Thread: Kormoran Wreck Found Off WA Coast

Saw this flick across the bottom of the screen when Wide World of Sports was on and jumped on the computer but couldn't connect to the net properly.

While the plan has always been to find Sydney, the best chance they had was to find Kormoran as there were actually some records as to the general area of where she sank - from the German survivors and David Mearns' independent research of the Kormoran captain's diary. Once they find Kormoran, they have a datum for the Sydney and, in theory, the search area is drastically reduced...hopefully, she's just off to the south/west as that's where the German survivors said they saw the glow on the horizon.

Time will tell. Very exciting. Let's hope some more funding comes forward so there is the greatest chance of finding Sydney.

Owen & Andy,

I was looking at the HMAS Sydney during the week in the NAA records and was surprized to see some RAAF personel were onboard and were killed. What would they be doing on the Sydney

John

They would have been the Walrus crew, John.

11th March 2008 Report - Latest Search Reports

Here's the blog of the discovery with excellent detail of the wreck's disposition and the discovery of the scene of the battle...a debris field determined to be wreckage shed from Sydney as she limped away:

HSK Kormoran Discovered - Latest Search Reports

Andy & Owen
Just found this on ninemsn

Wreck of German raider Kormoran found

John

Hello Andy,
Once again you have educated me. I had no idea that HMAS Sydney carried an aircraft, and I had never heard of a Walrus aircraft before. As they say "live and learn"

John

If you ever get to Melbourne, John, check out the RAAF Museum at Point Cook as they have a beautifully restored Walrus on show. Very rare aeroplane these days.

Most cruisers and heavier ships carried similar aircraft for recce, artillery spotting, SAR etc etc. Have a trawl around this website: Welcome to HMS Belfast, a unique 20th century cruiser and do the tour down the bottom. As it opens up, you'll see a link to archive pics. Click on the "in action" bit. If you look at the first pic of when Belfast was mined, you'll see some cranes laying down at left. These were used to lift the aircraft on board. Below them would be the catapults. The next pic is a Walrus landing next to the ship.

I've never come across a book written by a cruiser/battleship pilot. It's certainly be an eventful life.