HMAS Kuttabul (ship)

HMAS "Kuttabul" was a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) depot ship, which was sunk by a Japanese midget submarine on 31 May 1942 during the attack on Sydney Harbour, killing 21 Australian and British naval personnel.

"Kuttabul" originated as a steam ferry, built by the Newcastle State Dockyard, in Newcastle, New South Wales in 1922. It spent most of its life as a double-ended Sydney suburban ferry, carrying passengers across Sydney Harbour, linking the downtown ferry terminal at Circular Quay with various suburban ferry wharves, but especially the heavy route between the Quay and Milsons Point. Made redundant by the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932, "Kuttabul" was laid up, along with its sister ship, "Koompartoo".Jenkins (1992). p 215] After the outbreak of World War II, "Kuttabul" was requisitioned by the RAN, and moored at the Garden Island naval base to provide accommodation for Allied naval personnel.

As a ferry, "Kuttabul" was rated at 448 gross and 201 net tonnes (1269 and 569 m³), being 183' (56 metres) long, with a beam of 36' (11 metres), capable of seating approximately 2,250 passengers. "Kuttabul" and "Koompartoo" were the largest ferries ever operated on the inner harbour ferry routes. They were constructed of steel, with wooden decks and superstructure.

On the night of 31 May-1 June 1942, a group of five Imperial Japanese Navy submarines made a series of attacks on Sydney. During these attacks, three "Ko-hyoteki" class midget submarines entered Sydney Harbour with the intention of attacking Allied shipping. A torpedo launched by one of these submarines "M24", and aimed at the heavy cruiser USS "Chicago", missed its target and instead passed under HMAS "Kuttabul". The torpedo exploded against the stone breakwater "Kuttabul" was moored against, causing extensive damage and killing 21 of its occupants. The ferry was sunk. Later one of its wheelhouses was salvaged and served for many years as a police guard house. The wheelhouse is now exhibited at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, together with a composite midget submarine comprising the wreckage of two of the Japanese vessels involved.

The Garden Island base was later renamed HMAS "Kuttabul", in memory of the sinking and its victims.

The "M24" was later lost. See [http://www.pacificwrecks.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1711]

References

* Sydney Heritage Fleet. " [http://www.australianheritagefleet.com.au/yLibraryDB/Vessels_F_K.html List of Ships and Other Vessels F to K] ". Retrieved 28 November 2005.