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Colin Jones	Monday 17 March 2008 4:42:44 am THE wreck of the German merchant raider Kormoran, believed responsible for the war-time sinking of HMAS Sydney in November 1941, has been found off the Western Australian coast. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, along with Australian Defence Force heads, announced the discovery at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra today. He said the search body called Finding Sydney made the discovery yesterday, about 150km west of Shark Bay. "We are one step closer as a nation to hopefully finding Sydney,'' Mr Rudd said. "This is an important part in solving a 65-year-old puzzle.'' Australia's greatest maritime mystery claimed the lives of the Sydney's 645 crew. Sailing from Sumatra back to Fremantle in November 1941, the warship encountered what purported to be the Dutch freighter Straat Malakka off the West Australian coast. But the freighter was really the disguised German mercantile raider Kormoran. After an ensuing fight, the Sydney went down with all hands and represents the greatest ever loss of life in an Australian warship. It was also the largest vessel of any country to be lost with no survivors during the Second World War. The 317 survivors from the 397 crew aboard Kormoran were picked up over ensuing days, giving the only eyewitness accounts of what occurred. Source: News.com.au March 16, 2008 12:30pm

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Colin Jones

Monday 17 March 2008 4:42:44 am

THE wreck of the German merchant raider Kormoran, believed responsible for the war-time sinking of HMAS Sydney in November 1941, has been found off the Western Australian coast.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, along with Australian Defence Force heads, announced the discovery at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra today.

He said the search body called Finding Sydney made the discovery yesterday, about 150km west of Shark Bay.

"We are one step closer as a nation to hopefully finding Sydney,'' Mr Rudd said.

"This is an important part in solving a 65-year-old puzzle.''

Australia's greatest maritime mystery claimed the lives of the Sydney's 645 crew.

Sailing from Sumatra back to Fremantle in November 1941, the warship encountered what purported to be the Dutch freighter Straat Malakka off the West Australian coast.

But the freighter was really the disguised German mercantile raider Kormoran.

After an ensuing fight, the Sydney went down with all hands and represents the greatest ever loss of life in an Australian warship.

It was also the largest vessel of any country to be lost with no survivors during the Second World War.

The 317 survivors from the 397 crew aboard Kormoran were picked up over ensuing days, giving the only eyewitness accounts of what occurred.

Source: News.com.au March 16, 2008 12:30pm