PTE 004.0227
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Auxiliary Cruiser "Kormoran"
This report was written down at the beginning of my time as a prisoner of war in the officers'
camp DhurringileNictoria when my memory was still fresh. It describes the events of
November 19, 1941 and the following days the way I have experienced them myself.
Heinfried Ah1
(Lieutenant rtd., officer of the watch and flying officer of auxilia~ycruiser "Kormoran")
p.1
The sinking of the Australian cruiser "Sydney" by the German auxiliary cruiser "Konnoran"
Introduction
"The greatest mystery of the war" our former enemies are calling the disappearance
of the cruiser "Sydney" off the west coast of Australia. The loss of this ship hit the
Australians particularly hard. On one hand she was the adopted of Australia's largest city the metropolis of Sydney; on the other she combined a proud tradition with her o w n first class
achievements. She carried the name of the former "Sydney" which in Word War I had caught
and sunk the German cruiser "Emden" near the Cocos Islands at the end ofher unprecedented
journey: the most outstanding incidence in Australia's history of war. But the cruiser herself
had also done everything to deserve this famous name. In the Mediterranean, she had played
an outstanding role in the battle against the Italian fleet that the English forces fought with
great energy and vigour despite being clearly outnumbered and had helped gain naval
superiority. She fought so successfully in respect of own damage and losses, that she received
the nickname "The Lucky Ship".
The disappearance of the cruiser was indeed outrageous and even eerie: no signals by the
Sydney, neither about having sighted an enemy nor about an imminent engagement. She
should have signalled at least during a possible fight. She became overdue. The signal stations
on land did not receive any answer to their calls. During the drawn-out search with aeroplanes
and ships the only traces ever found of the cruiser were a life vest and a damaged Carley
float. Instead they encountered a large number of ship-wrecked men in lifeboats and rubber
dinghies and on rafts who claimed to be the crew of a German auxiliary cruiser and to have
damaged in action - at least very heavily - an Australian cruiser, most likely the "Sydney".
So it was supposed to have been an auxiliary cruiser - much inferior in all aspects -, a
merchant ship re-equipped for military purposes, that had brought about the demise of the
famous "Sydney". Unfathomable! Furthermore it would be the first time in all of naval
history that an auxiliary cruiser had sunk a warship.
P. 2
It is therefore not surprising that plausible explanations for this incident were searched for.
The main versions were:
It was a battleship that sunk the cruiser. The auxiliary cruiser which knew about the
a)
incident must have been abandoned independently [of it and] for entirely different reasons.
The claim to have achieved this deed was nothing else than a ruse of guerre in order to feign a
greater strength of German auxiliary cruisers.
The auxiliary cruiser worked in tandem with U-boats.
b)
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PTE 004.0228
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c)
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Her artillery's calibre and reach were larger than the cruiser's
However, all three versions are wrong.
There were some fantastical reconstructions of the engagement published that were supposed
to show how a brave ship had been sunk through the perfidy and treachery of the German
auxiliary cruiser; amongst them in particular the article "Toll for the Brave" in the American
magazine "Digest of World Reading" of January 1, 1942 by the naval writer Robert S. Close.
It ends: "A brave ship with a heroic crew went down. It sank with all hands. Only the
monsoon remained that sang an eternal requiem for the immortal fallen of a nation - and the
memory of German perfidy and German treachery which will be written into every wave of
the ocean."
For our former enemies it was clear in any case that an auxiliary cruiser, minimally armed,
could not have managed this.?
And as far as anyone can judge, they were right to doubt the statements of the Germans which
they was all they had to RELY on. +)'
Let us now present the solution of this so-called "biggest mystery'' of the war by describing
what happened on November 19 and how.
-)at least not under adherence to laws of naval warfare.
-"There were serious voices that demanded to treat us not as prisoners of war but to put us in
front of a m i l i t q court as pirates.
P. 3
The engagement between the Australian cruiser "Sydney" and the German auxiliary cruiser
"Kormoran" off the west coast of Australia
I" phase
The auxiliary cruiser 'Xormoran" sights the cruiser "Sydney"
Wednesday, November 19,1941. Day of Atonement. During sunny weather and calm seas a
freighter on north-easterly course is gradually getting closer to the west coast of Australia. At
this time she is at about the latitude of Shark Bay, 150 nautical miles from the coast. The crew
members who are not on duty are spending their time in different ways. One of the officers is
sitting in his cabin and spends the last moments before he has to go on duty as officer of the
watch reading Madelaine Luloff s [sic] book Gummi [engl. title White Money]. Not very long
ago the ship had been in the neighbourhood of the area where the novel is set - the
Netherlands Indies. It was just before 1600 hours. The watch was supposed to change at 1600.
Then a sound passes through the ship that seems to come from a huge, angry swarm of
hornets. Alarm!!! The officer quickly inserts a bookmark and closes the book. He hopes to be
able to continue reading soon and does not foresee that he will have to wait a good month
before doing so: in the fust Australian prisoner of war camp in which he and his friends were
to stay, the book was in the camp library.
On the way to the battle stations which numerous feet are now hurriedly taking, the ship can
be felt turning to port - obviously with the aid of the half rudder. The turn only ends when the
ship has reached the opposite course. She is now running southwest, i.e. away from the
Australian coast. The individual battle stations report. In incredibly short time the ship is
'clear for action'. Then all is quiet again.
-
What had happened? The freighter is not as harmless and uninteresting as it may seem. Many
eyes armed with binoculars are keeping a particularly intense and sharp lookout for enemy
merchant navy vessels as well as for naval and air forces. The ship is within range of
Australian coastal traffic and in an area where the world's shipping routes meet off Western
Australia's most important harbour. The highest lookout is the crows' nest only a few metres
below the top of the foremast. It can be reached via rungs and for the last part with the help of
a rope ladder. When the lookout reported "mast ahead", the officer of the watch raised the
alarm. But why this
P.4
strange behaviour of an auxiliary cmiser (since this is what we are dealing with as the reader
will have suspected by now)? Isn't the purpose of these ships to attack and seize enemy
vessels? On top of it, their remit was - amongst other things -to lay mines in enemy harbours
and shipping channels as well as the supply of their own U-boats.
This time, the German auxiliary cruiser "Kormoran" about whose adventures we are writing,
had intended to lay mines and to be spotted before or soon after the end of the operation
would defeat our purposes; on the other hand, in this area they had to reckon with
surveillance by warships. It is intrinsic to the strategy of naval warfare using auxiliary
cruisers that general operational orders are given to avoid action with a warship under any
circumstance. As far as anyone can judge, the auxiliary cruiser has no chance to survive an
encounter of this kind and a ship sunk is of no further use.
In the meantime, a strangely broad object had risen above the visual horizon. For a moment
one could think one is dealing with a sailing ship. This assumption is superseded immediately
because of the speed the enemy vessel increases. There is no doubt anymore about her
identification: "Enemy warship". The strangely broad object is not a sail but a battle top.
After about one year of successful operations by the "~ormoran"", the last of the three
possibilities has occurred which the commanding officer, Captain Theodor Detmers, had
mentioned in his new year's speech to the crew in 1940141; these are significant for the mood
and continuous tension that accompany the operations of an auxiliary cmiser. At the time he
had said more or less the following:
"We are now about to enter o w operational area. Therefore I would call it our most
ardent wish for the new year that it will be granted to us to see a mast top or smoke
clouds as soon and as often as possible. We do not know what they will bring us: a
success if it is an enemy merchant navy ship; an engagement with more or less equal
chances if it is an auxiliary cruiser; or the end if we have the bad luck to meet a
warship where we then could do nothing but go down fighting for the honour of our
flag. As I said, we do not know what fate is hidden behind this mast top or smoke
cloud. But we are wishing, even longing for them nonetheless."
Incidentally, the auxiliary cruiser had with great difficulty only just escaped an encounter
with a warship. The log of a steamer seized by her in the Indian Ocean noted that the ship had
been in visual signal range of a cruiser very shortly before.
+) (1 0 ships sunk [rest cut off]
11. Phase
Pursuit of the "Konnoran" by the "Sydney"
The commander decides to change course to a south westerly direction to escape being
spotted by the cruiser [and] to gain distance from the enemy and at the same time show him a
narrow silhouette. Incidentally her flight makes her in no way conspicuous. To the contrary!
All ships in Allied service have orders to turn away immediately upon the sighting of mast
tops or smoke clouds in order to remain unseen because of the danger caused by auxiliary
cruisers.- The auxiliary cruiser was equipped with a very modem diesel electric propulsion
which had its snags, however, like all things too new. After longer practical use there were
almost always complications. At that time the repair of the fourth engine had just been
completed successfully. The order comes to engage this engine as well and get the ship up to
top speed. At times of war it is of particular importance to cruise without producing smoke
since smoke clouds can be seen from very far away. The engagement of the fourth engine
unfortunately did not proceed without causing smoke. We shall never know if the "Sydney"
saw the smoke cloud because the cruiser has no survivors. One thing is for certain and that is
that the "Sydney" changed course toward the "Kormoran" and took up the chase immediately
after the smoke cloud had become visible. However, it is highly likely that the cruiser would
not have missed her enemy anyway since she - due to the high speed of the approach quickly gained on the auxiliary cruiser despite the changed course.
As soon as the auxiliary cruiser had become aware of being pursued by the cruiser, orders
were given accordingly: "Load and secure anti-tank shells with base fuzes!" And the order
that must convince even the most die-hard optimist of the seriousness of the situation: "All
men put on life vests!"
(Note: Generally only contact fuze is desired when seizing a merchant vessel in order to
force the enemy to hand over or to put his weapons and radio equipment out of commission.
If possible, any serious, initial damage is to be avoided in order to be able to have to option
of integrating the ship into one's own navy as a prize. Therefore normal shells are used, with
so-called nose fuzes. Against armoured targets anti-tank shells are used since they are
preferably fired with base fuzes which act as delay and give the shell enough time to blast a
hole into the armour plating before it detonates.)
P. 6
What happened now was an indescribable strain for commander and crew, but for the
commander in particular since all responsibility rests on him. It is not the case at all that
chances in an engagement are simply proportional to the range of the battle, in other words
the bigger the range, the lower the chances for the auxiliary cruiser and vice versa. Many
other factors play a role, for example the penetrating force of the missile in relation to
different ranges, the option to impede hits by evasion and so on. It would lead too far to
continue this entirely technical discussion any further at this point. In this context, it should
be pointed out that there were certain degrees of variation in the superiority of the cruiser
even though she was clearly superior to the auxiliary cruiser in every stage of the approach;
with the approach the chances for the auxiliary cruiser did not increase continuously.
Otherwise the strain on the commander would not have been as great as it was. Since more
and less favourable phases alternated it was always a great risk to let the cruiser move from
one of the first to one of the latter. How easy for her to begin the engagement just then.
Captain Detmers followed the plan which relied upon keeping up the camouflage - a conduct
similar to that of the auxiliary cruiser "Pinguin" when she was caught by the English cruiser
"Cornwall" and sunk after an extremely brave and tenacious resistance. In theory it was
possible after all that the "Sydney" would let the "Kormoran" escape. The second possibility
-which had the advantage over the first that it had more practical probability - was that the
cruiser might be tempted to investigate. For this purpose she had to close to a distance that
would be of fundamental advantage [to Kormoran].
Let us move now to the aft gunnery platform that was hard at the stem of the ship. Comment
by PGH: Ahl's action station appears to have been at an after gunnery controlposition,
hence his keen observation of what happened there and at Nos 5 and 6 guns
Tension is high. What will the cruiser do? She has modem guns and therefore a longer range.
For her, the lowest risk is a shot across our bow to get us to stop outside or just at the limit of
our range and make her further actions dependent on the reaction of the auxiliary cruiser. If
she, for example, did not follow orders, the "Sydney" could basically open f r e without
danger to herself. And even if the "Kormoran's" artillery could just about reach [the
"Sydney"], the velocity of the shells would be too weak to penetrate the cruiser's critical
compartments
P. 7
which were of course all amour plated. On the other hand, their shells would always be
effective against the u n - m o w e d German ship if they hit any target at all. Furthermore, given
her modem fue control system the cruiser's probable hit rate at a longer range was most
likely higher than that of the auxiliary cruiser.
The warning shot has to be expected at any moment. Time passes though and the distance
[between the ships] is shrinking quickly and continuously. The cruiser's bow wave is already
recognisable. She is running at high speed, possibly top speed; this is almost twice as fast as
her enemy. From [the "Kormoran"] one could observe very well that the warship had got her
reconnaissance plane ready. For a while, the catapult had been pointing on the beam but had
been swung back when it became obvious that the "Kormoran" could not escape. Due to her
superior speed, the cruiser was able to dictate the distance at which the action would take
place as well as choose the position from which her artillery had the best view and thus
choice of target. Furthermore, she could - if she stayed far enough away - withdraw outside
the enemy's gun range quickly if his strength in battle should be unexpectedly high (as for
example the cruiser "Comwall" did in the above mentioned battle with the auxiliary cruiser
"Penguin"). She might possibly restrict herself to staying in touch until backup [word
missing]. Meanwhile the auxiliary cruiser was condemned to passivity during this whole
encounter.
At this point one of the sailors comes running aft and starts fiddling with the smoke machine
located there. There is not much time left till dusk which is very short in the tropics. Does the
commander intend to seek salvation in the darkness by putting up a smoke screen? But
would this be successful if an opponent was equipped with radar? In this whole tricky
situation - seen from the cruiser's point of view - the close friendship and human bond
between crew and commander stands the test of time. This exemplary seaman and fighter is a
calming influence and everyone trusts him to do all that is humanly possible to make the best
of the situation. Therefore all had only one thought - to follow orders and instructions even
faster and more accurately than normally (if that was at all possible) [and] to put the
commander's intentions into action most effectively.
There - a flash near the cruiser! Has a shot been fired? Is it the long awaited shot across the
bow? No, not yet. She begins to signal with her light. Name, nationality, and where the
merchant ship is coming from and going to she wants to know. The commander pretends to
be a dim-witted freighter that
P. 8
feels much too safe so close to the Australian coast to keep an intense look-out. And
defmitely not astern. The cruiser shows astonishing patience. Continuously signalling her
questions she comes closer quickly. She just passed a range that would not have been too
disadvantageous for the auxiliary cruiser, i.e. if all good fortune was with them and all bad
with the other. It was the line between long
and medium firing range. At this distance, the cruiser would need some time to find her
range despite her modem fire control system. Furthermore, the shells' flight time would still
be long enough to enable the auxiliary cruiser to undertake successful evasive manoeuvres
despite her own slowness. If the one side was to be particularly unlucky and the other
particularly lucky, it would be possible for the German ship to achieve hits about as quickly
as her enemy. At this range, the penetrative force of the shells would also be great enough to
break through the amour plating.
Meanwhile the "Sydney" has approached close enough to be able to start using flag signals.
Now the "Kormoran" has to react if she does not want to arouse even more suspicion. The
answers follow slowly and without any haste, just like [it would be] normal for a merchant
ships that does not generally undergo any flag signalling drill9; the motto now is to gain time!
The cruiser already needs to reduce her speed in order not to pass by her enemy. Now the
auxiliary cruiser has the chance to use the advantage of her camouflage to the maximum, i.e.
to open fire unexpectedly and at the same time efficiently. Every [further] meter the cruiser
approaches is in our favour. At this distance no shot can miss its target! The auxiliary cruiser
signals: 'Xame of the ship: Straat Malaka [sic]. Nationality: Holland. On her way from
Freemantle to Batavia." One can positively hear them leafing through ship recognition books
on hoard the cruiser. In the "Kormoran's" radio station they are closely monitoring the
airwaves. Will the "Sydney" check with Freemantle to verify the statements ofthe auxiliary
cruiser? If so she cannot afford any more hesitation before opening fire. Meanwhile the
air[waves] remain silent.
The cruiser is on parallel course to the auxiliary cruiser, at the same speed. The distance
[between them] is half a nautical mile (900 m). It is an incredibly small gap. It is a wellknown fact that humid air makes eveqthing appear closer. In addition, the water's surface
makes distances seem smaller anyway. It is not saying too much if one claims to have had the
impression that the cruiser could have been reached with a stone's throw. Details on the
Sydney can be easily recognised even without binoculars. Up on the bridge gleam
+) [partly cut off] intentional mistakes of the signaller
P. 9
the officers' and men's caps. One can see into the gun openings like into pistol barrels.
Therefore it is even more surprising that the cruiser let herself be deceived like this. It is true
that the "Kormoran's" camouflage was excellent but they must have been able to recognise
with the naked eye that the aft mounted gun was not real. Since it was known that during the
course of the war all ships in Allied service had received aft mounted anti U-boat guns, a
roughly hewn canon had been placed there clearly visible. However, the wooden decoy was
not intended for such close scrutiny.
On the auxiliary cruiser tension has reached a climax; inevitably something has to happen
now. Maybe they will let us go after all? Wishful thinking would not have put even such a
degree of carelessness past the cruiser. She had indeed shown a large degree of carelessness
already.
Then the "Sydney" does the most correct thing yet and the most appropriate considering the
hostile situation and -sets in motion her own demise. She asks for the code name that all
ships sailing in Anglo-American service have. Captain Detrners announces to his crew: "The
cruiser just asked for our code name. We cannot provide one. Now the battle starts." And
shortly after the order: "Camouflage off! Open fire!!"
111. Phase:
The Battle (see sketch)
Before the describing the battle, a comparison of characteristics is given with an explanation
of which characteristic could still - or rather in particular [would] - have an effect based on
the extraordinary situation [the ships were in].
(In this comparison S = Sydney, K = Kormoran)
1.) Speed
S.
32.5 kt (1 nautical mile = 1852 m)
K.
at that time 16.5 kt
2.) Artillery
a) 15 cm guns
8 modem guns in 4 twin turrets, all traversable almost 360'
S.
6 outmoded guns, 2 of them only usable sideways and all with significantly limited
K.
arcs of fue; additionally a shorter range and less accurate than the cruiser (the latter
particularly disadvantageous for achieving hits at a further distance).
b) 10.2 cm guns
8 anti-aircraft guns, usable also against un-annoured marine targets
S.
K.
none
3.) Light a m s
In the case of the "Sydney", lights arms suitable only against aircraft and not against marine
targets shall remain unmentioned. The "Kormoran" was dependent on even the smallest
barrel and of course exploited the opportunity which the abnormally short battle range gave
her and used them against the [other] ship.
5 2cm anti-aircraft guns, plus 2 3.7 cm anti-tank guns (!)
K.
4.1 Torpedoes
2 quad barrel launchers
S.
K.
2 double barrel launchers
5.) Fire control svstem
electric fue control system with the advantage of faster range finding and remaining
S.
on target better
K.
free firing [local control]
6 . ) Reserve svstems
almost all essential systems available at least twice and placed at the furthest most
S.
distance from each other
K.
some systems available twice
7 . ) Thick amour
Armow plating, in particular of the parts listed under 6.)
S.
K.
un-armoured
8.) Camouflare
not an option for the cruiser or any other warship
S.
this was the auxiliary cruiser's only advantage in comparison with the overpowering
K.
superiority of the cruiser. (The effectiveness of this "weapon" strongly depends on the enemy
though, i.e. in how far he lets himself be deceived).
Points -which under normal circumstances show the clear predominance of the cruiser - that
had been made ineffective by the cruiser herself when she approached as close as 900 metres:
a) superior speed
b) longer range of her artillery
c) medium and long-range accuracy (electric fire control system)
d) higher effectiveness of annour plating at further fuing range
By these extraordinary circumstances, however, the "Kormoran" was given a unique
opportunity to fully exploit the camouflage mentioned under point 8 - i.e.
p. 11
to open fire on her enemy unexpectedly and at the same time as effectively as possible.
The latter fact is extremely important because simply opening fire unexpectedly is not very
efficient if the distance is larger. It is then always necessary to find the right range and the
advantage of the camouflage is lost with the first volley during which one cannot rely on hits
yet. Furthermore, as mentioned on page three, weapons could be used that would normally he
out of the question and that severely impeded the enemy - as we will see from the description
of the action.
In order to gain as big an advantage as possible at the beginning of the engagement, it was
now necessary to arrange the distribution of fue accordingly. At normal battle distance this is
not possible; there one is happy to score any hits at all. The "Konnoran" was able to use 4
guns as a broadside. The fust gun aimed at the cruiser's two front gun turrets, the second at
the bridge with gunnery platform, the third at the aeroplane, the fourth at the two aft gun
turrets. Naturally the first priority was to take out the opponent's main weapons (luckily her
10.2 cm guns were not manned at all).
Given the high risk of explosion and fue, the aeroplane normally sits on the catapult without
fuel, but in this case it had been made ready to use and was therefore fuelled, and it therefore
was chosen as a target exactly because it was highly vulnerable. The 3.7 cm anti-tank gun as
well as the 2 cm anti-aircraft gun were used mainly against the unprotected torpedo barrels
and against the bridge and sewed to impede all movement and work on the upper deck, such
as for example fue fighting, manning of the unprotected 10.2 guns and so on. Obviously the
use of the torpedoes was planned as well.
It might be interesting to mention why in the fust place the auxiliary cruiser had 3.7 anti-tank
guns on board accurate only to a range of only 2000 metres. In times of war, ships sail with
dimmed lights at night and can be seen as a shadow only at very close range. For the auxiliary
cruiser it was very important to prevent the opponent from radioing through her location. The
precise aim the 3.7 anti-tank gun offers is very much suited for destroying the radio
equipment.
The order: "Camouflage off? Open fire!" relieved the nervous tension [on board] since it
meant a change from the heavy pressure of having to wait, of passivity, to "liberating" action
in the truest sense of the word. The camouflage comes off with lightning speed. Whole parts
of forecastle and poop are raised, the hatch coamings are retracted and reveal weapons. Two
signallers are standing ready by the aft gunnery platform, one of them to lower the
camouflage flag,
p.12
the other to simultaneously hoist the German naval ensign. They work without nervous haste
but at the same time as quickly as they can; the rules of international maritime warfare
prescribe that fire may only be opened after showing one's own nationality. The whole
process is carefully tuned and within seconds the Dutch freighter "Straat Malakka" has
become the German auxiliary cruiser "Kormoran".
The guns are directed at their targets. At first no full volleys are fred. It would only have
meant a delayed opening of fire. Each gun fires as soon it has found its target. Action begins
with the suddenness of a breaking thunderstorm. Long ago one has become used to the noise
of the shots that is much louder for armed merchant ships than for warships (because of the
latter's better gun foundations). At the beginning one always thought one had received a hit.
When the first shots hit, the disastrous results can be seen clearly. The lid of one of the front
gun turrets is flung far off. The bridge and the front gunnery platform receive direct hits that apart from material damage - result in a significant loss of staff within the ship's command
and the firing command. Most likely the cruiser's commander has already fallen at this point.
The explosion of the aeroplane started a fire amidships as was to be expected. At the same
time as the artillery opened fire, the starboard twin barrels launched both their torpedoes. A
large fountain of spray signalled that the front third of the cruiser has been hit. The warship
dips low into the water. One could almost think she was sinking. And excited shouts can be
heard: "She is burning! She is going down!!" There is rapid light m s fire directed at bridge,
gunnery platform, port torpedo launcher and in general at anything moving on the upper deck.
On board the "Sydney" constemation and surprise must have been huge. Although she
reacted with lighting speed when the auxiliary cruiser's camouflage came off and opened fire
at the same time as the "Kormoran", her first shots pass over the latter; thus the cruiser has
already suffered badly before she can achieve any hits herself: half of her fighting strength both front turrets - is lost; she has a torpedo stuck in her hull; there is a severe fire raging
amidships; the port quad torpedo launchers have been destroyed by the 3.7 anti-tank gun; the
senior officers commanding the ship and the artillery have fallen or are wounded. The
"Sydney's" best remaining chance of quickly
p. 13
taking out the "Kormoran" was to use the starboard torpedo launchers. The cruiser therefore
turns towards port. Her bow closely passes by our stem, almost close enough to touch. Is she
w i n g to run us down? It was possible indeed. However nobody will be able to find out. Still
impeded by our light m s , all of the "Sydney's" four torpedoes miss.
When the cruiser fell back and turned to the other side, the disadvantage of the "Kormoran's"
limited field of fue became particularly noticeable. If at first all 4 guns on the broadside were
able to fue, at the end only one remained - the one positioned at the starboard side of the
stem. It could be swung aft to point astern (towards the back) and it was interesting to observe
with which tension and impatience the gunner of the aft port gun who could also fire directly
astern waited until he could take over firing. As soon as the "Sydney's" bow appeared in his
sight, the first shot was fired immediately.
Comment by PGH: These two 5.9-inch guns fired at close range "almost close enough to
touch" are likely to be responsiblefor the closegroups of shell hits which we have seen in
the pictures of the wreck, and iffitted with armour-piercing or base-fuzed shells would
have wreaked havoc inside Sydney.
By now, though, the "Sydney" had [Comment by PGH: Ahl's account seems to out of
sequence here] also record hits on the "Kormoran". Only a few, but for an un-armoured ship
the effect of even a single hit is huge. It was, however, only =missile that sealed the fate of
the auxiliary cruiser. It went through the so-called ready-use supply tank and detonated in the
engine room. The oil in the tank - all fuel is stored below the water line - flowed into the
engine room. Whereas a nomal fire might have been extinguishable and although the
destruction of all four engines through grenade splinters was unlikely, in this case it was
impossible to gain control over the fire. Not even if the fire extinguishing system, which had
been taken out by a hit, had remained intact. The other hits were of no real significance. They
were as follows:
1.
near the gun in the forward hatch [No 3 gun]. The shell went over the ship but has to
he counted as a hit in so far as it knocked down and killed a member of the gun crew;
2.
in the funnel whereby particularly strong splintering caused dead and wounded on
bridge and gunnery platform;
3.
behind the funnel (through the cabin of the administration officer and the ship's
doctor), causing merely material damage.
Let us retum to o w previous observation post at the ship's stem in order to follow the
continuation of the engagement from there. The decisive hit in the engine room was noted
there as well. However, the cause
p. 14
remains unknown at first: Even before the cruiser crossed over towards the auxiliary cruiser's
port side those situated there could feel a tremor under their feet that shook the whole of the
ship's stem. "We have lost one of our propellers and the unloaded shaft is spinning", some
think immediately. When supplying U-boats in the Southem Atlantic, a steel cable had gotten
caught in the port propeller and despite intense efforts it had not been possible to remove it.
The ship is now losing speed and is finally lying still. The "Sydney" is slowly moving off.
Apparently she is still under her own steam and not dritimg like her opponent. Her turrets can
obviously not he turned any more. They are pointing away from us at any rate. Would they
still be using their 10.2 cm guns or does the fue that has engulfed the largest part of the ship
by now prevent this? However, it is not the use of the 10.2 cm guns that worries the
"Komoran" and leads her to continue firing with undiminished intensity. As humane as naval
warfare is in respect of helping people in distress and as chivalrous the behaviour of both
sides towards the rescued - and thus prisoners - as relentless it is in respect ofthe destruction
of enemy warships. It is well known that when the "Bismarck" was overcome, she was
pushed under the water with all possible means although she could not return f r e any more at
the end. As long as a ship is still afloat, it is possible to repair and re-use it or at least to use it
for its valuable spare parts. Only if it has been sunk on the high seas, it has been safely
eliminated forever.
Thus the commander's order necessarily and naturally follows from the situation [we are in].
It says: "The cruiser needs to go down under all circumstances."
According to the position of the auxiliary cruiser - she is after all not manoeuvrable any more
guns join in and support the aft port gun [No 61 that is firing ceaselessly. The barrels
are red hot and do not return to firing position any more. Bucketloads of water are being
poured over them. Dusk has drawn in. The distance of the "Sydney" has increased
considerably. The target can be hardly made out any more. At first it looked like she was
- other
returning fire with her 10.2 cm barrels but the red flashes were the continued hits of our
missiles. The cruiser must have taken countless hits whereby most likely all lifeboats on the
upper deck were destroyed. This is the only explanation why
p. 15
there is not a single survivor. Even though the losses were most likely very high, it can hardly
be assumed that all had fallen by the time the "Kormoran" had to cease firing because dusk is
drawing in. At this time the "Sydney" can only be seen as a red ball of fire on the horizon.
Before, it was noticeable that whole parts of the cruiser glowed red due to the intense fires
that had broken out on board.
What has happened on the German auxiliaty cruiser in the meantime? There have been no
new hits any more. But there has been that one shell that has detonated in the engine room
and has unforlnnately passed through the available supply tank. But first let us have one of
the crew members of the aft gunnery platform report the impression one got when stepping
onto the upper deck immediately after firing had ceased: "It did not look that bad actually.
There was no evidence of any destruction on the after part ofthe ship. Only the funnel was
smoking terribly. Ah! The logical consequence of the heavy tremor at the stern is that the
propeller has not been lost, but the engine room has been hit; [he remembers] also that we
have not been able to manoeuvre since this point in time. Through some of the lightly
wounded that had come aft we found out about [the] hits near the gun in the forward hold, in
and behind the fimnel and - without there having been any dead or injured - in particular on
the bridge and gunnery platform. A horn signal is also mentioned; it meant: All officers to the
bridge! Flames are coming from the funnel and smoke and flames are also coming out of part
of the superstructure! We seem to have been seriously hit after all. At frst the bridge needs to
be reached. Along the leeward side (away from the wind) there is no way through any more.
Starboard is still possible. But climbing from one deck to another is difficult. The
companionways have been mostly destroyed by hits. The superstructure is burning most
towards the middle. Fanned by an increasing wind, the fire is spreading quickly. When the
bridge is finally reached with great difficulty, there is nobody on it any more!"
There had been a meeting of officers to discuss the abandoning of the ship. Despite the power
and the independence which the commander of a warship and in particular of an auxiliary
cruiser normally has, there exists the order that before the ship is abandoned, he needs the
agreement of a majority of the officer corps - unless the ship is already going down. Since in
our case most of the officers had assembled on the bridge after the horn signal had sounded
and all agreed with the commander's reasons for abandoning and blowing up the
"Kormoran", it had not been necessary to wait for the officers from the aft gunnely platform.
p. 16
[Top of page cut off]
work - no less tricky and exciting than the engagement itself - began to rescue the survivors.
N. Phase
Rescue operation when abandoning the "Kormoran"
The lucky circumstance of comparably few losses on board the auxiliary cruiser (an estimated
30 dead including those in the engine room) necessitated the demand for a large number of
rescue equipment. The boats that were directly accessible and hung in their davits on the boatdeck had partly been made unusable by splinters. Thus there was no where enough lifeboat
space available for all survivors. And time was not in favour of the German seamen but very
strongly against them since apart from the artillery ammunition and the torpedoes there were
also about 400 mines on board. The German auxiliary cruiser was a virtual ammunition ship.
And anyone who has ever seen an ammunition ship blow up either in a film or - from a
distance - in reality can just about imagine how comfortable any further stay on the burning
ship now was. After all available rescue equipment was off board - of course with the
wounded in it - another 120 men remained on board; these included all the officers apart from
one who had been ordered into the largest life boat. Those who had left the ship were not all
in lifeboats. [All] available rafts are being used as well. Normally these are sufficient since
they are supposed to be a measure for staying afloat merely for a few hours. Usually not all
ships sink during a naval engagement,
p. 17
and the shipwrecked are saved by the victors and taken on board. This is what the
"Kormoran" reckoned with as well. And even if the "Sydney" was not in a position any more
to carry out the rescue herself, she would radio the position of the engagement and help
would then be near. There were also other measures used to keep atloat; one person, for
example, jumped overboard with a dog kennel [von Gosseln].
One little episode that illustrates the human aspect of the situation very well shall not remain
unmentioned here. The Germans have always been brought up to be thrifty and economical
with their things because they have been blessed with fewer earthly goods than other nations
One of the crew members (me myselfl) actually stands in front of his locker to quickly put
some personal mementos that are of particular value for him into his pockets. He is wearing
his oldest uniform that he wanted to use up during this voyage on the a u x i l i q cruiser and
that has only little life left in it. For a moment he is thinking of exchanging it for a good one
but immediately his conscience - brought up to take good care of clothing - makes itself
heard: "Too good for the lifeboat." Yes, too good for the boat but good enough for going
down with the ship! The person concerned only recognised the fallacy of his thinking when
while in captivity his uniform soon fell apart completely - because of having been in contact
with salt water for days -whereas others could wear their newer ones for a long time.
Now to the situation on board. There were also two large steel boats but as far as anyone
could judge they could not be got ready. They were in the forward hatch and were meant for
situations other than abandoning the cruiser after a battle. That could happen if fuel or food
ran out or if a fire that could not be extinguished broke out. Then there had to be enough
space to take in all crew members and possible prisoners. With a view to these circumstances
in particular, Captain Detmers had had two captured lifeboats stowed port and starboard side
on the foredeck; these had remained undamaged and could be used for the rescue operation.
However, one needed working engines to lower them with the derrick. This was even more
the case for the very heavy steel boats in hatch No 1. But the "Kormoran's" engines were
lost. What now? An easier solution had been found for the wooden boats situated on the
forecastle. There the rails could be taken down in the appropriate places to allow the guns an
unobstructed field of fire. The boats were pushed there and launched into the water. Luckily
they survived being dropped a number of metres without any damage. The two steel boats
were the only hope for
p. 18
the 120 men still remaining on board. Some of them had begun to build makeshift rafts, but if
the sea becomes slightly rougher one can cling to a raft only for a short time. One looses
strength too quickly. And - as hinted at above -the wind was increasing continuously and sea
state 3-4 had already been reached. (Sea state 3 produces whitecaps and means someone on a
small float will always be half in the water). The commander gave orders to try and get the
boats out of the hatch without the help of a mechanical system. Just like he had overseen the
battle from the bridge earlier, he now from the raised forecastle oversaw this manoeuvre that
-without exaggeration - decided over life or death.
But let us take a look fust at the state of the ship. The whole midship area is already in flames
and therefore there is no connection between fore and aft anymore. The loss of this
connection forced one man the commander had sent aft to abandon ship without any support.
Normally he would have been lost. Swimming in the water, in the dark on top of it, he had no
orientation at all and even if he had known where the boats were, the increasing swell would
have made it impossible for him to reach them out of his own strength. However, when he
was at the trough of a wave he suddenly saw a lifeboat directly above him and was taken on
board. [von Gosseln, again]
If the fire reached one of the many highly explosive substances (mines, torpedoes, artillery
ammunition), we will have had it. This was obvious to all of us. In order to reduce the danger
caused by the torpedoes, the port twin barrels are fired wide in the direction of the cruiser that
can only be made out as a weak glow on the horizon. There are hardly any actual chances for
a hit in this situation but if the torpedoes have to be fled in any case . . . . . ... Soon after the
"Sydney" disappears from sight. There are three options for her disappearance:
She has disappeared out of sight while still burning.
a)
She
has managed to get the fire under control (not very likely).
b)
The cruiser has sunk (we did not dare believe in such a success).
c)
Which of the three alternatives was the right one, we were not in a position to judge from on
board the "Kormoran."
Those who are working like crazy to lift the boats are given a taste - not exactly without
danger - of the fireworks that are to be expected when the 3.7 gun and the flares on the bridge
blow up. Thank God nobody is hurt.
p. 19
A whole row of pulleys have been fixed to both the derricks above hatch I. While one part of
the men is busy lifting the boats with their help, the other part is supporting this process from
below with their hands and shoulders, always in danger of being squashed if the pulleys do
not hold their load. Centimetre by ceutimetre the fust boat is raised. However, the success of
this whole action is so questionable that one of the men of the front starboard gun expresses
the intention to await the catastrophe while sitting on his gun barrel. And then all of a sudden
the keel of the boat is lying across the rim of the hatch. Technical reasons make it impossible
to use the pulleys to lower the boat onto the upper deck as well. It is just being pushed. It hits
the deck with a deafening noise, but does not sustain any damage. It works equally well with
the second boat. Their being made of steel was a huge advantage. And again the nerve-grating
grinding and scraping sounds across the upper deck towards the taken-down rails. Two heavy
splashes in the water; and then the boats are lying alongside the "Kormoran", brim full with
water, but they do not go down which could have happened easily. They remain afloat thanks
to their void compartments and are immediately baled out in feverish haste. Then they are
equipped as well as possible and embarkation starts: i.e. at fust it can be called embarkation,
then it turns to people being crammed in. The boats are intended for 35 men. When 45 are
boarded, one thinks one can fit in no more. But still they end up crammed with 57 [people].
When needs must, they must! Freeing the first boat from the one lying behind it demands
great physical strength and [is a] psychological strain. Both boats are on the leeward side of
the auxiliary cruiser and thus the ship is drifting into the same direction the boats want to
depart towards; it drifts faster than the boats that are lying in the lee can distance themselves
[from the cruiser]. Furthermore, the overcrowded cutters are only very sparsely equipped. The
first one has four oars (for rowing) at its disposal and at the moment has no rudder (for
steering). A heavy boat with 57 men [on board] is hardly manoeuvrable like this. The second
lifeboat has to remain alongside still because the commander wants to make completely sure
that his ship will not bum out without blowing up and thus fall into the opponent's hands as
a wreck. Therefore it is necessary to affix charges that will ensure that the ship will go down
under any circumstances. Captain Detmers personally undertakes this particularly dangerous
task together with the minelaying officer who is also [his] adjutant [Messerschmidt/. Then he
is the last person to leave the ship.
In the meantime, the first of the two iron boats has been successful in its efforts to gain the
largest distance possible to the ship. It
p. 20
is really not advisable to watch the spectacle of the explosion that can happen any moment
from too close a distance. The burning "Kormoran" illuminates herself and her surroundings
like a giant flame. There is most likely not a single member of the crew whose heart is not
breaking to see the ship that has been his home for such a long time in this state.
The commander's boat that can leave the ship's side only with great difficulty is being
watched with great worry. It is still very close to the ship when the explosion occurs. Bursts
of fire shoot towards the sky, huge, horrific, indescribable freworks, and a crashing and
banging that one could think the world is about to end. The auxiliary cruiser breaks in two
just about amidships. Like being pushed by a giant hand, the front part of the ship is on its last
voyage, the bow turns steeply skywards and sinks. At the same time the stem goes down.
Debris is flying further than the frst boat that at this point in time has gained considerable
distance and assumes itself outside the danger zone. Close to the auxiliary cruiser the sea
seems to be boiling because of the falling ship parts. No one would have given a brass
farthing for the commander's boat anymore. Thank God it tums out later that is has
miraculously escaped its destruction. The sea around the boat was literally foaming but only
one piece of debris struck - it passed through the first mate's life vest without injuring him.
No wounded, no damage to the boat: this was really a miracle!
Only when the crew of the "Kormoran" was taken prisoner, they found out that the cruiser
"Sydney" had gone down with all hands. Unfortunately not all that had left the auxiliary
cruiser alive managed to get to safety. One whole boat disappeared. And most of those who
were on rafts could also not be rescued. However, 320 survivors out of 392 is an incredibly
favourable result in comparison with the "Sydney" that went down with 645 men. On top of it
all the "Kormoran's" arms had survived intact and she had not received any underwater hits.
There were attempts to lay something like "blame" on the "Kormoran" for the "Sydney's"
tragedy, and not in the causal but the criminal sense ofthe word. To sail under camouflage is
a recognised naval stratagem regulated by international law. It occurred to none of the former
enemies to accuse the auxiliary cruiser "Pinguin" - she had been unable to sink her opponent,
however - although she had also used her camouflage to lure the cruiser ''Cornwall" into
coming as close as possible;
p. 21
she then also unexpectedly opened fire the moment that seemed the most propitious - of
course after the flag had been changed.
If any "blame" exists in this case, then it does not lie with the one who has used a recognised
ruse but with the one who is taken in by it. It would be unfair, however, to pass judgement on
the man responsible for the cruiser - the commander. He paid for his actions for w-hich the
reasons are unknown with his life and his crew has fought well - worthy of the great English
naval tradition - with the aim to destroy the opponent and despite the decisive handicap of the
disastrous result of the "Kormoran's" first shots and her torpedo; the result of her brave
endeavours has finally not been denied to her: the enemy ship needed to be abandoned by her
crew and blown up.
The commander of the German auxiliary cruiser, Captain Theodor Detmers, may doubtlessly
claim for himself that he - supported by his crew and in particular those commanding and
firing [the ship's] guns - has according to our former enemies "accomplished one of the most
admirable deeds in the whole history of naval warfare".
5 % days at sea in an overcrowded lifeboat towards the Australian coast
Let us follow the path of the first of the steel boats that was one of two to reach the Australian
coast by themselves. One of the persons involved describes the course of the journey as
follows:
The wind is increasing continuously. We have to make an effort not to broach to the swell
which is not always successful. Later we are heading the beam onto the waves in entirely
different seas. We gain confidence in our boat only through our good experiences with it.
During the first night things are looking bad. We wish for the day and hope to receive more
oars. After daybreak we spot two rubber dinghies [presumably Kuhl and von Gosseln] and a
cutter [Kohn]. We head for the cutter. Maybe we can hand over a few men.
We are squeezed in like sardines. Many have been seasick during the night; me too. The
canned apricots I had eaten immediately before embarkation have not agreed with me much.
My seasickness disappeared as quickly as it had come,
p. 22
abruptly after evacuating actually. I just said: "Now I am in the clear again." It was dealt with
already before the "Kormoran" sank.
The cutter seems close enough to touch. However, we reach it only around 08.00 o'clock,
after hours during which the distance has hardly become less. Since we were under the
impression that the boat was pulling away &om us, we shouted, whistled and waved which
the others acknowledged. At one point it looked as if they were coming towards us, at the
next as if they were pulling away, at the third as if they did not move the oars at all. The hoat
-the largest we had - was overcrowded as well with about 80 men. [The only boat whichfiis
this description is the raft with wounded onboard which was launched and is supposed to
have overturned and been Iost theprevious evening] A third of the crew had nowhere to sit!
The wounded and sick took up a lot of space. And it was taking in water on top of it.
Therefore we can neither hand over any men nor receive any oars. The cutter is using a small
rubber dinghy as a drill anchor. The two rubber dinghies we had sent to this hoat can also not
be taken up by it. Their fate now seems completely hopeless unless they are to be picked up.
Luckily two dinghies with a considerable number of crew were rescued by ships. We pass to
the cutter: a crate of milk, a crate of hard tack [bread] and a foresail. Then we continue
rowing while the others are mainly trying to keep their boat above water. Their state is worse
than ours since we are at least attempting to get closer to land. [This account contradicts von
Malapert's]
The departure, however. progresses almost unnoticeably,just like the "speed" of the approach
had already been very unsatisfactory. We are in possession of a main sail and another foresail.
The idea of sailing is at first only approved of if it can happen with the wind coming from
astern. Otherwise it is no more than drifting. Since the wind is from the south we do not
expect anything from it. We do not want to get too far north under any circumstances. There
the "Desert" awaits us where the aviator Hans Bertram almost died a few years ago. Since
rowing is obviously of no use, we switch to sailing. As already mentioned there are a main
and a foresail available. The main mast is missing. The main sail yard is being used as the
main mast and the boat is rigged with main and foresail. The carpenter builds a makeshift
rudder but it is not sufficient. In order to avoid the boat "pointing into the wind", rowers are
needed on the windward side and are replaced every half hour (two or three oars). The
distance to the boat mentioned above is now increasing quickly. We are holding a course as
much to the east as possible, always worried to be drifting too far north. My aviator
emergency compass is serving us well. The officers are manning the rudder with hourly
replacements. The pressure on it is enormous. Rations consist of: rusks, bacon,
p. 23
and sweetened condensed milk, all in minute amounts. A chip log (for measuring speed)
[presumably a Dutchman's log] shows 1-2 nautical miles per hour. At first we estimate it
will take us a week before we will see some result of ourjourney (water colour, cloud
formation etc.) that will point towards being close to land. Independent of this we are
stretching our rations as far as it is possible. We are moving towards land and the mood is
optimistic. We are sailing more and more at an angle to the wind and fmd that the boat still
makes good speed although it heads crabwise by about a point, it tolerates the sideways swell
surprisingly well although there is hardly any freeboard. If one hangs one's hand over the
side, it touches the water.
My travel a l m clock serves as a watch until it later falls into the bilge. Space was so tight in
the boat that it was impossible to pick it up for a long time. When we finally get it back it has
become unusable due to lying in the water. Towards lunchtime a number of men surface who
have spent the whole time lying in the bilge without moving although those on top rest their
feet on their bodies and must have stepped on them during shifts without having noticed it. It
goes without saying that they had been seasick because they could not get any fresh air. They
are recovering only gradually. During the whole journey there are always some men who
have to sit below the thwarts but they are takmg it in turns.
After the second night, the main sail yard is put to use as mast but the idea of saving four oars
as a last reserve is abandoned. One oar is being used as a rudder. Now it is sufficient if only
one oar is sometimes used as support on the windward side. During the day we navigate by
the sun whose direction of rising and setting we know from the "Kormoran" (1 10"and 250")
[checks with astro data!], at night by the stars and simultaneous compass checks. The swell
is bearable. We estimate we make at least 1 nautical mile per hour.
During the third night we involuntarily wear a number of times and regain our course only
with great difficulty. This might cause the whole rigging to come down on us which worries
us greatly since we have no more rope ends. The boat is still tending to head up into the wind.
Despite the overcrowding we manage to shift the weight aft in the boat. During the
afternoon of the third day the wind gradually increases. The hoat is reacting well to the
rougher seas. It can now be steered simply with the oar and without the support of the rowers.
However, it is difficult to hold the oar against the heavy pressure of the water.
Three baling stations have been set up in the boat: in the front, middle (port) and aft
(starboard). Although the hoat is so small we are talking about fore, mid and aft. Baling out
and rowing require space and thus
p. 24
many men have to stand temporarily. The provisions which are lying under our feet can
hardly be lifted up, it is just too tight. With force we create some space at the back. Space is
required there anyway because of the rudder. Rations are given out there as well. Only with
time we gain an idea about the extent of the rations. We attach the greatest importance to
making liquids (milk and water) go further. This afternoon we make at least 2 knots.. Already
hope is growing that we might reach land sooner than in a week's time. The mood is very
optimistic; our trust in the boat has been reinforced by the previous experiences; although
there is almost no freeboard it is able to withstand sea state 3-4 without any problems and it
swims like a duck on the swell that is not insignificant from our point of view. We show no
consideration anymore for the position of the boat towards water and swell. As far eastwards
as possible! We are hardly listing when sailing. The mainsail drags in the water almost all the
time. The ring of cork around the boat serves us well - although it slows us down, it prevents
water from getting in. Nonetheless water often comes over the leeside and those sitting on the
port side are wet from the hip down all the time during the day. At night we are all shaking
with cold. It is a relief when the day replaces the seemingly endless night. During the day the
oncoming swell can be countered quite well sometimes and not all too much water and
splashes get into the boat and one remains reasonably dry and w m . At night on the other
hand it was terrible. I have never in my life cursed anything like I cursed these nights.
At 1700 hours the main sail is removed. The wind has reached force 5 and is becoming
stronger. A stiff trade wind is soon blowing, force 7-8. When the foresail has been dropped at
1800 hours, it is being decided to spend the night (the fourth) at drag anchor in order to avoid
the boat turning across to the swell. The drag anchor in the meantime shows no effect. To
stop water from flooding the boat, a living wall of shoulders under blankets is being formed at
the windward side. The sea is getting noticeably rougher. A cross swell sets in. We are always
lying across one direction of it. All the time water gets into the boat. It comes d o m on us
with frightening force. We are feverishly baling out. Completely unpredictably the sea comes
up from astern in particular and throws water into the boat.
It is freezing cold. It is surprising and a miracle that the boat does not overturn. We do not set
much store for ourselves any more. More and more [men] become apathetic and can hardly be
made to bale and keep up the living wall on the windward side. They are exhausted. We are
drifting north where we do not want to be under any circumstances. We are also
overestimating the speed with which we are drifting. It was the worst night of my life. Our
only thought is: We must get out of here.
p. 25
Staying and waiting until it is over is not an option; experience shows that it could take a
number of days and then we might have lost direction. The wind howls and whistles,
sometimes seems to become less, just to return with a stronger force. Waves and swell are
rolling at us frighteningly. They are high above the windward side of our little boat. A wave
that breaks directly in front of the boat and it will fill up. We would still have hied to bale it
out again. This is about our life.
In the morning when dawn starts to break, the situation is explained to the boat crew: the
hitherto good development of the rescue operation; the current set-back needs to be accepted;
no reason to despair; motto: get out of the storm even if the course we need to steer is at first
to our disadvantage since it will be away from the coast. The wind is from the south east, later
even east south east! A stiff trade wind is entirely normal weather for this time [of year] and
can last some time. I was aware of that and have to say that I - exhausted from the night and
because of the disadvantageous course - hardly believed in being rescued anymore. At this
time, half asleep, I clearly heard the bells of my mother's village and saw the memorial
service that would be held upon news of my death. This was the only moment I could call
"hallucinating".
The foresail is set at 0400 hours and is sailed with the wind coming from the aft starboard
side. The swell coming from the back is particularly dangerous since it can easily go over the
boat. This might happen any moment. The officers share holding the rudder since they have
the most experience with it. The waves rise behind us like mountains of glass, the crests white
and pale green. A frightening and grand, even beautiful and unforgettable view. Afier we
have been watching for a while and awaiting disaster, we return to life: the sun begins to
warm us, the wind changes and gradually dies down After this night and the morning we
have developed an unshakable trust that the boat could cope with all seas. We are steering
more and more at an angle to the waves and by the aftemoon are on an easterly course again.
Until the day before we had seen the light signals of another boat every evening shortly after
sunset. As we found out later if had been the senior signaller's boat with 46 men [on board]
[K~hflJ.
Only a limited number of officers are at the rudder after dusk has set in since steering is
becoming very difficult again in the dark and with the sea still rough. During the beginning
fifth night very many crew members begin to hallucinate due to the previous day and the
exhaustion caused by the general strain; one of them needs to be bound because of the danger
ofjumping overboard." There is one, for example, who thinks, the
)'
He wanted to reach the "beautiful, sunny meadow"!
p. 26
person next to him is a woman. With gentle words he strokes the curve of the shoulder he
mistakes for a woman's breast. For another one the water outside the boat is a sunny meadow
that he is determined to walk on and his friends have to hold him back. A third one is
repeatedly hitting two empty bottles of condensed milk together and is full ofjoy about the
wonderful beer they contain. Only the next morning we notice that the drag anchor had been
tom off probably shortly after it had been lowered and had therefore been ineffective.
The wind continues to drop. After sunrise the main sail is set. We make good speed at force 5.
lo the aftemoon the wind drops even more and the swell becomes noticeably less. High point
of the voyage at 1800 hours: we sight the Australian coast. During the aftemoon the colour of
the water and the cloud formations to the east had pointed to being close to land but nobody
had hoped to see land the same day. Joy and easing tension are incredible; extra rations are
handed out; plans are made for cleaning ourselves up before we go into captivity (we are
looking anything but well-groomed!); one also thinks about a carefully chosen landing spot
and possibly more sailing if the spot did not seem [suitable] etc. How happy we were [later]
when we found a place to land at all! -When dusk set the main sail was taken down in the
hope that the wind would keep us away from the coast after midnight (sixth night). There is
no offshore wind. We take down the foresail since we are steadily drifting towards the coast.
We seem to be in danger of stranding - based on an optical illusion as we find out later. For
God's sake stay clear ofthe coast!! To top it all the swell is quite strong, and there are
breakers [on the beach]. A lot of water splashes into the boat. This last night is once more
particularly bad. My right foot is swollen and very painful. Other crew members had reached
this stage already earlier due to continuous wet, cold, food deprivation, lack of movement
over a number of days. It is surprising that there were no illnesses apart from these leg
problems as well as sun bum; for some, however, the latter became so serious that they had to
be transferred to the sick bay; there were no colds either although all the pre-conditions had
been there. When dawn broke we noticed the reason for the optical illusion: it was caused by
the shadow of a cliff. The foresail is set; we head for land and notice that we have reached the
feared desert after all. This is another significant moral setback. The fate of the aviator Hans
Bertram surfaces in front of us again. With the prevalent south westerly wind we cannot gain
any height
p. 27
towards the south. We are drifting and therefore do not reach the intended landing spot. It is
of great disadvantage that we are lacking an overall perspective from our small boat. We have
to give up the hope of being near Sharp Bay [sic] and its port Carnarvon. All eyes are
scanning the cliffs for signs of human habitation. The only thing to be seen is a pipeline,
possibly a cable, that becomes our point of reference. On top there seems to be a transformer.
We have an axe and are planning to make ourselves noticed by destroying the transformer or
the cable with its help. There was hope then that the Australians would set about to discover
the place of the disruption.
In the next bays to the north we encounter only steep cliffs. Then there is finally a large, wide
bay open to northwest, with a flat beach. We land there at 0830 hours on the sixth day of our
journey. When we are about to land we are spotted by a twin-engine plane. We have enough
to eat and drink for a few days. We are saved! We found out later that the plane that circled
over us a number of times belonged to the large contingent of ships and planes that had by
then begun to search an area of 3OO,OOO square miles for the disappeared "Sydney". They
took us for survivors of the cruiser and sent a radio message accordingly. We put down the
sailors' jacket to form a marker that will enable the pilots to find our positions again. Since
we are assuming we are in an uninhabited area we think we cannot be reached from land. We
are therefore expecting to be picked up by ship or aeroplane.
We are hardly able to walk but our more than modest dreams we had conjured up during the
boat journey were fulfilled: being able to move around, lie down flat and relieve oneself in a
sensible way. Understandably, the latter had been so complicated in the boat that most of us
had done without. It had already been mentioned that we had been in continuous fear for our
rigging. Therefore it had been announced that anyone who fell overboard could not be saved
because any manoeuvring would endanger the boat and thus the rest of the crew. For the
above mentioned intention one was forced to lean far over board which brought with it an
increased risk of falling into the water because of the rough seas. - In view of our having
been discovered we can now increase the food and drink rations. To the south comer of the
bay there is a protected cave that is a real relief since it keeps away the unbearable heat of the
sun. During the ordered rest in the cave and in the shadow of the stone boulders, most of us
are hallucinating now. From the fust moment, our
p. 28
assistant doctor [Habbenj who has already been carrying out his duty in the boat, is workmg
tirelessly again. The fust arrangement set up during the salvaging of the boat was the "sick
bay". Incidentally we had been able to save the boat and all contents without damage. Had we
not been spotted from the air, we had planned a search for water and human contact. During
the boat voyage we had had the opportunity to see pig fish, saw fish, sharks and - close to the
coast -giant turtles close up. The tracks of the latter could also be seen on the beach and were
at first mistaken for signs of human habitation.
In the afternoon a single-engine short-range reconnaissance plane appears and shortly after
two men [show up] on the beach. It was a strange sensation to see these people advancing
towards us. It is a very odd feeling any way to feel solid ground under the feet after having
been at sea continuously for about a year; in particular if during the last six days there has
only been the thickness of steel of the boat's hull between us and death. The Australians who
are surprised that we are not crew members of the "Sydney" but "Germans" [and] tell us that
there are lorries ready to pick us up on top of the cliff that quickly drops down to the beach.
Now follows a short walk to the lorries and after that the long drive to Camarvon that takes
about 5 hours. We are told that we have landed about 80 km north of this small Australian
port town and another boat somewhat south of it two evenings ago. It was the boat of the
senior signaller whose light signals we had seen until the 23.1 1, inclusive.
On the way to Camarvon -the drive over the very bad roads of the Australian bush seems to
take forever and resembles torture - we all had the impression of driving through water. It
was prairie grass, though, on both sides of the road. Because ofthe long boat journey all our
limbs are extremely painful. The locals along the way are curious but friendly. To drink there
is water and milk in sufficient amounts - a special treat only someone who has suffered m e
depravation in this area is able to appreciate.
Incidentally I only threw my pistol away when the two Australians approached us. If it could
still have been used as a last resort, is another question. [Is this the weapon that was
recovered in 2006/7?j It had become wet like everything on board. We had also lost part of
our provisions this way when some of the zinc crates were crushed. There had not been a
particular place for them.
We arrive in Camarvon a k r midnight and are put up in the village jail. We are given tea and
bread which of course we enjoy like never before. We were finally safe but a drop of
bitterness in our joy was that this was also the beginning of our time as prisoners of war which should last 5 years although thank God we did not know that then.