HMAS Sydney wreckage found after 66yrs

[DeadlyDaring]

Discovered a few days ago Wreck of HSK Kormoran Discovered
The wreckage of the German Raider HSK Kormoran was found by the search team on board the SV Geosounder at 17:30 (AWDT) on March 12th, 2008 in the approximate position 26° 05' 49.4" S 111° 04' 27.5" E.


Then announced TODAY
http://www.hmassydney.com/

The wreckage of HMAS Sydney should be left in its place as a war grave so the 645 sailors who died on the warship can rest in peace, the chairman of the Finding Sydney Foundation said today.

"For a start they're in very deep water," Ted Graham said.

"From my point of view ... they contain the remains of many people and our firm view is that they should be left alone."

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the discovery of the HMAS Sydney, sunk by the German raider Kormoran off the coast of West Australia in November 1941, would help bring closure to the families of the 645 crew members who perished.

Mr Rudd confirmed at a press conference in Canberra this morning the discovery of the warship in waters about 800 kilometres north of Perth.

The wreckage of the merchant raider Kormoran was found yesterday.

"The pain and family loss at 65 years removed is still pain, and very deep pain," Mr Rudd said.

"I would say to all members of the family of the crew of HMAS Sydney, our Government sends our condolences for the loss of these brave young men.

"This is a day ... which begins a process of closure for many families of the crew of the Sydney.

"It's also a time for the nation to reflect on the bravery of all the men who gave their lives in the defence of this country in this particularly brutal and bloody engagement."

He dismissed the possibility of raising the wreckage.

"We will treat these war dead ... with complete respect."

Mr Rudd said the Government had begun the process of protecting the wrecks.

"I wish to confirm that under the Historic Shipwrecks Act, the Minister for Environment is in the process of issuing an interim protection order for both vessels."

Mr Rudd thanked the Finding Sydney Foundation and the navy for their efforts in finding the vessels.

He said the Australian Defence Force would be communicating with family members.

''They will be using their own communications systems to make sure that the surviving family members of the crew of HMAS Sydney are informed of this discovery as soon as is practically possible."

Mr Rudd said the order would prohibit any unauthorised intrusion into the site. "It is the protection mechanism we have available to us under Australian law."

Mr Rudd said the hull had been found largely intact.

The Sydney's entire crew of 645 went down with the ship in the Indian Ocean and its location has been a mystery for 66 years.
Chief executive of the Finding Sydney Foundation, Bob Trotter, said an announcement would be made later today, but his organisation was "pretty confident" evidence of the Sydney wreckage had been found.

Very large pieces of wreckage had been located about four kilometres from where the wreck of the Kormoran was found on Saturday, he told ABC Radio.

"Things have yet to be confirmed," Mr Trotter told ABC Radio.

"I'm not in a position at the moment to give an absolute that Sydney itself has been found.

Mr Potter said traces of the Sydney had been found in the field of action where the Australian cruiser and the Kormoran engaged on November 19, 1941.

"The search ship and its sonar have found very large pieces of wreckage about four kilometres from the wreck of Kormoran which don't appear to be from the Kormoran, therefore are more likely to be from the Sydney," Mr Trotter said.

He said the chances were "fairly good" the wreckage of the Sydney had been found.

"The (search) ship is out there now doing passes over the wreckage and in that area up to 10 kilometres away from the Kormoran because that's where we believe she (HMAS Sydney) must be, given the evidence of the last sighting of the Sydney in 1941 by the German survivors."

Mr Trotter likened the search for Sydney as climbing Mount Everest.

"Now we're on our backsides sliding down."

Ean McDonald, a signalman on board the Sydney until 1939, described reports of the finding as "momentous news".

He queried whether the location of the Sydney and the Kormoran had been kept secret by "hierarchy".

"There's always been that side of the mystery," he told ABC Radio.

Mr McDonald said the Sydney would have been sending out signals during the pitched battle with the Kormoran.

"There is this conspiracy theory which a lot of people hold."


http://www.theage.com.au/news/nation...602238554.html

http://www.theage.com.au/news/nation...54.html?page=2

http://media.theage.com.au/?rid=36358

http://media.theage.com.au/?rid=36362




http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news...602169778.html

Lest We Forget

[82Rigger]

May these brave sailors rest in peace.

HMAS Sydney was, I believe, the largest ship of any nation during WW2
whose entire crew was lost.

It appears that she lies at about 2400m depth...definitely should be considered a war grave and left alone.

And definitely within radio range of Western Australia.

I understand that the remains of an Australian sailor have been found on Christmas Island who may be from HMAS Sydney. Uniform fragments gave some clues, and DNA identification is being attempted at this time.

[DeadlyDaring]

Originally Posted by 82Rigger

May these brave sailors rest in peace.

And definitely within radio range of Western Australia.

I understand that the remains of an Australian sailor have been found on Christmas Island who may be from HMAS Sydney. Uniform fragments gave some clues, and DNA identification is being attempted at this time.

In answer to the radio range etc

Very interesting reading

www.bismarck-class.dk/hilfskreuzer/kormoran.html

http://lifeasdaddy.typepad.com/lifeasdaddy/