This paper examines the mystery surrounding the sinking of HMAS Sydney in the Indian Ocean on November 19, 1941, by the German raider SV Kormoran. All hands on HMAS Sydney were lost—645 men; these men’s deaths constituted about one-third of Australia’s naval losses in World War II. This cost was unbelievable and unbearable, and in reaction, Australia’s government initially covered up the ship’s fate, only releasing the news when information about it began to leak from other sources. Further, despite numerous attempts, investigators failed to trace the wreckage of either of the combatant ships until 2008, when the crew of SV Geosounder located first the remains of SV Kormoran and then those of HMAS Sydney, using data derived from decoded records left by the German ship’s captain. The outsized role this episode played in the consciousness of a nation led to creative memorials, both to those who were lost, and to the anguish that the incident caused so many Australians. Initially, memorials followed a traditional pattern of plaques and religious services. In 1991, as the 60th anniversary of Sydney’s loss approached, Australia saw both renewed interest in solving the mystery of its location and in memorializing its loss. This occasion and advances in technologies available meant new types of memorials, often reflecting a sensibility that emphasized the individual dimension. For example, an online Honour Roll supports a display of photographs of those lost and vignettes of the sailors’ lives submitted by family members. As well, the Geraldton HMAS Sydney II Memorial, dedicated in 1998, a complex comprised of structures and artworks that imbue a more personal meaning of the tragedy to visitors. Its design is such that those suffering a loss may find solace in this resource, giving it both public and private appeal.

中文翻译：

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从神秘到记忆：HMAS Sydney 的失落

这篇论文探讨了 1941 年 11 月 19 日德国掠夺者 SV Kormoran 在印度洋沉没 HMAS 悉尼的谜团。HMAS Sydney 的所有手都丢失了——645 人；这些人的死亡约占澳大利亚在第二次世界大战中海军损失的三分之一。这一成本令人难以置信和难以承受，作为回应，澳大利亚政府最初掩盖了这艘船的命运，直到有关它的信息开始从其他来源泄漏时才发布消息。此外，尽管进行了多次尝试，但直到 2008 年，SV Geosounder 的船员首先找到了 SV Kormoran 的遗骸，然后是 HMAS Sydney 的遗骸，调查人员未能追踪任何一艘战斗舰艇的残骸，使用来自其留下的解码记录的数据。德国船长。这一事件在一个国家的意识中发挥的巨大作用导致了创造性的纪念，无论是对那些失踪的人，还是对这一事件造成如此多澳大利亚人的痛苦。最初，纪念馆遵循传统的牌匾和宗教服务模式。1991 年，随着悉尼遇难 60 周年的临近，澳大利亚对解开其位置之谜和纪念其损失重新燃起了兴趣。这种场合和可用技术的进步意味着新型的纪念馆，通常反映了一种强调个人维度的敏感性。例如，在线荣誉榜支持显示家人提交的失踪人员照片和水手生活的小插曲。同样，1998 年建成的杰拉尔顿 HMAS 悉尼 II 纪念馆，一个由结构和艺术品组成的综合体，为参观者灌输了更个人化的悲剧意义。它的设计使得那些遭受损失的人可以在这个资源中找到慰藉，赋予它公共和私人的吸引力。