Specials

Special Historic submarine K IX found

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September 26, 2001

MEDIA RELEASE
DEPUTY PREMIER
MINISTER FOR URBAN AFFAIRS AND PLANNING
MINISTER FOR ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS
MINISTER FOR HOUSING

September 26, 2001

SHIPWRECKS EMERGE FROM SANDY GRAVES

A Dutch submarine, lost off the NSW coast near Seal Rocks in the final stages of World War II, has re-emerged from its sandy grave after king tides in the area.

“This is an exciting and rare event,” said Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for Heritage, Dr Andrew Refshauge.

A large section of the K-IX submarine has been exposed, allowing maritime archaeologists from the NSW Heritage Office a new opportunity to study and record the structure.

The wreck was relocated by the NSW Heritage Office when completely buried under sand in 1999. It briefly appeared in mid 2000, but has not been exposed to the current extent since 1974.

“Submarines are always intriguing archaeological sites, and the K-IX is of particular interest for its association with the Japanese midget submarine raid at Sydney Harbour on 31 May 1942," said Dr Refshauge.

“Then a unit of the Royal Netherlands Navy, the submarine was damaged when an enemy torpedo passed under it and destroyed the ex-ferry HMAS Kuttabul, killing 21 sailors on board."

The submarine was later commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy as an anti-submarine training vessel before becoming lost in a towing accident towards the end of World War II.

The Heritage Office earlier released a Shipwreck conservation management plan that documents the discovery of K-IX.

“Another shipwreck, off Blacksmiths Beach at the entrance to Lake Macquarie, has been reported in the surf near Swansea by members of the NSW Water Police," said Dr Refshauge.

One possibility is that it is the iron paddle steamer, Lowestoft, that wrecked there in 1864. Built in the United Kingdom, the 29-metre vessel was swamped in high seas while travelling from Newcastle to Sydney.

Heritage Office records suggest that 24 vessels were wrecked near Lake Macquarie and Swansea during the nineteenth century. Some 1800 historic wrecks are known to lie in the coastal and inland waters of NSW.

Click here for photos of the revealed submarine wreck.

NSW Heritage Office, Sept 2001

The Dutch (ex-Australian) submarine K IX has again been exposed on Submarine Beach, south of Seal Rocks, NSW. The archaeological wreck site was re-located by Tim Smith, a Maritime Archaeologist with the NSW Heritage Office, in 1999. At that time, the 64-metre structure was lying buried under an additional 2 metres of beach sand and detected with a magnetometer.

Strong tidal activity has now removed a considerable portion of sand covering the historic shipwreck, allowing the Heritage Office to obtain some additional photographs of the hull. Reports that the sub “was out” came from Leanne and Bill Legge, enlisted as “Wreck Spotters” by Dr Andrew Refshauge, Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning. Leanne and Bill assisted the Heritage Office’ search for the site in 1999. K IX reappeared briefly in mid-2000 when a portion of a vertical semi circular casing was partially exposed. The current level of exposure however has not been witnessed for 27 years, when the submarine became similarly washed out during the 1974 gale.

K IX and the search for the remains has been the focus of recent research - the Heritage Office releasing a Conservation Management Plan in 2000, and Ross Gillett, Regional Director Defence Public Affairs NSW, publishing a running story in Australian Warship Review.

Heritage Office investigations revealed a wealth of information on the submarine including a range of historic photographs maintained in private collections. One in Western Australia included photographs taken by the two men who obtained salvage rights to the abandoned boat in 1945. Ex-crew have also been tracked down including Commodore Bryan Cleary RAN Rtd and Harry Churchill RAN Rtd. The Heritage Office has a long-standing interest in documenting naval shipwreck sites, maintaining a database of losses/scuttlings and abandonment’s in NSW’s waters, and with periodic searches for the missing third Japanese midget submarine. Tim Smith was also engaged in PROJECT AE2 - the Australian team that travelled to Turkey in 1997 and 1998 and documented the significant AE2 E-class Australian boat lost on 30 April 1915, during the Dardanelles Campaign.

Information on NSW’s underwater cultural heritage can be obtained from the Heritage Office Web site http://maritime.heritage.nsw.gov.au/

Click here for photos of the revealed wreck.

Reported by maritime archaeologist Tim Smith. July 1999.

Maritime Archaeologists from the NSW Heritage Office are preparing to search for the wreck of the ex-Dutch submarine, K IX. This boat washed ashore at Submarine Beach near Seal Rocks in NSW, Australia, after a towing accident in 1945. While the wreck is now buried under beach sands, its approximate position is known. A magnetometer survey will attempt to relocate the site and some limited probing to determine its buried depth. Few archival records survive for the vessel in Australia, even though it was commissioned into the Royal Australian NAVY during WWII. The team is hoping to detect the wreck on Tuesday 20 July when they attempt the first beach search.

 20 July 1999

The wreck of K IX was last observed in 1984 after heavy seas removed large volumes of sand from the site. Local fishermen however, all had slightly different recollections as to where it lay on Submarine Beach near Seal Rocks, NSW, Australia. Today (Tuesday 20 July, 1999) we covered these areas using a Ferex Magnetometer which discounted each of these areas. We then checked a position marked on a coastal chart of the area which was derived from earlier aerial photography. We detected the wreck site beneath the sand of the beach. It is buried in three meters of sand and lies approximately at 35 degrees to the shore, with the bow pointing south and inland.  The site is too deeply buried to inspect further. We will have to wait until heavy seas next expose it, perhaps in another 10-20 years !!

Click here for photos of the search.

From: The Daily Telegraph (Australia) by Angela Kamper. 4 Aug 1999.

A WORLD War II submarine has been found buried under a north coast beach, 54 years after it went missing.

The historic K9 vessel was discovered by maritime archaeologist Tim Smith under 3m of sand on Submarine Beach at Seal Rocks, NSW. Local fishermen last sighted the sub in 1984 when a heavy storm temporarily washed off the sand cover. The exact location of the craft, which is 64.7m long and 5.4m wide, has never been pinpointed and later attempts to find it were unsuccessful. But using metal detection equipment a team from the NSW Heritage Office this week located a craft that is part of Australia's maritime history. "It was really nice to be at the actual position and have this thing under our feet," Mr. Smith said.

The high cost of retrieving the vessel is preventing the Heritage Office from digging it up and towing it away. Mr. Smith is hoping K9 will resurface so that they can accurately determine it's condition. "It's likely to be exposed again when very heavy seas strike that part of the coast, but that might be another 10 or 15 years," he said. The submarine hull is believed to be intact but the cabins inside are corroding.

According to documents from the Royal Australian Navy, the vessel survived a series of famous historical events. Built in 1922 for the Royal Netherlands Navy, Sub K9 was positioned in the East Indies (now Indonesia) during World War II. When the Japanese took over Java in 1942 the vessel was deployed to Australia. Here the vessel was involved in battling the 1942 Japanese midget submarine attack on Sydney Harbour.

Later the RAN acquired ownership of the vessel and used it as an anti-submarine training target. Later it was converted into a fuel tanker and while being towed, its cable broke and it washed up on the beach in 1945.

Mr. Smith and his team scanned the beach with a magnetometer to find the vessel. An air probe or long metal tube was used to determine its depth and confirm that it was the K9.

Click here for photos of the search.

 

2 Aug 1999

 

MEDIA RELEASE

DEPUTY PREMIER

MINISTER FOR URBAN AFFAIRS AND PLANNING

MINISTER FOR ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS

MINISTER FOR HOUSING

 

2 AUGUST 1999

EX-AUSTRALIAN SUBMARINE DETECTED

A significant historic shipwreck has been detected near Seal Rocks by a survey team of Maritime Archaeologists from the NSW Heritage Office.

"The submarine K-IX was located under three meters of beach sand on July 20," said Deputy Premier, Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Minister for Housing, Dr Andrew Refshauge.

"Submarines are always intriguing archaeological sites, and this one is of particular interest for its association with the Japanese midget submarine raid at Sydney Harbour in May 1942."

"The K-IX, then a unit of the Royal Netherlands Navy, was damaged when an enemy torpedo passed under and destroyed the ex-ferry HMAS Kuttabul, killing 21 sailors on board."

"After that time, the submarine was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy as an anti-submarine training vessel, before being paid off in 1944."

"In early June 1945, the submarine, by now converted to a diesel fuel tanker, was being towed north when its cable broke. It washed ashore at Fiona Beach, just south of Seal Rocks and became a total wreck."

"Later salvage attempts failed and the wreck became exposed only occasionally after significant storm activity."

"The wreck was last sighted in 1984, but its exact location forgotten. Its detection now has reopened a fascinating and important chapter in our maritime history," said Dr Refshauge.

Maritime Archaeologist Tim Smith, who led the successful survey team, said that the relocation of the site will assist greatly in the long term management and interpretation of the area.

"Some 1800 historic wrecks are known to lie in NSW coastal and inland waters, with most protected under State or Commonwealth legislation. Divers and others are free to visit these sites as long as they are careful not to disturb them in anyway," said Mr. Smith.

Click here for photos of the search.

 

From: De Telegraaf by De Telegraaf-i. 4 Aug 1999.

SYDNEY, woensdag

Marinearcheologen hebben voor de Australische oostkust het wrak van een voormalige Nederlandse onderzeeër ontdekt. Het zou gaan om de K-IX, een schip dat in 1942 in de haven van Sydney beschadigd raakte tijdens een aanval van Japanse miniduikboten.

Volgens archeologen van de stichting historisch erfgoed van de staat New South Wales ligt het wrak onder een laag van drie meter zand ten noorden van Sydney. De boot ging in 1945 verloren toen bij het slepen een kabel brak en het schip op de rotsen liep.

De K-IX trad na de aanval van 31 mei 1942 in Australische dienst en werd gebruikt als een trainingsschip. Later deed de duikboot onder meer dienst als tankboot. In juni 1945 liep het op de kust van de deelstaat New South Wales.

De vondst wordt als belangrijk gezien, er is weinig bekend over van de periode rond de aanval van de Japanse mini-onderzeeërs. Volgens de minister van Stedelijke Zaken van New South Wales wordt het schip echter niet naar boven gehaald, zo meldt het Japanse persbureau Kyodo vanuit Sydney. Het wordt beschermd door de wet op historisch erfgoed, aldus de bewindsman.

Misschien wordt de duikboot over een jaar tien à vijftien weer gezien als zwaar weer het zand heeft weggespoeld, aldus minister Andrew Refshauge.

 

 

K IX related pages

K IX boat history

K VIII class specifications

Historic submarine K IX found

The K IX Club

K IX photos

Photos of the search for K IX

The towing of K IX by Hr.Ms. Abraham Crijnssen

The  K IX plaque

K IX wreck photos

K IX related books

none

Off-site

NSW Heritage Office

 

 

 

 

 

 

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