[ Page 42 ] The radio could also administer an admonishment to a Raider's Captain for some action that was not approved of by Control. It was thus, both a powerful tool, but also a weapon in the hands of those back in Berlin, sometimes remaining silent just when the Raider felt it needed a response.
The ship steered towards Madagascar, sending up its seaplane on the 26th. of August, it was wearing British markings, and it found a Tanker, not carrying any visible nationality identity. A message was dropped telling the Tanker to "alter course," and not to use its radio, as a German Raider was close by, it obeyed. Of course this ruse was designed to bring the Tanker straight to "Pinguin." However, by 1700 ( 5PM) there was no sign of this mystery Tanker, and intercepted signals showed she did not follow these instructions, and was trying to make good her escape
The seaplane was again sent up to find her, and did so at 1748 ( 5.48PM) The ship's aerials were torn away, and "stop at once" sent in English, fire was opened using cannon and machine gun fire on the bridge and over her bows. The Tanker stopped- the seaplane now landed alongside, and taxied towards her, signalling "remain stopped here, Cruiser "Cumberland" will go with you" then followed up with "Show your lights."
At 1826 (6.26PM) guided by the ship's lights, :Pinguin" now came into view, and the aircraft now radioed" We are both stopped lying here. Hi Hi." A prize crew was soon aboard the Norwegian :FFilefjell"- 7,616 tons carrying 10,000 tons of petrol plus 500 tons of oil from the Persian Gulf to Capetown, and was under charter to the British Government, and, unarmed.
The next day, at 0300 ( 3AM ) whilst still close by the Norwegian vessel, a blacked out ship appeared, "Pinguin" raced off to intercept, and after half an hour found a second Tanker, at 0418 (4.18 AM) she was ordered to stop. This ship immediately radioed "QQQ and her position, stopped by unknown ship, "British Commander." "Pinguin" opened fire, and the Tanker responded on her radio "Now vessel shelling us." Walvis Bay, repeated the message and SKL also read it, and now knew that "Pinguin" was at work.
"British Commander" in ballast was finished off by gunfire and a torpedo, her crew abandoning her, but before she sank a third vessel came into sight, also in ballast. A warning shot stopped her, and she hoisted a Norwegian flag, her crew came aboard the Raider. This turned out to be "Morviken" of 5,008 tons, from Capetown to Calcutta.
Kruder had indeed been busy, a fourth ship was approaching, but given the alarm raised by "British Commander," this new customer was left to sail on "Fileijell," was stripped of all her fresh provisions, and then sunk.
The British set out to track down this new problem for them in the Western end of the Indian Ocean, searching aircraft came close to "Pinguin" who had now moved 200 miles away from her recent triumph, but she was not found.
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