted to a combined headquarters and communications command ship. Early civilian service ''Ancon'' was laid down 23 October 1937 as hull number 1468, second of three identical ships ordered by the Panama Railroad Company, launched on 10 December 1938 at Fore River Shipyard (Bethlehem Steel Company), Quincy, Massachusetts.DANFS gives the launch date for the first of the ships, ''Panama''. The three ships with launch dates are: ''Panama'' 24 September 1938, ''Ancon'' 10 December 1938 and ''Cristobal'' 4 March 1939. The ship was sponsored by Mrs. Harry Woodring, wife of the Secretary of War. The ship was owned a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HMAS Wilcannia
HMAS ''Wilcannia'' (FYP2, WN) was a 1,049-ton anti-submarine and patrol vessel of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). ''Wyrallah'' was built in 1934 by Burmeister & Wain, Copenhagen as a cargo passenger motor vessel for the North Coast Steam Navigation Company. She plied the Richmond River to Sydney run. At the start of World War II, ''Wyrallah'' was requisitioned and was commissioned into the RAN as an anti-submarine vessel on 2 September 1940. ''Wyrallah'' was part of the search for survivors of November 1941, off the West Australian coast. In February 1942, her name was changed to HMAS ''Wilcannia'', to avoid confusion with the new , . During the later part of her service with the RAN, she was in New Guinea waters. collided with ''Wilcannia'' on 27 July 1944. ''Wilcannia'' earned three battle honours for her wartime service, "Darwin 1942-43", "Pacific 1942-44" and "New Guinea 1943". ''Wyrallah'' was returned to owners in 1947. She was sold in 1954 to John Burke & Company, Brisb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HMAS Ballarat (J184)
HMAS ''Ballarat'' (J184), named for the city of Ballarat, Victoria, was one of 60 ''Bathurst''-class corvettes constructed during World War II and one of 20 built for the Admiralty but manned by personnel of and commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). 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 Corvettes'', p. 1Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 103 The vessel was initially envisaged as having a displacement of approximately 500 tons, a speed of at least , and a range of Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', pp. 103–4 The opportunity to build a prototype in the place of a cancelled Bar-class boom defence vessel saw the proposed design increased to a 680-ton vessel, with a top speed, and a range of , armed with a 4-inch gun, equipped with asd ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HMAS Kalgoorlie
HMAS ''Kalgoorlie'' (J192/B245/A119), named for the city of Kalgoorlie, was one of 60 ''Bathurst''-class corvettes constructed during World War II and one of 20 built for the Admiralty but manned by personnel of and commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). 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 Corvettes'', p. 1Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 103 The vessel was initially envisaged as having a displacement of approximately 500 tons, a speed of at least , and a range of Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', pp. 103–4 The opportunity to build a prototype in the place of a cancelled Bar-class boom defence vessel saw the proposed design increased to a 680-ton vessel, with a top speed, and a range of , armed with a 4-inch gun, equipped wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
