A very rude awakening - Peter Grose

A Very Rude Awakening
Peter Grose

In 1942, Sydney was a party town. Despite many Australians shipping off to war, for most Australians the fighting felt a long way away. The daily newspapers devoted more space to horseracing than to Hitler. Even after the Darwin bombing, and the speed by which the Japanese were advancing through South-East Asia, no one believed the Japanese could advance this far south. The party came to a shattering halt on May 31st when 3 Japanese midget submarines crept into the Sydney harbour. What followed was a night of mayhem that saw 27 sailors killed exposing the ill preparation and the lack of competency of Australian officers to protect against foreign attack. Expertly researched using archives and first person accounts A Very Rude Awakening is the account of the sheer luck by which Sydney and the Allied navy survived a major attack in her harbour. 4 stars