Australia honors sailors lost in WWII sea battle
1:00 AM
Posted: Wednesday, November 19, 2008
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Tearful relatives of sailors lost in a World War II sea battle threw flowers into the sea on Wednesday as Australia marked the 67th anniversary of the sinking of the HMAS Sydney -- the first since the ship was found on the ocean floor after decades of mystery.
The sinking of the Sydney on Nov. 19, 1941, stunned Australia -- it was one of the nation's greatest maritime losses -- and the government banned all media from reporting the news for 12 days as it scrambled to explain what happened.
The wrecks of the Royal Australian Navy light cruiser and the German ship that sank it were only discovered last March.
On the sea above the wreck site on Wednesday, nearly 300 relatives of the lost men threw wreaths, tokens, plaques and other mementos into the sea from aboard the HMAS Manoora, according to Cmdr. Paul Mandziy, the Manoora's captain.
Navy buglers played "Last Post" as the white navy flag was lowered to half-staff at war memorial sites across the country.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd led a ceremony at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, the capital, telling guests that Australia is a greater nation because of the sacrifice of these 645 men.
"What finally would the warriors of Sydney say to us today, at this the dawn of our Pacific century? I believe they would also say this: Be warriors for peace," Rudd said.
At a ceremony in Sydney, a tearful Janet Cartwright, whose uncle was lost on the ship, lay a wreath at a memorial cenotaph. "I can remember him quite clearly, and this is such an honor."
In November 1941, the Sydney engaged in battle with the HSK Kormoran off the coast of Western Australia state. Both vessels sank. All on board the Sydney went down with the ship, with the possible exception of one unknown sailor who washed ashore a few months later. The 317 survivors of the 397 aboard Kormoran gave the only eyewitness accounts to what happened.
Attempts to locate the ships were fruitless until last March, when a government-funded research team using the latest sonar technology found the hulk of the Sydney almost 2 miles (2.5 kilometers) deep. The Kormoran was found 14 miles (23 kilometers) away. Scientists hope video footage of the wreck will provide clues to its final moments, including why there was apparently not an organized effort to abandon the ship.
The sinking of the Sydney on Nov. 19, 1941, stunned Australia -- it was one of the nation's greatest maritime losses -- and the government banned all media from reporting the news for 12 days as it scrambled to explain what happened.
The wrecks of the Royal Australian Navy light cruiser and the German ship that sank it were only discovered last March.
On the sea above the wreck site on Wednesday, nearly 300 relatives of the lost men threw wreaths, tokens, plaques and other mementos into the sea from aboard the HMAS Manoora, according to Cmdr. Paul Mandziy, the Manoora's captain.
Navy buglers played "Last Post" as the white navy flag was lowered to half-staff at war memorial sites across the country.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd led a ceremony at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, the capital, telling guests that Australia is a greater nation because of the sacrifice of these 645 men.
"What finally would the warriors of Sydney say to us today, at this the dawn of our Pacific century? I believe they would also say this: Be warriors for peace," Rudd said.
At a ceremony in Sydney, a tearful Janet Cartwright, whose uncle was lost on the ship, lay a wreath at a memorial cenotaph. "I can remember him quite clearly, and this is such an honor."
In November 1941, the Sydney engaged in battle with the HSK Kormoran off the coast of Western Australia state. Both vessels sank. All on board the Sydney went down with the ship, with the possible exception of one unknown sailor who washed ashore a few months later. The 317 survivors of the 397 aboard Kormoran gave the only eyewitness accounts to what happened.
Attempts to locate the ships were fruitless until last March, when a government-funded research team using the latest sonar technology found the hulk of the Sydney almost 2 miles (2.5 kilometers) deep. The Kormoran was found 14 miles (23 kilometers) away. Scientists hope video footage of the wreck will provide clues to its final moments, including why there was apparently not an organized effort to abandon the ship.
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