No Survivors: The Horrific Sinking of HMAS Sydney
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 มิ.ย. 2024
- In November 1941 the HMAS Sydney and HSK Kormoran engaged in a fierce gun battle that left Kormoran crippled and Sydney lost with all hands. This documentary film explores the events of that fateful day and attempts to explain how the Kriegsmarine's auxiliary cruiser Kormoran was able to engage and sink the Royal Australian Navy Leander-class light cruiser HMAS Sydney.
Sydney's 6" Gun turrets were 3D-modelled by friend and Patron of the Oceanliner Designs channel Mr Bailey Pottebaum whose brilliant work can be seen here;
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Oceanliner Designs explores the design, construction, engineering and operation of history’s great ocean liners - from Titanic to Queen Mary but not forgetting the likes of Empress of Ireland or Chusan. Join Mike Brady as he uncovers the myths, explains the timelines, logistics and deep dives into the lives of the people and ocean liner ships that we all know and love.
0:00 Introduction
0:55 War breaks out
2:58 Commerce raiders
4:30 Kormoran: The Hunter
9:21 HMAS Sydney; The Pride of Australia
16:17 The Chase
21:25 The Battle
26:36 The Loss
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▶MORE OCEANLINER DESIGNS;
Were People Trapped Inside the Titanic When it Sank?: th-cam.com/video/kQPUzX6JSDU/w-d-xo.html
5 Ship Design Fails: th-cam.com/video/QsKNWEsm4r8/w-d-xo.html
How Did They Steer the Titanic?: th-cam.com/video/CZe-exu2RBU/w-d-xo.html
What is the background music called?
I cry when the Sydney sank into the ocean
It is historically wrong at 29:12 of the footage that the shown gun of Kormoran was a 10,5 cm caliber. Kormoran did not carry guns of this caliber. Except torpedoes, light AA guns of 2 cm caliber and 2 adapted Anti tank guns of 3,7 cm caliber, Kormoran was armed with 6 SK ( rapid fire guns ) 15 cm L/ 45 c/13 in 6 single mountings. The guns were of pre WW 1 construction and came from the old pre dreadnought ship-of-the-line SMS Schlesien, a participant of the battle of jutland 1916. They had a much shorter range than sydneys 6 inch guns.There were 4 on the foredeck side by side, 2 on starboard and 2 on portside and another 2 on the afterdeck, behind each other. This installation meant that during Kormorans battle with Sydney her broadside had only 4 guns of 15 cm caliber against Sydneys 8 of 6 inch , leaving 2 guns in firelee which could not be used. Despite this Kormorans gunfire at pointblank range was way to much for the much more powerfull australian light cruiser. This was solely the fault of sydneys captain Burnett, who was responsible for the loss of his ship, the the death of his crew of 645 and the total defeat in this battle by coming carelessly way too close to Kormoran with his crew not at battlestations. It were these blunders of captain Burnett that gave Kormoran the chance to sink the cruiser. This is the only time in history of war at sea that an armed merchant cruiser sank a regular cruiser, in other cases like hms devonshire against Atlantis and hms cornwall against Pinguin, the regular cruiser sank the merchant cruiser from a distance with supreme gunfire easily, leaving the enemy ship no chance. If Burnett would have survived he would have been surely court martialed for his incompetence with the expected verdict of a dishonorably discharge from the RAN. On the contrary the radiant winner of this battle was captain detmers who desperatly used every allowed trick or stratagam to lure sydney into the range of his outdated guns knowing that this was his only chance and actually managed to sink sydney against all odds.
It is a shame that Dermers was accused of murdering swimming sydney survivors with machine gun fire by some australian writers without any evidence except anti german resentment. It was not until the discovery and exploration of both wrecks that all acusations against Detmers and his crew were proven incorrect and that his battlereport given in war captivity , especially of sydneys battledamage, was correct to the point. 0:04
That last piece of music was such a perfect choice, and the montage... it accompanies it so well! Not too short, yet not too long: Possibly the best 'remembrance video' clip I've ever seen. It struck the absolute perfect note for me.
I don't give such praise easily, or frivolously, and all I can say is... Well done, sir. You moved me 🥲
Yes
As an ex Australian Navy sailor, the Captain had a bad habit of going too close to other unknown ships. This time he payed the price with his ship and ALL the men. Yet the Australian authorities kept this quiet for years. I am one of the lucky ones who have read the whole report after HMAS Sydney was found as a military mate was part of the report which l read.
Yep. Organisations are full of b.s. Nowadays , there's a whole lot of new b.s that's gonna sink ships and kill people.
Arrogance, it’s been a wonderful thing throughout history.
Dxx
Dumas captain he is in hell if you want to no
Closing on suspicious ships was a tried tactic of most skilled and seasoned officers before, and Burnett can't obviously have the blame thrown at him.
My great uncle was lost on this ship and I remember my nan, his sister, speculating ways he might have survived. It’s horrible that the families were kept in the dark for so long after the war.
I’m so sorry.😢
My Great Uncle, Bobby Platt was also lost on this ship. Did you go to the memorial when they found it a few years ago? My parents were taken over by the RAN to lay a wreath above where it sank.
@@Nicodemus1971 7 days later and still no answer, id assume the person read this and just wont answer because the answer is not yes
My paternal grandfather was lost on the Sydney too
So very sorry! My grandpa died on the Lancastria...he was in the British military!
The worst part is knowing the captain of this ship had a letter telling him of a possible Q ship in the area telling him not to get to close to identified ships but he did it anyway and it cost everyone’s life on his ship
That is terrible, I guess he was overconfident. So many paid for his poor decision.
Yep seriously FFS they had a lightly armed ship and it's absolute weakness was close quarters against an unidentified ship. What on earth was he thinking??? Insanity.
The captain certainly wasn't a droid simply following orders to shoot all and everything from kilometers away without absolute certainty. If you act as cruel as your enemy, why even fight the enemy?
Hindsight 20/20.
@@oldrabidus2230 That does not fit in this context little buddy. Nice try to seem wise tho when you know nothing at all.
There was 1 Australian survivor of the battle that we know of who passed away in the lifeboat Able Seaman (AB) Thomas Welsby Clark, from New Farm in Brisbane, was found on Christmas Island by locals but was not reported for 60 years.
The lifeboat is in a museum in Australia.
Wow he is already identified
DNA testing confirmed his identity.
the preservation of the ships are incredibly haunting, its as if they've been preserved so well by the ocean as a warning to those that forget the horrors of war
Read about this forty years ago when I was a youngster. The tragedy of lt has stayed with me ever since,and I have read many naval histories. Why the skipper and his command allowed such indifference I will never know. I never heard such stories from any veterans of The Royal Navy in my family and there were a few. It bare's testimony that those lads gave one H - - - off an account of themselves to the very end. Still rankles with me that such a fine ship and her crew came to such a rotten end,on a par with The Hood. Probably feel it more because so many reletives served at sea.
Word choice is rather poetic, but I agree.
Well they get presered until chinese scrap haulers illegally steal all the metal from it. Imagine that, stealing from a grave site for nothing more than some money for the metal.
isnt it the complete opposite? Wont the rust be faster in salty water
@@philiprufus4427 More rotten end was HMAS Canberra who was sunk by a incompetent USA captain and it's crew.
After a British Admiral said HMAS Canberra and her crew were a insult and embarrasment to the royal navy as never fired a shot and was sunk by a japanese ship.
Years later the truth came out. no appolgy from Britain of course.
In a Book i read on German auxiliary cruisers, after a paragraph talking about the Battle it talked about a woman visiting an Australian graveyard. She had two flowers with her one for her beloved husbands grave whom she is nover gonna see again and one for the grave of a young german sailor, who died in the cities hospital after the best effort of the doctors to save him had failed. That pargraph nearly made me cry.
What's the name of the book?
Lovely story but who would know this besides her? Don't believe everything you hear
@@iwaswrongabouteveryhthing The author wrote, that German POWs remaining in australia after the war told him about it.
@@R.Lennartz It's called "Das große Abenteuer. Deutsche Hilfskreuzer 1939-45" Translated "The great adventure. German auxiliary cruisers 1939-45"
Since it's written by a German it's not entirely unbiased, but it does a good job of combining letters and personal statements of the crews and POWs, aswell as Allied and Axis books and reports on the matter.
I sadly don't think there is an english version of the book. It also has maps of each ships routes and black and white pictures the crews made, which do look very nice.
@@spyran5839 sounds like a great book. I have a copy of an english translation of Detmers' book. that one is... amazing in terms of learning what it was like to have been there. some ralyl weird stuff like how Detmers was trying to avoid the HMS Cornwall when he ran into Sydney...
Hi Mike, I had the honour to command four ships during my career , what Burnett did resulting in the loss of Sydney was unforgivable. Thank you for your great videos. Kind regards, Ian
Yes because by modern standards we can judge him.... FFS as a WSO impossible to say what they saw and knew.
@@goodshipkaraboudjan yes but he was warned that there was a possible auxiliary cruiser in the area but still continued to approach a vessel that continuously refused to properly identify itself
@@goodshipkaraboudjan Research the story and truth. this captain was known to get too close to unidentified ships. he was warned of this ship in the area and was told not to get too close also..Was complete captain error
Not as bad as American captain sinking HMAS Canberra though.
@@nedkelly9688what a shame
@nedkelly9688 "Not as bad as American captain sinking HMAS Canberra though."
If you are implying that the Canberra was accidentally sunk by friendly fire, then the following quotes disagree.
1. Ref: www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/ww2_navy/savo
"In the darkness of the early hours of the morning of 9 August 1942 the RAN heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra was severely damaged off Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands) in a surprise attack by a powerful Japanese naval force in an action that became known as the Battle of Savo Island. Canberra was hit 24 times in less than two minutes and 84 of her crew were killed including Captain Frank Getting. Following an order to abandon ship the Canberra was sunk the next day by a torpedo from a US destroyer."
2. Ref: www.navy.gov.au/history/feature-histories/battle-savo-island-loss-hmas-canberra-i
"Admiral Turner ordered that Canberra (I) be abandoned and sunk if she could not raise steam. Once all survivors had been evacuated, Selfridge fired 263 5-inch shells and four torpedoes into Canberra (I) in an attempt to sink her. Eventually a torpedo fired by the destroyer Ellet administered the final blow."
I'm American so this is the first I'm hearing about the HMS Sydney. This was a hell of a story that had me riveted. Detmer was an absolute madman.
RIP to the men of the Sydney.
HMAS Perth was her sister ship at lost at Sunda with the USS Houston, worth looking into that Battle. It's been called a "Knife fight in a phonebooth". HMAS Hobart, the third sister, had her bow blown off but a Royal Navy half sister that had been sunk was scrapped and the bow welded onto Hobart.
@@goodshipkaraboudjan i learned about that battle from.the front a few weeks ago insane how they managed to defend for that long
This is an exceptionally well-made documentary. Highlighting the crew after the sinking really drives home the devastating human toll of naval battles that are all too often depicted as ‘spectacular’ or ‘noble’. Thank you!
I once saw a British merchant marine crewman diary writing about the Murmansk run. What struck me was a depressing pages about all the dead whales he saw. Nature took a frightful beating in the oceans as well. But nobody ever talks about this aspect of war.
Except for the fact Sydney crew are wrongly portrayed wearing US Navy uniform at 12:03 and again at 15:15. A bit of carelessness in film selection.
It's the photos and yhe music he reallly spent time on the material
@@scottyfox6376 It's as big ocean. I suppose some might have been mistaken for submarines but, really, why would more than a very few whales be killed by Murmansk convoy combat? Your whining about this is both implausible and misplaced.
@@scottyfox6376l have often wondered about that .
Depth charging must have caused havoc with the marine life .... but nobody mentioned that.
My grandfather was on the Kormoran. Having spent the remainder of the war as a POW, he returned to Australia to raise a family.
Wow! What a remarkable turn of events. I find it so hard to believe that my German friends and I, if born a couple of decades earlier, would have been trying to kill one another. War is a truly horrible, horrible thing.
@@OceanlinerDesigns True. I used to struggle with Anzac Day. As a child I used to hate the day, feelings of shame,guilt and the like. I often found myself lying about who my grandfather fought for. Times have changed and I can now talk about my grandfather's experiences.
Our
T
Did he ever talk to you about Sydney?
My grandfather's brother, Alfred Horwood Shepherd, was on HMAS Sydney that fateful day
@@johngordon9387 My condolences to you.
I find it amazing that literally nobody survived from HMAS Sydney despite it remaining afloat well into the night. Not a single life raft got away. It must have been hell on earth for those still alive and she went down. RIP to her brave crew.
Read about HMS Neptune in the Mediterranean in 1941. She was mined only a few miles off Tripoli. Crew of 765. One survivor.
AB Thomas Welsby Clarke made it off the ship and probably a few others, however the currents were not with them and only AB Clark who was unknown till last year was found washed up dead on Christmas Island
It’s now known at least one life raft managed to break free from Sydney with a survivor of the battle in it who sadly didn’t survive to make landfall, a sailor by the name of Thomas Clarke. He’s since been reburied with proper military honors. He did make it home, posthumously.
BS. There was one life raft recovered. It is now in the Canberra war memorial. It happens to be the Carley float assigned to my father.
@seventytwo1001000 There were probably more bodies that washed up on indonesia and india
I was watching the first drain the oceans episode from the history channel, they told this story, but you did it a million times better, I had to stop watching drain the oceans and come back over here, the quality of your videos are unmatched, your videos are better than anything on a streaming service. Thank you!!!
Very well told and illustrated account of this horrible wartime disaster. I've read that the HSK Kormoran was laying mines and then lying-in wait for the big troopship HMT Aquitania that was due to pass through this area on the 21st of November while on her return voyage from Singapore to Sydney. Spies at Singapore had secretly notified the Kormoran about Aquitania's scheduled departure from the port on the 20th, so they could set up their trap for the liner in the waters northwest of Australia. There are two reasons this plan went afoul, the first obviously being Komoran's unexpected encounter with the Sydney on the 19th, and the second being a last-minute directive sent from the Admiralty, to increase the troop-carrying capacity on the Aquitania, and this order changed her timeline, delaying her departure from Singapore by two days. As it turned out, the Aquitania did indeed pass through the area on the 23rd, two days later than previously planned, and her lookout spotted a life raft in the water. The former Cunard liner stopped her engines and rescued about 26 members of Kormoran's surviving crew. Aquitania had a standing order to maintain wireless silence on all of her voyages, so the news of her rescue of the German survivors would be delayed in reaching Sydney, until the ship herself had actually arrived there. Have you heard anything about this part of this story?
Thanks for writing your comment with details, that are interesting.
@@steadmanuhlich6734 Thanks for your comment, I am hoping someone can fill in the story with any additional details they may know. The article I read on this event stated that the Komoran's goal was to sink the Aquitania in these waters because this area off north-western Australia was such a barren stretch of coastline with very few inhabitants at that time. Nobody knew the Komoran was even there. They planned on using mines fields to try to slow down the liner, which had a speed of nearly 24 knots. If they couldn't manage to force the Aquitania to hit a mine, and thus slow her down or possibly even stop her, the Komoran would never be able to catch her. It's a very interesting account written by a newspaperman named Jim Davies.
You are correct
In fact it was Aquitania's rescue of the Germans that the loss of Sydney first became known
Huge implications for Australia. All we had were the 4 infantry divisions overseas!
Masterfully done! I've read many accounts of the encounter; yours adds details I had not yet heard. Your graphics and photos were perfect, they illustrated and personalized the crew and ships.
Thank you for sharing the meticulous work you put into this.
@TheBellLife Shorts The "History" Channel wouldn't air it unless aliens were involved in the disappearance of the Sydney's crew.
I do agree that it is broadcast worthy, though.
@mbryson2899 "Your graphics and photos were perfect"? 12:03 and 15:15 shows Sydney crew wearing US Navy uniform. Mike could have done better with selecting film footage.
Such a sad, yet beautiful tribute to Sydney's crew. So many young, vital lives lost and futures snuffed out. War is so horrific.
A workmate Heinz Homann was on the Kormoran -- he didnt ever say very much about the incident -- he told a few stories, not much, which i forget anyhow.
He escaped during the war, & worked making charcoal in the bush -- protected by the locals -- & stayed when the war finished.
I came to Australia on the Skaugum in Nov 1949 -- a sister ship of the Kormoran i believe.
From 2D animation to 3D. Your videos just keep getting better and better. Truly a work of art.
of the ships that it sank no 1 sent a message that they were being sunk by a wolf in sheeps clothin. so no 1 was lookin out for her. ok.
@@mnpd3 Incorrect there were numerous briefings that German commerce raiders were in the area. Capt Burnett should have displayed far more wariness in this case. The inquiry into the sinking of the Sydney talks to it.
@@mnpd3 If you watched the video you would know that what you said is a complete opposite of what actually happened :)
I've never read an in-depth account of this action, which has always left me wondering at how an auxiliary cruiser so resoundingly defeated a full-fledged warship.
Now I know, thank you! Excellent!
Negligence on the part of the captain of the Sydney, the inexperience and unreadiness of the crew, as well as the Kormoran scoring some very lucky hits.
@@BHuang92 At that range, it wasn't luck.
@@BHuang92 I would say the ignorance and incompetent of the Captain.
Best telling of this tragic story I've ever heard. The ending was so moving and compellingly done that the sadness of losing those young sailors still resonates decades later.
As sad and tragic as these kinds of stories are, I really like to hear about them. All those brave sailors fighting for what they thought was right and just are at least still remembered that way.
Good work by this channel.
A respectful and immersive presentation of a profoundly sad story. Thank you Mike.
Heck, even Detmers was sad about it. Yeah, he was happy to have sunk Sydney, but he did everything he could to assist search and rescue efforts. Admittedly, that was mostly just telling them what condition the ship was and giving his best guess as to location, but he did so honestly and without hesitation.
Wonderful tribute. Thank you very much. Imperial Germany also used auxiliary cruisers in WWI. Another Kormoran rests on the bottom of Apra Harbor in Guam. She too was an auxiliary cruiser and scored some successes in combat until she was cornered by IJN and Australian warships and sought refuge in neutral Guam. In 1917 the crew of this Kormoran scuttled their ship when the USA declared war on Germany. The ship is often visited by scuba divers. Interestingly enough, the Japanese freighter Tokkai Maru was sunk in Apra Harbor by a submarine-launched torpedo that a USN sub fired over the barrier reef at high tide. At a depth of about 60 feet it is possible for a diver to extend their arms and touch two different ships sunk in two different world wars.
that sounds like an amazing place to go diving O-o'
@@marhawkman303 my grandpa was in the Navy and served in Vietnam, he always said the time he was stationed in guam was the most beautiful place he’d ever seen. We always wanted to take a trip out there with him but sadly he’s passed now.
That sums up the first half of the 20th century pretty well
The Navy knew where the wrecks were for 70 years .. because of the terrible loss of life and the incredible stupidity of the Captain who had been warned of disguised raiders .. this was too sensitive to release during the war and for the decades after ... the finding of the wrecks is a remarkable story in itself . I am in Geraldton today and will visit the memorial . From the Batavia to the Sydney , the Broome Pearl luggers and the Japanese bombing of several coastal towns , WAs history is incredible RIP the 843
Your evidence that the Navy knew where the Sydney was "for 70 years" ? And how did they know ? And how would concealing the location prevent the public from knowing that all aboard were lost ?
The loss of the Sydney was reported in scores, and possibly hundreds of Australian newspapers by the first week in December 1941. Every next of kin of the crew would have received a telegram from the Navy advising of the tragedy. How does that fit with your absurd claim of a 'cover-up'?
@@Baskerville22 the captain of the Kormoran told the navy when he was captured ., for a start ., the real reason behind the sinking was NEVER announced only that the ship was sunk ., it would have been a huge embarrassment at the time but the many members of the Kormoran told them what happened ., it is not an “absurd theory “
@@richardgodber8369 Australia was at war. Thousands of Australians were being killed in N. Africa & the Middle-East, so why would any Government be "embarrassed" about 600 sailors being killed ? Your conspiracy theory about a "cover-up" IS absurd.
For the love of God, someone please hire this man to direct/oversee/narrate programs like this. He would be a serious asset to any production company …gathering interest and teaching the descendant generations about such incredible stories. Just wow!
Thank you Mike, for this superb rendering of Sydney's story. I have read and re-read accounts of the battle, and finally there is a visual realisation. There is something inescapably haunting about this story, borne out by those final photographs. What happened to those who got off the ship, and there must have been a good few?- perhaps sharks got them, or they drifted, alone, away from the sea lanes, to become skeletons, like that harrowing chapter from The Cruel Sea.
I'm a Brit, but I have a sense that the fate of HMAS Sydney is burned into the Australian psyche, like HMS Hood is here.
Thank you. If you ever feel like turning your hand to more accounts of the sea war in the far east, they will be very welcome.
"What happened to those who got off the ship, and there must have been a good few?"
Given that the bow suddenly broke away, it is likely they were taken by surprise by that, at the same time the ship would have sunk very fast. They would not have had time to launch any life raft under those circumstances... but sure, there must have been men in the water, but how long can men in the water last?
@@mystikmind2005 It is possible, even likely, that the bow section failed suddenly, but only conjecture. The sea was calm that night. With its watertight compartments undoubtedly closed, and whatever damage control still available being put to use, the Sydney should not have foundered so catastrophically that the crew topside did not even have the chance to clear away a couple of Carley floats, which by their nature were designed for quick release. The crew should all have been wearing life preservers too, given their precarious situation.
Even if, in the confusion of sinking , the order to abandon ship never came, something should have remained floating, even if it were just wreckage, or bleached skeletons in life jackets to be discovered weeks, months later.
Just seems incredible.
Edit: but then of course a few weeks later, the Japanese had turned this stretch of ocean into hostile waters, which probably accounts for the fact that no floating remains were ever recovered. I should have thought of that before.
@@Phaaschh "The sea was calm that night" No, Have you ever been to the beach in calm weather and saw no waves? There is always a rolling swell.
And a gentle rolling swell can exert significant stresses on a hull when the ship is weighted down with water.
@@Phaaschh Three months after HMAS Sydney, a Carley float with a dead sailor on board was recovered near Christmas Island. Locals speculated that the sailor and float came from Sydney, but with no proof it was only speculation. More recently, DNA retrieved from the sailor was compared to family members of the ship's crew, and it was announced late last year that the sailorhad been identified and named as part of HMAS Sydney's crew.
@@danwincen1 wow , I didn't know that. So at last, one member of Sydney's crew could finally be laid to rest. I hope it was with all due ceremony.
RIP.
Unbelievably well made man. I didn't even know this happened and was utterly shocked to hear that Sydney was essentially too close and too late to fight.
Glad you enjoyed the tale!
You're not Australian, I take it?
I also had never heard the story of the Sydney, as an American. It is an account that everyone should know, as a reminder of the sacrifice during World War II.
Ever since this documentary came out, The HMAS SYDNEY became my favorite warship and encouraged me to learn more about warships like the Texas, Montana, Thunderer,and the hood, just to name a few. So thank you for making this documentary about her.
That's great! It is all fascinating history :)
@@OceanlinerDesigns History can be amazing to learn about
This is just so sad. My mum often spoke about this. She was a young wraaf in those days and had a very close friendship/romance with one of the sailors. Incidentally, my sister Lynn vigar was one of the technical people who helped locate the ship some years back in West Australia. Thanks for the reminder of this tragic event. 🇦🇺
From what I understand many of Sydney's veteran sailors were transferred when she returned to Australia and replaced by green sailors. I expect that crew inexperience played a major role in what happened.
Your correct in regards to the crew being assigned to other ships, the picture of all of Sydney’s crew was taken while she was in the Mediterranean, captain collins is in the centre front of the picture. Most crew were transferred to the N class destroyers such as Napier and nizam before she left the Mediterranean.
@The Road Back Home: How was the crew inexperienced since Sidney was the first to open fire? The germans were better prepaired, true, but that applies to the german army in general. Also, Sidney scored hits on the Kormoran even after she herself was already badly damaged. An inexperienced crew couldn't do what the Sidney crew achieved. The Kormoran simply was the better fighting prepared ship.
@@legioner9 you do have a point , what you said pretty sums up just how debated and heated the debate is with what happened, and the truth is that we will never know why Sydney got so close ,and what captain Burnett was thinking. In saying that.
1. There were numerous cases of British cruisers got too close to suspected enemy raiders.
2. When Hmas Canberra sank a captured German supply ship , by using its main guns from a long distance , the captain was heavily criticised for using too much ammo, among the naval
Officers involved in the inquiry was captain Burnett himself.
More food for thought , p.s I edited my answer to correct what I said
@@keiranallcott1515 Well, I've read only your edited comment anyway. It is debatable as who fired first, although it is clear that the crew from Sidney was in fact experienced. That was my point. An inexperienced crew couldn't achieve the battle performance the crew from Sidney achieved, even more so, since Sidney took far more heavy damage than Kormoran. That is my point, and it's common-sense at this point. I don't know what the guy posting the main comment was thinking ...
@@legioner9 There had to be some form of inexperience - a fully trained crew would not have gotten that close that the ships guns couldn't depress far enough. 3 to 4 thousand yards is plenty. Any closer and you're asking for trouble.
My wife’s grandfather was a petty officer on the Sydney he and an other crew member were left behind when the ship sailed and was lost. My wife’s grandfather had a accident on board which put him in hospital and the other could not make it back in time. The only two survivors.
Jesus
Ever since i first heard of the Kormoran and the Sydney ive been fascinated. The fact it had so many hidden weapons and tricks and almost made it away safely is incredible. It ripped a battleship to shreds in almost an instant. I really wonder how world war 2 wouldve went had the germans had better leadership
A light cruiser, not a battleship. Big difference.
you would have written your comment in german.
It's extremely complicated Germany and Japan once the US entered where doomed, more so once the North African campaign was lost. (Equipment was lost that was never really replaced entirely. As the heat turned up in Europe, german production went to shit.)
Almost got away safely what a load of BS it sunk not long after from badly damaged. it's survivors washed up on Australia soil.
If they had better leadership, there wouldn't have been a war.
this one hits hard, the photo of the crew and there cat has me almost crying
An excellent piece of work - BZ! You might have added the story of the one man known to have got off the Sydney alive, Leading Seaman Signaller Thomas Welsby Clark, whose decomposing body was washed ashore in a Carley float on Christmas Island some time later. His name was unknown until a couple of months ago, when he was finally identified using DNA, and was reburied with full naval honours at Geraldton cemetery. With his reburial, the Sydney’s last mystery was solved.
Thanks Richard! I wanted to discuss Thomas' story but was simply short on time and I plan on exploring it in future episodes. :)
It seems amazing that there were no survivours from Sydney, and there was I seem o remember, a rumour that the Germans massacred all the remaining crew.
RAN re-dedication ceremony th-cam.com/video/kFzo2MtXHHQ/w-d-xo.html
@@stephenobrien5909 , based on the relative locations of the two wrecks, those rumours could not have been true.
Also, have a look a the damage to the ship and the devastation that would have been caused to the boats after the hit on the Seagull, which spewed burning high octane aviation fuel all over them. It is entirely believable that none of the boats got away (in fact the remains of several are still in their davits), and that any Carley floats were lost at sea, as was the float picked up by the Centaur.
Basically, every conspiracy theory that was floated between 1942 and 2008 was debunked by the finding and photographing of the two wrecks.
@@stephenobrien5909 one theory is the bow snapping off didn't give the survivors enough time to get in the anything left of the boats and rafts.
Murphy’s law was in full effect on that day for the HMAS Sydney. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong. What a tragedy. I suspect even the crew of the German raider were just as shocked.
Murphy was not involved only a pompous career-minded Australian Captain that disobeyed standing orders and killed his crew, all of them.
@@drats1279 Exactly.
I never knew about this! I wonder how much more Axis victories have been covered up that we haven't heard of. A movie could be made about this battle.
Doesn't matter! They were decimated by Russia on the Eastern front, and Japan was obliterated by the Ultimate weapon.
Early in my sailing career, my Chief Engineer as a young man sailing on the American Texaco Tanker Connecticut was sunk and taken prisoner by the German Raider Michel in the South Atlantic. The Raider changed its operational area to the Pacific where he and the other 19 survivors were turned over to the Japanese.
He and spent the rest of the war laboring as a POW. Two of the 19 original survivors died of malnutrition.
Sure he was. Everyone has a false story.
Great documentary. Ever since i heard that they found the wrecks in 2008 I always wanted to know more. The pictures of the Kormoran always made it look like such a foreboding ship. I've watched a few of your vids, but i subscribed after watching this one. Keep it up.
Good stuff Tim, welcome aboard!
most certainly the Kormoran was a dangerous vessel
Very well done production. You did justice to the story of the Sydney and her crew.
The captain of the Kormoran obviously had balls of steel and a razor sharp mind to match them because he completely bamboozled the Australians. Very impressive.
What a humiliating and unforgivable loss!
Tom, you certainly chose the right piece of music for this - Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. Simply haunting, magical, sombre, melancholy, and heavenly all at once.
This made me remember about a gentleman I met a long time ago called Jim Lavender- a friend of my grandad's. He's long passed away now, but he was deployed on the Sydney for most of its wartime service including the Mediterranean. After coming back to Melbourne he was transferred to another new vessel, much to his annoyance. The next day, or thereabouts, the Sydney sailed for Fremantle and we all know what happened then... All his mates were on it.
I wished I appreciated the significance of meeting him at the time, but I was just a small boy. A truly warm and generous man. The debt we own those men can never be repaid.
Thanks! I was wondering what song that was
My criticism is for Churchill who chose to turn this into a Disasterous World War when it wasn't necessary in light of Hitler appealing to him to retract Britains declaration of War against Germany instead of letting it be after Dunkirk. The British were given a break there but obviously Churchill was put up to it by the Rothschild-Warburg Criminal Bankers with an Agenda that Germany only wanted Stop from coming to fruition which is their World Government which is only just around the corner now to the World's detriment as they've already all but totally destroyed Western Civilization and Churchill's insistence on War cost the British Everything and has brought the Western Governments down with her as well. Churchill and FDR betrayed not just their 2 countries but All of Western Civilization itself and I'm certain both are Burning in Hell Forever for this Zionist-Masonic Victory because Nobody else Won WW 2 but the Communist's!!
Myself as well. Thank you for identifying it!
Sometimes in warfare, the underdog wins; sometimes, David beats Goliath. There is more to combat that sheer strength and outcomes are determined by a variety of factors.
The engagement of the Kororman and Sydney exemplifies this.
While the Sydney as a ship may have been faster and better armed and armored than the Kormoran, leadership, tactics and luck prevailed for the latter (even though the Kormoran needed to be abandoned).
It appears that Burnett and crew, despite having weapons prepped, were caught completely off guard and the Kormoran's crew were prepared for engagement and aimed on hitting the cruiser's weak spots. Burnett, being aware and patrolling for auxiliary cruisers, was under orders not to approach unidentified ships; he should hae known better but for unknown reasons broke protocol. I do not think Burnett would have gotten as close as he did he thought the ship could have been an actual raider. Detmers played on deception and was able to trick Burnett into getting close to the point he had forfeited the ship's advantages in heavy armor and long-range weaponry.
It also appears that the Sydney's guns also were not properly sighted, and the first salvos that could have severely damaged the Kormoran (perhaps putting it out of commission) missed. Thus, Koroman was able to deliver death blows to the ships command and fire control capabilities before Sydney could respond. Ultimately, while the Kororman suffered serious and ultimately fatal damage, they were still able to cripple the Sydney to the extent they were able to put out most of its weapons out of commission, thus allowing the Kororman to endure and eventually escape. In this sense, the Koroman "had the faster draw"
The Sydney should have prevailed, with this resulting in a successful interception based on superior firepower and range. Unfortunately Burnett made serious mistakes by approaching an unknown and potentially very dangerous ship unprepared. Command matters, and in this case Burnett screwed up and it resulted in the loss of his life, crew, and ship.
If there were any survivors of the Sydney, the captain would've been court martialed for negligence........
@@BHuang92 Speaking of which, it's truly tragic that none out of the 645 survived. It makes me wonder if the entire crew had perished from their wounds and in the raging fires long before the ship itself went under.
@@enpakeksi765 I doubt that I'd be surprised if half the crew was killed but surely even if 40% of the crew was knocked out you'd think that but still be enough men in order to try and save the ship they most likely fought on into the night trying to save the vessel the torpedo hit combined with the fires and the destruction of the number one and number two turret probably made that whole area uninhabitable they probably couldn't even get to the damage section of the ship in order to stop the flooding they most likely went down trying to save it instead of themselves
The Aussie who blinked first.
The Kororman blew up later about 70 crew were killed poss more - they didn't win exactly.
A fantastic documentary and insight into a piece of Australian and maritime history. Loved the deep dive into the service history of each vessel, as well as the cultural and military relevance leading up to the fateful day. The work you put into this is amazing, and I am truly grateful to your time and skills.
Thanks so much for watching!
Born in Sydney and familiar with many landmarks in the photos, that is the best documentary i have seen regarding the loss of the Sydney. We had another mighty naval vessel almost sunk by it's own destroyer but that is another story.
Very clutch move by the Kriegsmarine, definitely one of their more impressive exploits.
The u boat war , was second to none
victory and loses. but a hell of a war
excellent comander Komoran, hmmm
Mike, what a tragic story beautifully and magnificently told. I'm not ashamed to admit I was almost in tears at the end. What a great illustration of the saying "No-one really wins a war, some just lose more than others."
I hate to "Monday-morning quarterback," but I'd suspect Syndey's captain got caught with his pants down because there he was, a new captain on his first command who was probably more concerned with doing the wrong thing, in this case shooting up a friendly, than he was in doing the right thing which would have been being instantly ready to blow a potential hostile out of the water.
He could've send a recon plane to search the Kormoran from the distance and should raise the alarm for the crew to be alert and man their battlestations but the captain neglected every advantage the Sydney has and allow the Kormoran to prepare for their single tactical advantage to score some very lucky hits.
@@BHuang92 Kormoran scored multiple hits on the Sidney, basically almost every shot fired, it also deployed torpedoes which hit Sidney. The Kormoran simply had better fighting ability. So no, you are not right about the "lucky hits". It amazes me that to this day there are people who still are butthurt that the germans defeated the brittish in direct battle. Remember that Germany lost the war because it had to fight all other worlds super powers, but 1 vs 1 in almost all battles it was the winner, and many times it had to just retreat because of lack of equipment and soldiers.
@@BHuang92 It might have interesting to have heard the interplay on the bridge of HMAS Sydney between the ineperienced captain and the (presumeably) more experienced XO and gunnery officer when they made the approach to Kormoran.
@@BHuang92 There was very little luck involved in Kormoran's shooting. The whole point of Detmers ruse was to lure the Sydney in close enough that his gunners could hit their targets quickly and decisively, before the Sydney could respond. At a range of only a few hundred metres, the Kormoran's heavy guns taking out the forward turrets and the 37mm gun raking the bridge were near certainties - not lucky hits. Where Kormoran was lucky was Sydney's inexperienced captain falling for their ruse in the first place.
@@legioner9 Mate, the ship is called the HMAS SYDNEY, so show them the respect by getting the name right from the start, SYDNEY… SYDNEY….. SYDNEY…… sure you’ll remember that now? And it was manned by Australian crew, another fact you keep ballsing up in your Eddie the Expert commentary.
Burnett got it all wrong.. the plane should have done the flyovers and as soon as they did not meet the challenges correctly he should have taken defensive action from distance. All crew should have been at battle stations as a given. The SYDNEY should have been at distance where her fully depressed guns would still be able to hit the enemy. Another bad mistake by Burnett. The man was too inexperienced in hindsight and was one of the major causes of the loss of 645 men.
“”Germany lost the war because it had too fight all the other superpowers !! 1v1 it was always the winner??? “”
Hmmm!!! Let’s see now?? Occupies Western Europe, unprovoked attack on Poland, not a modern army, France - hahaha all talk and hot air - and with a traitorous Vichy element - dogs!! And brave Netherlands, Norway, Denmark.. but not that small island across the water from France.. then you decide to back door the Russians - another great move by Germany- arrogance and stupidity to fight on 2 opposing fronts.
I’m trying to think what happened when all the great empires of the world tried to do that?? Not often because it’s suicide. So dial down the Germany is so great routine pal and stick to the right facts.
Battle of Britain (RAF) - lost, Battle of Alamein (8th Army)- lost, Kursk, Stalingrad - lost - actually the whole Eastern Front was v 1 Nation. Bismarck - lost to the RN, Scharnhorst - lost to the RN, Tirpitz, sunk by 617 Sqn. They had brilliant individual military commanders but the country was led by an imbecile who was also a thug & nut job
This is a gross act of incompetence on the part of the Captain. Like a lot of things back home it was wallpapered by a Government commission. Going up close to an unidentified ship is the act of a fool not the captain of a cruiser. He handed a death sentence to every member of his crew.
The reality that many refused to face, for over half a century, is that Australia simply did not have a functioning navy during WW2. The "Pride of the Fleet" was a poorly armed, unarmoured, LIGHT Cruiser, that was already obsolete when she was built.
The Leanders were designed in the 1920's, and were designed for long-range patrols, not to act as "warships". With the changing face of Naval warfare, they were already obsolete when built, which is why the Royal Navy disposed of them.
In Contrast, Commerce Raiders were notoriously heavily armed. They were not manoeuvrable, nor could they engage in a running sea-battle. But carried a lot of guns (in broadside configuration) and were extremely effective at close range. It is to Sydney's enduring credit that even though surprised and overwhelmed, her crew inflicted substantial damage on the Kormoran.
The other issue that nobody wants to confront, is the possibility of incompetence by Burnett.
There is no doubt that the Kormoran used subterfuge. She was in disguise and that is how Commerce Raiders operated. BUt the simple fact remains that Sydney should not have been so close, no matter what subterfuge was used.
Unfortunately this probably stems from the residual British influence at the time, whereby Officers expected all other Captains to abide by traditional "Rules of Engagement."
Well written and expressed
What an amazing video.
I personally think this should be on television. It's that good.
The animation. The storytelling. All of it. I'm speechless.
What a tragic tale. What an excellent telling.
Superb job, Mike.
well, you are very easy to impress. no wonder we are going to get extinct ...
From what I can see all the blame is on the Captain of the Sydney for not having the crew on high alert also for the multiple mistakes he made, terrible loss.
It is hard to believe no one got out alive from the Sydney. Even ships like the Hood, Yamato and Bismark had a few survivors. The ship burned half the night afloat. They had time to get into the life jacket if nothing else.
it was far out on the sea, most liferafts was likely destroyed during the battle, and the search for Sydney started only several days after, as no distress call was sent.
they hardly even knew were to search....
Those where big ships with large crews. More chances that some won the lottery of survival.
A huge number of crew was reportedly on deck during the closing and killed by the light AA fire. Its probably a contibuting factor why she sank. Its a good chance 50% of the died before the battle was over.
Also something your forgetting. Every single ship listed had other ships present to perform rescue efforts. All of those survivors where from people pulled from the water. Sydney may have had sailors get into the water to only drown/die of exposure.
Because the radio room was likely destroyed no distress signal was sent and there was no rescue attempt.
Australians didn't know about the sinking of Sidney until they captured first German lifeboats. That was 4 days after the battle.
This channel is amazing. My grandfather was lucky he didn't die on the Holmglen in 1959 From memory it sunk off the north island of Nz, no one lived from memory. He missed getting to the union office because of my aunty who had only been born in 58, so someone else got the job and unfortunately, it was their last. He was a cook on ships his whole working life and had some great stories ( some I'm sure he played up haha ) but those stories would draw me in as a little boy and sparked an interest in ships.
Yeah, your grandfather is immortal.
Im currently binging your catalogue of videos, and being from Sydney, I knew loosely about this ship but you have taught me more than I ever have learned through my schooling years. The blatant disregard of the Sydney Captain for clear rules not to approach is unforgivable. So many of our men were lost for something so preventable. Fantastic video but I must applaud your team for the improvements on the newer videos. Its amazing to see how well polished each video is!
I've watched a number of your uploads, but this, was your best. A lot of detail, explanation and story precision telling of a proud Australian ship missing for many, many decades.
Man! That was informative, classy and really reflects the 'hole' we Australians feel in the country's pysche from the loss of our Aussie lads 80 years ago! Great work mate!
I LOVE the perfectly preserved markins in the german gun. Looks like it's been underwater for like, maybe a year or two
My Uncle Sam enlisted in the Australian Navy and was assigned to HMAS Sydney. He was about 18 (born 1921). However he caught Rheumatic Fever and was removed from the ship to hospital. He was too ill to rejoin the ship when it sailed off to the Indian Ocean. He was also invalided out of the navy so he survived the war and lived until 2005. He died of a series of strokes which were the result of the damage to his heart caused by Rheumatic Fever.
the 3d animations in this one were awesome. it's really immersive to watch the battle play out right in front of me as you narrate it.
also, the wrecks of both ships are in incredible condition, especially for their depth
You must have done some further research because I commented about the depths Not being mentioned here having mentioned them being discovered and a couple of photos shown but no other info in that regard and was scrolling the comments to see if anyone had such details. I'll see about finding that information myself. I also find it odd there was not even one survivor of the Sydney being it took hours or so to sink and not instantly.
@@constitution_8939 they're supposedly 2500 meters deep
@@constitution_8939 My guess? The Crew of Sydney had no reason to abandon ship until the bow detached, and at that point they have only a few minutes. I suspect most of those who hadn't died in the firefight died trying to save their ship. If they'd known a sudden catastrophic failure was coming they'd have probably abandoned ship much like Detmers ordered.
@@marhawkman303 The fires would have assured a Much earlier departure, No chances would have been taken.
@@constitution_8939 how can you be sure of that though? Yes, the fires were a severe problem, but... if you can save the ship that's far better than jumping overboard. miles from land.
Mike your narration is top-notch, it's a big part of the story. The freedoms we have today had a high price, let's not lose sight of that or they may vanish before our eyes. Thanks for your time and hard work.....
My grandfather was part of the crew on the troop transport and supply ship SS Zealandia. Zealandia was thought to be the last ship to see HMAS Sydney in tact. In February '42 the Zealandia was sunk in Darwin Harbour during the first Japanese air attack.
How hollywood havent made a movie about this is beyond me
In depth research rewarded. I well remember attending The Shrine in Melbourne. There on the grass for all to see we’re laid out small white crosses. Each cross representing an officer and sailor lost when HMAS Sydney sank. Lest we forget 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
Lest we forget
Being from her namesake city, HMAS Sydney (D48) had a lot to live up to. In WWI, her Chatham-class ancestor famously destroyed the German light cruiser SMS Emdem (the Dresden-class one), marking Australia's first ever wartime victory in battle. During peacetime, Sydney (D48) passed by Sydney I's main mast and her defeating RN Bartolomeo Colleoni showed she was can hold that honour of her WWI ancestor. While her loss was a huge blow in moral for Australia, it was clear HMAS Sydney, no matter what state she was in, will never let her enemy return home.
hi, thanks for taking the time to make this video. WW2 is an endlessly fascinating subject matter and having people out there willing to bring less known incidents like this to light makes me extremely grateful! I loved the vid. Happy new year :)
Incredible story.
One that I have heard 50 times or more….
This one…Yours…is By Far the finest telling of this whole event.
Thank you, ever so much for making this.
Well done.
Well done indeed.
😔
Really an amazing story and just told beautifully. Well done.
Thanks so much, Gravscool!
I have seen other documentary videos about the Sydney battle.
This is the best I have seen. Well done Oceanliner Designs!
This is nicely narrated, illustrated, and respectful. (subscribed because of this video).
Keep up the good work.
I can’t imagine the sheer terror that the crew were subjected to. I can’t believe nobody survived!
Great vid Ocealiner Designs. RIP to the fallen on both sides and condolences to their families.
The animations are so good, the animations are so detailed. These videos are getting so much better everytime!
Now that the WWII version of the Sydney has been spoken about, I think it's time we explore the fight between the WWI Sydney and the famous German raider Emden!
I would love to see that video.
yes let`s forget this small unimportant incident and remember only the glorious victories over terrible german small cruisers
@@michaelpielorz9283 I can't tell if this is sarcasm or not, but let's talk about Emden more for sure!
Military incompetence again. Why the hell they never launched that floatplane at a minimum??
@@michaelpielorz9283 Emden's captain and crew were respected for their honor, they went into that fight knowing it was do or die as naval tradition demanded.
More than a coincidence too.
Both Sydney cruisers engaged in combat with German raiders, about only 2000km from each other , almost the exact date (by ten days), 27 years later.
I remember having read in some of the Kormoran’s men accounts, about these coincidences, mentioned among Detmers and the ship’s doctor, still on route to lay mines, when in few days or hours the alarm raised aboard.
Fantastic documentary. Tragic subject but important to tell stories like this. So many sailors perished during the war.
This is the best recounting of this story I have seen. So refreshing. Excellent documentary film making.
Mike, fantastic video. Thank you for creating this memorial to the crew of Sydney.
Wow. Your content has seriously accelerated since I started watching just a few months ago. This was great work. Keep them coming!
A very moving touch to include the funeral music from Master and Commander over the montage of crew pictures and the sinking ship. Brought a tear to this Aussie's eye.
Whist being utterly tragic; these videos are fascinating!
With your familiar and illustrative story telling methodology, it’s a a thoroughly enjoyable viewing experience.
Personally I’d love to see more war time videos like this.
I've known about it after reading memoirs of Australian WWII naval officers but have not seen any documentary so far. Great job detailing both ships and the choice of Master and Commander's OST is dead on the spot.. Kudos, thank you.
Thanks so much!
Incredible job with this video. From the narration to the animation everything was great. Keep up the great work!
This happened NW off the coast of my hometown. About 3 weeks before the incident HMAS Sydney II visited my hometown.
There's an impressively large memorial perched high on the landscape, close to town, honouring HMAS Sydney II along with her crew, and also the HSK Kormoran.
I was in the Australian Navy and living 9 min away from the memorial site is a blessing.
Well said. The memorial is a fitting one to honor those who served their nations. Now allies, AU and FRG, the hurt of past wars haunts us who honor those who lost their lives. I am an American and Aussie. I also am a US Veteran. Pray for peace and freedom.
The graphic illustration and narration are of the highest calibre. Great documentary. More like this please.
Excellent video, with great attention to detail between what is known, what can be reasonably speculated upon by survivor's accounts, and what will always be a mystery.
Thank you
Great account of a devastating battle.
Since the finding of the wrecks, Burnett's decision too close to such distances is one of the few the remaining questions.
I believe an answer lies in another engagement a few months earlier.
In February 1941, Burnett was responsible for undertaking a review of HMAS Canberra's engagement with two merchant ships responsible fo resupplying German raiders, the Coburg and the captured Norwegian Ketty Brovig. Both ships were scuttled after Canberra had given chase and expended 215 shells.
Burnett was scathing of his assessment of Canberra's captain for the wasteful expenditure of ammunition and concluded that Canberra should have closed the range and could have captured the vessels.
I suspect this assessment was still ringing in his own ears as he approached Kormoran.
The other question is why the Walrus was not launched, albeit some claim that it was getting late in the day and that a swell was building. Both explanations don't appear to be credible.
Thanks again for a great video.
That battle sequence is brilliant and this is an excellent video on a forgotten piece of history, I've never heard of this despite living in Australia all my life.
German sailors statements, after interrogation by Australian authorities, especially that of Kpt. Detmers, even though taken into question for decades, showed to be precise and confirmed after the detection and research on the wracks of Sydney and Kormoran. Nice visualization done!
👍
Man, that was well done (as always). I had no idea there were basically privateers during WWI and WWII! And I’d often wondered exactly what Australia did during the war. I knew y’all were involved, I just never knew how. I’d never heard of the Sydney before. I really enjoyed learning about her, even if her end was tragic. Fantasia playing with the ship’s death rattles was really well done. You really made me feel for the crew on board. What a tragic end for them all.
It was a world War! Every country was involved.
This was so sad...R.I.P To all the men on the HMS Sydney..you guys did well and made your nation proud
.🇦🇺🇦🇺😔💔😭
Thank you, I had no idea about this battle. Hidden gem. Keep it up, great quality videos from you.
Incredible as always Mike. Thank you!
damn that was tragic. brilliant video, really did the ships and their crews justice i think
To me, the story of the Komoran v Sydney is one of the true sad tales never told enough--along with the Goya, Edsall/Pillsbury/Asheville, the Chokai, and the many other mass-casualty merchant sinking's. Thankfully after many years that is being rectified, with the likes of Taffy 3, Battle of Sunda Strait, and the Wilhelm Gustloff being covered by several big channels recently, and it gives me joy that one day all of these stories will finally be told, before it is forgotten. Unfortunately, we do not have much time, as wreck thieves and decades of wear and tear is taking its toll on these wrecks, and documents become harder and harder to find. I understood why the Hood and Musashi had so few survivors and why others were cases of ignoring survivors, but the fact that it took hours for the ship to finally sink and yet there still no survivors other than one rumored dead body found in a life ring was always mind boggling. In Marine Archaeology life, we say that the longer the ship stays afloat, the more people will live no matter the seriousness (engineering that was protected could make it to top deck, other areas of the ship could be evacuated that normally always aren't due to flooding,etc.), and this just isn't the case with Sydney. This why WW2 fascinates us, because what should happen doesn't, last stands, and general story lines. Thanks for covering it for a new audience.
There wasn't much crew left after the Kormoran kept raking the decks of the Sydney with gunfire at point blank range. Perhaps the auxially engine of the Sydney kept this ship under way until the bow fell apart. Immediately after which the Sydney would have sank under a minute, taking the few remaining crew with her.
Wow, you really hit it out of the park on this one bud. I was deeply impressed by this video. The animations were outstanding. Such a sad sad story of a heroic ship.
May they Rest In Peace, all who where lost on both sides
Very well made, I remember giving the illustrated book to my father a few years back after they had found the wrecks of both ships.
This was very well done!
It DOES seem odd that only one sailor was known to have survived the sinking; the remaining crew had adequate time to jump overboard after it became obvious the Sydney was irretrievably sinking. Such a sad tale.
The ship was so badly shot up with penetrating hits killing soldiers and blocking exit paths as well as machine guns destroying the Carley Floats. The Kormoran also took out the command structure at the bridge early on so there may not have even been an abandon ship call made. One Carley float retrieved at sea was horribly shot up. www.awm.gov.au/collection/C270980
Straight into the shark’s mouth. My uncle Jacky Trenbath was aboard the Sydney.
When soldiers have such a strong commitment to saving the ship, this is appropriate.
@@jasonwinthrop6235 The Germans, apparently, wanted to make absolutely sure nobody on Sydney survived. Makes a certain amount of psychopathic sense given that they probably wouldn't be back in port for months. Wouldn't be surprised if they had intended to machine-gun the water after Sydney's loss, had Kormoran not been out of control herself.
@@katherineberger6329Psychopathic...? They desperately tried to eliminate any threat to get shot to pieces by an actual WARSHIP with immense firepower! That has nothing to do with malice.
Wow! Your work is amazing! I love the history, the details, and your professionalism. Great job!
A movie needs to be made of this
Excellent video and very respectful of all who died. 🕯 for all those lost.
Complacency can be the harbinger of doom in so many fields - but who realistically would have thought a Commerce Raider would have been that deadly : the crew must have been incredibly well trained and organised with luck on their side.
Best one so far Mike. Awesome job