"Sydney vs. Kormoran revisited" Topic

Says here that HMAS Sydney ignored intelligence in letting his guard down:

link

iirc the Captain was new and was believed to be trying to assert his authority by overruling any advice from the 2-i-c.
(even sensible advice)

It's the only sensible conclusion. The German survivors had no reason to lie.

The Captain was also in possession of warnings from the Admiralty about two other incidents. His approach was completely against the instructions issued to all ships.

I've never really understood why the loss of Sydney had such a huge and lasting significance for Australia. It was a big war, lots of bad things happened, lots of Australians lost their lives in the cause. Why did Sydney become so emblematic?
-Kle.

Because the WW1 Sydney sank the cruiser Emden, then in early WW2 the newer Sydney sank the Bartolmeo Colleoni and chased off its sister ship. She also performed valuable service before returning to Australia.

This made the ship famous. She was also lost with all hands in what was seen as a great mystery by people at the time, who refused to accept that a ship fo her fame could be sunk by a mere armed merchant ship. Being lost with all hands, she was also the worst ever Australian war loss at sea.

The story given by the Germans was disbelieved and for years it was stated that the only known raft picked up from her was riddled with machinegun bullets. Therefore the story went around that the Germans had machine gunned the survivors.

Later it was proved that the raft showed signs of shrapnel damage, not machineguns. But like all conspiracy things the story grew and there were some rather silly books and newspaper articles written.

I was contacted a couple of decades ago and then corresponded with one of the groups pushing some of the conspiracy theories. Really….some of it was just so silly and in my opinion just could not accept that sometimes in life and war, crap happens! People make mistakes. Things go wrong.

Eventually the above group ceased correspondence with me because I steadfastly refused to believe in Japanese submarines sinking her, and various other crazy ideas. Australia is not really a country where conspiracy theories take root very often. But this one was persistent despite interview after interview with German survivors who assured everyone that the the had told the correct story.

I'm glad that at last, the whole thing has been resolved and all the stupid theories can be discounted for ever.

Well said Mal.

I'm pleased that Aussies take the same view as Brits on conspiracy theories and that proper historical research outweighs folklore.

Yes, thanks for the explanation Mal. I've always been curious. I think every country has its share of 'folklore lovers.' But it's always interesting to speculate about why certain things take root in specific cultures…and how their significance waxes, wanes and morphs over time.

Also the Kormaran Vs Sydney was one of the very few occasions in naval warfare when both ships managed to sink each other and also was the only time that an armed raider managed to sink a warship….As for machine gunning survivours I think the Kormarans crew had enough to deal with after sydney sank!!!

I think the Kormarans crew had enough to deal with after sydney sank!!!

They sure did. Especially as they sank first!

It amazed me as to how many wild and fanciful stories managed to see the light of day and have people actually take them seriously.

A note to 6pounder:

Not every country has it's history infested with 'folklore'.

In my opinion this is mainly a US thing.

Wingnut,

I'd call that observation myopic at best and utterly prejudiced at worst…or simply laughable.

All the best,
- 6pounder

6pdr.
I'll settle for prejudiced until proved otherwise.