Continuing from yesterday's entry from the Northern Star.
The M/V Limerick, sunk by the I-177, was in a convoy of five ships going from Brisbane to Sydney and escorted by two Australian minesweepers, the HMAS Colac and HMAS Ballarat.
The Limerick became separated from the rest while having engine problems and was zig-zagging. "Around 1 am on the 126th, the I-177 announced her presence torpedoing the Limerick abaft her beam on the port side and the vessel quickly developed a heavy list to port.
The Colac began anti-submarine search and dropped depth charges while the Ballarat continued with the convoy. The Colac picked up survivors during the night. The Limerick sank at 6:30 am. The captain and 70 crew members were picked up, but the 3rd and 4th engineers went down with the ship.
The Wollongbar was bound for Byron Bay from Sydney at the time the Limerick was sunk and was diverted to search for survivors. Gale force conditions hampered the search and the ship returned to Ballina, only to be sunk three days later. Of 37 crew, only five survived in a lifeboat.
The I-177 was later sunk by the USS Samuel S. Miles.
That I-177 Was Really One Busy Submarine. --Cooter
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