[ Page 8 ] After rushing off for 2 hours, Weyher was suprised to sight smoke a long way off on the horizon; it followed them, but to his relief it then disappared. He did some calculations at his bridge chart table to discover that prior to his "Arado" warning, he had been on a course that would have delivered his ship into the waittng arms of the British Cruiser. It had indeed been a close run thing.
Once more, the value of carrying aircraft which could extend his eyes to a wider horizon was brought home to Weyher. In all, some 85 flights were made by the two aircraft aboard "Orion."
The Naval ship which his aircraft had seen was either "Cornwall" or "Glasgow," both Cruisers of the Royal Navy, the former, a County class ship had been responsible for sinking "Pinguin" a sister Raider, only 10 days earlier.
It was time to leave such a dangerous area, but the "Nakajima" was lost when taking off whilst close to Madagascar.
"Orion" now rounded the Cape of Good Hope in foul weather and entered the South Atlantic, proceeding west to Tristan de Cunha, where she fuelled from "Anneliese Essberger." Any Captian of a Raider is constantly worrying whence his~next fuelling will come from and Weyher was no exception. He now leaned from his control at home that two tankers destined to supply him had both fallen into British hands. So, at last, on the 21st. of July l94l, it was time for Weyher and his tired crew to go home.
"Orion" had not had a "Victory at sea" over the past 7.5 months. The tide turned, and they sighted a merchant ship in ballast, judged to be about 5 to 6,060 tons. Although 10 torpedoes were used, none exploded, (the German torpedoe had proved to be quite unreliable; it had exhibited poor depth keeping qualities and the magnetic pistol for exploding the warhead was also a problem.
Donitz, their U-Boat Commander, commented "I do not believe that ever in the history of war have men been sent against the enemy wtth such a useless weapon." Strong words indeed from such a respected source!) This ship, the "Chaucer" was now sunk by gunfire, and her total crew of 48 rescued.
By the 15th. of August "Orion" was o[ff the coast of Spain, and she conveniently changed her identity to become a neutral ship, the Spanish "Contramestre Casado," and was now picked up by a U-Boat escort, then German aircraft. This German Raider was certainly going to make it home.
She finally arrived at Gironde on the 23rd. of August, 1941, her record outstanding: 510 days at sea, 112,337 miles steamed, 12.5 ships sunk, totalling some 80,279 tons, the half ship being "Rangitane" which she shared with "Komet."
Her engines had been quite unreliable, there was no point in her going to sea again in her Raider capacity. All her armament was removed, to be fitted to other Merchant Raiders in due course to fisht another day.
Carrying the new name of "Haktor" this successful Raider was sunk by bornbs off Swinemunde on the 4th. of May in 1945.
Weyher saw out the war in various Naval posts in the Black Sea, Crete, and in the east Frisian Islands.
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