[ Page 44 ] By the 28th. of October, "Pinguin" was ready to lay, and 40 mines were sown between Newcastle and Sydney, and then another 40 off Hobart. Kruder now went off to Spencer Gulf to lay mines in the approaches of the port serving Adelaide.
By the 8th. of November, "Passat's" work was crowned by success. Australian radio indicated that a British freighter had been struck by a mine at the Eastern end of Bass Strait, and the American "City of Rayville," suffered the same fate. She, in fact, became the first American ship to be lost in WW2.
After being 5 months at sea, work was needed on "Pinguin's" engines, she stopped, and, whilst undertaking repairs on the evening of the 17th. of November, smoke was sighted, one engine was restarted, then the second, as the ship was followed. She stopped under the glare of "Pinguin's" search light. It was the 7,290 ton, British "Nowshera" with 4,000 tons of zinc ore, 2,000 tons of wool, and 3,000 tons of wheat ex Adelaide, for Dublin and UK. She carried an enormous crew of 113, mostly Indians. They all had to be squeezed into the Raider's already crowded holds. 8 hours was spent, removing stores, mostly rice for the Indian prisoners- she was then scuttled.
More smoke on the 20th. the 'Maimoa" was followed and attacked by the seaplane, but the ship kept on steaming, the aircraft indicated that it had to land. Kruder did not want to interupt his pursuit, just to stop and recover his aircraft, so he lowered a cutter, leaving it behind to cope with the seaplane, in case it was some considerable before he could return.
Meanwhile "Storland" who had now reverted to her original name after being Passat" for a time, indicated another ship was in sight about 9 miles distant. Kruder kept on after "Maimoa." he caught her, and the crew of 87 taken on board, and then she was scuttled.
She proved to be a refrigerator ship, 10, 123 tons, her cargo, 5000 tons of frozen meat, 1,500 tons of buffer and lard, 17,000 boxes of eggs, and 1,500 tons of grain- bound for Durban, ex Fremantle. The aircraft and cutter were recovered in the dark.
The vessel seen by" Storstad" was also heading for Africa, she was overtaken at night, stopped, set alight, abandoned, from a crew of 89, 60 men and 1 woman were rescued.
This ship, "Port of Brisbane" 8,739 tons, also had 5,000 tons of meat, butter, cheese, and 3,000 tons of wool bound for UK. She too, was scuttled, needing a torpedo to finish her off. Kruder was now told on the 24th. of November, to move his operations to the Antarctic. He was to search from East to West for the Whaling fleets, reporting again at the end of January, perhaps, then to move his operations to India's West coast, to harry commerce, and lay mines. "Pinguin" was now given an all over coat of black paint.
On the 3Oth. of November, after an alert from "Storstad," a ship was followed, and attacked at 2230 ( 10.3OPM) that night, hitting radio equipment, and her steering gear, with the first salvo. It was Port Wellington," a sister to "Port of Brisbane" 8,301 tonnage, stuffed flill of meat, cheese, eggs, butter, steel, wool, and wheat, all bound for UK.
82 men and 7 women were transferred, and the ship regretfully scuttled, some of the food cargo would have been most welcome aboard the Raider."Pinguin's" slate, now read :-" 11 ships sunk, onboard, 405 Prisoners."
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