The faces of many of the 645 servicemen who died in Australia’s
greatest naval tragedy feature on a special poster produced
to commemorate the finding of the HMAS Sydney, the Minister
for Veterans’ Affairs, Alan Griffin, said today.
More than 30,000 copies of the poster have been sent to primary
and high schools as well as ex-service organisations, aged
care facilities and government agencies.
“The striking image on the poster shows
men crowded on the deck after the successful action against
the Italian Cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni on 19 July 1940. It
is this image, and our knowledge of the fate awaiting many
of them, that brings sadness to our remembrance of this disaster,”
Mr Griffin said. “The sinking of the Sydney and the loss
of all her crew in the Second World War is the single greatest
naval tragedy Australia has experienced in Australian waters.”
Mr Griffin will speak at the HMAS Sydney commemorative service
at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne tomorrow and lay
a wreath.
For more than six decades the location of
the Sydney had remained a mystery until the wreckages of both
HMAS Sydney and the German Armed Merchant Cruiser Kormoran
were discovered around 112 nautical miles off Steep Point,
Western Australia. Kormoran is lying at a depth of 2560 metres
while the Sydney, around 12 nautical miles away, is at 2470
metres.
On 19 November 1941, while returning from
convoy duty in Java, HMAS Sydney was engaged by the Kormoran
130 miles off the West Australian coastline. It is believed
the Kormoran, posing as an unarmed Dutch merchantman, avoided
replying to HMAS Sydney’s requests for identification
before opening fire. The Sydney was severely damaged. Returning
fire, Sydney damaged the Kormoran forcing its crew to abandon
ship. Survivors of the Kormoran reported the Australian ship
was last seen heavily on fire.