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During World War II, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) suffered significant losses, with numerous ships sunk and thousands of personnel perishing. The Second World War was the bloodiest conflict for the RAN, resulting in substantial casualties and the sinking of multiple vessels by Axis powers in Australian waters. German and Japanese submarines and surface raiders played a significant role in these attacks, causing extensive damage and loss of life among Australian and Allied forces. The impact of these assaults extended beyond military targets, with civilian casualties also incurred during this tumultuous period in Australia's naval history.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Australian ships sunk by Axis powers in Australian waters | 53 merchant ships and 3 warships |
| Number of Australian ships sunk by Japanese submarines | 18 |
| Number of RAN personnel deaths | 2,170 |
| Number of Australian merchant seaman deaths | 845 |
| Number of ships lost by the RAN in 1942 | 6 (HMAS Perth, Yarra, Vampire, Canberra, Voyager, Armidale) |
| Number of Allied merchant vessels lost by enemy action in Australian waters | 44 |
| Number of people killed on board ships attacked by submarines | 654, including 200 Australian merchant seamen |
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What You'll Learn
Japanese submarines sank many Australian ships
During World War II, Japanese submarines sank many Australian ships. The Japanese submarines operated in Australian waters between 1942 and 1945, sinking a total of 30 ships with a combined tonnage of 151,000 long tons (153,000 metric tons). These attacks resulted in the deaths of 654 people, including 200 Australian merchant seamen.
One notable attack by Japanese submarines occurred during the Attack on Sydney Harbour. On the night of May 31 to June 1, 1942, three Japanese midget submarines entered Sydney Harbour and attempted to sink Allied warships. Two of the submarines were detected and attacked before they could engage any Allied vessels. The third submarine sank the HMAS Kuttabul, a converted ferry, killing 21 sailors.
During the period from June to August 1942, seven Japanese submarines operated along the eastern coast of Australia, sinking seven ships. In November 1942, an Australian-built ship, the HMIS Bengal, sank one of the two Japanese raiders operating in the Indian Ocean.
The Japanese submarines also attacked merchant vessels, sinking three ships and killing 50 sailors. The attacks on Sydney Harbour and the eastern coast of Australia disrupted merchant shipping and forced the Australian military to upgrade its defences, including the use of convoy operations to protect merchant ships.
The impact of Japanese submarine attacks on Australia during World War II was significant, resulting in the loss of many ships and lives, and causing psychological effects on the Australian population due to the fear of an impending Japanese invasion.
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German and Japanese raiders sank 53 merchant ships
During World War II, German and Japanese raiders sank 53 merchant ships in Australian waters. The Axis powers also sank three warships within the Australia Station, an area that stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean and south to Antarctica. This resulted in the deaths of over 1,751 Allied military personnel, sailors, and civilians.
The six German and three Japanese surface raiders that operated within Australian waters sank 18 ships and killed over 826 sailors. In addition, 28 German and Japanese submarines sank 30 ships, killing 654 people, including 200 Australian merchant seamen.
The Australian Naval Historical Society reports that 44 Allied merchant vessels were lost due to enemy action in Australian waters during World War II. Eighteen were sunk by submarines, sixteen by aircraft, six by surface craft, and four by mines.
The Second World War was the bloodiest conflict for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), with 2,170 serving RAN personnel and 845 Australian merchant seamen losing their lives. The loss of the HMAS Perth in 1942, in which Petty Officer William Joseph Hodson Reece was killed, is one example of these tragic losses.
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RAN's operations against Japan resulted in losses
The Second World War was the bloodiest conflict for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), resulting in the deaths of 2,170 serving RAN personnel and 845 Australian merchant seamen. A total of 53 merchant ships and three warships were sunk within the Australia Station, causing the deaths of over 1,751 Allied military personnel, sailors, and civilians.
Japanese submarines operating in Australian waters between 1942 and 1945 sank 30 ships, causing the deaths of 654 people, including 200 Australian merchant seamen. The Japanese also carried out air raids that killed 88 civilians.
The Pacific War saw intense fighting between the Allies and Japan, with the Japanese employing tactics that resulted in heavy losses on both sides. The Japanese earned a reputation for fighting to the last man, which, coupled with the nature of combat in the Pacific Theater and the characteristics of the Japanese Armed Forces, made a direct invasion of mainland Japan a costly proposition.
The Allies anticipated high casualty rates in any invasion of Japan, with estimates ranging from several hundred thousand to several million. The Japanese military and civilian populations were expected to resist fiercely, and the Allies would also have had to contend with the challenging terrain and the potential use of nuclear weapons.
The war in the Pacific also saw significant losses for the Japanese, with 1.4 million military deaths between 1937 and 1945 attributed to starvation and disease. The American naval blockade and strategic bombing campaign severely impacted Japan's food situation, and by the end of the war, the average person consumed significantly fewer calories than in 1941.
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HMAS Perth sunk in the Sunda Strait
During World War II, the Allied forces suffered a heavy loss during the Battle of Sunda Strait. HMAS Perth, along with the American heavy cruiser USS Houston and the Dutch destroyer HNLMS Evertsen, faced a formidable Imperial Japanese Navy task force in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra. The battle took place over the night of February 28 to March 1, 1942, and resulted in the sinking of all Allied ships.
HMAS Perth, under the command of Captain Hector Waller, had previously engaged in combat with Japanese forces in the Java Sea. Along with USS Houston, HMAS Perth managed to break off from the action and sailed to Tanjung Priok (Tandjung Priok) on Java's north coast, where they refuelled. On February 28, the ships received orders to depart and head through the Sunda Strait to Tjilatjap (Tjilitjap) on the south coast of Java.
As HMAS Perth attempted to navigate through the strait, it was struck by multiple torpedoes. Captain Waller ordered the crew to abandon the ship, and shortly after, HMAS Perth sank at about 12:25 am on March 1. USS Houston, which was still fighting and ablaze, was also hit by torpedoes and sank soon after.
The Battle of Sunda Strait resulted in significant casualties on both sides. The Japanese lost five ships, three of which were due to friendly fire. The Allied forces lost a total of 1,071 personnel, with 696 crew members from USS Houston and 375 from HMAS Perth perishing, including their captains, Rooks and Waller. The survivors from both ships were picked up by Japanese vessels and taken as prisoners of war.
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The hospital ship AHS Centaur was sunk by a Japanese submarine
During World War II, 53 merchant ships and three warships were sunk by Axis warships in Australian waters, resulting in the deaths of over 1,751 people. Twenty-eight Japanese and German submarines operated in Australian waters between 1942 and 1945, sinking a total of 30 ships.
One of these ships was the hospital ship AHS Centaur, which was sunk by a Japanese submarine off the Queensland coast, Australia, on 14 May 1943. The Scottish-built vessel was launched in 1924 and served as a combination passenger liner and refrigerated cargo ship. At the start of World War II, it was placed under British Admiralty control but was later handed over to the Australian military in January 1943 for conversion into a hospital ship.
On 12 May 1943, Centaur sailed from Sydney with a crew of 332 medical personnel and civilian staff, as well as stores and equipment for the 2/12th Field Ambulance. Before dawn on 14 May, the ship was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine, likely the I-177, commanded by Lt Commander Hajime Nakagawa. Of the 332 people on board, only 64 survived, and they spent 35 hours on rafts before being rescued. The sole surviving nurse among the twelve on board, Sister Ellen Savage, was injured but provided invaluable assistance to the other survivors, earning her the George Medal.
The sinking of the AHS Centaur was considered a war crime under the 1907 Hague Convention, as attacking a hospital ship is prohibited. Despite official protests from the Australian government and the identification of the I-177 as the responsible submarine, the Japanese government denied responsibility for many years, and no one was tried for the attack. The wreck of the Centaur was finally discovered in December 2009, about 30 nautical miles off the southern tip of Moreton Island, providing some closure to the families and friends of those who perished.
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Frequently asked questions
53 merchant ships and three warships were sunk by Axis powers in Australian waters during World War II.
At least two Australian ships were sunk by Japanese submarines during World War II: the hospital ship AHS Centaur and the HMAS Perth.
Of the 332 crew and medical personnel on board the AHS Centaur, only 64 survived, meaning that 268 people died.
According to one source, 200 Australian merchant seamen were killed on board ships attacked by submarines. Another source gives the number of Australian merchant seamen deaths during WWII as 845.
During the "black months" of 1942, the RAN lost the HMA Ships Perth, Yarra, Vampire, Canberra, Voyager, and Armidale. The HMAS Kuttabul was also sunk in Sydney Harbour during this period.
