HMAS Sydney (D48)
HMAS Sydney in 1936
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History | |
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Australia | |
Name | Sydney |
Namesake | Sydney, Australia |
Builder | Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson , Wallsend-on-Tyne, England |
Laid down | 8 July 1933 |
Launched | 22 September 1934 |
Christened | HMS Phaeton |
Commissioned | 24 September 1935 |
Identification | Pennant number: I48/D48 |
Motto | "I Take But I Surrender" |
Nickname(s) | |
Honours and awards |
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Fate | Sunk in battle with all hands, 19 November 1941 |
Notes | Wreck rediscovered in 2008 |
General characteristics (as built) | |
Class and type | Modified Leander-class light cruiser |
Displacement |
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Length |
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Beam | 56 ft 8.5 in (17.285 m) |
Draught |
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Installed power | 72,000 shaft horsepower (54,000 kW) |
Propulsion | 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers , Parsons geared turbines, 4 shafts |
Speed | 32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph) |
Range | 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) |
Complement |
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Sensors and processing systems | Type 125 |
Armament |
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Armour |
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Aircraft carried | 1 × Supermarine Walrus |
Aviation facilities | 1 × revolving catapult amidships |
HMAS Sydney, named for the Australian city of Sydney, was one of three modified Leander-class light cruisers operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Ordered for the Royal Navy as HMS Phaeton, the cruiser was purchased by the Australian government and renamed prior to her 1934 launch.
During the early part of her operational history, Sydney helped enforce sanctions during the
On 19 November 1941, Sydney was involved in a mutually destructive engagement with the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran, and was lost with all hands (645 aboard). The wrecks of both ships were lost until 2008; Sydney was found on 17 March, five days after her adversary. Sydney's defeat is commonly attributed to the proximity of the two ships during the engagement, and Kormoran's advantages of surprise and rapid, accurate fire. However, the cruiser's loss with all hands compared to the survival of most of the Germans has resulted in conspiracy theories alleging that the German commander used illegal ruses to lure Sydney into range, that a Japanese submarine was involved, and that the true events of the battle are concealed behind a wide-ranging cover-up, despite the lack of evidence for these allegations.
Construction and acquisition
The ship was laid down by
The cruiser was renamed after the
Following the announcement that Australia was purchasing a British-built cruiser, there was criticism, primarily from the Opposition of the day, stating that such a warship should be built using Australian resources and labour.[7] Several reasons were given in reply for acquiring British-built cruisers instead of Australian-made: the ship was already close to completion, the pending threat of war meant that there was not enough time to train Australians in the necessary shipbuilding skills, and that of the two cruisers built in Australian shipyards, one (HMAS Adelaide) had taken seven years to complete.[7]
Design
Sydney was one of three Modified
Sydney's
The ship was propelled by four
Each space had its own uptake, giving the modified ships a different profile to the single-funnelled early Leanders; an arrangement which contributed to naval historian Henry Lenton's description of the Modified Leanders as "the most handsome cruisers ever built by the Royal Navy, with a symmetry that was as attractive as it was functional."[15]
Sydney and her sister ships were constructed from 1-inch (25 mm) hull plating, with a 3-inch (76 mm)
One of the cruiser's early commanding officers, Royal Navy Captain J.W.A. Waller, believed that the ship's single director control tower was a weak point in the design.[19] The director control tower was the highest compartment on the ship, from where personnel would determine the range and optimum firing angle for a gun salvo, then transmit this information to the gun turrets: the actual firing could be controlled from the tower or the turret.[20][21] Waller believed that the centralised system could be destroyed with a single hit, or the wiring linking the compartment to the turrets could be severed, forcing the four turrets to rely on independent control.[22] Although Waller suggested that a second tower be installed aft to provide redundancy, it was deferred indefinitely as subsequent commanding officers did not share his concerns, and combat experiences of other Leander-class cruisers showed that the system was more robust than expected.[23][24]
Armament
Sydney's main armament consisted of eight
Four
A mixture of 0.303-inch (7.7 mm) machine guns were used for close defence work, and could be fitted to pedestals at various points on the ship, primarily around the bridge and on the three searchlight platforms (one either side of the forward funnel, the third raised above the aft superstructure).[30] At launch, Sydney carried fourteen Lewis machine guns and two Vickers machine guns, but by the start of World War II, the Lewis guns had been reduced to nine, and the Vickers guns removed completely.[5][30]
Eight
Sydney was fitted with a 53-foot (16 m), cordite-powered revolving catapult between the two funnels, which was used to launch a Supermarine Walrus (sometimes described as a Seagull V) amphibious aircraft.[33][34] The Walrus was operated by Royal Australian Air Force personnel from No. 5 Squadron RAAF (which was redesignated No. 9 Squadron RAAF in 1939).[35] The 7-ton electric crane used to recover the aircraft also served to deploy most of the ship's boats.[36]
Operational history
Early history
Sydney completed working up trials before sailing from Portsmouth on 29 October 1935, Captain J.U.P. Fitzgerald RN in command.
After reaching Australian waters, Sydney spent most of her time on fleet exercises and training cruises.
Start of World War II
Following the declaration of war, Sydney was instructed to carry out patrol and escort duties in Australian waters.
On 19 April, Sydney joined the escort of Anzac convoy US 2 off Albany, and remained with the convoy until it reached the Cocos Islands on 28 April and was replaced by French cruiser Suffren.[46] The Australian cruiser set course for Fremantle, but on 1 May was assigned to the East Indies Station and rerouted to Colombo, where she arrived on 8 May.[47] Arriving in Colombo on 8 May, Sydney was immediately tasked with meeting Anzac convoy US 3 off the Cocos Islands and escorting it across the Indian Ocean.[43][48] The cruiser departed on 12 May, but while en route, she was instructed to make for the Mediterranean.[48]
Arriving back in Colombo on 18 May, Sydney replenished before sailing at high speed to
Mediterranean operations
Sydney was in Alexandria harbour on 10 June 1940, and that evening learned of Italy's intention to declare war at midnight.[51] By 01:00 on 11 June, all ships in harbour had departed to search for Italian warships in position to attack Alexandria, and secure the sea lines of communication in the eastern Mediterranean and Aegean.[51] The Australian cruiser was involved in the westbound sweep, and sailed as far as the Gulf of Taranto during the four-day operation.[52] Apart from an unsuccessful depth charge attack on a suspected submarine during the afternoon of 13 June, Sydney did not encounter any enemy vessels.[53]
On 21 June, Sydney fired in anger for the first time, joining the British cruisers Orion and Neptune, the French battleship Lorraine, and a force of destroyers in shelling the Italian-controlled Libyan port of Bardia.[54] Sydney focused her fire on a military camp throughout the twenty-two-minute bombardment.[55] During this operation, the Australian ship's Walrus amphibian performed bombardment spotting for the squadron, but was fired on by three biplanes: although reported at the time as Italian Fiat CR.42 Falcos, the attackers were later determined to be British Gloster Gladiators.[55][56] The pilot flew the damaged aircraft to Mersa Matruh, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his skill in doing so, but the unrepairable Walrus was the only casualty of the operation.[55][56] The next day, a retaliatory airstrike against the ships, by then having returned to Alexandria, failed to do damage.[57]
That same day, Germany and Vichy France signed the
Sydney and other elements of the 7th Squadron sailed from Alexandria on 27 June, escorting a
On the evening of 7 July, Sydney departed from Alexandria as part of a fleet including four other light cruisers, three battleships, an aircraft carrier, and sixteen destroyers, divided into three groups.[60] The three groups were to rendezvous on 9 July at a point 120 nautical miles (220 km; 140 mi) east of Cape Passero and 150 nautical miles (280 km; 170 mi) from Malta, at which point the destroyers would escort two convoys outbound from Malta, while the other vessels would attack targets of opportunity around Sicily. However, early on 8 June, the British submarine HMS Phoenix reported that she had unsuccessfully attacked an Italian fleet including two battleships.[61] Throughout the day, the fleet had to defend itself from multiple Italian air raids: at one point Sydney and the other cruisers of the 7th Squadron attacked what they thought was a high-flying bomber, but was later determined to be the planet Venus.[61] Aerial reconnaissance located the Italian force during the afternoon, which was made up of at least two battleships, accompanied by multiple cruisers and destroyers.[62] The sightings of such a large force of warships, combined with the heavy air attack, led Admiral Andrew Cunningham to conclude that the Italians were also covering a major convoy, and decide to reposition his fleet between the Italians and Taranto, the projected destination.[62]
Contact with the Italian fleet was lost during the night, but regained in the morning of 9 July.
The Australian cruiser spent five days in Alexandria for resupply and maintenance, before departing for Crete with the British destroyer
The only damage to Sydney during what came to be known as the
After refuelling and rearming, Sydney and HMS Neptune departed Alexandria on 27 July to join the covering force for a southbound convoy from the Aegean.[81] The ships were attacked five times that afternoon by aircraft, but Sydney escaped with only minor damage and shrapnel wounds.[82] The two cruisers broke away from the convoy the next day to locate and sink the Greek tanker Ermioni, which was supplying the Italian-held Dodecanese Islands.[82] The two cruisers located Ermioni just before dusk: Sydney provided anti-submarine protection while the tanker's crew were convinced to transfer to the British warships, after which Ermioni was shelled by Neptune.[82][83] The two ships returned to Alexandria on 30 July, and Sydney departed the same day in company with HMS Orion for a three-day patrol.[83]
Back in Alexandria, Sydney underwent a refit, during which a 3-foot (0.91 m) high, 0.5-inch (13 mm) thick wall of armour plating was constructed around the 4-inch gun platform, while the ship's company repainted the ship from standard grey to a naval camouflage pattern.[32][83] The refit was completed by 12 August, when Sydney, Neptune, and five destroyers set off to interdict Axis shipping along the north African coast and the Aegean Sea.[83] The operation was cancelled after no ships were located during the first two days, and Sydney was tasked with assisting a destroyer squadron during shore bombardments at Bomba and Bardia.[83] At the end of the month, the cruiser joined the escort of Malta convoy MB 5.[83]
On the return voyage, Sydney and several other vessels were tasked with attacking Italian facilities.
The entire Mediterranean fleet sailed from Alexandria on 8 October to provide cover for several Malta Convoys, and attempt to draw the Italian fleet into battle.
On 5 November, Sydney and HMS Ajax departed from Port Said with military equipment to be used to establish an Allied advanced base at Souda Bay, Crete.[90] After delivering the equipment, which included almost 1,000 soldiers, the equipment for a Bofors battery, cases of food, and several trucks, the cruisers rejoined the main fleet.[90][91] The Mediterranean Fleet remained on patrol for several days, and during the night of 11–12 November, while the bulk of the fleet supported the world's first all-naval-aircraft attack on the Italian fleet anchored in Taranto, Sydney, Ajax, Orion and the destroyers Nubian and Mohawk attempted to transit the Strait of Otranto as a diversion.[91] Despite the mission of "looking for trouble", the northbound passage through the strait passed without incident.[91] The return was not so uneventful: at 01:20, a convoy of four merchantmen with two escorting destroyers was spotted by Sydney's lookouts.[92] The Allied warships manoeuvred in close, and opened fire at 01:27: Sydney directing her fire onto a freighter 7,000 yards (6,400 m) away.[93] During the 23-minute engagement, the cruiser successfully contributed to the destruction of three merchant ships and damaged a destroyer, avoided a torpedo, and unsuccessfully fired two in return.[93] At 01:57, the undamaged Allied force departed the strait, and met the main fleet before midday.[93]
From 15 to 20 November, Sydney and three other cruisers transported 4,000 Allied soldiers and their equipment from Alexandria to the Piraeus as reinforcements for the Greek military.[94][95] On returning to Alexandria, Sydney deployed with the majority of the Mediterranean fleet to cover multiple convoys across the sea: the Australian cruiser spent the remainder of the month operating throughout the eastern and central Mediterranean, and was bombed by Italian aircraft on 24 November at Souda Bay, but escaped damage.[95] Sydney started December in the Aegean, where she escorted convoys and shelled the port of Valona, then proceeded to Malta for a refit and repairs to her rudder, which lasted until the end of the year.[90][94] During this refit, the cruiser was fitted with degaussing equipment.[32] The ship rejoined the fleet on 8 January 1941, when she was instructed to head home after proceeding along the north coast of Africa and linking up with any Australia-bound merchant ships she encountered.[90] The recall was attributed to the need to bring Sydney in for a major refit and give her personnel leave, a plan to spread combat experience throughout the RAN by trading the cruiser with her sister ship, Perth, and a need to protect Australia against the German merchant raiders operating in the area, particularly following the attacks on Nauru.[74][96][97]
Before leaving, 100 of the ship's company were removed on 11 January, so they could be sent to England to help man the new
As well as the battle honours for the battles at Calabria and Cape Spada, Sydney was granted the "Mediterranean 1940" battle honour for her various actions during the Mediterranean naval campaign.[67] During the eight-month deployment, the only fatality in the ship's company was a death due to illness.[100]
Australian waters
Following a short refit, Sydney sailed for Fremantle on 27 February, where she was assigned to escort and patrol tasks in the Indian Ocean.[101] This primarily involved meeting convoys off the southern Australian coast and escorting them on the next leg of their journey, either westbound to the Middle East and Europe, or northwards to the Dutch East Indies.[101]
In April, Sydney escorted the troopship Queen Mary from Fremantle to Jervis Bay, before embarking Admiral Ragnar Colvin and a party of advisors from all three branches of the Australian military and transporting them to Singapore by 19 April for a secret conference between the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands East Indies, and the United States of America.[102] The cruiser returned to Fremantle before month's end, after which Collins handed command over to Captain Joseph Burnett on 15 May.[103] Shortly after, the cruiser escorted the transport SS Zealandia during a troop transport run to Singapore.[104] Sydney escorted the troopship to Sunda Strait, where responsibility was handed over to the British light cruiser HMS Danae.[104]
In early June, Sydney met Zealandia and Danae on the troopship's return voyage, and took over escort duties from Sunda Strait back to Fremantle.[105] After replenishing in Fremantle, Zealandia joined a multiple ship convoy to the east coast of Australia, which was also escorted by Sydney.[105] The convoy departed on 24 June and made for Sydney, after which the cruiser joined the escort of a Pacific convoy before returning for maintenance.[103][105] This concluded on 8 August, when Sydney escorted the troopship Awatea to New Zealand, then Fiji.[103]
On her return to Sydney at the end of August, the cruiser joined the troopships Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth during the first leg of their voyage (Anzac convoy US 12A), escorting them until rendezvousing with Canberra in the Great Australian Bight.[106] Sydney then sailed to Melbourne, and remained until 19 September, during which her camouflage was repainted in a new pattern.[32][106] The cruiser then escorted the four-ship Anzac convoy US 12B to Fremantle: heavy seas while crossing the Great Australian Bight caused "A" turret to become jammed on a port facing.[107] This was repaired in Fremantle, and the convoy proceeded to Sunda Strait, where Sydney handed the merchant ships over to the British cruisers Glasgow and Danae on 3 October and set course for Fremantle.[107][108] On the night of 5–6 October, a mysterious ship that responded to challenge signals near Rottnest Island then disappeared led the Naval Officer in Charge Fremantle to believe that the approaches to the harbour had been mined.[109] Sydney was diverted to intercept Queen Mary before the troopship reached Fremantle, and ordered to remain with her until a channel was swept and found free of mines.[109] After reaching port on 7 October, Sydney officially assumed patrol and escort duties in Western Australian waters.[105]
The next few weeks were uneventful for Sydney, and between 18 and 29 October, the cruiser visited
Final battle and loss
- Note: all times in this section are UTC+7
On the afternoon of 19 November 1941, Sydney was off the coast of Western Australia, near Carnarvon, and heading south towards Fremantle.[113] Around 15:55, the cruiser spotted a merchant ship on a northbound course, which quickly turned away from the coast at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph).[113] Sydney increased speed to 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) and made to intercept.[113][114] As she closed the gap, Sydney began to signal the unidentified merchantman, first by signal light, then after no reply was forthcoming and the distance between the two ships had decreased, by a combination of light and signal flag.[115][116]
The merchant ship hoisted her callsign, but as she was ahead and just port of Sydney, the flags were obscured by the funnel.[117] The cruiser sent a request that the merchant ship make her signal letters clear, which the signals officer did by lengthening the halyard and swinging the flags clear.[113][117] The callsign was that of the Dutch ship Straat Malakka, but she was not on Sydney's list of ships meant to be in the area.[113] Further flag signals were exchanged between the ships, with Sydney asking the Dutch ship's destination and cargo.[118][119]
At 17:00, a distress signal was transmitted by Straat Malakka, indicating that she was being pursued by a merchant raider.[120] Following this, Sydney pulled alongside the merchant ship from astern; pacing the merchantman on a parallel course, approximately 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) away.[121] Sydney's main guns and port torpedo launcher were trained on the ship, while she sent the interior portion of Straat Malakka's secret callsign.[115][121] Fifteen minutes later, at around 17:30, the merchantman had not replied, and Sydney sent a signal ordering her to show the secret callsign.[121]
Straat Malakka had not replied because she was the German
Sydney did not fire again until after the raider's sixth salvo: "Y" turret fired without effect, but "X" turret was able to put multiple shells into Kormoran, damaging machinery spaces and one of the raider's guns, while igniting an oil tank.
By 17:35, Sydney was heading south and losing speed, wreathed in smoke from multiple fires.[125][129] Her main armament was disabled (the two aft turrets had jammed on a port facing and could not be swung around), and her secondary guns were out of effective range.[130] The cruiser continued to be hit by shells from Kormoran's aft guns as the distance between the ships increased.[129][131] The Germans reported that around 17:45, all four torpedoes from Sydney's starboard launcher were fired, but as Kormoran was manoeuvring to bring her port broadside to bear, they all missed.[129][132] In fact, only two torpedoes from Sydney's port launcher were ever fired, which must have happened some time earlier.[133] The raider's engines broke down after this turn, but she continued to fire on Sydney at a high rate despite being immobilised, although many of the shells would have missed as the distance between the two ships increased.[134] Kormoran ceased fire at 17:50, with the range at 6,600 yards (6,000 m), and launched another torpedo at 18:00, but missed Sydney.[129]
The Australian cruiser continued on a south-south-east heading at low speed; observers aboard Kormoran doubted that Sydney was under control.[129] Although disappearing over the horizon shortly later, the glow from the damaged, burning warship was consistently seen by the Germans until about 22:00, and sporadically until midnight.[129] At some point during the night, Sydney lost buoyancy and sank: the bow was torn off as she submerged and descended almost vertically, while the rest of the hull glided 500 metres (1,600 ft) forward as she sank, hitting the bottom upright and stern first.[135][136] Sydney's shells had crippled Kormoran; the German sailors abandoned ship after it was determined that below-deck fires could not be controlled before they reached the gun magazines or the mines in the cargo hold.[129][137] The raider was scuttled at midnight, and sank slowly until the mine deck exploded half an hour later.[129]
Aftermath
Sydney's failure to reach Fremantle on 20 November was not initially cause for concern, as several factors might have delayed the cruiser, none of which were sufficient reason to break the order to maintain wireless silence.[105][138] However, with no sign of the cruiser by 23 November, shore-based wireless stations began transmitting orders for Sydney to break silence and report in.[105] A raft of German survivors was recovered by a British tanker on 24 November, at which point a large-scale air and sea search began.[139] During this search, which lasted until the evening of 29 November 318 survivors from Kormoran's 399 personnel were found, but apart from a carley float and a lifebelt, nothing from Sydney or the 645 aboard was recovered.[140]
Australian Prime Minister
The German survivors were taken to Fremantle and interrogated.[144] Attempts to learn what had happened were hampered by the German officers instructing their sailors to obfuscate the enemy with false answers, people describing events they did not witness but heard of later, and difficulty in keeping groups separated in order to check their stories against each other.[145] Despite this, Australian authorities were able to piece together the broad details of the battle, which was verified by a group of German sailors who had been taken to Sydney instead: their interviews showed the same commonalities and inconsistencies as those from Fremantle, and the interrogators concluded that the true story was being recounted.[146][147] Interrogations were concluded in December, and by the end of January, Kormoran's personnel had been moved to prisoner-of-war camps in Victoria, where they remained until their repatriation to Germany in early 1947.[148][149]
On 6 February 1942, a Carley float containing a dead body was spotted just off Christmas Island and towed ashore.[150] Examination of the raft and its occupant led the island's inhabitants to believe that they were from Sydney.[151] Although a 1949 investigation conducted by the Royal Navy stated the raft was not from HMAS Sydney, and while some historians agreed, others concluded that the raft and the body originated from Sydney.[152][153] The body was exhumed in October 2006 and reburied at Geraldton Cemetery in November 2008, after DNA was extracted.[154] On 19 November 2021, Australian Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Andrew Gee announced that comparison of the extracted DNA with that of relatives of Sydney personnel had identified the sailor as Able Seaman Thomas Welsby Clark who had joined Sydney in August 1941, approximately four months before her sinking.[155][156]
Controversy
The battle between Sydney and Kormoran is seen as controversial: the disbelief that a modified merchant ship could so successfully defeat a cruiser combined with the lack of Australian survivors led some to believe that the German account was false.[142][157] Rumours that the battle was not what it seemed had been around since Sydney failed to reach Fremantle on schedule in 1941, but several historians (including Tom Frame and Wesley Olson) credit Michael Montgomery and his 1980 book Who Sank The Sydney? with igniting the controversy.[158][159]
The main claims made by supporters of an alternative view of the engagement include: that the Germans fired on Sydney before raising their
These claims have been proven false by historians and researchers; the 1998 inquiry by the Joint Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade concluded that the German accounts were a "feasible" interpretation of the battle, but there was no reliable evidence to support any of the alternative claims, while the 2009 report for the Cole Inquiry (the third volume of which was completely dedicated to the "frauds, conspiracies and speculations" surrounding the battle) found nothing to substantiate any of the theories raised.[166][167]
In addition, most researchers have speculated as to why Sydney was so close to an unknown vessel, with various levels of blame assigned to Captain Burnett for the demise of his ship.[168] Theories to explain Burnett's actions include that he was inexperienced or incompetent, deceived by Kormoran's disguise, the idea that he was under conflicting orders instructing that raiders be attacked at range but enemy supply ships be captured, or that he was trying to clearly identify the merchantman.[169][170][171]
Search and rediscovery
Despite the approximate position of Kormoran being known (most German accounts giving the battle coordinates as 26°S 111°E / 26°S 111°E), the required search area for both ships was immense.[172][173] Calculating a search area was complicated by the fact that several people distrusted the German location, and believed the ships would be found further south and closer to shore.[174][175][176] Several attempts to bring supporters of the 'northern' and 'southern' positions to a consensus and narrow down the potential search area were unsuccessful.[177]
Multiple searches were carried out by the RAN between 1974 and 1997 (using the survey ship HMAS Moresby and later the trials ship HMAS Protector), but efforts were restricted to the continental shelf, and were usually in response to civilian claims that they had found Sydney at a certain location.[178][179] Other searches were conducted by RAAF aircraft carrying magnetometers; again, these were only in response to possible location claims.[179] These searches failed to find either ship.
American shipwreck hunter David Mearns first learned of the battle in 1996, and began to study it as a prelude to a search for the ships in 2001.[180] Mearns, with the aid of other researchers, focused on primary sources (rediscovering several archive files and diaries in the process), and came to the conclusion that the German accounts were true, and that the ship would be found at the northern position.[181] After attracting the interest of the RAN, Mearns entered into a partnership with HMAS Sydney Search, a not-for-profit company set up to administer and help fund an expedition to locate Sydney and Kormoran.[182] State and Federal government grants totalling just under A$5 million, coupled with private and corporate donations, were used to fund a 45-day search from the end of February to early April 2008.[183][184]
Mearns' plan was to inspect a 52-by-34-nautical-mile (96 by 63 km; 60 by 39 mi) search box around the German location with a deep-water, towed
After problems with equipment and weather, Geosounder commenced the search, and located Kormoran on 12 March 2008 at 26°05′46″S 111°04′33″E / 26.09611°S 111.07583°E.[187] Using the newly discovered wreck and the accounts of the Germans describing Sydney's heading, speed, and last sighting after the battle, a 20-by-18-nautical-mile (37 by 33 km; 23 by 21 mi) search box for the cruiser was calculated: the dramatically smaller area was due to the quality of information regarding Sydney's position and heading in relation to Kormoran, while the raider's location consisted of only broad coordinates.[188]
Sydney was located on 17 March 2008 just after 11:00, only hours after Kormoran's discovery was made public.
After the side-scan sonar aboard Geosounder was switched out for the ROV (again delayed by technical issues and more bad weather), the survey ship returned to Sydney's wreck site on 3 April, and performed a detailed study of the ship and her debris field.[196] Inspections were also carried out on Kormoran and the believed battle site (the latter found to be outcrops of pillow lava), before Mearns declared the search over on 7 April.[197] In April 2015, an expedition to the wrecks by Curtin University and the Western Australian Museum commenced, with the objective of using 3D imaging to map the wrecksites for further study, and to determine if any deterioration since the 2008 discovery requires the development of a conservation management plan.[198]
Awards, memorials, and legacy
Sydney was granted the battle honour "Kormoran 1941" in recognition of the damage done to Kormoran.
The main memorial for the loss of Sydney is located at
The memorial (minus the stele, which had not been completed in time) was dedicated on 18 November 2001, and was used the next evening for a commemoration ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the ship's loss.[204] In May 2009, the memorial was recognised by the Australian government as being of national significance.[205] By 2011, the stele had been completed, and a fifth element—a pool of remembrance containing a map of the region and the marked position of Sydney's wreck—had been added.[206]
Other memorials commemorating the loss of Sydney include an oak tree planted at the Melbourne
The "HMAS Sydney Replacement Fund" was established to help finance the acquisition of a replacement ship.
The Supermarine Seagull V aircraft that operated from Sydney between 1937 and 1938 still survives as part of the collection of the Royal Air Force Museum at Colindale in north London.[212]
The "HMAS Sydney II Cup" was introduced in 2010 as a commemorative trophy competed for by two
Footnotes
- ^ Several sources give the cruiser's overall length as 555 feet (169 m): this value is for the unmodified Leander-class cruisers.
Citations
- ^ a b c d Winter 1984, p. 18.
- ^ Mearns 2009, p. 188.
- ^ Cassells 2000, pp. 148–49.
- ^ Hore, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy in World War II, p. 65
- ^ a b c d e f g Cassells 2000, p. 149.
- ^ Cassells 2000, pp. 36, 149.
- ^ a b Frame 1993, p. 16.
- ^ a b c d e Goldrick, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy, opp. p. 96
- ^ Frame 1993, pp. 17–18.
- ^ Olson 2000, p. 27.
- ^ a b Cole, The loss of HMAS Sydney II, vol. 1, p. 18
- ^ "HMAS Sydney (II)". Royal Australian Navy.
- ^ Cole, The Loss of HMAS Sydney II, vol. 1, pp. 15–16
- ^ Olson 2000, pp. 9–10.
- ^ a b Frame 1993, pp. 15–16.
- ^ Cole, The loss of HMAS Sydney II, vol. 1, p. 17
- ^ a b Olson 2000, p. 9.
- ^ Mearns 2009, p. 205.
- ^ Olson 2000, p. 28.
- ^ Frame 1993, p. 18.
- ^ Olson 2000, pp. 4–7.
- ^ Olson 2000, pp. 4–7, 28.
- ^ a b Olson 2000, pp. 28–29.
- ^ Frame 1993, pp. 19, 26.
- ^ Olson 2000, pp. 3–4.
- ^ Olson 2000, pp. 4–5.
- ^ Cole, The Loss of HMAS Sydney II, vol. 1, p. 19
- ^ a b Olson 2000, p. 7.
- ^ Olson 2000, pp. 29–30.
- ^ a b c d e Olson 2000, p. 8.
- ^ a b Cole, The Loss of HMAS Sydney II, vol. 1, p. 18
- ^ a b c d Olson 2000, p. 30.
- ^ ANAM, Flying Stations, pp. 20–21
- ^ Olson 2000, pp. 22–23.
- ^ ANAM, Flying Stations, p. 20
- ^ Olson 2000, p. 23.
- ^ Mearns 2009, pp. 5–7.
- ^ a b c d Mearns 2009, p. 7.
- ^ Frame 1993, p. 17.
- ^ a b c Mearns 2009, p. 8.
- ^ Gill 1957, p. 58.
- ^ Gill 1957, p. 59.
- ^ a b c d Frame 1993, p. 20.
- ^ Gill 1957, p. 92.
- ^ Gill 1957, p. 103.
- ^ Gill 1957, p. 110.
- ^ Gill 1957, p. 113.
- ^ a b c Gill 1957, p. 134.
- ^ Gill 1957, p. 135.
- ^ Grove, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy in World War II, p. 39
- ^ a b Gill 1957, p. 156.
- ^ Gill 1957, pp. 156–57.
- ^ Gill 1957, p. 157.
- ^ a b c Frame 1993, p. 21.
- ^ a b c Gill 1957, p. 160.
- ^ a b ANAM, Flying Stations, p. 27
- ^ Gill 1957, p. 162.
- ^ a b Mearns 2009, p. 10.
- ^ a b c d e Gill 1957, p. 165.
- ^ Gill 1957, pp. 172–73.
- ^ a b Gill 1957, p. 173.
- ^ a b c Gill 1957, p. 174.
- ^ Gill 1957, p. 175.
- ^ a b Gill 1957, p. 176.
- ^ a b c Gill 1957, p. 177.
- ^ Grove, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy in World War II, p. 40
- ^ a b c d Cassells 2000, p. 151.
- ^ a b Gill 1957, p. 184.
- ^ Goldrick, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 112
- ^ Gill 1957, pp. 185–86.
- ^ Gill 1957, pp. 186–88.
- ^ Mearns 2009, p. 14.
- ^ Cassells 2000, pp. 149–50.
- ^ a b Cassells 2000, p. 150.
- ^ Gill 1957, p. 192.
- ^ Gill 1957, p. 193.
- ^ Gill 1957, pp. 194–95.
- ^ Gill 1957, p. 191.
- ^ Frame 1993, pp. 23–24.
- ^ Winter 1984, p. 17.
- ^ Gill 1957, p. 198.
- ^ a b c Gill 1957, p. 199.
- ^ a b c d e f g Frame 1993, p. 24.
- ^ a b Hore, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy in World War II, p. 73
- ^ Gill 1957, p. 210.
- ^ a b Gill 1957, p. 222.
- ^ a b Hore, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy in World War II, p. 74
- ^ a b Gill 1957, p. 226.
- ^ a b Gill 1957, p. 230.
- ^ a b c d e f Frame 1993, p. 25.
- ^ a b c Gill 1957, p. 231.
- ^ Gill 1957, pp. 231–32.
- ^ a b c Gill 1957, p. 232.
- ^ a b Hore, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy in World War II, p. 75
- ^ a b Gill 1957, p. 237.
- ^ Goldrick, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy, pp. 110–11
- ^ Grove, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy in World War II, p. 42
- ^ a b c d e f Winter 1984, p. 53.
- ^ a b Mearns 2009, p. 18.
- ^ Cassells 2000, p. 163.
- ^ a b Hore, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy in World War II, p. 76
- ^ Gill 1957, p. 430.
- ^ a b c Frame 1993, p. 26.
- ^ a b Gill 1957, p. 436.
- ^ a b c d e f Gill 1957, p. 451.
- ^ a b Winter 1984, p. 101.
- ^ a b Cole, The Loss of HMAS Sydney II, vol. 1, pp. 61–62
- ^ Winter 1984, p. 115.
- ^ a b Frame 1993, p. 28.
- ^ Winter 1984, p. 119.
- ^ Winter 1984, p. 120.
- ^ a b c Olson 2000, p. 33.
- ^ a b c d e Gill 1957, p. 453.
- ^ Hore, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy in World War II, p. 78
- ^ a b Frame 1993, p. 104.
- ^ Olson 2000, pp. 178–97.
- ^ a b Olson 2000, p. 179.
- ^ Gill 1957, pp. 453–54.
- ^ Olson 2000, pp. 181–85.
- ^ Olson 2000, p. 85.
- ^ a b c d e f g Gill 1957, p. 454.
- ^ Olson 2000, p. 195.
- ^ Olson 2000, pp. 216–18, 234, 248–49.
- ^ Olson 2000, pp. 234–35.
- ^ a b Olson 2000, p. 249.
- ^ Mearns 2009, pp. 37, 205.
- ^ Olson 2000, p. 234.
- ^ Mearns 2009, p. 37.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Gill 1957, p. 456.
- ^ Olson 2000, p. 268.
- ^ Olson 2000, p. 250.
- ^ Olson 2000, pp. 258–59.
- ^ Cole, The Loss of HMAS Sydney II, vol. 1, pp. 255–60
- ^ Olson 2000, pp. 259–60.
- ^ Mearns 2009, pp. 204–05.
- ^ Cole, The Loss of HMAS Sydney II, vol. 2, pp. 357–66
- ^ Olson 2000, p. 263.
- ^ Olson 2000, p. 34.
- ^ Frame 1993, p. 5.
- ^ Olson 2000, p. 72.
- ^ Frame 1993, p. 10.
- ^ a b c Jeans, Seafaring Lore and Legend, pp. 189–91
- ^ Olson 2000, p. 73.
- ^ Frame 1993, p. 80.
- ^ Frame 1993, pp. 80, 140.
- ^ Frame 1993, p. 106.
- ^ Cole, The Loss of HMAS Sydney II, vol. 1, p. 393
- ^ Olson 2000, p. 111.
- ^ Frame 1993, p. 109.
- ^ Olson 2000, p. 328.
- ^ Olson 2000, p. 329.
- ^ Olson 2000, pp. 329–32.
- ^ Winter 1984, p. 241.
- ^ Mearns 2009, pp. 112, 238.
- ^ "Unknown HMAS Sydney II sailor named after 80 years". Australian Government, Department of Defence. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ Barlass, Tim (19 November 2021). "Unknown sailor from HMAS Sydney was engaged to be married, family says". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ JCFADT 1999, p. 1.
- ^ Frame 1993, pp. 135–39.
- ^ Olson 2000, pp. 74–55.
- ^ Montgomery, Who Sank The Sydney?, pp. 109, 135–37, 205
- ^ Frame 1993, pp. 138, 216–24.
- ^ Olson 2000, pp. 319–21, 339–41.
- ^ Montgomery, Who Sank The Sydney?, pp. 121, 132
- ^ Olson 2000, pp. 104–05, 121–22, 219–26, 347–48.
- ^ Frame 1993, pp. 187–88.
- ^ JCFADT 1999, pp. 48, 64, 67, 97.
- ^ Cole, The Loss of HMAS Sydney II, vol. 1, pp. xxvii–xxix
- ^ Frame 1993, pp. 129–35.
- ^ Gill 1957, pp. 456–57.
- ^ Olson 2000, pp. 112, 164–65, 183–87.
- ^ Cole, The Loss of HMAS Sydney, vol. 2, p. 387
- ^ Olson 2000, p. 47.
- ^ JCFADT 1999, p. 138.
- ^ Mearns 2009, pp. 80, 90–92, 96–97.
- ^ Frame 1993, p. 225.
- ^ McCarthy 2002, p. 5.
- ^ McCarthy 2002, pp. 4, 6–7.
- ^ JCFADT 1999, p. 139.
- ^ a b McCarthy 2002, pp. 2–3.
- ^ Mearns 2009, pp. 61, 77.
- ^ Mearns 2009, pp. 80–93, 121.
- ^ Mearns 2009, pp. 93–95.
- ^ Mearns 2009, pp. 110–15, 127.
- ^ McCarthy 2002, p. 9.
- ^ Mearns 2009, pp. 121–22, 137.
- ^ Mearns 2009, pp. 126–27.
- ^ Mearns 2009, pp. 143–49, 217.
- ^ Mearns 2009, pp. 150–51.
- ^ Mearns 2009, pp. 157–58.
- ^ Mearns 2009, p. 160.
- ^ Mearns 2009, pp. 158–60.
- ^ Mearns 2009, pp. 158–60, 204–05.
- ^ Cole, The Loss of HMAS Sydney II, vol. 2, p. 217
- ^ Mearns 2009, p. 169.
- ^ Australian Associated Press & Australian Geographic Staff, HMAS Sydney makes heritage list
- ^ Mearns 2009, pp. 170–74, 189.
- ^ Mearns 2009, pp. 215–17, 228.
- ^ Mundy, HMAS Sydney wreck to be recorded in safeguard mission
- ^ Cassells 2000, p. 207.
- ^ a b McCarthy 2002.
- ^ a b McDonald 2005, p. 205.
- ^ McDonald 2005, pp. 205–06.
- ^ McDonald 2005, p. 206.
- ^ McDonald 2005, pp. 208–11.
- ^ Minister for Veterans' Affairs, HMAS Sydney II Declared a National Memorial
- ^ Robertson, HMAS Sydney II Memorial completed in time for the commemorative 70th anniversary
- ^ Winter 1984, p. 247.
- ^ Olson 2000, p. 369.
- ^ Winter 1984, pp. 247–48.
- ^ a b ANAM, Flying Stations, p. 60
- ^ Winter 1984, p. 242.
- ^ Simpson, Individual History: Supermarine Seagull V A2-4/VH-ALB
- ^ a b GKTK 2014, p. 284.
References
Books
- Australian Naval Aviation Museum (ANAM) (1998). Flying Stations: a story of Australian naval aviation. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. OCLC 39290180.
- Cassells, Vic (2000). The Capital Ships: Their Battles and Their Badges. East Roseville, NSW: Simon & Schuster. OCLC 48761594.
- OCLC 32234178.
- ISBN 978-1-59114-078-8.
- OCLC 848228.
- Graham, Ted; King, Bob; Trotter, Bob; Kirsner, Kim, eds. (2014). The Search for HMAS Sydney: An Australian Story. UNSW Press. ISBN 9781742246918. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
- Jeans, Peter D. (2004). Seafaring lore & legend: a miscellany of maritime myth, superstition, fable, and fact. New York; London: McGraw-Hill. OCLC 56456095.
- McDonald, Glenys (2005). Seeking the Sydney: a quest for truth. Crawley, WA: University of Western Australia Press. OCLC 62557643.
- OCLC 301679923.
- Montgomery, Michael (1981). Who Sank The Sydney?. North Ryde, NSW: Cassell Australia. OCLC 7925808.
- OCLC 45722719.
- Raven, Alan & Roberts, John (1980). British Cruisers of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-922-7.
- ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
- Stevens, David, ed. (2001). The Royal Australian Navy. The Australian Centenary History of Defence (vol III). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press. OCLC 50418095.
- Goldrick, James. "World War II: The war against Germany and Italy (pp. 103–26)". The Royal Australian Navy.
- Stevens, David, ed. (2005). The Royal Australian Navy in World War II. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin. OCLC 156678255.
- Grove, Eric. "The Royal Australian Navy in the Mediterranean (pp. 37–50)". The Royal Australian Navy in World War II.
- Hore, Peter. "HMAS Sydney in World War II (pp. 65–96)". The Royal Australian Navy in World War II.
- Winter, Barbara (1984). H.M.A.S. Sydney: Fact, Fantasy and Fraud. Spring Hill, QLD: Boolarong Publications. OCLC 11783441.
- ISBN 1-86019-874-0.
- Westerlund, Leslie C (2021). 'Earnest Ramsay': Who was Earnest Ramsay of HMAS Sydney, WA. ISBN 978-1-876141-76-9.
Reports and websites
- OCLC 432200965. Archived from the originalon 19 November 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
- Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (JCFADT) (22 March 1999). Report on the Loss of HMAS Sydney. Canberra: The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia. OCLC 42768622. Archived from the originalon 3 October 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
- McCarthy, Michael (June 2002). "The HMAS Sydney/HSK Kormoran engagement: an analysis of events leading up the 60th anniversary celebrations in November 2001". Western Australian Maritime Museum. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
- Simpson, Andrew (2007). "Individual History: Supermarine Seagull V A2-4/VH-ALB" (PDF). Royal Air Force Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 December 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
News articles
- Australian Associated Press & Australian Geographic Staff (15 March 2011). "HMAS Sydney makes heritage list". Australian Geographic. Archived from the original on 18 March 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
- Mundy, Garrett (27 April 2015). "HMAS Sydney wreck to be recorded in safeguard mission". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- Robertson, Katie (13 November 2011). "HMAS Sydney II Memorial completed in time for the commemorative 70th anniversary". Perth Now. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
Press releases
- "HMAS Sydney II Declared a National Memorial" (PDF) (Press release). Minister for Veterans' Affairs. 21 May 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
External links
- Sinking of the HMAS Sydney at National Archives of Australia
- HMAS Sydney Search Pty Ltd, The Finding Sydney Foundation (official website)
- HMAS Sydney (II), Royal Australian Navy
- HMAS Sydney (II) website, by the Western Australian Museum
- Virtual Memorial to HMAS Sydney set up by the Finding Sydney Foundation and the Naval Association of Australia
- Website for the HMAS Sydney Memorial at Geraldton
- Bullet-riddled Carley life float from HMAS Sydney in the Australian War Memorial, Canberra[permanent dead link]