User:DonRoux

References HMAS Sydney II War Memorial Naval Support. In all the theatre of the war the Royal Australian Navay and New Zealand Navy gave vital support to the ground forces. Apart from the actual combat in co-operatikons with the British and US Naval units they undertook such work as escorting troopships and merchant ships,minesweeping and minelaying. On the day of 24th of November 1941 Captain Joesph Burnett received a distress call, to a ship floating in the Indian Ocean. Part of the Naval Mission was to assure secure passage for merchant ships during war time. As numerous times before Captain Joesph Burnett would assist ships in distress. This time a trap was in progess without any warning or knowledge. The German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran, under Fregattenkapitan (Commander)launched a bombbarment of a torpedo missles striking the HMAS Sydney. The HMAS Sydney was damage and sinking. The brave Captain Joeshp Burnett and his loyal crewman manage to return fire. How and why HMAS Sydney was defeated by the wKormoran has been the subject of controversy. After many hours of research into the HMAS Sydney. This ship and the Captain Burnett was under orders to protect the Western Australian Coast, to assit merchant ships to their destinations and to rescue or help any ship in distress. This is martime codes at sea. The captain of the Kormoran exploited this and used this to disadvantage of the HMAS Sydney. Captain Burnett protected the Western Australia coast line on numerous occassions that these reports are secret files. Unfortunately during the time of war there was losses on both sides. A memorial has been errected in memory of the HMAS Sydney  crewman and Captain.      [[After Italy enter the war in 1940, RAN ships-Sydney, Stuart, Voyager and Vampire took part in the battle of the Callabria and other naval engagements on the Mediterean Sea. When France fell, HMAS Australia wsa sent to join the British North Atalantic Fleet. Australia and other Australian and NZ warships later joined the various Pacific Fleets. One of the great Australian naval disasters was the loss of the HMAS Sydney with all hands off the Western Australian coast in November 1941. With the loss of all 645 crewman.     The HMANZS Gambia -a light crusier and HMAS Shropshire and Hobart accompanied the US fleet into Toko Bay to accept the surrender of Japan on 2 September 1945. A commenartive Memorial was errected in rememberance for the HMAS Sydney crewman and family members. During the war in the Pacific, Australia under wartime Prime Minister John Curtin, established a close ties with the USA, without renouncing her loyalty to Britian. Australia also won the right to be heard in international councils and through the efforts of External Affairs Minister, Dr. H. V. Evatt, Australia was prominent in the affairs of the United Nations.