The impact of the torpedo was intense. The deafening explosion had torn through the port side hull and the ship rapidly started to take on water. Panic and confusion amongst the crew set in. Many were trapped inside the ship with no escape as the sea rushed in to fill the void. Those on deck quickly jumped clear of the sinking ship, some managed to grab a lifejacket before doing the same. The crew in the water swam towards the nearest floating wreckage, but many did not make it. As the ship disappeared beneath the surface, the force sucked those who had not cleared the ship far enough down with it. Five men from the 43 crew managed to cling onto the floating debris as they watched the ship disappear into the depths. 60 seconds after the deafening explosion there now was just silence.
On the 4th June 1942, the SS Iron Crown was steaming along the southeast Australian coast, making a journey from Whyalla to Newcastle in New South Wales, carrying a cargo of manganese ore. The 100 m long ship was spotted by a Japanese submarine, thought to be HMIJS I-24 or I-27. At 4.45pm the submarine fired the fatal torpedo that ended the journey for SS Iron Crown.
In April 2019 the wreck of the SS Iron Crown was found by a team of maritime archaeologists on board the CSIRO owned ship RV Investigator. The wreck was located approximately 100 km from the Victoria coastline, at a depth of 700 m. The team used multibeam sonar equipment to locate the wreck, and later used a special drop camera to take pictures of the wreckage to determine the extent of the sustained damage. The SS Iron Crown was found to be relatively intact and is sat upright on the seabed.
Locating the SS Iron Crown was no accident, but the fruit of the volunteer work done by the Maritime Archaeology Association of Victoria. Locating the ship is historically significant as one of only four WWII era ships in Victorian waters, and the only ship to have been torpedoed by a submarine. A memorial service is being planned to honour those who lost their lives.
References
Australian National Shipwreck Database. n.d. SS Iron Crown. Available from:
https://dmzapp17p.ris.environment.gov.au/shipwreck/public/wreck/wreck.do?key=6282 [Accessed on: 21st May 2019]
Lettens, J. 2011. SS Iron Crown (+1942). [wrecksite.eu]. Available from:
https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?57096 [Accessed on: 21st May 2019]
Marrison, M. 2019. After being lost for 77 years, an Australian freighter sunk by a Japanese submarine during World War II has been located by maritime archaeologists using CSIRO research vessel Investigator. [press release]. Available from:
https://www.csiro.au/en/News/News-releases/2019/WWII-shipwreck-discovered-SS-Iron-Crown [Accessed on: 23rd April 2019]
