In Response To: Uemura and HMS Australia?
Here’s just a little snippet from the Australian ‘side’ of the story. P.S. Richard, Aussie ships have HMAS – His Majesty’s Australian Ship, not HMS. 🙂 Source: “A Chronology of Australian Armed Forces at War, 1939-1945”. Bruce T. Swain, (2001). ISBN 1 86508 352 6 Page 318 21 October 1944. “Leyte Gulf: At 6:05am a Japanese ‘Val’ dive-bomber, after being damaged by AA fire from HMAS Shropshire, crashed into the foremast of HMAS Australia. There was a large explosion and an intense fire was started in the Air Defence Position and bridge. The Type 273 Radar latern fell onto the compass platform, both high-angle directors and the director-control tower were put out of action, and the port strut of the foremast was broken. The fire was brought under control very quickly and by 6:35am the large quantity of wreckage on the compass platform and the ADP had been cleared away. Capt. Dechanineux and 21 others were killed or died of injuries, and 64 men were injured – 26 of them seriously. Commodo
