A Musical Voyage

Page 196

- 194 – I once doubted the stature of these important elements but these doubts are no longer necessary. The international reputation of the Royal Australian Navy Band is one for us all to enjoy, and it’s one to be completely proud of.

HMAS SYDNEY II The Pride of the Australian Fleet Article by Leading Seaman Esa Douglas The legend of the HMAS Sydney II continues another chapter in both Australian and Military history books with its discovery off the Western Australian coast on March 16 2008 by the ‘Finding Sydney Foundation’. Its infamous battle with the German ship HSK Kormoran, of which the Sydney successfully sank before succumbing to its own watery demise, became Australia’s largest loss of life in a naval battle with all of its 645 crew going down with the ship 67 years ago. The HMAS Sydney II, a 6,830 ton modified Leander class cruiser, had been considered a superior battle ship and the pride of the Australian Fleet. The ship was commissioned at Portsmouth on 24 September 1935, and arrived in Australia on 2 August 1936 where she remained in home waters until the outbreak of World War II. The Sydney II, under the command of Captain John Collins, sailed to the Mediterranean, where she was involved in a number of battles with victorious results and came out mostly unscathed. Sydney returned to her namesake city on 10 February where a public holiday had been granted to the people so all could come to see her and the brave crew parade through the city. Sydney returned to home waters in Western Australia, and on 11 November 1941 now under the command of Captain Joseph Burnett, she sailed from Fremantle to escort the troopship Zealandia to the Sunda Strait. Sydney was due to return on the afternoon of 20 November 1941, and although her absence of return was noted, at that stage there was no immediate concern. It was on her return home, on 19 November 1941, Sydney sighted what appeared to be a merchant vessel approximately 130 miles west of Shark Bay. Signals were exchanged between the two ships to establish who the mystery ship in fact was. The mystery ship identified itself as the Straat Malakka a Dutch merchantman, but on enquiring through flag signals what the secret identification was of the ship, the vessels true identity could no longer be concealed. HSK Kormoran, under the command of Commander Theodor Detmers, ordered the Dutch colours to be struck, and hoisted the German Naval Ensign. They opened fire at approximately 1730 when the two ships were no more than a mile apart from each other. One of the first blows hit the bridge of Sydney, where all communications were cut off and would explain why they were unable to get any messages out. Sydney returned fire simultaneously, although were unable to meet their mark straight away. Kormoran concentrated all their fire power on hitting the bridge, torpedo tubes and anti aircraft batteries. With two of Sydney’s turrets out of action, a third turret opened quickly and accurately hit Kormoran in the funnel and engine room. The fierce exchange of gunfire and torpedoes continued at close range, and at one stage the Sydney appeared to turn quickly as if in an attempt to ram the Kormoran. Sydney, crippled and on fire, steamed slowly to the south at approximately 1825. At around 2000, Detmers gave the order to abandon ship, and set up charges to scuttle the Kormoran. At 0035, the mines exploded and the Kormoran sank rapidly stern first. All accounts from the battle were gathered from the surviving German crewman. 317 of the 380 crewman survived and were rescued from life rafts by passing ships or the rafts washing up along the coast of Western Australia. Their stories and accounts report that the fatal battle lasted no more than half an hour and Sydney was last seen in the distant glare with occasional flickering lights until 2200 when she seemingly disappeared. The success of destroying the Kormoran meant that Sydney had stopped the raider’s plan to lay up to 360 mines across vital shipping lanes. For 66 years, controversy surrounded the Sydney on how and why it sank, and where it was that she lay to rest.

Royal Australian Navy Band: A Musical Voyage


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Articles inside

Prince of Wales Award

3min
page 236

CDF Leadership Forum

7min
pages 237-238

Op Resolute – Transit Security Element Rotation 62

3min
page 235

The Salute – Indigenous Artwork

2min
page 229

A Naval Salute – RAN Centenary Concert

6min
pages 227-228

From the PR Desk

5min
pages 232-233

Final Signal from the Director

1min
page 230

4th Nanchang International Tattoo

3min
page 234

Abu Dhabi International Defence Exhibition and Conference 2011

3min
page 225

Brunei International Tattoo 2011

3min
page 226

From the PR Desk

3min
page 224

From the Director’s Desk

1min
page 223

Strengthening Ties Beyond Navy

3min
page 220

From B Shed to Bryon Bay with Navy’s Variety Bash

6min
pages 221-222

Operation Slipper Deployment

3min
page 219

RIMPAC 2010 Sea Deployment Group

3min
page 218

From the PR Desk

7min
pages 216-217

From the Director’s Desk

1min
page 215

ANZAC Gallipoli Pilgrimage

7min
pages 212-214

RIMPAC 2010

3min
page 211

From the PR Desk

3min
page 210

From the Director’s Desk

1min
page 209

Sea Deployment Group HMAS Darwin

5min
pages 207-208

Northern Trident (Second Leg

4min
page 206

LONGLOOK 2009

8min
pages 202-204

From the Director’s Desk

1min
page 205

Northern Trident

3min
page 201

LONGLOOK 2008

7min
pages 194-195

HMAS Sydney II (The Pride of the Australian Fleet

3min
page 196

From the Director’s Desk

8min
pages 197-199

Freedom of Entry Celebrations

3min
page 200

King’s Coronation, Tonga

7min
pages 192-193

Hands Across the Sea

7min
pages 188-189

From the Director’s Desk

1min
page 187

RIMPAC 2008

7min
pages 190-191

Anzac Day in Mumbai

4min
pages 185-186

Tour to Afghanistan

7min
pages 183-184

Tour De Force 9

7min
pages 181-182

HMAS Adelaide Deployment

3min
page 176

From the Director’s Desk

1min
page 180

Stories from the Solomon Islands

3min
page 177

Jingili Man’s Solomon’s Tour

4min
pages 178-179

HMAS Sydney Deployment

11min
pages 173-175

HMAS Parramatta Deployment

10min
pages 170-172

On the Bugle in Anzac Cove

15min
pages 165-168

From the Director’s Desk

1min
page 169

Gallipoli 2007

3min
page 164

From the Director’s Desk

1min
page 163

HMAS Manoora Deployment

6min
pages 161-162

All Hands on Deck

3min
page 160

From the Director’s Desk

1min
page 159

From the Director’s Desk

1min
page 156

Sea Ride in HMAS Kanimbla

8min
pages 153-155

Lest We Forget: Bugles engraved to commemorate OP RIMAU

3min
page 152

From the Director’s Desk

4min
pages 147-148

Tour De Force (A Musical Spectacular from Down Under

11min
pages 149-151

HMAS ANZAC Detachment

11min
pages 144-146

A Salute to Australia

3min
page 143

From the Director’s Desk

1min
page 142

RIMPAC 2004

3min
page 141

A Life on the Ocean Wave

3min
page 140

From Seahawks to Singapore Slings

3min
page 136

HMAS TOBRUK Deployment

10min
pages 137-139

From the Director’s Desk

1min
page 135

From the Director’s Desk

5min
pages 127-128

Missiles and Musicians

8min
pages 124-126

Good Morning Vietnam

7min
pages 122-123

Musicians Onboard HMAS Adelaide

6min
pages 115-116

Welcome from the Director’s Desk

1min
page 112

Musicians Deployed in a Combat Role

5min
pages 113-114

Tour de Force in the Middle East

12min
pages 118-120

Welcome from the Director’s Desk

1min
page 117

One of the Most Frightening Experiences of My Life

4min
page 121
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