I.J.N. Submarine I-178

27 April 1943 the I.J.N. submarine I-178 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Utsuki, sank the American Liberty Ship SS LYDIA M. CHILD at 33º 08’S x 153º 24’E. This was the only action initiated by I-178 or Utsuki in W W II as I-179 with Utsuki still in command, was sunk on 29 May 1943 at 15º 35’S x 167º 17’E by the sub chaser SC-669.

LYDIA M. CHILD was a brand new Liberty Ship, on her maiden voyage, mounting one 3-inch deck gun, five 20mm automatic guns and four .50 caliber machine guns when attacked. She was owned by WSA and operated by McCormick SS Co. with Carl M. Enstrom as her master. She drew 23 feet 6 inches under her 6,246 tons of food, tanks, sheet metal, steel rods and locomotives and was making 12 knots when attacked.

On 3 April, LYDIA M. CHILD sailed independently from San Francisco to Suez by way of Sidney, Australia. She was about 100 miles out of Sydney and zigzagging when the lookouts sighted a torpedo that sped past about forty feet ahead of the boat. The second torpedo hit portside between #2 and #3 holds, blowing a huge hole about twelve feet below the waterline. Both holds filled rapidly and the ship immediately began to list to port.

The Master reversed the engine immediately and the ship stopped dead in the water. The Armed Guards fired one round from the three inch deck gun in the direction of the submarine with no effect.

All eight officers, thirty-three men and twenty-one Armed Guards abandoned the ship in five minutes – and she sank in less than ten minutes after the torpedo struck. A quarter hour later, the Australian minesweepers WARRNAMBOOL (J-202) and DELORAINE (J-232) rescued all hands and landed the men at Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia.

Italian Submarine SERPENTE

19 September 1940 the Italian submarine SERPENTE under the command of CC Vittorio-Emanuele Tognelli, attacked the Italian submarine COLONNA with torpedoes – in error. Fortunately for their comrades, they missed.

20 December 1940, SERPENTE, now under the command of TV Antonio Dotta, torpedoed the Royal Navy destroyer HMS HYPERION and damaged her so badly that she was sunk by HMS ILEX.

EDITOR NOTE – we can only wonder why Tognelli was relieved of command after nearly sinking another Italian submarine.

29 September 1941, SERPENTE, now under the command of TV Renato Ferrini, attacked a carrier task force and claimed sinking a destroyer. No confirmation.

In 1943, SERPENTE was scuttled in the Mediterranean.