List of Ships Sunk By Axis Warships in Australian Waters - Ships Sunk By Submarines

Ships Sunk By Submarines

The following table has been adapted from Appendix V of A Critical Vulnerability: The impact of the submarine threat on Australia's maritime defence 1915 - 1954 by David Stevens. Stevens' appendix lists all known Axis submarine activity in Australian waters during World War II and includes data on unsuccessful submarine attacks on Allied shipping, attacks made in Papuan and Netherlands East Indies waters and Japanese patrols in Australian waters which did not result in any attacks on Allied ships.

The 28 Japanese and German submarines that operated in Australian waters between 1942 and 1945 sank a total of 30 ships with a combined tonnage of 151,000 long tons (153,000 t); 654 people, including 200 Australian merchant seamen, were killed on board the ships attacked by submarines.

Date Submarine Ship Tonnage Location Remarks
20/1/42 I 159 Eidsvold 4184 Christmas Island
1/3/42 I 154 Modjokerto 8806 South of Christmas Island
1/3/42 I 2 Parigi 1172 Off Fremantle
3/3/42 I 1 Siantar 8867 200 nm NW of Shark Bay
4/3/42 I 7 Le Maire 3271 NW of Cocos Islands
5/5/42 I 21 John Adams 7180 120 nm SW of Noumea
7/5/42 I 21 Chloe 4641 35 nm from Nouméa
31/5/42 M 24 HMAS Kuttabul 448 Sydney Harbour Midget launched from I 24
3/6/42 I 24 Iron Chieftain 481 27 nm E of Sydney
4/6/42 I 27 Iron Crown 3353 40 nm SW of Gabo Island
12/6/42 I 21 Guatemala 5527 40 nm NE of Sydney Straggling from a convoy
20/7/42 I 11 George S. Livanos 4883 15 nm E of Jervis Bay
21/7/42 I 11 Coast Farmer 3290 25 nm E of Jervis Bay
22/7/42 I 11 William Dawes 7176 15 nm E of Tathra Head
24/7/42 I 175 Murada 3345 85 nm NE of Newcastle Torpedoed/undamaged (although claimed as sunk by I-175)
25/7/42 I 175 Cagou 2795 NE of Sydney
25/7/42 I 169 Tjinegara 9227 92 nm SE of Nouméa
30/8/42 I 175 Dureenbee 233 20 nm off Moruya Trawler
18/1/43 I 21 Kalingo 2047 110 nm E of Sydney
18/1/43 I 21 Mobilube 10222 60 nm E of Sydney Tanker
22/1/43 I 21 Peter H. Burnett 7176 420 nm E of Sydney
29/1/43 I 10 Samuel Gompers 7176 500 nm NE of Brisbane
30/1/43 I 21 Giang Ann ? 30 nm E of Newcastle
8/2/43 I 21 SS Iron Knight 4812 21 nm off Montagu Island Sunk while sailing in an escorted convoy, 36 of complement of 50 lost
10/2/43 I 21 Starr King 7176 150 nm E of Sydney
11/4/43 I 26 Recina 4732 20 nm off Cape Howe Sunk while sailing in an escorted convoy
24/4/43 I 26 Kowarra 2125 160 nm N of Brisbane
26/4/43 I 177 Limerick 8724 20 nm SE of Cape Byron
27/4/43 I 178 Lydia M. Childs 7176 90 nm E of Newcastle
29/4/43 I 180 Wollongbar II 2239 Off Crescent Head
5/5/43 I 180 Fingal 2137 Off Nambucca Heads
14/5/43 I 177 Australian Hospital Ship Centaur 3222 24 nm ENE of Point Lookout Hospital ship
16/6/43 I 174 Portmar 5551 250 nm NE of Sydney Sunk while sailing in an escorted convoy
22/6/43 I 17 Stanvac Manila 10245 Off Nouméa Two PT boats also destroyed
24/12/44 U 862 SS Robert J. Walker 7180 Off Moruya, 2 of crew lost The only ship sunk during the war by a German U-boat in the Pacific Ocean. Attack on ship, sinking and rescue of crew described in the Australian Official Histories of the Second World War. (Liberty ship)
6/2/45 U 862 SS Peter Silvester 7176 820 nm SW of Fremantle In the Indian Ocean, 32 of crew lost (Liberty ship)

Read more about this topic:  List Of Ships Sunk By Axis Warships In Australian Waters

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