HMAS Sydney during Battle of Cape Spada in 1940
The following extract is from:
The sinking of Bartolomeo Colleoni | Australian War Memorial (awm.gov.au)
“Battle of Cape Spada
HMAS Sydney joined the Royal Navy Mediterranean Fleet on 26 May 1940 and began patrol sweeps only hours after Italy’s declaration of war on 10 June.
On 18 July Sydney sailed from Alexandria with orders to support the Second Destroyer Flotilla in the Aegean Sea. The flotilla had been tasked with intercepting Italian shipping and carrying out an anti-submarine sweep along the north coast of the island of Crete. At the same time the Bartolomeo Colleoni was enroute from Tripoli to the Aegean Island of Leros accompanied by Giovanni dalle Bande Nere.
At dawn on 19 July Bartolomeo Colleoni sighted the Second Destroyer Flotilla and opened fire. At 8:20am Sydney caught sight of both Italian cruisers and eight minutes later hoisted her battle ensigns and opened fire at a range of approximately ten miles (16km). Taking the enemy by surprise Sydney scored hits on both cruisers. Attempting to retreat under the cover of smoke, the Bartolomeo Colleoni was seen to be on fire and losing headway, before coming to a complete stop.
Sydney had knocked out both Bartolomeo Colleoni’s boilers. The latter was then sunk by torpedoes from the British destroyers HMS Hyperion and HMS Ilex.”
- About Phil Belbin
Phil Belbin was interested in art from a young age and a prolific drawer. He is said to have produced his first comic book at the age of eleven and had his first published work, a calendar for a metallurgist, at the age of thirteen. He studied art for two years at East Sydney Technical College. In 1942 Belbin had further training for one year at Sydney's The Sun newspaper as an intern in the art department.
In 1943 Belbin enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force and served as an armourer in the Pacific Islands. Following his demobilisation in March 1946, Belbin found work at Frank Johnson Publications as an illustrator. In 1947 Belbin went to work for K.G. Murray Publishing Company. He created cartoons, comic strips and artwork for the company over the next 30 years.
Throughout his time at the publishing house Belbin also worked as a freelance illustrator for other publications and illustrated campaigns for advertising agencies and numerous private commissions. Belbin's list of commercial art clients grew to include local and international engineering, aerospace, and transportation companies.
In 1974 Belbin was awarded a 'Citation of Merit' by the New York Society of Illustrator and in 1984 he was elected as a fellow by the Royal Society of Arts, London.
Throughout his life Belbin had maintained a keen interest in steam transport - ships and trains. In addition to his print illustrations, Belbin also painted scenes of shipping and steam trains whose accurate details were highly regarded.
Belbin was asked to illustrate the book “The Royal Australian Navy: the first seventy-five years”. This book contains twenty-six outstanding ship paintings and several drawings by Phil Belbin. The text was by Ross Gillett. It was published by Child & Henry in 1989.
Phil Belbin passed away in 1993, succumbing to motor neurone disease.
- About HMAS Sydney (ll)
Sydney was a Modified Leander Class, Light Cruiser built in Tyne, England. On 11 August, Sydney made her long-awaited entry through Sydney Heads and into Port Jackson where, just as with Sydney, her arrival was viewed from the shore by thousands of citizens who had turned out to see her.
In addition to her naval complement, Sydney carried six members of the Royal Australian Air Force who manned and maintained her embarked Seagull V amphibian aircraft.
More reading
- Additional resources for Phil Belbin
- Additional resources for HMAS Sydney (ll)
