Can't see what the British had to do with it to be honest. Australia, Britain 'in HMAS Sydney cover-up' - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
The reason for so many conspiracy theories re. the Kormoran Sydney battle is there are simply too many bits of it that don't make sense. Also on board Kormoran were four Chinese laundrymen, who had been captured from a British ship and been given the option of employment or internment. They sensibly chose employment and went to work in the Kormoran's laundry, three of them survived the battle. Only one of these was ever interviewed or debriefed following rescue, this was Shu Ah Fah, who was interviewed soon after rescue by Leut. Taplin of the HMAS YANDRA. According to Leut. Taplin, Shu Ah Fah stated the torpedo which hit HMAS Sydney forward hit "at about the same time" as the Sydney was hit by the first salvo of shells. Let's do some maths here, HSK Kormoran and HMAS Sydney were about 1 mile apart, a torpedo would take 50 seconds to a minute to cover this distance. A naval shell would take about four seconds. We know that Detmers opened fire within seven seconds of striking his Dutch flag and hoisting his battle ensign. If that torpedo struck "at about the same time" as the first of Kormoran's shells slammed into Sydney's bridge, then that torpedo was in the water, and probably more than half way to Sydney, before Kormoran struck her Dutch flag and raised her battle ensign.
I agree, if you stick to the facts, then the simplest explanation becomes the obvious one. Sydney failed to follow standard operational procedures when coming across an unidentified merchant ship. She did not keep her distance, she did not keep her guard up and was suprised by the Kormorans's attack. The fact that she was lost with all hands is the reason I suspect that whispers and stories started. Sinking with all hands is not common, but Sydney steamed away from the action "on fire" and her end was not witnessed, why people cannot accept that she then blew up and sank baffles me.
Aghart, I don't think anyone disagrees with what happened in the final minutes leading up to Sydney sinking, what happened prior to this is where the argument has arose
