HMAS Sydney (2)
HMAS Sydney (2) was a Modified Leander-class light cruiser that served with distinction in the Royal Australian Navy during World War II. Built in the United Kingdom between 1933 and 1935, she became one of Australia's most celebrated warships before her tragic loss with all hands in 1941.
Construction and Specifications
The vessel was launched on September 22, 1934, and commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy. Based in Sydney, New South Wales, she represented the peak of inter-war cruiser design.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Length | 562 ft 3" (171 meters) |
| Beam | 56 ft 8" (17.25 meters) |
| Tonnage | 6,830 tonnes |
| Power | 72,000 horsepower |
| Speed | 32.5 knots |
| Armament | 8 x 6-inch guns 4 x 4-inch guns 12 x .303 inch Lewis Guns |
| Torpedo Tubes | 8 x 21-inch (in 2 quadruple mounts) |
| Complement | 645 crew |
Mediterranean Service (1940)
In 1940, HMAS Sydney conducted a highly successful Mediterranean campaign. She sank the Italian vessels Espero and Zeffiro, participated in the Battle of Calabria on July 9, 1940, and achieved her most famous victory by sinking the Italian cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni during the Battle of Cape Spada.
Return to Australian Waters
In 1941, Sydney returned to Australian waters to patrol the Indian Ocean and escort shipping between Australia and South-East Asia. Captain J Burnett RAN assumed command on May 14, 1941.
Final Battle and Loss
On November 19, 1941, Sydney encountered the German raider HSK Kormoran, which was disguised as the Dutch freighter Straat Malakka off the Western Australian coast. The Kormoran, commanded by Theodor Detmers since July 1940, had already claimed eleven vessels: Antonis, British Union, Afric Star, Eurylochus, Agnita, Canadolite, Craftsman, Nicolaos D.L., Velebit, Mareeba and Stamatios G Embiricos.
The ensuing battle resulted in the loss of both vessels. Sydney was last seen burning from stem to stern, while Kormoran's crew scuttled their ship and survived in lifeboats. The entire crew of 645 aboard Sydney was lost, making her the largest Allied vessel lost with all hands during World War II.
Discovery and Legacy
The wrecks of both Sydney and Kormoran were finally discovered on March 15, 2008. The only trace of Sydney's crew found during the war was a single Carley float with a body aboard, which washed up on the Cocos Islands. This float is now preserved at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.