Wreckage of HMAS Sydney located: Rudd |
The wreckage of HMAS Sydney, sunk off the West Australian coast during World War II, has been found, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced.
Mr Rudd said that the wreckage, sunk by the German raider Kormoran in November 1941, was found on Sunday.
The wreckage of Kormoran was found on Saturday.
The Sydneys entire crew of 645 went down with the ship in the Indian Ocean in November, 1941, and its location has been a mystery for more than 66 years.
It was announced on Sunday that the wreckage of the German merchant raider Kormoran - which is believed to have sunk the Australian warship - was found in waters about 800 kilometres north of Perth.
Mr Rudd said the Sydney was located on Sunday, about 22 kilometres from the Kormoran.
"Im advised that the HMAS Sydney was found some 12 nautical miles from the Kormoran, some eight nautical miles from the scene of the principal battle site and at a depth of some 2,470 metres,"Mr Rudd told reporters in Canberra.
Mr Rudd said the hull has been found largely intact.
Mr Rudd said the federal government hoped the find would bring some closure for the families of the 645 sailors who went down with the ship.
He said the Australian Defence Force would be communicating with family members.
"They will be using their own communications systems to make sure that the surviving family members of the crew of HMAS Sydney are informed of this discovery as soon as is practically possible,"the prime minister said.
Mr Rudd said the occasion was a day which began a process of closure for many families of the crew of the Sydney.
"Its also time for the nation to reflect on the bravery of all of those who gave their lives in defence of their country in this particularly bloody and brutal engagement,"he said.
Mr Rudd also confirmed Environment Minister Peter Garrett was in the process of issuing an interim protection declaration in relation to both the Sydney and the Kormoran.
"The environment minister will be issuing a full statement a bit later in the day, but Im advised it provides immediate and early protection of the sites against any unauthorised intrusion,"he said.
Meanwhile, the wreckage of the HMAS Sydney should be left in its place as a war grave so the 645 sailors who died on the warship can rest in peace, Nationals MP Bruce Scott says.
"This will certainly be great news for those families who have never really been able to close the chapter on the lives of those who lost their lives on HMAS Sydney,"Mr Scott told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
But Mr Scott said the warship should be left where it is.
"It should forever be a war grave.
"I think we will know its location, but it should be left with all on board to rest in peace."
The same should happen with the Kormoran, he said.
Mr Scott said he was not sure the site should be marked in any way.
"Im sure we could put a buoy marker but I think once you start to mark it you will find some people breaching the code of ethics."
Opposition frontbencher Tony Abbott said the wreckage should not be salvaged.
"I instinctively wouldnt like the site disturbed,"Mr Abbott told reporters in Canberra.
"Its good to know that we have the final resting place, it seems."
Mr Abbott said the find was "terrific"news.
"I guess its good that all of the anxiety which so many people have felt for so many years has now been resolved in this way."
Liberal MP Dennis Jensen also said the remains of the Sydney should be left where they are found.
"I think that, probably, the best thing to do would be to leave it as a permanent memorial,"he told reporters.
"I think there shouldnt be salvage of whats, effectively, a memorial with peoples remains."
Mr Jensen said he was not surprised the search ship had found the wreckage so soon after the latest search operation was launched.
"The technology with site-scan sonar these days is very sophisticated.
"So, in a way, its not a surprise, given they had a very good idea, obviously, of where the wreck was located."
Liberal MP Stuart Robert said the find was "tremendous".
"One of the great unresolved mysteries from the Second World War for the Australian Navy - I think its tremendous,"Mr Robert told reporters in
Canberra.
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