The RAN’s primary role was the defence of trade and the safe arrival of troops and war materiel wherever needed. Throughout the war, Australian shipyards built 60 corvettes for minesweeping, anti-submarine warfare, and escort duties. The Navy took control of all shipping and port defences in Australia.
Until December 1941, Japan posed only a potential threat to Australia, and Australian forces were committed to the defeat of fascism in Europe. When Japan attacked Allied Pacific outposts on 7/8 December 1941, therefore, very few Australian ships were serving in Australian waters.
The light cruiser HMAS Hobart (I) in 1945.
From early 1942, RAN warships fought alongside the US Navy in campaigns to Australia’s north, reversing what had seemed an inexorable Japanese advance through the south Pacific. At the surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay on 15 August 1945, ten Australian ships represented the RAN.
The Battle of the Atlantic was a prolonged struggle for control of vital sea routes, crucial for Allied supply and victory. Australian naval personnel played key roles in convoy escort, anti-submarine warfare, and special operations throughout the campaign.
The RAN played a vital role in the Pacific War, from early naval battles and evacuations to escort, patrol, amphibious support, covert operations, and intelligence, significantly aiding the Allied victory over Japan.
During the Imperial Japanese Navy Midget Submarine Attack on 31 May–1 June 1942, three midget submarines infiltrated Sydney Harbour, targeting Allied warships. HMAS Kuttabul was sunk, killing 21 RAN and British sailors, shocking local residents and the RAN alike.
Brisbane became a key US Navy submarine base during WWII. The location supported over 89 vessels, aided Pacific operations, and enabled significant victories, sinking 117 enemy ships and rescuing Allied personnel behind enemy lines.
The 1944 Leyte Gulf campaign marked a major Allied victory, severing Japan’s empire and crippling its navy. The RAN played a key supporting role in logistics, landings, and combat alongside US forces.