Forces Attack on Sydney Harbour

the crews of japanese midget submarines attacked sydney , diego suarez


japanese

the imperial japanese navy intended use 6 submarines in attack on sydney harbour: b1-type submarines i-21, i-27, i-28, , i-29, , c1-type submarines i-22 , i-24. 6 submarines made eastern attack group of 8th submarine squadron, under command of captain hankyu sasaki.

on 8 june 1942, i-21 , i-29—each carrying yokosuka e14y1 glen floatplane aerial reconnaissance—scouted various australasian harbours select ones vulnerable attack midget submarines. i-21 scouted nouméa in new caledonia, suva in fiji, auckland in new zealand, while i-29 went sydney, australia.

on 11 may, i-22, i-24, i-27, , i-28 ordered proceed japanese naval base @ truk lagoon, in caroline islands, each receive ko-hyoteki-class midget submarine. i-28 failed reach truk; torpedoed on surface submarine uss tautog on 17 may. 3 remaining submarines left truk around 20 may point south of solomon islands. i-24 forced return day later when explosion in midget submarine s battery compartment killed midget s navigator , injured commander. midget submarine intended i-28 replaced damaged midget.

allies

uss chicago in sydney harbour on 31 may 1942

the naval officer-in-charge of sydney harbour @ time of attack rear admiral gerard muirhead-gould of royal navy. on night of attack, 3 major vessels present in sydney harbour; heavy cruisers uss chicago , hmas canberra, , light cruiser hmas adelaide. other warships in harbour included: destroyer tender uss dobbin, auxiliary minelayer hmas bungaree, corvettes hmas whyalla, hmas geelong, , hmis bombay, armed merchant cruisers hms kanimbla , hmas westralia, , dutch submarine k-ix. converted ferry—hmas kuttabul—was alongside @ garden island served temporary barracks sailors transferring between ships. hospital ship oranje had been in harbour, departed hour before attack.