THE HON. ALAN GRIFFIN MP
Minister for Veterans' Affairs
Minister for Defence Personnel
Monday, 31 May 2010
020/2010
Sydney World War II Attack Remembered
The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel, Alan
Griffin, today remembered the 21 Australian and British sailors who sadly lost
their lives in a World War II attack on Sydney Harbour.
Mr Griffin said, “A memorial service was held at the HMAS Kuttabul Memorial
at Garden Island in Sydney to mark the 68th anniversary of when three
Japanese midget submarines launched an attack on Sydney Harbour on 31
May 1942”.
One of two remaining survivors of the attack on HMAS Kuttabul, Mr Neil
Roberts, attended the ceremony with his family.
“The ceremony honoured the memory of 19 Royal Australian Navy and two
Royal Navy personnel who died when the converted ferry HMAS Kuttabul was
sunk by a Japanese midget submarine just after midnight on 1 June 1942,” Mr
Griffin said.
“One of the Japanese midget submarines, M24, fired two torpedos at the
United States Heavy Cruiser USS Chicago, which was moored off Garden
Island.
“One torpedo ended up on the beach at Garden Island and the second
passed ahead of the USS Chicago, under the Dutch submarine K9, also
moored off Garden Island, before detonating against the sea wall where
HMAS Kuttabul was berthed.
“The bottom of HMAS Kuttabul, then used for sailors’ accommodation at
Garden Island, was ripped out, killing 21 of the men on board.
“The name HMAS Kuttabul was passed onto the Navy base at Potts Point
which administers Garden Island and every year the Royal Australian Navy
holds a service in memory of those who died,” Minister Griffin said.
Of the three midget submarines that attacked that night, two were destroyed.
The bodies of four Japanese submariners were recovered. They were given
funerals with full military honours and their bodies cremated.
The fate of M24 remained a mystery until 2006 when a group of recreational
divers located the submarine around 5km off Bungan Head, Sydney.
A section of one of the Japanese submarines is on display at the Royal
Australian Navy Heritage Centre at Garden Island, Sydney.
Media contact:
Sasha Nimmo (Alan Griffin):
0437 863 109
Danielle Kuhn, Defence Public Affairs NSW:
0405 310 176
Defence Media Liaison:
02 6127 1999 or 0408 498
664
NEWS 
