[naturalman1975]

[konaice]

There are other theories of the loss of the Sydney: Kormoran was sunk with the loss of about 60 of her 400 crew, the survivors later being interned in Australia. Of Sydney the only trace was two empty lifeboats and a Carley raft. The loss of such an accomplished ship and her entire complement to an opponent whose primary armament consisted of six 5.9-inch guns has never been satisfactorily explained. One theory is that the cruiser surprised the raider while she was rendezvousing with a Japanese submarine. To obliterate any evidence of the presence of one of their vessels in the area at all, it is believed that Sydney may have been sunk ultimately by a Japanese submarine—possibly I-124—and not by Kormoran alone.

[Boundless]

> Mr Howard said the loss of Sydney was one of the
> great sea mysteries of World War Two.

Umm, the story provided seems pretty straighforward.
Until quite recently the precise location of the vast
majority of WW-II sinkings was unknown. What makes
this one a "great" mystery?

> "On the information given to us and given the track
> record of the partner (the prospects of success are)
> pretty good."

As are the odds that what they [first] find will be the
Kormoran instead.