Japanese submarine wreck thought to be off Coffs Coast
A new Heritage NSW study has revealed there is strong evidence of a lost World War II Japanese submarine wrecked off the coast of Coffs Harbour, potentially paving the way to find the missing vessel in the future.
The research is being published to mark the 83rd anniversary of the Japanese midget submarine attack on Sydney Harbour on the night of 31 May 1942, a pivotal moment in Australia’s maritime and military history.
More than two months after torpedoing and destroying a large Allied freight ship off the coast of Newcastle in April 1942, the 105-metre Japanese KD7 class submarine I-178 and its 89 crew were declared lost and the location of the remains unknown to this day.
The study details the last signal it sent back to enemy headquarters on 17 June 1943, followed by a confirmed aerial bombing that evening by Royal Australian Air Force planes of an unidentified submarine which had surfaced 65 miles southeast of Coffs Harbour.
This information, combined with eye-witness evidence of an oil slick the following day off Nambucca Heads, leads the study to recommend a seabed survey in this region to find the submarine and bring closure to living descendants of the seafarers who lost their lives.
The study was funded by the Australian Government under the Australian Underwater Cultural Heritage Program. Heritage NSW will work with the Australian Government to explore future deep sea survey opportunities with lead providers.
To read the study and learn more, visit: East Coast Sea War – Steven Carruthers (PDF 19MB).
Tim Smith, Director of Assessments at Heritage NSW, DCCEEW said:
“We’ve done a deep dive looking at how Axis naval forces targeted merchant vessels on the Australian east coast during WWII. This was very effective at cutting off supplies and communications, with 214 people killed and 23 ships sunk in NSW waters during these attacks between 1941–44.
“The detailed research shines new light on this dark period of our history and adds weight to the hypothesis that the long lost I-178 lies on the ocean floor off the coast of Coffs Harbour, while also strongly rejecting one theory that it sank near Vanuatu.
“Interestingly, we don’t know why this particular submarine – which should have been capable of staying underwater for long periods – was caught on the surface twice in a short space of time, but the study suggests it may have had battery or operational problems from a previous attack which prevented it from submerging.
“We note the recommendation for a seabed survey to help put this mystery to bed, so we’ll reach out to the relevant authorities, including the Australian Government and Japan Consul General to find out what the next steps are, including the possibility for further investigation.”