Prime Minister Announces "Wreck of the raider Kormoran found"

[Bearded-Dragon]

From our ABC: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/16/2190745.htm

 

Kormoran wreck found off WA

 

Posted 2 hours 6 minutes ago

Updated 1 hour 26 minutes ago

 

Found: the German raider Kormoran

 

Found: the German raider Kormoran (http://www.bismarck-class.dk/)

 

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced the discovery of the wreckage of the German raider Kormoran off the Western Australian coast.

 

The Finding Sydney Foundation has been searching for the vessel in the hope of finding the location of HMAS Sydney, which was sunk following a battle off the WA coast in November 1941.

 

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.

 

The foundation began a 30-day search earlier this month using sonar equipment on the ship Geosounder, about 200 nautical miles off the coast of Shark Bay.

 

The chairman of the Finding Sydney Foundation Ted Graham says the crew picked up the first sign of the wreckage on Friday evening and confirmed it was the Kormoran later that night.

 

He says the discovery significantly increases the chances of the Sydney being found.

 

"I'm very pleased. It gets us halfway to solving where the Sydney is," he said.

 

"Without finding the Kormoran our job would've been much harder. It's a fantastic step forward."

 

The crew plans to return to the Geraldton Port this week before going back to further examine the Kormoran.

 

Mr Rudd says it is a promising outcome which could lead to the discovery of HMAS Sydney.

 

"Finding the Kormoran is one big step forward," he said.

 

"Of course that does not mean that the search has yet found the Sydney itself but it does play one significant step closer.

 

"All of us concerned about this great ship and those of us who are concerned about what happened to the 645 brave souls who went down with her, have all these years been wondering where she lay and what in the end actually happened."

 

Ean McDonald, who was a Lieutenant Commander onboard HMAS Sydney in 1939, says it is fantastic news, although he is surprised the Kormoran was much further north than his research indicated.

 

He says the next challenge is to find HMAS Sydney, so the whole story of what happened that day can be pieced together.

 

"There's always been doubt about the whole action, how was Sydney surprised and sunk by the German raider," he said.

 

"There are many, many questions that would be presumably resolved when they find the ship and one can only congratulate the Sydney search people."

 

Federal Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson says the discovery of the Kormoran is significant.

 

"This is a very important part of Australia's history, not only our naval history but it's an important part of Australia's story of naval service," he said.

 

"There are many Australians whose lives and families were changed by this particular ship."

[T19]

Great news, lets hope they can find the Sydney and put this mystery to rest once and for all

[Bearded-Dragon]

The loss of the Sydney was one of our greatest military disasters and one of our greatest national mysteries. Lots of folks want to put its crew to rest. Lets hope they do find the Sydney's remains.

[capt_starlight]

Discussion continued here => http://63.99.108.76/forums/index.php?showtopic=24397&hl=

[Bearded-Dragon]

Discussion continued here => http://63.99.108.76/forums/index.php?showtopic=24397&hl=

 

I believe my thread predates Yama's. I also feel this is the more appropriate forum.

[DB]

I believe my thread predates Yama's. I also feel this is the more appropriate forum.

Maybe so, but nobody likes you.

[Yama]

Search report, 3rd April

 

All doubts now removed, it is definitely Sydney. I was having flashbacks of Waratah, whichs discovery was triumphantly announced, until the wreck turned out to be totally different ship.

 

Photo gallery

 

'B' turret:

 

 

Wreck seems to be in quite good condition, except for bow missing and other battle damage. All guns were trained to port side.

Edited April 4, 2008 by Yama

[Grapple]

I notice one photo showing portholes in the hull being open. In a battle situation I would think that they should have their watertight covers over them. I wonder if this might have contributed to her rapid sinking?

[T19]

I notice one photo showing portholes in the hull being open. In a battle situation I would think that they should have their watertight covers over them. I wonder if this might have contributed to her rapid sinking?

With the bow missing, that might have been more of an issue

[Grapple]

With the bow missing, that might have been more of an issue

But if the bulkheads hold a warship should survive the loss of the bow. However it will cause flooding which could raise the water level up to the level of the portholes and this could cause progressive flooding through the rest of the ship.

[Bob B]

That might have come off as a result of the sinking, not the cause of it. Bismark lost her entire stern during her sinking.

 

As for open portholes, its believed that it did play a part in the sinking of the Britannic. Though I wonder idly in this case whether it may have been

the result of an internal explosion.

 

 

I know it's a Wiki article, but according to German survivors the Sydney took a torpedo hit in the bow that did considerable damage. It didn't say that they blew it off, but it might have. It is also interesting that not all of Sydney's guns were manned.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_auxili...ruiser_Kormoran