I.J.N. Submarine I-180

29 April 1942, the I.J.N. submarine I-180 under command of KK T. Kusaka, sank the 2,239 ton Australian steamer SS WOLLONGBAR at 31º 17’S x 153º 07’E.

5 May 1943, I-180 (still under KK T. Kusaka) sank the 2,137 ton Norwegian steamer FINGAL at 30º 35’S x 153º 29’E.

12 May 1942, U-180 (Kusaka) damaged the 5,832 ton Australian steamer ORMISTON at 30º 16’S x 153º 23’E.

12 May 1943, I-180 (Kusaka) fired a torpedo at the 1,881 ton Australian steamer CARADALE but the torpedo was a dud and the damage was extremely minor.

No other attacks were initiated by I-180, but Kusaka, while in command of U-26, did initiate another attack. I-180 was later under command of Fujita, and was sunk on 26 April 1944 by the destroyer escort USS GILMORE at 55º 10’N x 155º 40’W.

Italian Submarine Settimo

10 January 1941, Italian submarine SETTIMO, under command of CC Mario Spano, caught the Royal Navy cruiser HMS SOUTHAMPTON, which had been heavily damaged by attack by Luftwaffe dive bombers and was sinking. Spano fired a three torpedo spread at the sinking ship. One detonation was heard.

While commanding NEREIDE the previous June, Spano fired at the 8,029 ton Norwegian tanker ORKANGER and set her ablaze. NAIADE, under Baroni, finished the tanker off. The cruiser HMS SOUTHAMPTON was the only attack made by RUGGERO SETTIMO, although that boat lived through the war and was scrapped in 1948. That was her only attack.