The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Japanese katana sword blade. The Japanese sword polisher, Kotoken Kajihara noted in 1986 that: 'This particular work of SHIGETAKA was done in the second generation. Jihada is Mokume-hada and beautifully finished. In Hamon, Gunome Midare and Togari-ba in Seki style are mixed in it and beautifully arranged. This blade is particularly well finished. Sword name on the tang: Echizen Ju Harima Daijyo Fujiwara Shigetaka. Type : Katana. Shape: Shinogi-zukuri. Nakago: Ubu-Nakago. Jihada: Mokume-Hada. Hamon: Ko-Gunome-Midare. Boshi: Suguha. Length: 63.5cm. Curvature: 1.4cm. Province made: Echizen. Period: Kanbun era (about 1660 A.D.)'.
The blade has been fitted with a new silver habaki.
This blade was recovered with a hilt and scabbard (RELAWM30098.001) from the midget Japanese submarine sunk in Sydney Harbour near Bradley Head on the night of 31 May / 1 June 1942. The sword belonged to the submarine's Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Kenshi Chuman.
On the evening of 31 May 1942, three Type A midget submarines pulled away from their large I-class 'mother' submarines about 15 kilometres east of Sydney - their mission to enter Sydney Harbour and sink Allied shipping there.
The first of the two-men submarines, commanded by Lieutenant Kenshi Chuma, entered the harbour at 8 pm. Although only the central section of an anti-torpedo boom net stretching from Georges Head to Green Point had been finished, Chuma's craft became entangled in it. It was detected by an alert harbour worker at 9:30 pm and located by harbour defence craft an hour later. Before it could be attacked, the crew, who had made repeated but unsuccessful attempts to break free, destroyed themselves and their craft by detonating its 35 kilogram scuttling charge.
The centre and rear sections of Lieutenant Chuma's midget submarine form part of the composite display at the Australian War Memorial.
Group portrait of Midget Submarine trainees in training in Kure, Japan. Identified front left is Lieutenant (Lt) Keiu Matsuo; and rear left is Lieutenant Kinshi Chuma both commanders of Midget Submari
Black leather sword cover with 5 press studs, three have black tops and two are missing the top half. This sword cover was recovered from the midget Japanese submarine which was sunk in Sydney Harbo
Japanese Midget submarine which is a composite of two submarines - the Ha-21 and the Ha-14. The original submarine type was constructed of 6.4mm steel plate in five sections: Forward section incorpor
Imperial Japanese Nambu Type 14 semi-automatic pistol with cotton cord lanyard attached. The pistol fires an 8 x 22 mm round, with an 8 round box magazine. This Nambu Type 14 pistol was used by Lieu
SYDNEY, NSW. 1942-06-06. THE UPPER BODY OF A DEAD JAPANESE SUBMARINER REMOVED FROM THE WRECKAGE OF JAPANESE MIDGET SUBMARINE 14 (M27), RECOVERED FROM SYDNEY HARBOUR A FEW DAYS AFTER THE FAILED ATTACK
Leather flying helmet with a fold-down brim secured by a single snap fastener. The helmet has a leather chinstrap with a leather covered steel buckle. At the ears are holes for the insertion of commun
Name tag from uniform of Lieutenant Kenshi Chuman (Chuma). Commander of midget submarine Ha-14. This tag is from the uniform of one of the crewmen of the midget submarine HA-14, which was destroyed
This name tag was recovered from the uniform of Lieutenant Kenshi Chuman, commander of the midget submarine number 14 (aka M27), sunk on the night of 31 May/1 June 1942 in the anti-submarine net put
Japanese sword blade. It is described by Kotoken Kajihara, the Japanese sword polisher in 1983, as: "Few swords made in the Kamakura era have Ubu-Nakago. This Tachi blade was, however, made at that ti
Japanese Sword Blade. The blade is unsigned and has a single fuller to each side to within 30 mm of the point. The polisher Kotoken Kajihara describes this blade in 1984 as "having a curvature of 1.2
Japanese Katana Sword Blade. "This Katana appears to be a form of Kogarasumaru which is the oldest style of Japanese sword. It seems to have been made by a high-ranking swordsmith belonging to the Gas
Japanese sword blade. The tang is unsigned and is described in 1984 by the Japanese polisher Kotoken Kajihara as: "Shape: Shinogi-Zukuri, Length: 64.8 cm, Curvature: 2.5 cm, Kissaki: Sho-Kissaki, Nak
Black leather sword cover with 5 press studs, three have black tops and two are missing the top half. This sword cover was recovered from the midget Japanese submarine which was sunk in Sydney Harbo
Japanese wakizashi blade. It is described by Kotoken Kajihara the Japanese polisher in 1984 as: "This sword blade has no fault. Both Jihada and Hamon are good. The inscribed signature on the tang was
