Monday 17 March 2008

HMAS Sydney Found

This is HUGE!

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has confirmed searchers have found the wreck of HMAS Sydney off the West Australian coast, solving Australia's greatest naval mystery.

The Sydney sunk in November 1941 after a battle with the German raider the Kormoran, killing all 645 crew on board.
This morning searchers from the Finding Sydney Foundation confirmed they had found the wreckage of the Sydney, less than 24 hours after finding the wreckage of the Kormoran.

The Kormoran was found about 100 nautical miles off Steep Point, more than two kilometres below the ocean's surface, and the Sydney was found just 10 nautical miles west.

The Australian ship is more than two kilometres below the surface of the sea but the Finding Sydney Foundation says it is upright and largely intact. The location of the Sydney tallies with eye witness reports from German sailors who survived the sinking of the Kormoran.
Mr Rudd says interim protection declarations will be put in place for both vessels and has stressed that they are both war graves. "The Australian Government hopes that the discovery of HMAS Sydney brings some closure to the families of the 645 Defence Force personnel who lost their lives bravely in this naval action in World War II," he said.

Les Dwyer from the Naval Association of Australia says Australia's most enduring naval mystery has been solved. "This is without doubt, in terms of the Navy and our history, the most significant find ever," he said.

(Source)

Peas be with ewe

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4 comments:

  1. I would sit him down soon and have a good heart to heart talk with him about the money. If he cant afford the rent, then tell him he has 30 days to vacate! I wouldnt let him get away with that!

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  2. How cool is that? I love when they find stuff like this and can finally solve some mystery.

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  3. Terrific job. While in Western Australia a couple of weeks ago we visited the memorial to the sailors of HMAS Sydney in Geraldton. I have to say it's the most moving war memorial I've ever seen.

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  4. The whole mystery of the loss of HMAS Sydney has been a fascination of mine for many years, basically after reading a story of the loss of HMAS Perth off Java in 1942.

    So yeah... I'd love to go to Geralton and see the memorial there for myself. But there must be some sense of closure for relatives and families that they've finally found it.

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