A sobering summary but one that we've known to be the strongest possibility regarding the loss of the entire HMAS Sydney crew. HMAS Sydney sailors faced impossible odds: inquiry - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
In much of warfare, the victor is the one who opens fire first, providing they do so accurately. The Kormoran's crew knew they were facing an enemy; the Sydney could not be certain. The Kormoran's weapons were as heavy as the Sydney's but had no fire control and limited elevation so a much shorter useful range. Her crew had to keep their nerve while Sydney approached; they knew she could have opened fire any moment, in which case the result would have been the opposite. But once Sydney was in range of Kormoran's guns, she was doomed.
