Japanese Midget Submarine Attacks

[herakles]

Today is the anniversary of the attack on Sydney and Newcastle by Japanese midget submarines. There's a degree of good luck that the damage inflicted wasn't worse than it was. Sydney Harbour had a great many warships berthed there at the time.

The principal naval vessels in the harbour were U.S. Ships Chicago, Perkins, Dobbin, and H.M.A.S. Bungaree (minelayer) at buoys in Man-of-war anchorage; H.M.A.S. Canberra at No. 1 Buoy in Farm Cove; the armed merchant cruisers Kanimbla and Westralia across the harbour off Neutral Bay; Adelaide alongside on the west side of Garden Island; and the corvettes Whyalla and Geelong at the oil wharf on the north-west corner of the island; H.M.I.S. Bombay at No. 9 Buoy, Man-of-War anchorage; and the Dutch submarine K 9 fast outside the depot ship (converted harbour ferry) Kuttabul, lying alongside at the south-east corner of Garden Island.

Earlier, a reconnaissance flight by a Japanese Curtiss-type biplane single-float aircraft was made. At the same time a similar reconnaissance was made over H.M.S. Ramillies lying at anchor in Diego Suarez Harbour, Madagascar. Later, Ramilles was hit by a midget sub torpedo but survived the attack. The sub also sank the tanker British Loyalty.

It's pertinent to ask how the three subs were able to enter Sydney Harbour without being detected. And how the reconnaissance plane was not detected either.

The entire matter is extensively covered here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Sydney_Harbour

and also here: http://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/midgetsub/doc.asp

and here: http://www.combinedfleet.com/Tully/sydney42.html

for those of you who would like to better understand the incidents.

One sub wreck defied discovery until November 2006.

One of these subs is on display at the Australian War Memorial.

[astraltrader]

Wasn`t that the time where the target was the Chicago and instead the Japanese torpedoed the Kuttabul?
This photograph taken almost a year after the end of the war shows the same sort of midget submarines being dismantled at Koryu by the Americans...

[herakles]

Wasn`t that the time where the target was the Chicago and instead the Japanese torpedoed the Kuttabul?


The target was anything they could hit. But the Chicago featured heavily in their plans. Just as Ramilles did at Madagascar.

It's as well the only real casualty was the ex ferry Kuttabul.

A couple of houses near to the harbour were also destroyed.

[astraltrader]

Agreed although there were 20 or so sailors killed on the Kittabul.

[Kevin Denlay]

The target was anything they could hit. But the Chicago featured heavily in their plans.



Here is a propaganda painting of Chicago getting hit in Sydney Harbour (Released in Japan in 1943)

Yes, I know.....................................but I said 'propaganda’ didn’t I, and it’s also odd that the explosion is on the opposite side than what the torps are coming in from.

Argh, the joys of 'artistic license'. Or as some journo's (and politicians) are fond of saying, never let the truth get in the way of a good story!

K

[doug.birch]

To the best of my knowledge most of the Sailors killed on the Kuttabul were Royal Navy personnel billited on the Ex.Ferry-Boat. The once lost, Midget Sub as now been found & is now a War-Grave. doug.birch

[astraltrader]

Three more pictures of Japanese midget submarines...

[herakles]

Today is the anniversary of the sinking of the Jap sub I-29 by USS Sawfish. I-29 was the last of the subs responsible for launching the midgets.

I must add that Sawfish (SS276) was very active and sank a great number of enemy boats during the war. Reference to her at Wiki will support this. Ten active patrols in all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sawfish_(SS-276 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sawfish_%28SS-276))

She also was supposed to be part of the film On The Beach. The ship actually used was a stand-in.