Aftermath Attack on Sydney Harbour

the burial service australian sailors killed during raid on sydney.

it several days before 21 dead sailors aboard kuttabul recovered. on 3 june, muirhead-gould , on 200 navy personnel attended burial ceremony these sailors. on 1 january 1943, navy base @ garden island commissioned hmas kuttabul in commemoration of ferry , lives lost.

the australians recovered bodies of 4 japanese crew of 2 midget submarines sunk in sydney harbour , had them cremated @ rookwood cemetery. cremation, allies draped japanese flag on each coffin , rendered full naval honours. muirhead-gould criticised this, defended actions respecting courage of 4 submariners, regardless of origin. australian politicians hoped japanese government notice respect paid sailors , improve conditions australian prisoners-of-war experiencing in japanese internment camps. japanese authorities noted funeral service, did not lead major improvement in conditions australian pows. following use of midget submariners funeral japanese propaganda purposes, australian high command forbade similar funerals enemy personnel in future.

an exchange of japanese , allied diplomatic personnel stranded in opposing nations occurred in august 1942, allowed tatsuo kawai, japanese ambassador australia, return home ashes of 4 japanese submariners. when exchange ship kamakura maru arrived in yokohama, several thousand people present honour 4 men.

relatives of 4 of japanese sailors killed in midget submarines raided sydney harbour greet kamakura maru arrives @ yokohama ashes of 4 submariners in october 1942.

the 2 main targets of attack, uss chicago , hmas canberra, both lost within next year: canberra sinking on 9 august 1942 during battle of savo island, , chicago on 30 january 1943 following battle of rennell island. none of japanese submarines involved in attack survived war. uss charrette , fair sank i-21 on 5 february 1944 off marshall islands. american torpedo boat sank i-22 on 25 december 1942 off new guinea. american patrol craft sank i-24 on 10 june 1943 near aleutian islands. hms paladin , petard sank i-27 on 12 february 1943 off maldives. lastly, uss sawfish sank i-29 on 26 july 1944 in philippines.

m-14 , m-21

the composite midget submarine @ australian war memorial in 2007.

the allies located , recovered m-21 on 3 june , m-14 on 8 june. although both damaged during attack, possible assemble complete submarine 2 vessels. centre section of rebuilt submarine mounted on trailer , taken on 4,000 km (2,500 mi) tour throughout southern new south wales, victoria, , western south australia. purpose of tour twofold; allowed australians see japanese midget submarine close, , used raise a£28,000 naval relief fund , other charities. submarine arrived @ australian war memorial in canberra on 28 april 1943, flying white ensign , paying-off pennant. submarine displayed outside museum in 3 separate pieces, moved inside in 1980s due heavy vandalism; on 1 occasion in 1966, group of university students painted bright yellow in response beatles song yellow submarine. composite submarine restored , remains on display inside memorial part of permanent exhibition on attack, next recovered wheelhouse of hmas kuttabul. conning tower m-21 on display @ royal australian navy heritage centre on garden island. leftover material m-21 melted down , made souvenirs following construction of combined vessel.

m-24

submarine m-21 conning tower on display @ ran heritage centre, sydney

over 64 years following disappearance of m-24 after attacks, more 50 people approached royal australian navy claiming have found submarine. of these claims found false. 1 theory midget s fate was damaged or destroyed, along m-21, in or around taylors bay, account reports steady hour , yarroma of multiple submarines during three-hour attack against m-21. second theory midget attempted return mother submarines exhausted battery power before reaching port hacking recovery point , therefore outside , south of sydney heads. third theory midget s crew decided avoid endangering 5 larger submarines during recovery process, , either ran straight out sea or headed north.

a group of 7 amateur scuba divers solved mystery in november 2006, when found small submarine sitting upright on seabed, 55 metres (180 ft) below sea level , approximately 5 kilometres (2.7 nmi; 3.1 mi) bungan head, off sydney s northern beaches. commander shane moore, officer responsible royal australian navy s heritage collection, confirmed wreck m-24 after viewing footage multiple dives, along measurements group had taken. wreck had several bullet holes in it, chicago s quadruple machine-gun mount. location of wreck kept secret both divers , navy, defence minister brendan nelson promising have wreck protected war grave. wreck gazetted on 1 december 2006 heritage site. 500 m (1,600 ft) exclusion zone established around wreck site, , vessel entering zone liable fine under new south wales law of a$1.1 million, additional fines , confiscation of equipment under commonwealth law. shore- , buoy-mounted surveillance cameras , sonar listening device further protect site.

on 7 february 2007, during jmsdf admiral eiji yoshikawa s visit australia, yoshikawa , ran vice admiral russ shalders presided on ceremony held aboard hmas newcastle honour m-24 s crew. relatives of midget submarines crews, 1 of survivors kuttabul, , dignitaries , military personnel australia , japan attended ceremony on 6 august 2007 @ hmas kuttabul. hmas melbourne carried relatives of m-24 s crew wreck site, poured sake sea before being presented sand taken seabed around submarine.

in may 2012, nsw state government announced that, approval of japanese government , submariners families, divers allowed observe m-24 wreck short period of time. divers enter ballot places on controlled dives run on several days. if successful, opening site become annual event commemorate attack.