1841: During the Opium War with China, fought to allow British traders to continue importing opium into the Manchu empire, Major Pratt of the 26th Foot led an amphibious assault on the Chinese forts guarding the Canton estuary at Chuenpi and Tai kok tau. The Royal Navy squadron covering the attack overwhelmed a force of war junks, the commanding junk being sunk by a rocket from HMS Calliope. The victory led to the cession to the British of Hong Kong 11 days later.

1901: A night attack by Boer forces on Monument Hill led to the capture of a position held by the Royal Irish Rifles. Private Barry, despite being wounded, persevered in smashing the breech of a Maxim machine-gun to render it useless to the enemy, and was killed after he refused to stop. He was awarded the Victoria Cross.

1915: A 12-man patrol of the North Waziristan Militia was caught by some 1,500 Khostwal tribesmen in the Tochi valley, India. Captain Jotham ordered his men to retreat, but one fell when his horse was shot. Rather than save himself, Jotham immediately turned back on his own to attempt a rescue, and was killed. He received the Victoria Cross.

1917: An aircraft of 20 Squadron Royal Flying Corps, flown by Sergeant Mottershead, was patrolling over the Passchendaele area when it was attacked by German fighters. The petrol tank caught fire, but despite being directly in the flames, Sergeant Mottershead managed to bring the aircraft down safely from 9,000' to crash-land behind the Allied lines. The observer was thrown clear and survived but Mottershead was trapped in the wreckage. He was eventually freed but died of his appalling injuries four days later in hospital. He was awarded the Victoria Cross.

1952: HMAS Tobruk bombarded Chomi Do on the Haeju Gulf north-west of Seoul, forestalling a North Korean invasion of Yongmae Do, an island about 12 miles from Inchon.

Torbruk commenced her fifth patrol on 1 January 1952 when she relieved HMS Whitesand Bay in the Haeju area, operating mainly in defence of Yongpyong-Do. Two or three bombardments were carried out daily during this phase and on 7 January Chomi Do was heavily attacked to prevent a threatened invasion of Yongmae Do. On 9 January TOBRUK was relieved by Cayuga.

After a patrol marked chiefly by snow storms and gales, she proceeded for Sasebo on 25 January, bringing to a close her first tour of duty in the Korean War. At the end of her five months of service in the operational areas, Torbruk had steamed some 39,000 miles and fired 2,316 rounds from her 4.5-inch guns.