Loss of the HMAS Sidney II

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RF
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Re: Loss of the HMAS Sidney II

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And now it can be observed that we have passed the seventy years mark.
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RNfanDan
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Re: Loss of the HMAS Sydney II

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It may never be known at exactly what point those in command of Sydney actually commited THE single error which triggered all subsequent events leading to the disaster. That the ship has now been found, at long last, does not seem to hold much promise in terms of revealing the answer. Whatever took place, ultimately I believe, has its origins on the RAN side of the action. In war, as goes the popular saying, all is fair.
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frontkampfer
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Re: Loss of the HMAS Sidney II

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Have to agree with you RNfanDan, all is fair, especially when your playing for keeps!
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RF
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Re: Loss of the HMAS Sydney II

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RNfanDan wrote:It may never be known at exactly what point those in command of Sydney actually commited THE single error which triggered all subsequent events leading to the disaster.
I'm not clear what you mean by ''the single error'' as on the face of it there were, with hindsight, several key errors leading to the loss of HMAS Sydney.

What seems to be clear is that the cruiser was conducting a merchant ship inspection and wasn't fully closed up at Action Stations. At what point did Captain Burnett come to to the bridge and take over from the officer of the watch? And, key point for me, why was Sydney's main armament trained to fire live ammunition wide of the target?

A ''black box recorder'' on Sydneys' bridge would be priceless!!
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Re: Loss of the HMAS SYdney II

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In almost every battle, disaster, murder, automobile accident, aircraft crash, etc., there is often a single, crucial link in its chain of events, that represents the point beyond which that event is either enabled, or before which it is prevented from continuing.

I seem to recall that it was hoped that something could be revealed by examining SYdney's wreckage that could help zero-in on that moment, but it doesn't appear that it will come to pass.
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Re: Loss of the HMAS Sidney II

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Whether your name is Kimmel or Nagumo or Moncrief or Kirk, your enemy is complacency.

Variations on a theme:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Su12yhL ... re=related
Just because it's stupid, futile and doomed to failure, that doesn't mean some officer won't try it.
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RF
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Re: Loss of the HMAS SYdney II

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RNfanDan wrote:In almost every battle, disaster, murder, automobile accident, aircraft crash, etc., there is often a single, crucial link in its chain of events, that represents the point beyond which that event is either enabled, or before which it is prevented from continuing.
I can see the point that is being made, and it would seem to me that that point occured when Sydneys' lookouts sighted Kormoran. But at that point Sydneys' destruction remained highly unlikely, that event was made possible by a succession of mistakes - all said of course inhindsight.
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RF
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Re: Loss of the HMAS SYdney II

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RNfanDan wrote: I seem to recall that it was hoped that something could be revealed by examining SYdney's wreckage that could help zero-in on that moment, but it doesn't appear that it will come to pass.
The key thing about the wreck of the Sydney is that the evidence there backs up the German account of events.

Going on the exchange of signals between the two ships as recorded by the Germans, and the fact that Sydney was not properly closed up at Action Stations, I would conclude that it is a case of a Q-ship successfully fooling the investigating cruiser until the cruiser is in at almost point blank range. Even when the secret call sign was demanded, the Sydney was not called to full Action Stations with its smaller guns and torpoedo batteries closed up ready to fire. Why not?
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Rick Rather
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Re: Loss of the HMAS SYdney II

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RF wrote:
RNfanDan wrote:In almost every battle, disaster, murder, automobile accident, aircraft crash, etc., there is often a single, crucial link in its chain of events, that represents the point beyond which that event is either enabled, or before which it is prevented from continuing.
I can see the point that is being made, and it would seem to me that that point occured when Sydneys' lookouts sighted Kormoran. But at that point Sydneys' destruction remained highly unlikely, that event was made possible by a succession of mistakes - all said of course inhindsight.
I remember reading somewhere that the Chernobyl Disaster was the result of six mistakes made by the operators. If any one of those six mistakes had not been made, the explosion would not have occurred.
Just because it's stupid, futile and doomed to failure, that doesn't mean some officer won't try it.
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