The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) was commanded by the British Admiralty from 10 August 1914 to 19 August 1919. Our navy began the war with 16 ships, two submarines and 3800 RAN personnel (including 850 from the Royal Navy). By the end, the RAN had 37 ships and 5000 RAN personnel. During the war, two submarines were lost and 171 men died (including 63 from the Royal Navy). The major campaigns, battles or areas of operation listed on this niche of remembrance are:
Kabakaul
This listing refers to the town of Kabakaul south east of Rabaul in German New Guinea where the first parties of Australians went into action in the Great War in September 1914. Read more...
Cocos Islands
This listing refers to the single-ship action between 'HMAS Sydney' and the German raider 'SMS Emden' which occurred near the Cocos Islands north-west of Australia on 9 November 1914. Read more...
West Atlantic
This listing commemorates the deployment of two Royal Australian Navy ships on operations on the North America and West Indies Station from late 1914. Read more...
North Sea
This listing refers to the service of several Australian ships on operations against the German High Seas Fleet in the North Sea from 1915 until the end of the war. Read more...
Otranto Barrage
This listing refers to an operation known as the Otranto Barrage which was an Allied naval blockade of the Adriatic Sea which began in October 1917. Read more...
Malaysia
This listing refers to naval patrol operations carried out in East Indies waters (now known as the Indonesian archipelago) from August 1914 to early 1917. Read more...