The Sailor
13-01-2008, 06:51
On the night of 31 May 1942 three midget submarines entered Sydney Harbour. One became entangled in the boom net across the harbour and her occupants blew her up. A second entered the harbour and fired torpedoes at the cruiser USS Chicago. They missed the Chicago but one hit the barracks ship HMAS Kuttabul, killing 21 naval ratings. This midget submarine disappeared, its fate a complete mystery until it was discovered by a group of amateur divers off Sydney's northern beaches in November 2006. A third midget submarine also entered the harbour but was destroyed by depth-charges before it had fired any torpedoes.
Photos below of one of the submarines being raised from Sydney Harbour.
USS CHICAGO in company with HMAS CANBERRA
Remaining in the south Pacific area, Chicago participated in the August invasion of Guadalcanal and Tulagi, in the southern Solomon Islands. On the night of 8-9 August, she was patrolling between Guadalcanal and Savo Island with HMAS Canberra and two destroyers when they were attacked by a force of Japanese cruisers. Chicago was torpedoed in the extreme bow in this brief action and withdrew from the area the following day with the rest of the invasion force. Repaired on the U.S. west coast, she returned to the combat zone in January 1943. While en route to Guadalcanal with a task force of cruisers and destroyers on 29 January, she was twice torpedoed by Japanese aircraft during the Battle Of Rennell Island. While being towed clear of the danger zone, USS Chicago was sunk in another torpedo attack in the evening of 30 January 1943.
Photos below of one of the submarines being raised from Sydney Harbour.
USS Chicago
Photos below of one of the submarines being raised from Sydney Harbour.
USS CHICAGO in company with HMAS CANBERRA
Remaining in the south Pacific area, Chicago participated in the August invasion of Guadalcanal and Tulagi, in the southern Solomon Islands. On the night of 8-9 August, she was patrolling between Guadalcanal and Savo Island with HMAS Canberra and two destroyers when they were attacked by a force of Japanese cruisers. Chicago was torpedoed in the extreme bow in this brief action and withdrew from the area the following day with the rest of the invasion force. Repaired on the U.S. west coast, she returned to the combat zone in January 1943. While en route to Guadalcanal with a task force of cruisers and destroyers on 29 January, she was twice torpedoed by Japanese aircraft during the Battle Of Rennell Island. While being towed clear of the danger zone, USS Chicago was sunk in another torpedo attack in the evening of 30 January 1943.
Photos below of one of the submarines being raised from Sydney Harbour.
USS Chicago