Re: COMMERCE RAIDER VS WARSHIP

BEING BRAINDEAD, I cannot  remember the name of the  Kreigsmarine
auxiliary cruiser (an ex- cargo-liner, I think) involved, but  he did
sink an Australian  light cruiser ("he" being the  German warship) after
a 
short ranged  engagement.

This hapened in the South Atlantic, at the  height of the  search for
the  commerce raider (KORMORANT?) when the cruiser sighted him, and came
to 
investigate in a rather careless manner.

What followed was a classic naval  rape. The raider  opened fire at very

close range while the  cruiser was basically rubber necking alongside, 
inflicting severe damage and  heavy casualties on her.

The cruiser (SYDNEY?) disengaged and fled over the horizon, where she
sank with all hands (I think all hands were lost- cannot remember for
sure).

The Komoran was sunk by the Australian Light Cruiser Sydney late in 1941
- 
in the Indian Ocean, which sunk following the engagement herself: I
believe 
the matter (the Sydney was lost with all hands) is still a matter of
some 
controversy in Australia. A good proportion of the Komoran's crew
survived 
to become POWs in Australia.

I seem to remember that the engagment went pretty much like this:
The Kormoran was a merchant ship refitted for raiding, with guns under 
tarpaulins and shutters (I think it was disguised as a Dutch
merchantman)
The Sydney approached within close range to challenge her
The Kormoran (presumably knowing she will not pass even a cursory
inspection 
and unable to respond with the proper Dutch codes) opens fire
The Sydney returns fire crippling the Kormoran's engine
The Sydney limps away from the engagement, and the Kormoran's captain
orders 
her to be scuttled.

The Kormoran was a top of the line auxilary cruiser, with a good speed
and 
radar, and one of her important duties was laying mines (IIRC she had
about 
350 mines aboard) She also had several torpedo tubes, which were
responsible 
for the critical damage to the Sydney

Of course, I do believe the  commerce raider was caught and  sunk  later
on 
in his	cruise after sinking numerous  merchant vessels (after
re-supplying 
from them) and sending several prize  ships loaded with prisoners off
toward 
Germany. Again I cannot remember if any of the prize  vessels  made it
too 
prt safely.

Of course the other Sydney (in WWI) was responsible for the destruction
of 
the Emden, My favourite raiding ship of all time

Donogh

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