herakles
07-03-2008, 09:19
I know we Australians do go on about Gallipoli and I'm not going to here. Except to say that a great many servces are held in Britain every 25th April - mostly wrt to the Royal Naval Division. And anyway, Gallipoli wasn't a victory.
Australian armed forces did achieve the first victory in WW2 - against the Italians - and made the first victory over the Germans - in North Africa. Perhaps this is just pub quiz material.
I want to describe the first victory in WW1 - a victory achieved by the Australians. And to a large extent they were all naval victories.
1914 witnessed some notable Australian firsts – the first land operation of the war, the first amphibious landing, the first joint operation, the first coalition operations, the first offshore military expedition planned and coordinated by Australia, the first bravery decoration of the war, the first combat casualties of the war, the first RAN warship lost, and the first enemy warship sunk.
In early August 1914 the War Office requested that the German colonies in Nauru, the Caroline Islands and New Guinea be captured. This was because they each had wireless stations passing information to the East Asiatic Squadron of the Imperial German Navy, commanded by Admiral Graf von Spee.
On 11 August the destroyers HMAS Parramatta, HMAS Yarra and HMAS Warrego, covered by the light cruiser HMAS Sydney, prepared to launch a torpedo attack on the German anchorages in Simpsonhaven and Matupi Harbour, New Britain, but found the enemy squadron gone. Landing parties were placed ashore at Rabaul and Herbertshöhe to destroy the wireless station, but when it was learned that the station lay inland it was clear that an expeditionary force would be required. Meanwhile, the battlecruiser HMAS Australia was scouring the Pacific for Von Spee’s squadron. Von Spee was aware of the threat, recording in his diary on 18 August that ‘the Australia is my special apprehension—she alone is superior to my whole squadron.
On 29 August 1914, in Australia’s first coalition operation, a New Zealand Expeditionary Force of 1400 troops landed at Apia, Western Samoa, covered by the guns of HMAS Australia, and the cruisers HMAS Melbourne, HMS Psyche, HMS Pyramus, HMS Philomel and the French Montcalm. With no troops to defend the islands, the German Administrator surrendered on 30 August. The wireless station and harbour facilities were thereafter denied to Von Spee’s squadron.
The Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF) was put together in August. It was made up of a battalion of infantry and a half battalion of navy reservists and time-expired RN men. They took 2 aircraft with them but they were never used.
On the 9th Sep, HMAS Melbourne put a party ashore at Nauru to capture the wireless station. The German commander surendered. On the 11th, naval reservists were put ashore at Kabakaul for the same reason. They encountered a determined enemy and suffered casualties - 4 sailors, a doctor and Lieutenant Commander Elwell, Royal Navy all died. The station was captured.
On 12 Sep a force was put ashore at Herbertshöhe, while another landing force seized Rabaul. On the 14th Sep, HMAS Encounter shelled Toma, the first time the RAN had fired at the enemy and the first shore bombardment. The German Governor surrendered all of New Guinea on 17th Sep. There was no match for HMAS Australia's 12 inch guns. The Governor's yacht was seized and re-commissioned as HMAS Una. Lt. Bond RAN was awarded the DSO, the first bravery award of the war.
However during this operation, the submarine AE1 and all hands disappeared without trace.
Lastly, HMAS Sydney destroyed the wireless station in the Palau Islands.
Victory was complete.
The next victory was the sinking of the Emden and I have covered that in another thread. The rest of 1914 was spent clearing the Pacific and Indian oceans of warships and capturing other wireless stations in the South Pacific.
Much of this information was obtained from the RAN site Sea Power Centre. I am indebted to it.
The medal was given to AS Robert Moffatt RANR, an engineer who died on HMAS Australia (AWM)
The photo shows Papuan troops being trained under German command
Australian armed forces did achieve the first victory in WW2 - against the Italians - and made the first victory over the Germans - in North Africa. Perhaps this is just pub quiz material.
I want to describe the first victory in WW1 - a victory achieved by the Australians. And to a large extent they were all naval victories.
1914 witnessed some notable Australian firsts – the first land operation of the war, the first amphibious landing, the first joint operation, the first coalition operations, the first offshore military expedition planned and coordinated by Australia, the first bravery decoration of the war, the first combat casualties of the war, the first RAN warship lost, and the first enemy warship sunk.
In early August 1914 the War Office requested that the German colonies in Nauru, the Caroline Islands and New Guinea be captured. This was because they each had wireless stations passing information to the East Asiatic Squadron of the Imperial German Navy, commanded by Admiral Graf von Spee.
On 11 August the destroyers HMAS Parramatta, HMAS Yarra and HMAS Warrego, covered by the light cruiser HMAS Sydney, prepared to launch a torpedo attack on the German anchorages in Simpsonhaven and Matupi Harbour, New Britain, but found the enemy squadron gone. Landing parties were placed ashore at Rabaul and Herbertshöhe to destroy the wireless station, but when it was learned that the station lay inland it was clear that an expeditionary force would be required. Meanwhile, the battlecruiser HMAS Australia was scouring the Pacific for Von Spee’s squadron. Von Spee was aware of the threat, recording in his diary on 18 August that ‘the Australia is my special apprehension—she alone is superior to my whole squadron.
On 29 August 1914, in Australia’s first coalition operation, a New Zealand Expeditionary Force of 1400 troops landed at Apia, Western Samoa, covered by the guns of HMAS Australia, and the cruisers HMAS Melbourne, HMS Psyche, HMS Pyramus, HMS Philomel and the French Montcalm. With no troops to defend the islands, the German Administrator surrendered on 30 August. The wireless station and harbour facilities were thereafter denied to Von Spee’s squadron.
The Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF) was put together in August. It was made up of a battalion of infantry and a half battalion of navy reservists and time-expired RN men. They took 2 aircraft with them but they were never used.
On the 9th Sep, HMAS Melbourne put a party ashore at Nauru to capture the wireless station. The German commander surendered. On the 11th, naval reservists were put ashore at Kabakaul for the same reason. They encountered a determined enemy and suffered casualties - 4 sailors, a doctor and Lieutenant Commander Elwell, Royal Navy all died. The station was captured.
On 12 Sep a force was put ashore at Herbertshöhe, while another landing force seized Rabaul. On the 14th Sep, HMAS Encounter shelled Toma, the first time the RAN had fired at the enemy and the first shore bombardment. The German Governor surrendered all of New Guinea on 17th Sep. There was no match for HMAS Australia's 12 inch guns. The Governor's yacht was seized and re-commissioned as HMAS Una. Lt. Bond RAN was awarded the DSO, the first bravery award of the war.
However during this operation, the submarine AE1 and all hands disappeared without trace.
Lastly, HMAS Sydney destroyed the wireless station in the Palau Islands.
Victory was complete.
The next victory was the sinking of the Emden and I have covered that in another thread. The rest of 1914 was spent clearing the Pacific and Indian oceans of warships and capturing other wireless stations in the South Pacific.
Much of this information was obtained from the RAN site Sea Power Centre. I am indebted to it.
The medal was given to AS Robert Moffatt RANR, an engineer who died on HMAS Australia (AWM)
The photo shows Papuan troops being trained under German command