# Search Leads to German War Ship Sunk in 1941



## ToughOmbre (Mar 16, 2008)

Sunday, March 16, 2008

CANBERRA, Australia — A search for an Australian navy battle cruiser lost in 1941 has led to the wreck of the German raider that sank it, the prime minister said Sunday.

Both the HMAS Sydney and the German vessel, the DKM Kormoran, sank after a battle off Australia's western coast on Nov. 19, 1941 during World War II.

None of the 645 men aboard the Sydney survived. But 317 of the Kormoran's 397 crew rowed to the Australian coast in life boats and were taken prisoner. The 9,500 ton Kormoran had been disguised as a Dutch merchant ship when it opened fire on the Sydney.

"Finding the Kormoran is one big step forward (to finding the Sydney)," said Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

The wreck was found Saturday about 500 miles north of the Western Australia state capital Perth, he said.

The government-funded US$3.9 million search for the Sydney began two weeks ago and is headed by U.S. shipwreck hunter David Mearns.

Mearns was involved in finding the wrecks of the British battle cruiser the HMS Hood and the DKM Bismarck, the German battle ship that sank her in the North Atlantic in 1941.

The Sydney weighed in at 7,300 tons, making it the largest vessel from any country to be lost with no survivors during the war.

The fate of the ship and its crew has remained an enduring mystery, though a parliament inquiry into the tragedy in 1999 accepted accounts by Kormoran survivors that they last saw the ship in flames and heading toward Perth.

There are no current plans to raise the Sydney if it is found.

TO


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## wilbur1 (Mar 16, 2008)

Great news, TO hopefully they will find the other boys


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Mar 16, 2008)

Very interesting.

To the sailors of both ships.


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## evangilder (Mar 16, 2008)

This is also being discussed in another thread..
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/hsk-kormaran-found-western-australian-coast-12350.html


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## Lucky13 (Mar 16, 2008)




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## Emac44 (Mar 16, 2008)

Yes Tough. We are all praying the Sydney is found here in Australia. We need to bring those men home mate in a spiritual sense of course. They need to know we as Australians and as a Navy Tradition we never leave a mate behind. To long those Australian Sailors have been missing. We have never forgotten the men of HMAS Sydney we just don't know where they are as yet


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## Erich (Mar 16, 2008)

in time, in time ............. the news is changing daily on this particular event.

Latest Search Reports

my question which will always remain unanswered is what was Burnett thinking getting in that close with the Kormoran. All we really have is still the reports of the living KM vets, which at times do not agree with one another


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## Erich (Mar 16, 2008)

you may find this of interest on the KM Hilfkreuzers, click the link HK Kormoron, though on the front page scroll downward and you will find the KM CO's bio, T. Detmers

Hilfskreuzer (Auxiliary Cruiser / Raider) - Introduction


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## Emac44 (Mar 16, 2008)

Erich said:


> in time, in time ............. the news is changing daily on this particular event.
> 
> Latest Search Reports
> 
> my question which will always remain unanswered is what was Burnett thinking getting in that close with the Kormoran. All we really have is still the reports of the living KM vets, which at times do not agree with one another



Erich you know as well as I do that any events witnessed by more than one witness will not jell. As people under extreme pressure and during battle stations will view events differently and will conflict. As for Burnett I suppose being so closed to Australian Territorial Waters he relaxed his guard. But yes you are right its something we will never have answers for. But for us Aussies its exciting to know that the Sydney maybe found at long last.


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## Erich (Mar 16, 2008)

my point is that we have only the KM German side, heck I am so excited for you folk this is tremendous news in regards to possible closure for so many years.

there is so much speculation now as to what happened, time for another book........which am sure will happen due to the recent state of events


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## Emac44 (Mar 16, 2008)

Erich said:


> my point is that we have only the KM German side, heck I am so excited for you folk this is tremendous news in regards to possible closure for so many years.
> 
> there is so much speculation now as to what happened, time for another book........which am sure will happen due to the recent state of events



Yes I know Erich we have only Kriegsmarine information But also reports from Kormoran Crew Members over the years. Which added to the speculation and the theories of what happened to Sydney. Some of the speculation involved a Japanese Submarie was involved to but this was ruled out over the years. 

Yes another book will most likely appear. Probarly 2 or 3 Erich. If Sydney is found possibley a Television Documentary or even something equaly mind boggling, like a Documentary-Movie etc. But we will have to wait. First find Sydney then determine how and why she sustained damage so badly etc. It is all speculation as yet Erich. We have to locate Sydney first. But one thing she will always be a War Grave and treated with the respect her and her men demand. And yes it is exciting


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## renrich (Mar 16, 2008)

Not to be a nit picker but Sydney was a light cruiser not a battle cruiser as was claimed in the story. About 20000 tons difference.


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## Thorlifter (Mar 16, 2008)

Why would a raider attack a battlecruiser? Are raiders that well armed? Obviously I don't know anything about raiders and marine armament. Is it surprise that give a raider it's advantage?


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## renrich (Mar 16, 2008)

Sydney had 6 inch guns. Kormoran had 5.9s and also torpedoes. Sydney was looking for the German raider and theoretically would be more than a match for Komoran.


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## ToughOmbre (Mar 16, 2008)

renrich said:


> Not to be a nit picker but Sydney was a light cruiser not a battle cruiser as was claimed in the story. About 20000 tons difference.



Good observation ren, didn't notice that in the article. Big difference!

TO


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## Erich (Mar 16, 2008)

Thor read my second link given...........

I can only gather the Kormoron had so bluffed the Sydney that she was lured in with the KM ship at the ready wondering what the heck is she (Sydney) doing so close to us ? Well as Emac has said there is going to be speculation even more so now than right after the war........

the KM ship had blasted two of the cruisers main turrets and almost completely eliminated the bridge so she was operating typically brainless, it was the other two surviving turrets that took out the Kormoron and later after the KM too to the life boats she blew sky high with the mines on board


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## Erich (Mar 16, 2008)

Mein Gott !

HMAS Sydney found: PM - National - smh.com.au

they found her as well..............whoa !!


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## Emac44 (Mar 16, 2008)

HISTORIC NEWS. HMAS SYDNEY HAS BEEN FOUND. AFTER 65 YEARS THAT HMAS SYDNEY HAS BEEN MISSING WITH HER FULL CREW OF 654 AUSTRALIAN SAILORS. HMAS SYDNEY HAS BEEN LOCATED APPROXIMATELY LAYING IN 2000 METRES OF WATER ABOUT 12 NAUTICAL MILES FROM KORMORAN.

THIS IS A HISTORIC DAY FOR AUSTRALIA AND A SAD ONE FOR THE RELATIVES AND FAMILIES OF THE CREW MEN OF HMAS SYDNEY. BUT BOTH THE KORMORAN AND HMAS SYDNEY WILL BE PROTECTED UNDER HISTORIC SHIP WRECK ACT AND HMAS SYDNEY IN PARTICULAR IS NOW AN OFFICIAL WAR GRAVE PROTECTED UNDER COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES

Rudd confirms HMAS Sydney find - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Link to the ABC has video and audio links of this Historic event of the finding of HMAS Sydney


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## A4K (Mar 17, 2008)

Thanks for posting the thread guys, glad they found them. 

To the crews of both ships, a long salute.


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