Hutchinson, Orlando Bingham, c. 1943, Photograph, B 76311/10
Produced from a glass plate negative (8 x 11 cm) many of which were taken by Orlando Hutchinson, this image features one of three Japanses midget submarines that were involved in an attack on Sydney Harbour on the night of 31 May to 1 June 1942. Two of the submarines were captured, while a third submarine may have left the harbour and its whereabouts were unknown until 2006, when a submarine, possibly the third midget submarine, was discovered about five kilometres off the NSW coast. The two captured submarines were recovered and examined, with parts from each put together to form a composite vessel. The submarine in this photograph was made up from parts of the two retrieved submarines, and it toured parts of Australia to "raise war bonds and boost morale". The photograph may have been taken in Sydney at the start or finish of the tour. See the article 'Japanese Midget Submarine Attack on Sydney Harbour' by John Perryman on the Royal Australian Navy website for more details about the submarines and the attack on Sydney Harbour.