HMAS Sydney

HMAS Sydney II was a Modified Leander class Cruiser of the Royal Australian Navy. Built in 1935 she was purchased by the Australian Government .THE Sydney had an effective service in the Mediteranean Sea in 1940 with her 6 inch guns. On 19 November 1941, off the coast of Western Australia, she fought the disguised German Auxillary Cruiser Kormoran which was disguised as a merchantman.The German ship was a deadly opponent at close range having 5.9 inch guns. Both ships sank. All 645 men on the Sydney died, making it Australia’s worst naval disaster. Up until her final voyage she had been regarded as a lucky ship under her first wartime Captain John Collins.

Sydney as she now rests at 2468 Meters in the Indian ocean off the west coast of Australia.
All of her crew were lost in the encounter .She was eventually found by using the diary account of the Captain of the Kormoran which gave an approximate location as a starting point to find both ships .
At the time it shook the nation as only three months later her sister ship the HMAS Perth was lost in the Battle of the Sunda Straits .The only Leander Class of the original to survive the war only just, was the HMAS Hobart which suffered enormous damage in another battle .

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HSK Kormoran’s 5.9 Inch guns ,Deadly at close range.