A Forensic Analysis of the Wreck of HMAS Sydney IISetting the Scene

摘要

Shortly after the discovery by the Finding Sydney Foundation of the wrecks of HMASSydney and HSK Kormoran off the coast of Western Australia the Chief of the DefenceForce, ACM A. G. Houston AC AFC, established a Commission of Inquiry to inquire intoand report on the circumstances associated with the loss of HMAS Sydney on 19 November1941 after her encounter with the German raider Kormoran. In May 2008 the Commission appointed the Defence Science and Technology Organisationin collaboration with the Australian Division of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects toprovide expert advice and opinion on a wide range of technical issues relating to the shipsand their loss and to determine the most likely cause for the loss of HMAS Sydney with allher ship's company. HMAS Sydney was a Modified Leander-class light cruiser, one of three designed by theAdmiralty for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s. Laid down as Phaeton, she was launched asSydney and commissioned as HMAS Sydney on 24 September 1935. To aid the forensicanalysis of the wreck of the ship the study team had as evidence many excellent photographsand video of the wreck taken by David Mearns. In setting the scene for the analysis of thismaterial the paper describes the challenges faced by the Commission, DSTO and RINA infinding primary source material relating to the design and construction of Sydney. The paper outlines the design origin of the Modified Leander-class cruisers and provides adescription of HMAS Sydney as she was in November 1941.