Illustration of a grey warship on the water within a golden circular frame. This frame is flanked by three flags; the Australian flag, the British flag and the New South Wales flag.

Australia’s role in the Indo-Pacific region

Delve into the deep connections that link Australia with our maritime neighbours across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, including the Royal Australian Navy and the United States.

Gwenda’s war

How a young woman who helped sink Japanese submarines from a secret hut in Canberra.

Gwenda Moulton served in the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service during the Second World War as WR/36 Petty Officer Wran Telegraphist. Find out why was she listening out for .-. ... -. ---

A photo showing rows of women in uniform standing in military formation, with 3 women in the front standing at at a table with male officers.
A photo of two navy helicopters flying over the ocean.

Adventures of Tiger 75

Discover the story of the Sikorsky S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopter 'Tiger 75', and the Royal Australian Navy crew who worked on board.

Our Navy vessels

The story of the Krait

On the night of 26 September 1943, men from Special Operations Australia’s top-secret Z Special Unit, paddling three folding canoes, carried out a daring and successful undercover raid on enemy ships in Japanese occupied Singapore Harbour. 

They had sailed 3,960 km from Exmouth, Western Australia, deep into enemy territory aboard the captured Japanese-built fishing boat Krait. 

Close up photo of a wooden fishing boat, painted brown with glass windows. A black sign on the roof says "KRAIT" in white letters
Photo of a dark coloured fishing boat with the sunrise or sunset behind it.

"Dark Victory: Operation Jaywick: Singapore 1943," tells the story of a daring special forces raid, on the night of September 26, September 1943, where Australian and British Z Special Unit commandos paddled folding kayaks into occupied Singapore Harbour, blowing up and damaging several Japanese ships.

Produced as part of the War and Peace in the Pacific Program in collaboration with the National Museum of Singapore and supported by the Australian War Memorial.

Australian National Maritime Museum

Operation Jaywick in the collection

Communication onboard Krait

Leading Telegraphist Horace ‘Horrie’ Young, RANR, served as wireless operator and telegraphist aboard MV KRAIT during Operation Jaywick.

He was responsible for maintaining covert communication with Allied forces, and monitoring enemy radio traffic, ensuring the mission’s success. He did that in the small radio room below decks on Krait using equiptment like the Wireless Telegraph Key now in the museum collection. 

3D model of a telegraph tapping key made from metal which is a dark brown green colour, on a wooden base.
Photo of a small, wooden room below decks on a boat showing radio communications equipment and a ladder.
Photo taken underwater showing the shipwreck of a submarine. The rudder and propellers are visible, the the wreck is covered in growth.

Finding HMAS AE1

AE1 was the Australia’s first submarine.

The loss of AE1 and the loss of the entire compliment of 35 officers and crew in the first months of World War One was the Royal Australian Navy’s first major tragedy. On 14 September 1914, AE1 disappeared without trace off the coast of Papua New Guinea. Despite numerous searches over many years, its location remained unknown.