Picture: HMAS
Sydney
This report from the
West Australian
The 66-year search for the wreck of HMAS
Sydney on which 645 Australians lost their lives is almost certainly over.
A group of West Australians using just a grappling hook and an underwater camera last weekend found what they are sure is the
Sydney, which sank after a battle with the German raider Kormoran on November 19, 1941.
Sydney was also the largest vessel of any country to be lost with no survivors during the war.
The 645 Australian’s are all shipmates of my father who was hospitalized whilst stationed on the
Sydney. He and another shipmate were sent to Flinders Naval Hospital on the day prior to the
Sydney sailing to it’s fatal appointment with the German raider ‘Kormoran’.
My very existence is thus based on the stroke of the ship’s Medical Officer’s pen as I was born after the war.
If it is the
Sydney, then a 66 year old mystery can be cleared up and many a family can hope for closure on the death of their loved ones. It will, of course, be declared a war grave but cameras should give sufficient images to help us understand how a capital ship was clobbered by a merchant raider.
Just pause for a moment and think of the last minutes of those 645 Australians. Fathers, brothers, lovers, sons….dreams, aspirations, hopes…. all extinguished in a short 150 metre descent to the seabed.
Horror, terror, screams, cries, prayers….silence
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Yep, and reflect on the hubris of a Captain who could have engaged anything
in the Indian Ocean had he merely followed SOPs.
Big probability he got casual….and died.
Happens a lot.
Some forensics will be useful.
USU,
I’ve read all the books and have only come across theories that Burnett didn’t follow SOPs. Let’s face it, in the absence of any witnesses or material we can only discuss theories. Let’s wait a bit before we condemn him. Forensics, or a picture of a torpedo hole in the hull, will indeed be useful.
Alas Kev…. this was relatively lighty armed Raider.
Burnett could have stood off and sunk it… easy peecy.
I’ll wait, of course….and bet you your house that Sydney
was sunk because of a command failure.
The Kormoran was heavily armed with 6 large guns and torpedos but you are right – he could’ve stood off and sunk it easy peecy.
Why didn’t he? Most probably because he was conned, forgot his SOPs and got too close but I’d still rather give him the benefit of the doubt until we have some hard facts.
Let’s both wait.
Mark time on this one, Kev.
There are a lot of knowledgeable people in WA who are dubious about this wreck being the Sydney.
It will be great if it is, but more info needed to confirm the identity of the vessel.
I totally agree PQ but it’s worth a post. Family connection and all- one lives in hope. I note it hasn’t been reported generally across the media and I have readers who are heavily involved in the search for the Sydney and they haven’t mentioned a thing.
We’re all best waiting.
Agree, this is most unlikely to be Sydney.
Too far from battle glow off Carnarvon.
It’s no great feat to detect it on that nearly featureless bottom.
It’s the 100,000 sq mile minimum search area that’s the problem.
That cranks up to 400,000 without much effort.
Compared to RAAF aircraft ops, there is much general slackness evident around naval ops….
From Sydney to Voyager to the Collins and Sea Sprite debacle to downwind Blackhawk approaches.
Downwind Blackhawk approaches? What’s that got to do with the Navy?