[naturalman1975]

Here the 'B' turret shows evidence of a direct hit between the gun barrels, and damage to the turret roof.

The midships kedge anchor.

The upturned searchlight platform is torn away from the forward funnel.

Some of the many portholes visible on HMAS Sydney's port side.

Some areas of HMAS Sydney's teak decking remain remarkably intact.

The upturned searchlight platform is torn away from the forward funnel.

Wreckage is strewn on top of the 'Y' turret.

[Eyes Unclouded]

Japanese sub? Seems kinda odd to go down that quick with so many hands.

[DieHard the Hunter]

Wow..... awesome!

[backhoe]

God O mercy- take a closer look here:

Here the 'B' turret shows evidence of a direct hit between the gun barrels, and damage to the turret roof.

See that dark circle at about 8:00 O'clock from the right-side gun barrel?

That's a hole punched in the armor by a high-calibre shell.

The missing section of the gunhouse ( turret ) roof is where the resulting detonation blew the armor ( several inches thick ) off.

You don't want to know what happened to the men inside...

[Caipirabob]

RIP our brave, brave friends. May you and your families know peace...

[Eye of Unk]

[Eye of Unk]

HK Kormoran http://www.deutschland-class.dk/hilfskreuzer/kormoran.html

[WildcatClan]

There is a lot of controversy, still yet, about this battle. It is hard to imagine why there was not a single survivor from the Sydney. I can only think the initial hits taken, and then subsequent internal explosions, perhaps made abandonment nearly impossible. The element of surprise may have had a great deal to do with it as well. I just find it odd that Detmer managed to survive along with some of his crew. We will never know what happened exactly, but then, we already do. Brave men, 645 of them, lost their lives fighting for freedom and against fascism.

[rlmorel]

It was not an uncommon practice for vessels like the Kormoran to finish off survivors...they didn’t want them to be picked up and spill the beans to any other ships about the nature of their ship. They depended on surprise.

It could be that even though mortally damaged, the ship was afloat and stable long enough to murder everyone in the water from the Sydney, but sank at some point shortly therafter.

But...it is all speculation

[LSUfan]

Seems to me some of those surviving German seamen have to have some idea what happened...

[Stonewall Jackson]

Here's an interesting post for the Military History ping list.

By the way, can you please add me to that list.

[GATOR NAVY]

Thanks for posting. I thought of you as soon as I saw this article on another naval history board.