List of ships sunk by Axis warships in Australian waters


This is a list of Allied ships sunk by Axis warships operating in Australian waters during the Second World War.
Fifty four Axis surface raiders and submarines carried out these attacks, sinking 53 merchant ships and three warships within the Australia Station, resulting in the deaths of over 1,751 Allied military personnel, sailors and civilians. A further 88 civilians were killed in air raids.
The definition of "Australian waters" used in this list is the area designated the Australia Station prior to the outbreak of war. This vast area consisted of the waters around Australia and eastern New Guinea, and stretching south to Antarctica. From east to west, it stretched from 170° east in the Pacific Ocean to 80° east in the Indian Ocean, and from north to south it stretched from the Equator to the Antarctic.
A full account is given in Axis naval activity in Australian waters

Ships sunk by surface raiders

The six German and three Japanese surface raiders that operated within Australian waters sank 18 ships and killed over 826 sailors.
DateShipTonnage LocationSunk byRemarks
16 Aug 40Notou2,489NoumeaOrion
20 Aug 40Turakina9,691Tasman SeaOrion
7 Oct 40Storstad8,998Christmas IslandPinguincaptured; converted to auxiliary minelayer
7 Nov 40Cambridge10,846Bass StraitPassatsunk by mines laid
9 Nov 40City of Rayville5,883Bass StraitPassatsunk by mines laid
5 Dec 40Nimbin1,052Off Norah HeadPinguinsunk by mines laid
26 Mar 41Millimumul287?Pinguinsunk by mines laid
19 Nov 40Nowshera7,920Indian OceanPinguin
20 Nov 40Maimoa10,123Indian OceanPinguin
21 Nov 40Port Brisbane8,739Indian OceanPinguin
30 Nov 40Port Wellington8,303Indian OceanPinguin
6 Dec 40Triona4,413NauruOrion, Komet
7 Dec 40Vinni5,181NauruOrion, Komet
8 Dec 40Triadic6,378NauruOrion, Komet
8 Dec 40Triaster6,032NauruOrion, Komet
7 Dec 40Komuta3,900NauruOrion, Komet
26 June 41Velebit4,153Indian OceanKormoran
26 June 41Mareeba3,472Indian OceanKormoran
26 Sept 41Stamatios G Embirikos3,941Indian OceanKormoran
19 Nov 41HMAS Sydneyn/aCarnarvon, W AustKormoranboth sunk in naval engagement
15 June 43Hoegh Silverdawn7,715W AustraliaMichel
17 June 43Ferncastle9,940W AustraliaMichel
9 Mar 44Behar6,100Indian OceanTonesurvivors massacred

Ships sunk by submarines

The following table has been adapted from of by David Stevens. Stevens' appendix lists all known Axis submarine activity in Australian waters during World War II and includes data on unsuccessful submarine attacks on Allied shipping, attacks made in Papuan and Netherlands East Indies waters and Japanese patrols in Australian waters which did not result in any attacks on Allied ships.
The 28 Japanese and German submarines that operated in Australian waters between 1942 and 1945 sank a total of 30 ships with a combined tonnage of ; 654 people, including 200 Australian merchant seamen, were killed on board the ships attacked by submarines.
DateSubmarineShipTonnageLocationRemarks
20/1/42I 159Eidsvold4184Christmas Island
1/3/42I 154Modjokerto8806South of Christmas Island
1/3/42I 2Parigi1172Off Fremantle
3/3/42I 1Siantar8867200 nm NW of Shark Bay
4/3/42I 7Le Maire3271NW of Cocos Islands
5/5/42I 21John Adams7180120 nm SW of Noumea
7/5/42I 21Chloe464135 nm from Nouméa
31/5/42M 24HMAS Kuttabul448Sydney HarbourMidget launched from I 24
3/6/42I 24Iron Chieftain48127 nm E of Sydney
4/6/42I 27Iron Crown335340 nm SW of Gabo Island
12/6/42I 21Guatemala552740 nm NE of SydneyStraggling from a convoy
20/7/42I 11George S. Livanos488315 nm E of Jervis Bay
21/7/42I 11Coast Farmer329025 nm E of Jervis Bay
22/7/42I 11William Dawes717615 nm E of Tathra Head
24/7/42I 175Murada334585 nm NE of NewcastleTorpedoed/undamaged
25/7/42I 175Cagou2795NE of Sydney
25/7/42I 169Tjinegara922792 nm SE of Nouméa
30/8/42I 175Dureenbee23320 nm off MoruyaTrawler
18/1/43I 21Kalingo2047110 nm E of Sydney
18/1/43I 21Mobilube1022260 nm E of SydneyTanker
22/1/43I 21Peter H. Burnett7176420 nm E of Sydney
29/1/43I 10Samuel Gompers7176500 nm NE of Brisbane
30/1/43I 21Giang Ann?30 nm E of Newcastle
8/2/43I 21481221 nm off Montague IslandSunk while sailing in an escorted convoy, 36 of complement of 50 lost
10/2/43I 21Starr King7176150 nm E of Sydney
11/4/43I 26Recina473220 nm off Cape HoweSunk while sailing in an escorted convoy
24/4/43I 26Kowarra2125160 nm N of Brisbane
26/4/43I 177Limerick872420 nm SE of Cape Byron
27/4/43I 178Lydia M. Childs717690 nm E of Newcastle
29/4/43I 180Wollongbar II2239Off Crescent Head
5/5/43I 180Fingal2137Off Nambucca Heads
14/5/43I 177Australian Hospital Ship Centaur322224 nm ENE of Point LookoutHospital ship
16/6/43I 174Portmar5551250 nm NE of SydneySunk while sailing in an escorted convoy
22/6/43I 17Stanvac Manila10245Off NouméaTwo PT boats also destroyed
24/12/44U 862SS Robert J. Walker7180Off Moruya, two of crew lostThe only ship sunk during the war by a German U-boat in the Pacific Ocean. Attack on ship, sinking and rescue of crew described in the Australian Official Histories of the Second World War.
6/2/45U 862SS Peter Silvester7176820 nm SW of FremantleIn the Indian Ocean, 32 of crew lost