Shipwreck Databases Western Australian Museum

Shallow water search options for HMAS Sydney/HSK Kormoran

Author/s J.N. Green

Year of publication 2001

Report Number: 162

Introduction: the problem
The issues relating to the location of HMAS Sydney (and by implication HKS Kormoran) in shallow water are relatively simple. It is assumed that shallow water refers to depths up to about the edge of the continental shelf (c. 200 m). The objectives of this report is to attempt to define the parameters that are involved in this type of work and the limitations and costing of the systems.

Two basic systems can be used for location of large iron objects such as a the Sydney/Kormoran, these are the magnetometer and sonar or side scan sonar (other systems have been suggested but currently none offer the proven reliability and at least one is the subject of a separate report by the Technical Committee). Recent work on the Deepwater Graveyard and the HMAS Derwent site off Rottnest present some interesting new information that can be used to assist in refining the parameters relating to the shallow water search. In particular, what is the optimal detection range, and thus operating costs per square km, of search area and how best to conduct a search in the shallow water area.