Plea to let submariners be

November 29th, 2006 by admin in Military and NEWS and Wrecks

THE brother of a Japanese submariner yesterday urged that a World War II midget sub found off Sydney’s northern beaches be left untouched.

Katsuhisa Ban commanded one of three midget submarines in a daring attack on ships in Sydney Harbour in 1942. Two were neutralised, but the M-24 carrying Ban and engineer Mamoru Ashibe fired torpedoes that hit the barracks ship HMAS Kuttabul, killing 21 sailors.

It escaped and disappeared.

Kazutomo Ban yesterday said his brother and Ashibe should be left to “sleep calmly”.

The retired doctor, who lives in the suburbs of Nagoya, pointed out that 60 years after the war more than a million Japanese servicemen rest in jungles and under the sea.

Mr Ban said Australian embassy staff in Tokyo had contacted him over the possible discovery of the vessel.

Australian Heritage Minister Ian Campbell warned of huge penalties for anyone who disturbed the sub. He said the Government was close to positively identifying that the wreck was the M-24. There had been previous claims of divers finding the sub, but Senator Campbell said that “it seems like it’s the real thing this time”.

Source: The courier mail, au