A sudden explosion rocked the ss Kalingo on the night of 17 January 1943.
Thirty-two crew and two passengers were on board the ship which had just left Sydney bound for New Plymouth. It was a bright moonlight night when the vessel was struck by a torpedo from a large Japanese submarine, probably I-21 on its second war patrol off NSW. Two of the crew were killed instantly but the survivors quickly launched an undamaged lifeboat.
The submarine surfaced to confirm damage. Fearing further attack, the crew and passengers pulled away in the opposite direction. Apparently satisfied that the ship was sinking, the submarine submerged and continued its patrol.
An hour later the Kalingo sank. Although they had a long 38 hour, 175 mile ordeal ahead of them, the survivors eventually arrived safely back in Sydney Harbour.
Kalingo was built in Scotland in 1927, had a length of 86 metres and tonnage of 2,047 tons.
