Bitter Victory: The Death of Hmas Sydney

On 11 November 1941, the cruiser HMAS Sydney sailed from the Australian port of Freemantle on a routine escort mission. Though scheduled to return on 20 November, it never arrived. Reports of a sea battle with a German cruiser whose survivors were rescued from rafts in the Sunda Straight added to the mystery that has continued to baffle government officials, historians, and the public for over fifty years. Author Wesley Owen re-opens the case in an attempt to answer the questions: Why did the Sydney sink? How did it disappear without a trace? And why were there no survivors? By examining every piece of available evidence and carefully reconstructing the event through eye-witness accounts, Olson has produced both a compelling narrative and the most persuasive explanation yet for the mystery and tragedy of the HMAS Sydney. 436 pages. Paperback. 6 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches.