Date: 1/4/2008
The
HMAS Sydney
was sunk off West Australianâs coast by the German raider
Kormoran
in 1941. An international crew of 30 will search an area of 1,800 square nautical miles, due west of Dirk Hartog Island. Australiaâs greatest maritime mystery claimed the lives of the cruiserâs 645 crew. The Finding Sydney Foundation raised $5 million to mount the operation. Project manager Patrick Flynn says the search area has been defined by examination of historical records and there is a high degree of confidence in success. The focus is on finding the
Kormoran
first. The loss of the
Sydney
often overshadowed the sacrifice the sailors made for Australia, he said. âItâs certainly our intention if we find either or both wrecks we will be commemorating those crews and having a short service on behalf of the relatives of both the German and Australian crews, Lieutenant Perryman said. Of the 390 crew from the German ship, 341 were rescued.
http://presspass.findingsydney.com/