On 19 November 1941, "Sydney" was involved in a mutually destructive engagement with the , and was lost with all hands (645 aboard). The wrecks of both ships were lost until 2008; "Sydney" was found on 17 March, five days after her adversary. "Sydney"s defeat is commonly attributed to the proximity of the two ships during the engagement, and "Kormoran"s advantages of surprise and rapid, accurate fire. However, the cruiser's loss with all hands compared to the survival of most of the Germans has resulted in conspiracy theories alleging that the German commander used illegal ruses to lure "Sydney" into range, that a Japanese submarine was involved, and that the true events of the battle are concealed behind a wide-ranging cover-up, despite the lack of evidence for these allegations.