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WWII Ship Found After 66 Years
Legendary HMAS Sydney sank in battle with German raider
By Caroline Zimmerman
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Posted Mar 17, 08 11:53 AM CDT
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(Newser)
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A legendary Australian war ship sunk in the Indian Ocean by a German raider during World War II has been found nearly intact after 66 years, the Australian PM confirmed today. The HMAS Sydney sank after a 30-minute battle with the Kormoran in Australia's greatest tragedy at sea. The wreckage won't be disturbed, out of respect for the 645 Australian sailors who went down with the ship.
"It's very important to understand that this is a tomb," said Kevin Rudd. Sonar technology helped locate the Sydney and the Kormoran; an unmanned vehicle will soon take photographs to "ascertain exactly what happened that day," said Rudd. The discovery was tough for the sailors' relatives: "Closure is always a difficult thing," one man told the Sydney Herald.