uboat.net

  Front page - Fighting the U-boats - Allied Warships

Follow us on Twitter
@uboatnet

Notable events involving Dubbo include:

12 Jan 1943
HrMs K XII (Lt.Cdr. T. Brunsting, RNN) conducted trials off Fremantle. Upon completion of these trials A/S exercises were carried out with HMAS Dubbo (T/Lt. N.G. Weber, RANR(S)). (1)

20 Mar 1943

Convoy OW 3.

This convoy departed Fremantle on 20 March 1943.

It was made up of the following merchant vessels;
Harrison Gray Otis (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Lowlander (British, 8059 GRT, built 1925), Montanan (American, 6415 GRT, built 1917), Winslow Homer (American, 7176 GRT, built 1942) and Zane Grey (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943).

On departure from Fremantle, around 0830I/20, the convoy was escorted by the light cruiser HMAS Adelaide (A/Capt. J.C.D. Esdaile, OBE, RAN), destroyer HrMs Van Galen (Lt.Cdr. F.T. Burghard, RNethN) and the minesweepers HMAS Dubbo (T/Lt. N.G. Weber, RANR(S)) and Wallaroo (T/Lt. Eric Sinclair Ross, RANR(S)).

Around 0700H/21, HMAS Dubbo and HMAS Wallaroo were detached to return to Fremantle.

Around 1750GH/21, HrMs Van Galen was detached to return to Fremantle.

Around 1320FG/25, the convoy was turned over by HMAS Adelaide to the armed merchant cruiser HMS Worcestershire (A/Capt.(Retd.) E.H. Hopkinson, RN). HMAS Adelaide then set course to return to Fremantle.

The convoy arrived at Colombo on 2 April 1943. (2)

5 May 1943
HrMs Tromp (Capt. J.B. de Meester, RNN) conducted A/S exercises off Fremantle together with HMAS Dubbo (T/Lt. N.G. Weber, RANR(S)) and USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. R. Kefauver, USN). (3)

16 Aug 1943
HrMs K XII (Lt.Cdr. T. Brunsting, RNN) conducted A/S exercises off Fremantle with HMAS Dubbo (T/Lt. N.G. Weber, RANR(S)). (1)

25 Aug 1943
HrMs K XII (Lt.Cdr. T. Brunsting, RNN) conducted A/S exercises off Fremantle with HMAS Dubbo (T/Lt. N.G. Weber, RANR(S)). Also radar exercises were carried out with aircraft. (1)

3 Sep 1943
HrMs K XII (Lt.Cdr. T. Brunsting, RNN) conducted A/S exercises off Fremantle with HMAS Dubbo (T/Lt. N.G. Weber, RANR(S)). (1)

13 Sep 1943
HrMs K XII (Lt.Cdr. T. Brunsting, RNN) conducted A/S exercises off Fremantle with HMAS Dubbo (T/Lt. N.G. Weber, RANR(S)). (1)

15 Oct 1943
HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN) conducts A/S and attack exercises near Fremantle with HMAS Dubbo (T/Lt. N.G. Weber, RANR(S)). (4)

16 Jun 1944
HMAS Adelaide (A/Capt. J.C.D. Esdaile, OBE, RAN), HMAS Dubbo (Lt.Cdr. W.J.C. Webb, RANR) and HMAS Horsham (T/A/Lt.Cdr. W.H. Newby, RANR(S)) conducted exercises off Fremantle with the submarines USS Angler (T/Cdr. F.G. Hess, USN), USS Flasher (T/Cdr. R.T. Whitaker, USN) and USS Crevalle (T/Cdr. F.D. Walker, Jr., USN). (5)

5 Jul 1944
USS Gurnard (T/Cdr. C.H. Andrews, USN) and USS Ray (T/Cdr. W.T. Kinsella, USN) conducted exercises off Fremantle attacking a 'convoy' made up of HMAS Adelaide (A/Capt. J.C.D. Esdaile, OBE, RAN), HMAS Norman (Cdr. H.J. Buchanan DSO, RAN), HMAS Dubbo (T/Lt. F.W. Roberts, RANR(S)), HMAS Horsham (T/A/Lt.Cdr. W.H. Newby, RANR(S)) and HMAS Wollongong (T/Lt. J. Hare, RANR(S)). (6)

25 Jul 1944
HMAS Adelaide (A/Capt. L.E. Tozer, RAN), HMAS Dubbo (Lt.Cdr. W.J.C. Webb, RANR) and HMAS Horsham (T/A/Lt.Cdr. W.H. Newby, RANR(S)) conducted exercises off Fremantle. Due to bad weather gunnery exercises had to be cancelled. (6)

2 Aug 1944
HMAS Adelaide (A/Capt. L.E. Tozer, RAN), HMAS Dubbo (Lt.Cdr. W.J.C. Webb, RANR) and HMAS Horsham (T/A/Lt.Cdr. W.H. Newby, RANR(S)), USS Corpus Christie (Cdr. W.W. Childress, USCG) and USS Isabel (Lt. E.G. Zacher, USNR) conducted exercises off Fremantle with the submarines USS Hake (T/Lt.Cdr. F.E. Hayler, USN), USS Harder (T/Cdr. S.D. Dealey, USN), USS Jack (T/Cdr. A.E. Krapf, USN), USS Flier (T/Cdr. J.D. Crowley, USN) and USS Redfin (T/Cdr. M.H. Austin, USN). (7)

5 Aug 1944
HMAS Adelaide (A/Capt. L.E. Tozer, RAN) and HMAS Dubbo (Lt.Cdr. W.J.C. Webb, RANR) conducted radar tracking and gunnery exercises off Fremantle. They then joined USS Corpus Christie (Cdr. W.W. Childress, USCG) and USS Isabel (Lt. E.G. Zacher, USNR) for exercises with the submarines USS Hake (T/Lt.Cdr. F.E. Hayler, USN) and USS Harder (T/Cdr. S.D. Dealey, USN). (7)

5 Sep 1944
HMS Sea Rover (Lt. J.P. Angell, RN) ended her 6th war patrol (5th in the Far East) at Fremantle, Australia. She was escorted in by HMAS Dubbo (T/Lt. F.W. Roberts, RANR(S)). (8)

27 Dec 1944
During 27 and 28 December 1944, HMS Spirit (Lt. A.W. Langridge, RN), conducted exercises off Fremantle with HMAS Dubbo (T/Lt. F.W. Roberts, RANR(S)). These included night exercises. (9)

12 Jan 1945
HMS Spiteful (Lt.Cdr. F.H. Sherwood, DSC, RCNVR) departed Fremantle for her 7th war patrol (6th in the Far East and 3rd in the South-West Pacific area). She was ordered to patrol off Singapore. She was also to perform air/sea rescue duties in that area. Before proceeding on patrol she conducted exercises together with HMS Spark (Lt. D.G. Kent, RN) and HMS Tradewind (Lt. J. Nash, DSC, RN). Practice attacks were made on HMAS Dubbo (T/Lt. F.W. Roberts, RANR(S)), HMAS Inverell (Lt. A.I. Chapman, RANR(S)), HMAS Warrnambool (Lt.Cdr.(Emgy.) E.J.B. Wight, RAN) and USS Hutchinson.

For the daily positions of HMS Spiteful during this patrol see the map below.

(10)

9 May 1945
Around 1430K/9 the destroyer HMAS Arunta (Cdr. A.E. Buchanan, DSO, RAN) departed Manus followed around 1800K/9 by the light cruiser HMS Newfoundland (Capt. R.W. Ravenhill, CBE, DSC, RN).

Around 1720K/9, the light cruiser HMAS Hobart (Capt. R.S. Dowling, RAN, flying the broad pendant of Commodore H.B. Farncomb, DSO, MVO, RAN) and the destroyer HMAS Warramunga (Cdr. M.J. Clark, DSC, RAN) departed Hollandia.

Both forces made rendezvous off Cape Wom around 0800K/10 and the 'Wewak support force' arrived off Wewak around 1300K/10.

After a preliminary run along the coast to search for the targets the sheduled bombardment commenced.

Around 1600K/10, the force retired to seaward for the night.

At 0630K/11, the 'Wewak support force' made rendezvous with the 'Wewak force' made up of the sloop HMAS Swan (Lt. W.J. Dovers, RAN) and minesweepers/corvettes Colac (Lt. K.J. Hopper, RANR(S)) and HMAS Dubbo (T/Lt. F.W. Roberts, RANR(S)) and the assault forces proceeded to their fire support areas. From 0730K/11, targets were successfully engaged to cover the assault on Red Beach. The bombardment was completed at 0840K/11.

After the landing the 'Wewak support force' retired to seaward.

Around 1230K/11, HMS Newfoundland obtained an A/S contact which was subsequently depth charged by HMAS Arunta. Both destroyers then continued to search the area during the afternoon, but no further contact was obtained.

Around 1700K/11, HMAS Hobart and HMS Newfoundland carried out another bombardment after which the force was released around 1900K/11 and proceeded to Hollandia arriving there at 0700I/12. (11)