Operation RY - Background

Background

Before and during World War II, Nauru and Ocean Island were isolated but fabulously rich with phosphate deposits. The islands were under Australian mandate control with the British Phosphate Commissioners (BPC) running the phosphate mining. The phosphate deposits were mined for making ammunition, explosives and fertilizers.

The German auxiliary cruisers Orion and Komet sank five merchant ships and bombarded the island causing damage to the phosphate mining, disrupting the allies production of phosphate. Following the raids the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board requested that the British Admiralty agree to redeploy Australian naval units to meet the threat posed by raiders. HMAS Manoora arrived off Ocean Island on 4 January 1941 and Australian and New Zealand warships maintained a continual presence off the islands during the subsequent months and a naval company and two field guns were deployed to each island. The attacks also led to the introduction of convoys between Australia and New Zealand.

In late February 1942, as a Japanese invasion of Nauru and Ocean Island was feared, the Free French destroyer Triomphant departed the New Hebrides to evacuate both Nauru and Ocean Island. The ship arrived on 23 February and completed the evacuation without serious incident.

Although Operation MO was cancelled on 8 May 1942 immediately following the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Imperial Japanese Navy forces departed Rabaul and Bougainville on 11 May to execute the RY operation.