A very brief resumé of

HMAS Shropshire's War Record

during its 18 1/2 months in the South West Pacific and firing its last salvo on 9 July 1945.

Operations and Battles - 15:

Arawe 15/12/43, Cape Gloucester 26/12/43, Admiralty Islands 4/3/44, Hollandia 22/4/44, Wakde 22/5/44, Biak 27/5/44, Aitape 14/7/44, Moratai 15/9/44, Leyte 20/10/44, Surigao Straits Naval Battle 25/10/44. Lingayen 6/1/45, Corregidor 15/2/45, Brunei 18/6/45, Balikpapan 27/6/45, Surrender Tokyo Bay 2/9/45 and part of British Commonwealth Occupation Forces in Japan.

1.

Bombarded fifty-six targets during operational landings.

2.

Destroyed Japanese Army Headquarters at Yakamul.

3.

Destroyed four shore batteries that fired at and straddled us.

4.

Destroyed on request by US Army and AIF five more shore batteries.

5.

Kamikaze and air attacks. Closed up an additional 133 times in SWP.
(Groups of enemy aircraft in swarms of eighties, hundreds, forties, fifties, thirties, as well as ones and twos) closing in and reported by our radar.

6.

Shot down eleven aircraft, shared eight more plus fired at many more targets - no results recorded in log.

7.

Radar operators gained ninety-two percent of all reports from Fleet commended by Admirals. Oldendorf USN and destroyer captains - use Portholes reports.

8.

Two Torpedo attacks on us - one near missed astern by ten feet - USN report. The other passed close across our bows.

9.

Naval Battle Surigao Straits:
Fired thirty-two broadsides at a range of 15 800 yards closing in to 12 700 yards claiming nineteen straddles and sixteen broadside hits before ceasing fire after fourteen minutes forty seconds to witness the sinking of our target - the Battleship Yamashiro.

10.

Shot at by Yamashiro - two dropped short, four over the top.

11.

Three submarines reported close vicinity and depth charged by destroyers.

12.

Two close shaves by mines - one attached to our port paravane.

13.

Closed update action stations 636 times since commissioning.

14.

Closed update action stations 636 times since commissioning.

15.

A lucky ship indeed - no-one lost during our four battle tours, however, four men lost on active service.

An unsurpassed record in the RAN during World War II.

<<table of contents
next>>