WE REMEMBER THEM

November 2016 carried with it a stark reminder of the sacrifices made by Navy during the Second World War. It marked 75 years since the loss of both HMAS Sydney with all hands off the Western Australian coast, and HMAS Parramatta and 138 crew in the Mediterranean.

On 19 November 1941 HMAS Sydney (II) fell prey to the German auxiliary cruiser HSK Kormoran, a converted freighter with a well-concealed assortment of guns, mines and torpedoes. Kormoran was designed by the German Navy to engage lone ships that would have little idea the seemingly harmless merchant was in fact a potent raider.

Speculation as to how Kormoran was able entice the more powerful Sydney into range has led to countless conspiracy theories, accusations and scuttlebutt.  But close she did, and enough so to allow Kormoran the tactical advantage. Sydney was fatally damaged but able to maintain fire enough to ensure Kormoran would join her on the sea’s floor. Sydney went down with all hands – 645 men. Kormoran too sank but of her complement of 397, 317 survived and were rescued. Thus the only account Australia’s worst naval disaster is provided by those who inflicted it. 

In 2008 the Australian Government announced that the wreckage of both HMAS Sydney and HSK Kormoran were found within 12 nautical miles of each other about 112 nautical miles off Steep Point, Western Australia. Kormoran lying at a depth of 2,560 metres, while Sydney sits at 2,470 metres.

On November 27 1941, only eight days after Sydney’s loss, the Grimsby Class sloop, HMAS Parramatta (II) was also lost to the German Navy. Parramatta was escorting a convoy to bring desperately needed ammunition and other supplies to the Allied garrison at Tobruk.  She was hit by a torpedo from the German submarine U559. The torpedo ignited Parramatta’s magazine and the 266 foot sloop quickly went down, taking with her 138 men of her complement of 162.  Parramatta was one of 23 ships lost on that resupply route during the war.

The names of these ships and the memory of the men who served and died 75 years ago will live on in all who serve at sea.