80th Anniversary of Sydney Submarine Attack. A memorial service at HMAS Kuttabul has commemorated the 27 lives lost in an Imperial Japanese Navy midget submarine attack in Sydney Harbour in May 1942. The 1942 Japanese midget submarine attack on ships in Sydney Harbour remains a topical subject. However, many Sydneysiders know little about this watershed event. It was the first attack on Sydney and its impact changed Australia from a quiet backwater of the Second World War to a vital springboard for the defeat of Japan.