An ex-RAAF man said today he believed. a pilot in his squadron sank the submarine found
in 70 ft. of water in Disaster Bay, off the NSW south coast.
"Flying-Officer Doug Avery attacked and sank a sub at this spot on July 29, 1942," said former navigator Mr Clem Wray today. Mr Wray is now an S.E.C. employee, of Fitzroy St., St. Kilda.
He said: "Doug certainly got the sub, because he flew back to base with wings full of shrapnel holes made when his bombs exploded.
"Everyone was clustered around the bomber, shouting and waving their arms. Doug was thrilled to the back teeth that he'd got it." Flying-Officer Avery was killed later in the war while flying Beauforts out of Townsville.
Mr. Wray said he was flying in Beauforts with 100 Squadron at the time. The squadron was based at Laverton, but a detachment of six bombers was sent to Mallacoota to try to do something about the submarine activity off the south-east coast.
"We lived in tents right on the airstrip and used the local hotel for washing and hot showers," he said.
"I was with three crews returning to the airstrip on July 28, 1942, when someone had the bright idea of going out at night and trying to catch a sub by surprise. We knew they surfaced in the area at night to recharge their batteries and that night was to be clear with a bright moon"
Mr Wray, then 28, said he worked out the navigation plot for the mission
Tossed for search area
"We took three Beauforts and planned to cover an area 40 miles out to sea by 60 miles along the coast," he said.
"Each aircraft was to complete a zig-zag search of a 40 by 20 mile sector and each pilot tossed a coin to select his area.
Avery selected the centre sector, which included the Disaster Bay area. Mr Wray flew with Flt. Lt. Dick Thompson, of Sydney, in the north sector.
"Dick and I didn't sight a thing so we headed back to Mallacoota after we covered our sector," he said.
When we landed at seven in the morning, we found that Doug Avery was already there. He was waving his arms around and pointing to a lot of shrapnel holes in his wings.
"As far as I remember his story, he was flying on his zig-zag course towards the coast when he saw a submarine silhouetted in the moonlight".
"The moon was setting in the west, so a sub would stand out in front of him. We believed that, since the sub would be recharging its batteries, the noise of its engines would cover our approach.
Started a crash dive
"Anyway, Doug said he dived on the sub and it immediately turned and started a crash dive.
"He pulled away, then came in low and let go his stick of six 2501b anti-submarine bombs. He certainly hit the sub because the shrapnel from their blast peppered his wings," Mr Wray said.
He said the three Beauforts returned to the area later in the day in search of floating wreckage, but twind nothing.
Navy submarine officers in Sydney today said the bodies of nearly 100 crewmen were probably in the submarine.
They believed the men were sealed in the aft section of the 300 ft. sub. when it sank.
The forward section of the submarine was apparently blown apart by an explosion.
One submarine officer said today the' torpedo section would have been automatically sealed off after the explosion.
There would have been no chance of escape for the crewmen on board.
Navy clearance divers were travelling by road to the Disaster Bay area today. They are specialists in dealing with underwater explosives.
The diving team also includes several experienced underwater photographers.
With local police aid, the divers will seal off the area and "take their time" investigating the submarine. |