| Navy | The Royal Australian Navy |
| Type | Destroyer |
| Class | Admiralty V & W |
| Pennant | D 31 |
| Built by | A. Stephen & Sons Ltd. (Glasgow, Scotland) |
| Ordered | 9 Dec 1916 |
| Laid down | 17 May 1917 |
| Launched | 8 May 1918 |
| Commissioned | 11 Oct 1933 |
| Lost | 25 Sep 1942 |
| Loss position | 09.15S, 125.45E |
| History | Completed as HMS Voyager on 24 June 1918. Transferred to Australia and commissioned into the R.A.N. on 11 October 1933. Scuttled off Timor, in position 09º15'S, 125º45'E after being damaged by a Japanese air attack. |
| Former name | HMS Voyager |
Commands listed for HMAS Voyager (D 31)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Lt.Cdr. James Cairns Morrow, RAN | 26 Apr 1938 | 27 Dec 1940 |
| 2 | Capt. Hector Macdonald Laws Waller, DSO, RAN | 27 Dec 1940 | 9 Jan 1941 |
| 3 | Cdr. James Cairns Morrow, DSO, RAN | 9 Jan 1941 | 17 Nov 1941 |
| 4 | Lt. William Frank Cook, RAN | 18 Nov 1941 | 5 Jan 1942 |
| 5 | Lt.Cdr. Rupert Cowper Robison, RAN | 6 Jan 1942 | 25 Sep 1942 |
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Noteable events involving Voyager include:
27 Jun 1940
The Italian submarine Console Generale Liuzzi was scuttled south-east of Crete in position 33?36'N, 27?27'E after being depth charged by the British destroyers HMS Dainty (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, RN), HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN), HMS Decoy (Cdr. E.G. McGregor, RN), HMS Defender (Lt.Cdr. St.J.R.J. Tyrwhitt, RN) and the Australian destroyer HMAS Voyager (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Morrow, RAN). (see map)
29 Jun 1940
On 29 June 1940 around 0615hours the Italian submarine Argonauta (offsite link) was probably sunk near Cape Ras el Hilal, Libya in position 35?16'N, 20?20'E by the British destroyers HMS Dainty (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, RN), HMS Decoy (Cdr. E.G. McGregor, RN), HMS Defender (Lt.Cdr. St.J.R.J. Tyrwhitt, RN), HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN) and the Australian destroyer HMAS Voyager (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Morrow, RAN).
It is also possible the Argonauta was depth charged and sunk around 1450hours that same day by Sunderland L5804 (R.A.F.) in position 37?29'N, 19?51'E. (see map)
8 Oct 1940
Operation MB-6;
A British convoy with the merchants Memnon (7506 GRT), Lanarkshire (11275 GRT), Clan Macauley (10492 GRT) and Clan Ferguson (7347 GRT) left Alexandria for Malta on 8 October 1940. This convoy was escorted by the British Anti-Aircraft cruisers HMS Calcutta (Capt. D.M. Lees, DSO, RN), HMS Coventry (Capt. D. Gilmour, RN) and the Australian destroyers HMS Stuart (Capt. H.M.L. Waller, DSO, RAN), HMS Voyager (Cdr. J.C. Morrow, DSO, RAN), HMS Waterhen (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Swain, RAN) and the British destroyer HMS Wryneck (Cdr. R.H.D. Lane, RN).
Cover was provided by the Mediterranean Fleet (Admiral Cunningham) with the British battleships HMS Warspite (Capt. D.B. Fisher, CBE, RN), HMS Valiant (Capt. H.B. Rawlings, OBE, RN), HMS Malaya (Capt. A.F.E. Palliser, DSC, RN), HMS Ramillies (Capt. H.T. Baillie-Grohman, OBE, DSO, RN), the British aircraft carriers HMS Illustrious (Capt. D.W. Boyd, DSC, RN), HMS Eagle (Capt. A.R.M. Bridge, RN), the British heavy cruiser HMS York (Capt. R.H. Portal, DSC, RN), the British light cruisers HMS Gloucester (Capt. H.A. Rowley, RN), HMS Liverpool (Capt. P.A. Read, RN), HMS Ajax (Capt. E.D. McCarthy, RN), HMS Orion (Capt. G.R.B. Back, RN), the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney (Capt. J.A. Collins, CB, RAN)escorted by the British destroyers HMS Hyperion (Cdr. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO and Bar, RN), HMS Havock (Cdr. R.E. Courage, DSO, DSC, RN), HMS Hero (Cdr. H.W. Biggs, DSO, RN), HMS Hereward (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Greening, RN), HMS Hasty, (Lt.Cdr. L.R.K. Tyrwhitt, RN), HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN), HMS Imperial (Lt.Cdr. C.A.deW. Kitcat, RN), HMS Jervis (Capt. P.J. Mack, DSO, RN), HMS Janus (Cdr. J.A.W. Tothill, RN), HMS Juno (Cdr. W.E. Wilson, RN), HMS Nubian (Cdr. R.W. Ravenhill, RN), HMS Dainty (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, DSO, RN), HMS Decoy (Cdr. E.G. McGregor, DSO, RN), HMS Defender (Lt.Cdr. St.J.R.J. Tyrwhitt, RN) and the Australian destroyers HMAS Vampire (Cdr. J.A. Walsh, RAN) and HMAS Vendetta (Cdr. R. Rhoades RAN).
The convoy was not spotted and arrived safe at Malta on 11 October. The only damage sustained was to the destroyer HMS Imperial that was mined off Malta and was out of action for over 6 months.
While on the return trip the Mediterranean Fleet was sighted by an Italian aircraft. The Italian Navy tried to intercept them in the Ionian Sea. In the night of 11/12 October the first Italian torpedo boat flotilla with Airone, Alcione and Ariel attacked HMS Ajax. The attack failed and Ajax sank Airone and Ariel, Alcione escaped. A little while later the Italian 11th destroyer flotilla, with Artigliere, Aviere, Camicia Nera and Geniere arrived at the scene. They were surprised by the radar-directed gunfire from HMS Ajax. Artigliere was heavily damaged and Aviere was slightly damaged. Camicia Nere tried to tow Artigliere away but she was sighted by a British Sunderland aircraft that homed in 3 Swordfish aircraft from HMS Illustrious. However, the torpedoed they fired didn't hit the Italian ships. Later the British heavy cruiser HMS York arrived at the scene. Camicia Nera quickly slipped the towing line and sped off. After her crew had left the ship Artiglire was sunk by York.
While the Mediterranean Fleet was still on the return trip aircraft from HMS Illustrious and HMS Eagle attacked Leros and in the evening of the 14th the British light cruiser HMS Liverpool while south-east of Crete was hit in the bow by a torpedo from an Italian aircraft. The cruiser was heavily damaged and was repaired at the Mare Island Navy Yard in the USA. HMS Liverpool was not operational again until January 1942.
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