A Strategic Backwater Becomes the Front Line

In the summer of 1942, while global attention focused on Midway and Guadalcanal, Western Australia emerged as an unlikely epicenter of Pacific submarine operations. The Japanese advance through Southeast Asia had severed traditional Allied supply routes, forcing American and Dutch naval forces to establish new bases in Australia’s remote northwest. Exmouth Gulf, a little-known inlet 150 miles from the pearling town of Port Hedland, became the focal point of a desperate Allied effort to maintain pressure on Japanese shipping lanes.

The July 29 night raid on Port Hedland by nine Japanese bombers from Timor or Ambon bases served as a rude awakening. Though damage proved minimal, this probing attack revealed Japanese reconnaissance of Australia’s vulnerable northwest coast. For submarine commanders like Admiral Charles Lockwood, it underscored the precarious position of their forward operating base at Exmouth Gulf – a facility the Japanese surprisingly hadn’t yet discovered.

The Submarine War’s Improbable Headquarters

Freemantle and Perth transformed into bustling naval hubs, receiving refugees from Hong Kong, Malaya, and Java alongside American and Dutch submarines. The scene presented stark contrasts: destitute women and children who had lost everything alongside elite submarine crews preparing for dangerous patrols. Dutch naval personnel faced particular anguish, with most unaware of their families’ fates in the occupied East Indies.

Operational challenges abounded. The submarine tender USS Holland became a floating repair shop, while Australian laborers worked – often frustratingly slowly – to build proper naval infrastructure. A remarkable incident saw 50 sailors temporarily replace striking dockworkers to prepare the USS Salmon for relaunch, highlighting the improvisation required in this distant theater.

Innovation Under Pressure: Tactical Breakthroughs

The Western Australia submarine force pioneered crucial advancements that would define Pacific undersea warfare:

– Silent Running Protocols: Using portable decibel meters in Cockburn Sound, crews perfected quiet diving techniques to evade Japan’s superior hydrophone systems
– Night Surface Attacks: Initially fearing Japanese antisubmarine capabilities, commanders gradually learned to exploit gaps in enemy coverage
– Medical Improvisation: The USS Seadragon made history when Pharmacist’s Mate W.B. Lipes performed an emergency appendectomy mid-patrol, establishing precedent for submarine medical procedures

Perhaps most remarkably, submariners developed new torpedo firing solutions using makeshift plotting tools, with Commander Dick Voge’s innovative firing angle diagrams later becoming standard across the Pacific Fleet.

The Exmouth Gulf Gambit

Recognizing the need for advanced bases, Allied planners embarked on an audacious project at Exmouth Gulf. Surveys identified ideal locations for:

– Submarine repair facilities hidden behind 40-foot sand dunes
– A fighter airstrip to counter Japanese bombing raids
– Fuel storage depots to extend patrol ranges

Australian Army units promised 3.7-inch AA guns while Dutch destroyers like HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes conducted daring evacuation missions from Timor. The base would eventually allow submarines to reach Japanese strongholds in the Dutch East Indies without returning to Freemantle.

Measuring Success in a Forgotten Theater

Despite chronic torpedo shortages and constant improvisation, the Western Australia submarine force achieved notable successes:

– August 1942: 38,057 tons of Japanese shipping sunk, including the heavy cruiser Kako
– October 1942: 39,789 tons sunk according to postwar verification
– Key victories against transports like Brazil Maru (12,752 tons) and Kanto Maru (8,606 tons)

These figures underestimate true impact, as many “probable sinkings” couldn’t be confirmed. More importantly, the submarines disrupted Japanese logistics during critical phases of the Guadalcanal campaign.

Legacy of the Silent Service’s Australian Chapter

The Western Australia submarine campaign established crucial precedents:

– Proved the viability of forward submarine bases in austere conditions
– Developed night attack tactics later used across the Pacific
– Demonstrated interservice cooperation between US, Dutch, and Australian forces
– Pioneered medical procedures still referenced in submarine medicine

Perhaps most significantly, these operations kept pressure on Japan during 1942’s darkest months, when Allied surface forces struggled against Japanese naval superiority. The submarines based in Australia’s remote northwest became the thin gray line holding the Pacific frontier.

As Admiral Lockwood later reflected, the determination shown by submariners and their Australian hosts exemplified the “make do” spirit that ultimately turned the tide in the Pacific. Their story remains one of World War II’s most remarkable – and overlooked – chapters of innovation against adversity.