CONTROLLED (OBSERVATION) MINEFIELD
CAIRNS HARBOUR, QLD
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WWII
A Controlled (Observation) Minefield was laid by the Royal Australian Navy RAN to protect Cairns Harbour in far north Queensland during WWII against enemy midget submarines and surface craft. The mines and associated cabling fitted with detonators were laid outside Cairns Harbour in July 1942. This controlled mine field allowed military officials to detonate the mines in a controlled way from the shore in case of an enemy attack.
The illumination arrangements for the Controlled Minefield were to use the following lights:-
A beach light in the Controlled Mining Station area for illumination of the minefield
A beach light previously in the C.M.S. area, but mounted on a Naval Auxiliary Patrol boat which was on patrol nightly in the channel cutting
An anti-aircraft search light on the Esplanade in the vicinity of the Naval Staff Office, which was connected by telephone with C.M.S. and was available for use as long as it was not requited fro its primary duty as an A.A. search light.
NAA: MP1049/5 Item ID 471349 Page 7
Orders for Operation of the Observation Minefield at Cairns
Photo by Wireman Edwin Fagan (24998):-
AWM Accession
No. PO2001.020
RAN sailors priming a large undersea mine on a barge in Cairns Harbour in about 1944
Photo by Wireman Edwin Fagan (24998):-
AWM Accession
No. PO20021.006
A sailor guiding one of the ropes attached to a mine as it is lowered
into the water off Cairns Harbour by a crane on a barge in about 1944
Photo by Wireman Edwin Fagan (24998):-
AWM Accession
No. PO2001.003
A mine laying plant on a barge operated by RAN sailors in about 1944
Photo by Wireman Edwin Fagan (24998):-
AWM Accession No. PO2001.010
RAN Wiremen and other trades who
laid the mines off
Cairns Harbour in front of a stores building in about 1944
An article in the Courier Mail dated Wednesday 13 June 1945 described two or three of these mines still being located in Cairns Harbour along with some unexploded bombs and depth charges:-
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The Courier-Mail, Brisbane, Wed 13 June 1945 BOMBS AND MINES ON CAIRNS HARBOUR BED CAIRNS, Tuesday. - A number of unexploded bombs, depth charges, and mines are on the sea floor in Cairns Harbour. This was disclosed in a letter from R.A.A.F. headquarters in the North-eastern Area, read at a meeting of Cairns Harbour Board to-day. Reporting on the matter, the engineer said he had no information as to how the material could be recovered, except that in other places a grab had been utilised. It had been reported that a bomb was dropped at the seaward end of one wharf which had not been located. A dredger had recovered a clip of what appeared to be ack-ack shells. There were definitely two or three mines laid by the R.A.N. still on the east side of the channel which had not been detonated. They might be dangerous to a dredger or perhaps to vessels anchored in the locality. It seemed to be dangerous for a dredger to operate along the face of the wharves, which would have to be done soon if there was any possibility of bombs or shells there. The board decided to seek further information on recovery methods. |
The engineer referred to in the above article was Mr. A. C. Nicholson. Another article in the Townsville Daily Bulletin of Wednesday 27 March 1946 described the RAN blowing up six mines placed in the Cairns Harbour during WWII:-
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The Townsville Daily Bulletin, Wed 27 March 1946 NAVY MINES BLOWN UP AT CAIRNS CAIRNS. March 26. - During the week the Navy destroyed six mines off Admiralty Island in Trinity Inlet. The mines were placed in the harbour during the critical years of the war. Each mine contained 900 lbs. of explosives. Buildings several miles away from the explosions were shaken by the blasts. |
Controlled (Observation) Minefield Townsville
REFERENCES
Observation Minefield - Cairns (Operation "Ruby"), NAA Item ID 471349
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I'd like to thank James Thewlis for his assistance with this web page.
Can anyone help me with more information?
"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products
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© Peter Dunn 2015 |
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This page first produced 17 August 2022
This page last updated 19 August 2022
