From the January 15th Northern Star.
Two months before the Centaur was sunk, the I-177 torpedoed and sank the MV Limerick 32 kilometers off Cape Breton. Three days later, on April 29, the passenger steamer SS Wollongbar was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of Crescent Head. That submarine is not known, but believed to be the I-177 which was operating in the area.
The same day, the SS Bonalbo had sailed through the same area but encountered no problem. It was held in Ballina for safety.
These were extremely rough days for the Australian Merchant Marine which was delivering supplies between Sydney, Darwin and Papua New Guinea. Japanese subs sank five ships in April alone. A total of 87 died and 25 tons of cargo lost.
Rough Times for Australia. --Cooter
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