FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY. This book is the property of H.M. Government. Its contents are not to be communicated, either directly or indirectly, to the Press, or to any person not holding an official position in H.M. Service. FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY. Attention is called to the penalties attaching to any infraction of the Official Secrets Acts. O.U. 6337 (40) REVIEW OF GERMAN CRUISER WARFARE 1914-1918 (399/1658) CONTENTS CHAPTER I.— SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS Tonnage captured by raiders, length of cruise, area of operations, etc 1 Position of raiders on outbreak of war 1 Air reconnaissance. 2 Wireless communications. 2 Measures against raiders 2 Failure to protect shipping 3 Search and patrol. 3 Introduction of convoy. 3 CHAPTER II.— GERMAN CRUISER SQUADRON AND LIGHT CRUISERS Cruiser Squadron, Emden detached from 4 Comments on British strategy prior to Coronel. 4 Attack on ralkland islands 5 Principle of cruiser warfare. 5 Possible co-operation with High Sea Fleet. 5 Search for Dresden after the Falklands Battle. 6 Emden, operations of 7 Captain Von Mueller's hints on cruiser warfare 7 Search for Emden. 8 Failure to protect shipping from. 8 Koenigsberg meets the Cape Squadron. 8 Operates in Gulf of Aden. 8 Fails to obtain coal 9 Hides in Rufiji River. 9 Measures against 9 Karlsruhe meets the Kronprinz Wilhelm . 9 Chased by Suffolk. 9 Successful operations off Coast of Brazil 10 Sunk by internal explosion. 10 Failure of search and patrol 10 CHAPTER III.— AUXILIARY CRUISERS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse breaks out from North Sea 11 Delay in meeting collier 11 Discovery of coaling anchorage 11 Destruction by Highflyer 11 Cap Trafalgar, commissioned at Trinidada Island 11 Difficulty of coaling 11 Action with Carmania 12 Kronprinz Wilhelm commissioned by Karlsruhe 12 Always coaled at sea 12 Successful operations 12 Interned at Newport News 12 Countermeasures, failure of 12 Cormoran, commissioned at Tsingtao 13 Detached from Cruiser Squadron 13 Failure to obtain coal 13 Interned at Guam 13 Prinz Eitel Friedrich, detached from Cruiser Squadron 13 Rejoins at Mas-a-fuera 13 Attacks trade off South American Coast 13 Interned at Newport News 13 Moewe, first cruise of 13 Lays mines off Orkneys and the Gironde River 14 Attacks shipping in the Atlantic 14 Returns to Germany 14 Moewe, second cruise of 14 The Samland gives the alarm 14 Captures and commissions the Saint Theodore 15 Narrow escape from the Amethyst 15 Importance of jammed wireless signals 15 Damaged in action with the Otaki 16 Failure of measures against Moewe 16 Ill Greif attempts to break the blockade Sinks Alcantara Sunk by Andes and Comus Wolf, operation orders of Lays mines off Cape Town, Colombo and Bombay Captures and commissions the Turritella as Iltis Anchors at Sunday Island Obtains coal from Wairumo Lays three minefields in New Zealand and Australian Waters Mines approaches to Singapore Attacks shipping in Atlantic Ships sunk by Wolf's mines Scuttling of Iltis Failure of counter-measures Seeadler Examined by Patia Operations in Atlantic Proceeds into the Pacific Wrecked on Mopihaa Island Counter-measures Instructions issued by the Admiralty Leopard Deciphering of British signals Attempts to evade the blockade Sunk by Achilles and Dundee CHAPTER IV. — FUELLING AND SUPPLY Organisation of German supply Auxiliary bases Duties of naval and civilian personnel Arrangements for supplying Cruiser Squadron in the Pacific Arrangements for supplying Cruiser Squadron on homeward journey Action by British diplomatic and consular officials Fuelling arrangements of Emden Captain Von Mueller's suggestions Koenigsberg, breakdown of supply organisation Karlsruhe, details of coal supply Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, delay in obtaining coal Kronprinz Wilhelm, details of coaling at sea and dependence on prizes CHAPTER V.— INTELLIGENCE AND COMMUNICATIONS German Intelligence Organisation New York centre Repeating ship at Pernambuco Las Palmas centre Devices to outwit censorship Shanghai centre Intelligence organisation off Coast of Chile News of Invincible at Abrolhos obtained by deciphering or espionage British wireless signals of great value to German raiders Assists Von Spee in concentration against Cradock Helps Emden, Karlsruhe and Kronprinz Wilhelm to evade pursuers Remarks of Captains of Karlsruhe and Kronprinz Wilhelm Caution of German raiders in use of wireless Wireless of 10th Cruiser Squadron supplies vital information Possible explanation of excessive wireless signalling by British cruisers Capture of British merchant ships due to same cause False reports and rumours Wireless as a method of spreading misleading information Koenigsberg simulates wireless traffic of ships at sea False reports spread by Dresden and Karlsruhe APPENDIX.— ANCHORAGES USED BY RAIDERS Pacific Ocean — North Pacific Ocean — South Atlantic Ocean — North Atlantic Ocean — South Tierra del Fuego and Magellan Straits Area Indian Ocean LIST OF PLATES. Plate. I. Track of German Cruiser S.M.S. Emden and S.M.S. Koenigsberg. II. Track of German Cruiser S.M.S. Karlsruhe. III. Track of German Cruiser S.M.S. Karlsruhe, 30th August to 25th October, 1914. IV. Track of German. Auxiliary Cruiser Kronprinz Wilhelm. V. Track of German Auxiliary Cruiser Prinz Eitel Friedrich. VI. Track of German Auxiliary Cruiser Moewe, Northern Portion, 1st Voyage. VII. Track of German Auxiliary Cruiser Moewe, Southern Portion, 1st Voyage. VIII. Track of German Auxiliary Cruiser Moewe, Northern Portion, 2nd Voyage. IX. Track of German Auxiliary Cruiser Moewe, Southern Portion, 2nd Voyage. X. Track of German Auxiliary Cruiser Wolf, Northern Portion, Outward Bound. XI. Track of German Auxiliary Cruiser Wolf. XII. Track of German Auxiliary Cruiser Wolf, Northern Portion, Homeward Bound. XIII. Track of German Auxiliary Cruiser Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse. XIV. Track of German Auxiliary Cruiser Cap Trafalgar. XV. Track of German Auxiliary Cruiser Seeadler. Digitized by http://nla.gov.au/ 15 folding maps in pocket inside back cover