Judge to examine war-time ship loss

An Australian judge will investigate the country's worst naval tragedy following the discovery this month of the HMAS Sydney, 66 years after it was attacked and sunk by a German ship.

All 645 crew aboard the Sydney were killed after the 30-minute battle with the German merchant raider HSK Kormoran off the northern coast of Western Australia in November 1941.

"I hope that through this inquiry we have a better understanding of what happened on that fateful day," Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard said yesterday.