In 1942, Australia was stunned firstly when Darwin was bombed in February and then again in May when midget submarines entered Sydney Harbour. The air attack on Darwin signalled the start of nearly seventeen months of air attacks against Northern Australia. However, the midget submarine attack was only the most startling development in the constant struggle for control of the sealanes around the Australian coastline that continued throughout the war. In 1939, Australia was responsible for the naval defence of an area known as the Australian Station which embraced the mainland of Australia and islands to the north and east of the continent and the surrounding seas. It also extended westward from the coast for some 1500 miles into the Indian Ocean. Excluding Papua New Guinea where Japanese land forces were present, this article will look at the attacks on shipping by both Germany and Japan within the Australian Station.
It was less than three months after war had been declared that the war at sea came near the Australian Station when a small British tanker was sunk in the Indian Ocean by the German pocket battleship, Admiral Graf Spee. Throughout the years 1939 to 1945, ships in Australian waters were on guard against attack from mines, surface raiders, submarines and aircraft. During 1940, four German armed merchant cruisers or surface raiders were operating in or near the Australian Station. In June 1940, mines laid by the raider Orion sank a ship near Auckland. Two months later the Orion shelled and sunk two further ships; one from Newcastle bound for New Caledonia and a second from Sydney that was nearing New Zealand waters. From the Tasman Sea, the Orion sailed to the Indian Ocean in September 1940 where it laid dummy mines near Albany, WA before retracing its steps to meet with a German supply ship in mid Pacific in October. The first sinkings in Australian waters occurred in November from mines laid by the Pinguin and the Storstad, a captured Norwegian tanker. They laid minefields between Sydney and Newcastle, in Bass Strait, off Hobart and in the Spencer Gulf.
Both ships returned to the Indian Ocean and on 20 and 21 November sank by gunfire two ships 800 miles west of Fremantle. The Pinguin, Storstad and Orion laid 234 mines in Australian waters which sank three ships and damaged a fourth in the last two months of 1940 killing nine seamen. Casualties from mines in Australian waters in 1941 were fortunately few with only one trawler being lost. The Millimumul sank with the loss of seven crew in March 1941 after hitting a mine that had been laid five months before by the Pinguin. On 14 July two ratings from a Rendering Mines Safe party were killed by a mine that had been laid in Spencer Gulf and had washed up onto a beach at Beachport, South Australia.
The German raider Kormoran had entered the Indian Ocean in May 1941 and in the following six months sank eight merchant ships, none in Australian waters although it sailed within the Australian Station. At 4 pm on 19 November 1941, HMAS Sydney returning to Fremantle from Java sighted the Kormoran about 200 miles west of Carnarvon, Western Australia. For 90 minutes the Kormoran tried to pass itself off as a Dutch vessel but when all chance of deception evaporated opened fire on HMAS Sydney with guns and torpedoes. The action lasted 30 minutes with both ships being crippled and set ablaze. Both sank and the entire complement of HMAS Sydney was lost.
During the first two years of the war it was German surface raiders that were active on the Australian Station. As well as the increased threat to shipping from Japanese submarines, 1942 saw the introduction into the Indian Ocean of large numbers of German U-boats. On 20 January 1942, six weeks after Pearl Harbour, a Japanese submarine I-124, specially equipped for minelaying was sunk 60 miles west of Darwin. It probably laid the mines that were reported at that time in the northern approaches to Darwin, four of which washed ashore on 11 February. Eight days later Darwin was attacked by carrier-borne planes which sank eight ships and damaged many more in the harbour. Less than three months later a larger carrier force was turned back in the Battle of the Coral Sea (4-8 May 1942). The submarines that accompanied the Japanese fleet in the Coral Sea were ordered to proceed to Truk to equip with midget submarines.
On 20 May, an aircraft from Japanese submarine I-29 carried out an unobserved reconnaissance of Sydney. Ten days later, an aircraft from I-21 carried out another reconnaissance of Sydney. The following evening, Sunday, 31 May three midget submarines entered Sydney Harbour. The midget submarines were sunk but the depot ship HMAS Kuttabul and 19 naval ratings were lost. On 8 June, the I-24 fired 10 high explosive shells at Sydney's eastern suburbs and I-21 fired 6 high explosive shells at Newcastle. This was the last enemy action against the Australian mainland from ships, although air attacks continued in Northern Australia. During the period June to August 1942, seven Japanese submarines operated along the eastern coast of Australia sinking seven ships. In November 1942, 1400 miles north west of Fremantle, an Australian built ship, HMIS Bengal sank one of the two Japanese raiders that operated in the Indian Ocean.
In January 1943, Japanese submarine I-1 returned to the Australian east coast and sank or damaged five ships in four weeks. From April until June five Japanese submarines operated along the Australian eastern coast attacking fifteen ships and sinking eight. Among those sunk was the hospital ship Centaur, torpedoed off Brisbane with the loss of 268 lives. On 16 June the Portmar sank with the loss of one crewman in what was the last Japanese sinking along the eastern Australian coast.
During 1943, surface raiders and submarines operated in the Indian Ocean but mainly along the African and Indian coasts. In June 1943 a German raider sank two ships about 1000 miles off the Western Australian coast, outbound from Fremantle and Exmouth. Surface raiders and submarines continued to operate in the Indian Ocean in 1944 to the south of India and into the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The last sinkings on both the eastern and western coasts of Australia were made by the same German U-boat, U-862. It left Djakarta on 17 November 1944 to operate off the west coast of Australia but then continued along the south coast through Bass Strait into the Tasman Sea. On 25 December, U-862 sunk the Liberty ship Robert J Walker, 100 miles north of Gabo Island and on 6 February 1945 while returning to Djakarta sank the motor vessel Peter Silvester. This was the last submarine attack on the Australian Station.
l. Australia in the War of 1939-1945 Australian War Memorial. Both the Naval and Air series should be consulted. All ships attacked in the Australian Station and many ships attacked in the Indian Ocean are not only mentioned but detailed circumstances are related. In addition to the three maps illustrated there are many other relevant maps and diagrams in both series
G Herman Gill Royal Australian Navy 1939-1942
G Herman Gill Royal Australian Navy 1942-1945
Douglas Gillison Royal Australian Air Force 1939-1942
George Odgers Air War Against Japan 1943-1945
2. Steven L Carruthers Australia Under Siege, Sydney 1942
3. Articles
Ian A Miller, First of the Gallant Six Thousand, The Medal Collector, Dec 1986, Vol 37 No 12 pp 22-27
John E Price, The Merchant Navy Memorial, Sabretache, Jul-Dec 1986, Vol 27 No 4 pp 15-20
Maps courtesy Australian War Memorial, from G Herman Gill, Royal Australian Navy 1939-1942 and Royal Australian Navy 1942-1945
Date |
Ship Nationality |
Coast |
Attacker |
Attack |
Result |
7 Nov 40 |
Cambridge (UK) |
Vic |
German Raider |
Mine |
Sunk |
8 Nov 40 |
City of Rayville (US) |
Vic |
German Raider |
Mine |
Sunk |
5 Dec 40 |
Nimbin (Aust) |
NSW |
German Raider |
Mine |
Sunk |
7 Dec 40 |
Hertford (UK) |
SA |
German Raider |
Mine |
Damaged |
26 Mar 41 |
Millimumal (Aust) |
NSW |
German Raider |
Mine |
Sunk |
7 Oct 41 |
Storstad (Norway) |
WA |
German Raider |
Gunfire |
Captured |
19 Nov 41 |
HMAS Sydney (Aust) |
WA |
German Raider |
Gun Torp |
Sunk |
20 Nov 41 |
Maimoa (Aust) |
WA |
German Raider |
Gunfire |
Sunk |
21 Nov 41 |
Port Brisbane (UK) |
WA |
German Raider |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
16 May 42 |
Wellen (USSR) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Gunfire |
Damaged |
night of 31 May – 1 Jun 42 |
HMAS Kuttabul (Aust) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
3 Jun 42 |
Iron Chieftain (Aust) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
3 Jun 42 |
Age (Aust) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Gunfire |
Undamaged |
4 Jun 42 |
Barwon (Aust) |
Vic |
Japanese Sub |
Gun/ Torp |
Damaged |
4 Jun 42 |
Iron Crown (Aust) |
Vic |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
5 Jun 42 |
Echunga (Aust) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Chased |
Undamaged |
9 Jun 42 |
Orestes (UK) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Gunfire |
Damaged |
12 Jun 42 |
Guatemala (Panama) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
20 Jul 42 |
S Livanos (Greece) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
21 Jul 42 |
Coast Farmer (US) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
22 Jul 42 |
William Dawes (US) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
23 Jul 42 |
Allara (Aust) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Damaged |
24 Jul 42 |
Murada (Aust) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Un-damaged |
26 Jul 42 |
Coolana (Aust) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Gunfire |
Un-damaged |
28 Jul 42 |
Katoomba (Aust) |
WA |
Japanese Sub |
Gunfire |
Un-damaged |
3 Aug 42 |
Dureenbee (Aust) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Gunfire |
Aban-doned |
18 Jan 43 |
Kalingo (Aust) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
18 Jan 43 |
Mobilube (US) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Damaged |
22 Jan 43 |
Peter H Burnett (US) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Damaged |
8 Feb 43 |
Iron Knight (Aust) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
10 Feb 43 |
Starr King (US) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
18 Mar 43 |
Charles S Jones (US) |
QLD |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Un-damaged |
11 Apr 43 |
Recina (Yug) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
24 Apr 43 |
Kowarra (Aust) |
QLD |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
26 Apr 43 |
Limerick (UK) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
27 Apr 43 |
Lydia M Childs (US) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
29 Apr 43 |
Wollongbar (Aust) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
5 May 43 |
Fingal (Norway) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
12 May 43 |
Ormiston (Aust) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Damaged |
12 May 43 |
Caradale (Aust) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Damaged |
14 May 43 |
H S Centaur (UK) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
29 May 43 |
Sheldon Jackson (US) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Un-damaged |
1 Jun 43 |
Point San Pedro (US) |
QLD |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Un-damaged |
4 Jun 43 |
Edward Chamber (US) |
QLD |
Japanese Sub |
Gunfire |
Un-damaged |
6 Jun 43 |
John Bartram (US) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Un-damaged |
16 Jun 43 |
Portmar (US) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
16 Jun 43 |
L S T 469 (US) |
NSW |
Japanese Sub |
Torpedo |
Damaged |
24 Dec 44 |
Robert J Walker (US) |
Vic |
German U-boat |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
6 Feb 45 |
Peter Silvester (US) |
WA |
German U-boat |
Torpedo |
Sunk |
Last amended: 2 December 2008
Date | Results | Raid No. |
19 Feb 42 | Heavy raids, 50 tons of bombs dropped. 243 killed, 350 wounded. Two ships set on fire, one blown up damaging the pier. Six ships sunk and seven more damaged; three Catalina aircraft destroyed and two US vessels destroyed. Post and telegraph offices destroyed, police station, barracks, cable office, and government offices destroyed and hospital damaged. RAAF hospital, recreation hall, equipment store, many houses and living quarters destroyed. | 1 & 2 |
4 Mar 42 | Nil casualties and one Hudson destroyed. | 3 |
16 Mar 42 | 2 airmen killed and 10 wounded. Officers Mess and one Hudson damaged | 4 |
19 Mar 42 | 2 killed. Naval Headquarters and residential area damaged. | 5 |
22 Mar 42 | Nil casualties, scrub near Nightcliff hit. | 6 |
28 Mar 42 | Nil casualties. Runway and Wirraway hit. | 7 |
30 Mar 42 | Nil casualties, nil damage. | 8 |
31 Mar 42 | First night attack. No casualties. Bombs dropped in bush.. | 9 & 10 |
2 Apr 42 | Nil casualties. 29,500 gallons, 100-octane fuel destroyed at Frogs Hollow fuel tank and civilian houses damaged. | 11 |
4 Apr 42 | 1 killed and 2 wounded, civil aerodrome strafed. | 12 |
5 Apr 42 | Nil casualties, RAAF aerodrome cratered. | 13 |
25 Apr 42 | 1 killed, 7 wounded, RAAF aerodrome damaged. | 14 |
27 Apr 42 | 4 killed, RAAF station hit, 3 wounded. | 15 |
13 Jun 42 | Nil casualties, buildings, airfield and fuel stocks hit. | 16 |
14 Jun 42 | Nil casualties, nil damage.. | 17 |
15 Jun 42 | Extensive raid, 4 killed 12 wounded, 2 buildings hit. | 18 |
16 Jun 42 | Nil casualties, buildings hit. | 19 |
25 Jul 42 | Nil casualties, power and water supply buildings hit, power and water supplies damaged. | 20 |
26 Jul 42 | 2 wounded, 3 houses destroyed, 2 badly damaged. | 21 |
27 Jul 42 | Nil casualties, searchlight station hit. | 22 |
28 Jul 42 | Nil casualties, very slight damage to water line and runways. | 23 |
29 Jul 42 | Nil casualties, Naval repair shop damaged. | 24 |
30 Jul 42 | 1 killed, fuel dumps, power, water and telephone lines damaged. | 25 & 26 |
23 Aug 42 | Nil casualties. Some fuel and ammunition dumps destroyed at Hughes, 2 aircraft damaged. | 27 |
24 Aug 42 | Nil casualties, bombs fell in swamp in first and bombs dropped some miles from Hughes in second. | 28 & 29 |
25 Aug 42 | Nil casualties. Bombs fell in vicinity of civil aerodrome and civil aeradio. Slight damage to radio station and power lines. | 30 |
27 Aug 42 | No casualties, direct hit on civil radio station. | 31 |
28 Aug 42 | Nil casualties, railway damaged. | 32 |
30 Aug 42 | Nil casualties, pipeline damaged. | 33 |
31 Aug 42 | Nil casualties, nil damage. | 34 |
25 Sep 42 | Nil casualties, power and fuel supplies hit. No damage in first, slight damage in second. | 35 & 36 |
26 Sep 42 | Nil casualties, nil damage. | 37 |
27 Sep 42 | Nil casualties, nil damage. | 38 & 39 |
24 Oct 42 | 5 wounded, huts and water tanks damaged. | 40, 41, 42 & 43 |
25 Oct 42 | Nil casualties, nil damage in first and building, power and telegraph lines damaged in second. | 44 & 45 |
27 Oct 42 | Nil casualties, power lines damaged. | 46 |
23 Nov 42 | Nil casualties, nil damage. | 47 |
26 Nov 42 | Nil casualties, Darwin and Hughes Field damaged. Slight damage to aircraft and buildings. | 48 |
27 Nov 42 | Nil casualties, nil damage. | 49 |
21 Jan 43 | Nil casualties, nil damage. | 50 |
22 Jan 43 | Nil casualties, nil damage. | 51 |
2 Mar 43 | 2 wounded, Coomallie strip damaged. First time Spitfires took part. 6 Zekes strafed Coomallie strip leaving some damage. | 52 |
15 Mar 43 | Nil casualties, fuel tanks, pipelines and railway sheds hit. Spitfires in action. | 53 |
2 May 43 | Japanese lost 1 bomber and 5 fighters with 9 damaged and 4 probably damaged. 7 Spitfires lost, 3 had engine trouble and 3 pilots missing. | 54 |
20 Jun 43 | 3 killed, 11 wounded. Winnellie area hit, also RAAF. | 55 |
28 Jun 43 | Nil casualties, 3 huts damaged. | 56 |
30 Jun 43 | 2 wounded. Vehicles damaged. 4 aircraft destroyed on ground, 7 damaged, other slight damage. | 57 |
6 Jul 43 | Nil casualties, 4 aircraft damaged. 140 bombs dropped, Fenton dispersal area bombed: 1 g/c burnt and 3 others damaged; slight damage to installation. Enemy losses; 10 bombers destroyed, 3 bombers damaged, 2 fighters destroyed. Our losses, 7 Spitfires missing. | 58 |
13 Aug 43 | Fenton aerodrome. Bombs dropped unknown. 4 parachute flares. 8 bombs along strip without causing damage or casualties; remaining bombs and parachute flares fell wide of target. | 59 |
13 Aug 43 | (1)Coomallie-approximately 20 bombs dropped including aerial incendiaries. (2)Fenton - Bombs wide of the N. End of strip, causing no damage or casualties. | 60 |
21 Aug 43 | Nil casualties, Fenton, Coomallie and Pell hit. Unreported number of bombs dropped at Fenton. Carpenters and sheet metal shops destroyed, a few bombs fell in a dump. | 61 |
16 Sep 43 | Nil casualties, camp hit. | 62 |
19 Sep 43 | 35 bombs dropped. Long and Fenton strips were bombed; no damage or casualties. | 63 |
12 Nov 43 | Nil casualties, slight damage around Darwin. | 64 |
Locality | Date | Results |
Broome | 3 Mar 42 | Nine fighter-bombers destroyed, 7 other aircraft in hangers destroyed, 4 killed, 8 missing, believed drowned, 20 wounded |
Thursday Island | 3 Mar 42 |
|
Wyndham | 3 Mar 42 |
|
Horn Island | 14 Mar 42 |
|
Broome | 20 Mar 42 | 1 person killed |
Derby | 20 Mar 42 | No casualties or damage. Strafed with cannon and machine guns |
Thursday Island | 15 Mar 42 |
|
Thursday Island | 20 Mar 42 |
|
Katherine | 22 Mar 42 | 1 killed, 1 injured |
Wyndham | 23 Mar 42 | 1 Service casualty |
Horn Island | 30 Apr 42 |
|
Horn Island | 11 May 42 |
|
Sydney | night of 31 May - 1 Jun 42 | Midget submarine attack in Sydney Harbour accompanied by loss of life. Attack was of very short duration - a matter of minutes |
Sydney | 8 Jun 42 | Sydney was shelled by submarine - no loss of life |
Newcastle | 8 Jun 42 | Newcastle was shelled by submarine - little damage - no loss of life |
Horn Island | 7 Jul 42 |
|
Townsville | 26 Jul 42 | 6 bombs dropped over the harbour at approximately 12.40 pm All 6 fell into the sea, about two hundred metres from the main jetties |
Townsville | 28 Jul 42 | 8 bombs - Foothills of Many Peaks Range at 2.23 am. |
Townsville | 29 Jul 42 | 1 bomb near racecourse - 6 into sea, at 2.27 am |
Port Hedland | 30 Jul 42 | 1 casualty - 30 bombs |
Horn Island | 30 Jul 42 |
|
Cairns | 31 Jul 42 | 1 bomb in Mosman District (a long way from Cairns) |
Horn Island | 1 Aug 42 |
|
Thursday Island | 27 Aug 42 |
|
Millingimbi Island | 9 May 43 |
|
Millingimbi Island | 10 May 43 | Nil casualties |
Exmouth Gulf | 12 May 43 | 2 bombs - no damage |
Exmouth Gulf | 20 May 43 | Some doubts about a raid on this date |
Exmouth Gulf | 21 May 43 | 9 bombs dropped in sea |
Exmouth Gulf | 22 May 43 | 2 bombs dropped in sea - no damage or casualties |
Millingimbi Island | 28 May 43 | Nil casualties |
Horn Island | 18 Jun 43 | Bombs fell in sea |
Broome | 16 Aug 43 | More than 6 bombs - no damage or casualties |
Port Hedland | 17 Aug 43 | 4 x 100 kg H[E], 4 x 60 kg [incendiaries]. - no damage or casualties |
Onslow | 16 Sep 43 | Number of bombs not recorded - no damage or casualties |
Drysdale Mission | 27 Sep 43 | Over 90 bombs dropped, Mission are heavily damaged; only slight damage to RAAF buildings; no service casualties |
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