New search for HMAS Sydney to commence

[Antipodean Andy]

The best chance we've got is about to begin.

New search for HMAS Sydney - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

A new search for the wreck of HMAS Sydney will begin later this week.

The Sydney was sunk off the West Australian coast in 1941, after an exchange of fire with the German raider Kormoran.

All 645 crew on board were killed.

The Kormoran also sank with about 50 of the 390 aboard losing their lives.

The Finding Sydney Foundation says the search ship S-V Geosounder will arrive in Geraldton tomorrow to begin a five million dollar search - funded by the Federal, West Australian and New South Wales governments.

The Foundation's Patrick Flynn says the S-V Geosounder will begin by looking for the Kormoran, which should help pinpoint the location of the Sydney.

"We're using revised met-ocean analyses that are being completed, and that'll be the date and point for where we start for the Kormoran. The Kormoran is the first vessel we wish to locate and that's the beacon we'll then move towards Sydney from," he said.

[Antipodean Andy]

Recent news from Sydney Search:

Finding the HMAS Sydney II Appeal - News

The Finding Sydney Foundation (The Foundation) announced today it had awarded the Deep Tow Side Scan Sonar Search and Vessel and Survey Positioning Contracts for the upcoming search for HMAS Sydney II and HSK Kormoran.

Both ships were lost following a battle off the Western Australian coral coast in November 1941. HMAS Sydney II and her complement of 645 men did not survive. HSK Kormoran was damaged and scuttled, with 317 of her nearly 400 crew surviving the engagement.

The Foundation Chairman, Mr. Ted Graham, is delighted to announce that the award of the Side Scan Sonar Search Contract to Williamson and Associates Inc, of Seattle US, and the Vessel and Survey Positioning Contract to DOF Subsea Australia Pty Ltd with their vessel the SV Geosounder.

“Williamson is one of the leading contractors in the world to conduct this type of search activity” Mr Graham said “We have been working with them for some time now to ensure everything is set to go”.

Securing a vessel was challenging as schedules had to be matched with the weather window of opportunity to conduct the search and the mobilisation of the side scan sonar equipment from Seattle.

“The SV Geosounder schedule matched the equipment schedule to give the best scenario of search days on the water and our audit of the vessel was very positive” Mr Graham said.

The Foundation has also contracted Electric Pictures Pty. Ltd, a leading independent TV production company from Western Australia, to produce a film of the Finding Sydney Project. A film crew will be onboard the SV Geosounder for the duration of the offshore search activities. Electric Pictures Managing Director, Mr Andrew Ogilvie advised, “We are extremely pleased to be given this opportunity to document a very important part of Australian history and The Foundation’s efforts to locate the HMAS Sydney II”.

The Foundation’s Offshore Search Director, Mr David Mearns, will shortly be arriving in Perth to prepare for the search. The SV Geosounder is due in Geraldton later in the month and will mobilise to the search area before the end of February.

Mr Graham congratulated his fellow Directors, the Project Manager Mr. Patrick Flynn, the Royal Australian Navy, Mr. David Mearns, and Contractors Williamson & Associates, DOF Subsea and Electric Pictures, for working through the issues to allow this most important search to get underway.

He also thanked the Australian Government and the Western Australian and New South Wales Governments, relatives of Sydney II’s crew, and countless businesses, whose support and funding contributions have enabled the search to go ahead.

[Antipodean Andy]

Hunt for HMAS Sydney to begin | NEWS.com.au

THE quest to find the resting place of HMAS Sydney, sunk off the West Australian coast by the German raider Kormoran in 1941, will begin tomorrow.

An international crew of 30 people will depart the port of Geraldton tomorrow afternoon to search an 1,800 square nautical mile area, due west of Dirk Hartog Island off the Midwest coast.

Australia's greatest maritime mystery claimed the lives of the cruiser's 645 crew, whose memory has been immortalised with an impressive memorial overlooking Geraldton harbour.

Leading shipwreck hunter David Mearns is one of the 30 crew who will board SV Geosounder to search for the wreck.

The Finding Sydney Foundation has raised $5 million to mount the operation, which will allow the search to go on until the end of April.

Finding Sydney project manager Patrick Flynn said the search area had been defined by close examination of historical records.

"That led to the northern area,'' Mr Flynn said.

"As well as what we've been doing over the last month, a fairly meteorological review of the actual weather patterns that occurred on that day, and you use a thing called hindcasting (testing a theoretical model).''peRoyal Australian Navy historian Lieutenant John Perryman said there was a high degree of confidence the search area would result in success.

"That has bought us to where we are at the moment, which is on doorstop of an historic voyage of discovery and hopefully commemoration,'' Lieutenant Perryman said.

But there were split feelings among researchers about the wreck's whereabouts, Lieutenant Perryman said.

"I'm aware that there are detractors out there who have made remarks about looking in the wrong spot, this being a waste of taxpayers money, but there's nothing that I can say that will alter their deeply and long held views,'' he said.

"I think we're probably going to come up trumps.''

The search will focus on identifying the resting place of the Kormoran before turning its sights to the Sydney.

"It's 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.

The loss of the Sydney often overshadowed the sacrifice the sailors made for Australia, he said.

"They removed a deadly and very, very lethal threat from Australia's wartime sea lines of communication,'' he said.

"Had Kormoran continued to roam the Indian Ocean, she could have caused untold damage to the troop ships.

I think that sometimes the loss of the entire crew overshadows the fact, their sacrifice wasn't in vain.

To the last there was evidence that these people remained at their post, they fought to the end and then they fought to save their ship right up until the last.''

Of the 390 crew from the German ship, 341 were rescued.

[Kyt]

Fingers crossed. Sounds like it is a well equiped expedition

[Antipodean Andy]

Finding the HMAS Sydney II Appeal - News - pics at link. Am trying to think of a way to gain access to the website mentioned down the bottom.

The Finding Sydney Foundation chartered vessel, DOF SV Geosounder, today left from Geraldton Harbour with the hopes of the nation sailing with her.

On board is a team of international experts who offer Australia’s best chance of finding the resting place of the World War II cruiser HMAS Sydney II, tragically lost in November 1941 in the Indian Ocean off Western Australia with its entire crew of 645, following a fierce engagement with the German raider HSK Kormoran. HSK Kormoran was damaged and scuttled, with 317 of her nearly 400 crew surviving the engagement.

Directing the offshore search for The Finding Sydney Foundation is international ship wreck hunter Mr. David Mearns of the UK. Mearns and his company have located many deepwater shipwrecks and hold the current Guinness World Record for the deepest shipwreck ever discovered: a German Blockade Runner sunk during WWII at a depth 5,762 metres.

“This is without question the most challenging shipwreck search I have ever undertaken,” Mr Mearns said before departing, “but we have assembled a first‐rate team and in every way I believe we are up to the challenge.”

Leading the team of geophysicists and marine sonar experts onboard the SV Geosounder is Mr. Art Wright from Williamson & Associates of Seattle. Their low frequency, deep towed side scan sonar search system will cover a defined area of approximately 1800 sq nautical miles, some 120 nautical miles offshore from Steep Point, Western Australia, in water depths ranging from 2300 to 4200 metres.

“Phase One of the search is a bit like mowing the lawn, albeit a very large lawn” Mr Mearns said, “We’ll be systematically towing a sonar “fish” along a grid of overlapping track lines that covers the seabed in areas where we believe the wrecks sank. Given the large size of the search area we will be using sonar that can cover this area at an extraordinarily fast rate. Once any contact of a potential wreck is made, we will then make a series of higher resolution narrow swathe passes to confirm the dimensions and characteristics of any target, with any debris field being mapped.”

Also on board is Foundation Director Mrs Glenys McDonald and the Commonwealth’s observer, Mr John Perryman who is the Royal Australian Navy’s Historical Officer.

Mrs McDonald, whose passion for Sydney has spanned more than 16 years, said she was honoured to be on board.

“This search, which has been largely funded by Federal and State Government grants, will be transparent so that all Australians will have confidence in the outcome” she said. “We all feel the weight of the relative’s hopes and desires and we do hope this search will give them closure.”

The entire search will be covered on board by an independent documentary film team from Electric Pictures, who are working with Film Australia to make a documentary of the search to be broadcast by the National broadcaster ABC soon after completion of the project.


Media Notes:
1. Separate advice will be provided by regular updates of the search and imagery as the search operation progresses via a Media Website. Contact media@findingsydney.com for details.
2. Website will contain Search Blogs and Higher Resolution Images for publication as well as links to general information about the HMAS Sydney II.
3. Password entry and login information will arranged by Media self registration through the website.

Media Contact:
Mr Patrick Flynn, Project Manager, The Finding Sydney Foundation
media@findingsydney.com 08-9261 7749

[Antipodean Andy]

I've answered my own question of sorts. Looks like we can follow the search here:

Finding the HMAS Sydney II Appeal - The Search

4th March 2008 Report - Latest Reports from the Search Team

Particularly good quote from the RAN historian on board with regard to the conditions on leaving port:
The Australian built Bathurst class corvettes of World War II fame were renowned for being ‘maids of all work’ and for ‘rolling on wet grass’. Today as we sailed in the MV Geosounder from Geraldton on our search for the wreck of HMAS Sydney (II), I was reminded of these two quips which have been muttered by countless ‘corvette’ men in oceans the world over.

[spidge]

Will be marvellous if they find her!

[Antipodean Andy]

HMAS Sydney search continues despite cyclone threat - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)