MHHV >
- This event has passed.
Book Launch: The Secret Submarine – Dr Tom Lewis
March 13, 2025 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Uncover a forgotten battle off Australia’s shores. Join Dr Tom Lewis as he talks about his new book about a battle between Australia & Japan
Uncover a forgotten battle off Australia’s shores. Join Dr Tom Lewis as he reveals in his new book a battle off NSW between the Royal Australian Air Force and a Japanese submarine.
The official history of the Royal Australian Air Force claims that no enemy submarines operating off the Australian coast during World War II were sunk. But what if history got it wrong?
In a fierce and decisive air action off the coast of New South Wales, RAAF Beaufort bombers engaged a colossal Japanese submarine over 100 meters long. What followed was a deadly duel between the submarine’s anti-aircraft guns and the bombers’ machine guns. The I-178, with her crew of 88, lies lost somewhere north of Sydney. The events of that day have been lost —until now.
In this groundbreaking work – Tom Lewis, one of Australia’s leading military historians – rewrites the history books. ‘The Secret Submarine’ not only reveals a forgotten victory but also immerses readers in the harrowing experiences of those who served in WWII bombers and submarines. Additionally, it chronicles the broader, brutal struggle between Japanese forces and the combined might of the USA and Australia, a conflict that saw over 40 ships sunk and countless lives lost off Australia’s east coast.
Dr Tom Lewis OAM is a military historian & the author of 22 books. He is also a retired naval officer who served in combat; a retired secondary school teacher, pilot, and scuba divemaster. He was the Director of Darwin Military Museum in its redevelopment from 2009 to 2013. His Order of Australia was bestowed on him for services to naval history. He has won numerous prizes for his literary works, the most recent being as the national winner of the 2021 Australian Naval Institute’s Commodore Sam Bateman Book Prize for Teddy Sheean VC.
Copies of the books will be available for purchase and be signed by the author.
