The submarine attempts to sink allied warships were thwarted, however one sank the converted ferry HMAS Kuttabul, killing 21 sailors.
This midget submarine’s fate was unknown until 2006, when amateur scuba divers discovered the wreck off Sydney’s northern beaches.
Marking the 80th anniversary of the ‘invasion’ and offering many intriguing insights, a National Maritime Museum speaker will address the next Padstow Heights Probus meeting this Tuesday, June 7, from 10.30am at Revesby Workers’ Club.
A two-course meal will be served after the talk at a cost of $25 a person.
“We usually have about 30 attending but our view is the more the merrier and we would welcome any retired or semi-retired men and women who would like to come to our meetings on the first Tuesday of the month to hear from a guest speaker and have lunch and a chat, and then join us on an excursion on the second Tuesday of the month,” Probus president Tony Badder said.
“Some of the recent excursions have include a train and a ferry to Watsons Bay to enjoy fish and chips on the beach, a trip to an alpaca farm at Windsor and overnight excursions to Flinders Ranges, Kangaroo Island and the Murray River to ride on a paddle steamer; it’s always great to explore somewhere different.”
To book attendance on Tuesday or for further info, call Tony on 0414 769 429.
Probus speaker to offer insights into Japanese invasion
IN late May and early June 1942, during World War II, three submarines belonging to the Imperial Japanese Navy made a series of attacks on Sydney and Newcastle following the February bombing of Darwin in which 235 Australians died.