COASTAL SEARCH

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 134, 9 June 1942, Page 5

COASTAL SEARCH

ENEMY SUBMARINES

Could Operate Over Long

Distances

United Press Association.—Copyright. Special {Australian Correspondent. Rec. 2 p.m. SYDNEY, this day

Spccial naval units and air force bombers have thrown a cordon around the areas shelled by enemy submarines on Monday morning. It is considered that if the raid was a hit-and-run affair it would be several days before the submarines are out of range of reconnaissance aircraft. A search is also being made for possible submarine hiding places along the east coast. It is believed that some of Japan's largest types of submarines made the attack. These havei a range of up to 16.000 miles and i must still have considerable supplies | of fuel. They could operate in southeastern -Australian waters for several weeks before returning to their base. The naval authorities say that only one enemy submarine shelled Sydney and a second and apparently smaller submarine attacked NewFutility of Attack The most notewor'hy ieatuVe of the Japanese attack on southern Australian mainland was !ts futility. The damage done in the shelling of Sydney and Newcastle y as less than that caused by any heavy storm, and j the sole casualty w&s one civilian I injured in Sydney. The effect on j morale was nil. Australia has, however, again received a salutary lesson—the need for ceaseless vigilance—and the lesson has heen learned at gratifying small cost. A repetition of the raids is regarded as possible. Two submarines are reported to have been seen off the coast by some watchers on Sunday. The damage, estimated at some hundreds of pounds, was restricted to private dwellings. The official Allied Headquarters communique describes the attack as a "nuisance" raid. Newcastle's Warning Newcastle had prior warning that an attack was likely. The alert was sounded under orders from Sydney and the emergency service wardens were at their posts when the first shots were fired. In Sydney the wardens' posts were all manned within 10 minutes of the siren warning. It is estimated that the submarine or submarines which attacked Sydney did so from six miles out at sea. The coastal defence guns played an important part in making the raids brief. They fired at the gun flashes of the submarine. No nits are claimed, but the gunners believe that they made the area unhealthy and forced the raider to dive. Some military commentators estimate that japan sent a force of fully -0 submarines, including midgets, to operate off the south-eastern coast of Australia. Seven, possibly eight, nave been destroyed, including four midgets. &

Most observers do not believe that tne submarine raids were a diversionary move designed to draw off t£o C vr ? 0m H le , sreat naval battle in the Midway Island area. The raids are regarded as a calculated blow -Australian shipping. „ T, he .submarine attack on our coasts is part of the pattern of savs 3n t e h S p c tr f tegy c- in the Pacific." sa\h the Sydney Sun. "it is an tion^wirh 0 ° Ut °iV r sea comm unicaTh/i .°' I jr ally America." * l a JJ*l al characterisation of the fon-P .n it ,l S nu,sa " ce raids lends mat i° ai the J Lheor y that the shelling More L "h 3 farewell gesturf 4nf fwTi submarines, running ii > : uel and supplies, were con> Pe" ed to return to Their base Sunportei s of this belief point to the recent raid on the CaliforniL coast when a submarine having shelled the of again ISaPPeared and was not heard