Japanese Midget Submarines Entered Sydney Harbour

Five large Japanese submarines were positioned 56 kilometers north-east of Sydney Heads on 29 May 1942.

The Japanese sent a reconnaissance aircraft at 3.00 am the next day and reported "battleships and cruisers" moored in Sydney Harbour.

The next day, five submarines approached within 11 kilometres off Sydney Heads. About 4.30 pm, three midget submarines were released and approached Sydney Harbour.

Sydney outer-harbour defences detected the first midget submarine's entry at about 8.00 pm.

The midget submarine became entangled in an anti-torpedo net suspended between George's Head and Green Point.

Before HMAS Yarroma could open fire, the submarine's two crew activated demolition charges and scuttled their craft.

The second submarine entered Sydney Harbour at about 9.48 pm and headed west towards the Harbour Bridge.

The submarine was fired on by the heavy cruiser USS Chicago, about 200 metres from Garden Island.

The Japanese submarine fired two torpedoes at USS Chicago, with one torpedo going ashore at Garden Island but not exploding.

The unexploded torpedo at Garden Island several days after the attack, AWM

The other torpedo did not hit USS Chicago but instead, sank HMAS Kuttabul killing 21 sailors (19 Royal Australian Navy and 2 Royal Navy).

The wreck of HMAS Kuttabul sits in the waters of Sydney Harbour at Gardens Point after the attack, Sydney, NSW, 1942. AWM. (Kuttabul, a ferry was taken over by the Navy as a depot ship to accommodate sailors in transit to other postings)

The submarine escaped from the harbour, its mission complete.

HMAS Yandra sighted the third submarine at the entrance to the harbour and it was depth-charged (Most depth charges use high explosive charges and a fuse set to detonate the charge).

Four hours later, the submarine entered the harbour again and was depth-charged in Taylor Bay by the Royal Australian Navy. Both crew members killed themselves.

The two submarines recovered were identical, and their remains used to reconstruct a complete submarine.

A Japanese midget submarine which took part in the unsuccessful attack in Sydney Harbour on 31 May 1942 being raised from the bottom of Sydney Harbour, AUST, during a salvage operation. AWM

A week after the midget submarine attack on Sydney Harbour, the two larger submarines returned and bombarded Sydney and Newcastle with their deck guns.  

One submarine shelled Newcastle for twenty minutes until driven off by fire from coastal artillery defenses at Fort Scratchley. Another submarine fired ten rounds into eastern Sydney.

A composite Japanese midget submarine (of HA-14 & HA-21 which came into Sydney Harbour during WWII) at Australian War Memorial, Canberra. Sept 67. Photo by my father.

Janette Asche

Visit the Australian War Memorial

The composite submarine was permanently located at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, ACT.