German attacks on Nauru

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict = German attacks on Nauru
partof = World War II


caption = Damaged phosphate cantilever loading equipment following the German bombardment of Nauru on 27 December 1940
date = 6–8 December and 27 December 1940
place = Nauru
territory =
result = German victory
status =
combatant1 = flagicon|Germany|Nazi Germany
combatant2 = flag|Australia
flag|United Kingdom
flag|Norway
combatant3 =
commander1 =
commander2 =
commander3 =
strength1 = Two auxiliary cruisers
strength2 = No defenders
strength3 =
casualties1 = None
casualties2 = Five merchant ships sunk, damage to phosphate loading facilities
casualties3 =
notes = The Australian-administered Pacific island of Nauru was attacked by German auxiliary cruisers on two occasions in December 1940. These attacks sank five Allied merchant ships and inflicted serious damage on the island's important phosphate-loading facilities.

Background

Nauru and nearby Ocean Island were important sources of phosphate for Australian and New Zealand fertilizer production and played an important role on both countries agriculture industries. The Melbourne-based British Phosphate Commission (BPC) managed the extraction and export of phosphate from the islands and dominated all aspects of Nauruan life.cite journal|last=Pretes|date=2003|title=The Nauru Connection|journal=Wartime|issue=23|pages=pp.24–25] During the year ending 30 June 1940 the board shipped almost a million tons of phosphate from Nauru and about half that amount from Ocean Island using its fleet of four vessels ("Triadic", "Triaster", "Triona" and "Trienza" ) and chartered merchant ships.cite book|last=Gill|title=Royal Australian Navy 1939–1942 |date=1957|pages=pp.276–277] As the islands have no harbours or anchorages the ships were loaded by securing to deep moorings and embarking their phosphate via cantilever jetties. During south-westerly wind periods - which are common from November to March - ships had to stop loading and sail away from the island until conditions improved. It was common for these ships to be allowed to drift to save fuel and there were often several ships lying off Nauru.cite book|last=Gill|title=Royal Australian Navy 1939–1942 |date=1957|pages=p.277] Despite their importance to the Australian and New Zealand economies, Nauru and Ocean islands had been allocated a low priority for the limited military assets which were available to protect the Australia Station and both islands were undefended in December 1940. Strategic stockpiles of phosphate had been built up in Australia, however, to lessen the impact of an attack on the islands.cite book|last=Gill|title=Royal Australian Navy 1939–1942 |date=1957|pages=pp.283]

In late October 1940 the German raiders "Orion" and "Komet" and their supply ship "Kulmerland" met at Lamutrik in the Caroline Islands.cite book|last=Gill|title=Royal Australian Navy 1939–1942 |date=1957|pages=p.280] The three ships operated off New Zealand's east coast for 18 days during November and sank the small coaster "Holmwood" and large ocean liner "Rangitane" with gunfire without being detected by the weak New Zealand defences on 25 and 27 November respectively.cite book|last=Jackson|first=|title=Maritime Power in the 20th Century: The Australian Experience|editor=David Stevens|date=1998|chapter=Forcing force development: the impact of the German raiders on New Zealand's maritime defences|pages=p.94] Following these attacks the raiders proceeded to the Kermadec Islands, where they transferred their women and children prisoners to "Kulmerland" on 29 November. The three ships then proceeded to Nauru to attack the island's phosphate industry and the concentration of shipping which the German captains knew was usually present.

Attacks on Nauru

The German force encountered its first BPC ship while en-route to Nauru. On 6 December "Triona" (4,413 tons) was attacked north-east of the Solomon Islands and was sunk with torpedos after a chase in which three of her crew were killed by the raiders' guns. All 68 survivors were captured.

The raider captains intended to land a shore party and bombard Nauru's shore installations at dawn on 8 December, but bad weather forced them to concentrate on the ships which were off the island. On the evening of 7 December "Komet", which had gone ahead to reconnoitre and was disguised as the Japanese merchant ship "Manyo Maru", sank the Norwegian merchant ship "Vinni" (5,181 tons) [cite web |url=http://warsailors.com/raidervictims/vinni.html |title=MS "Vinni"'s Story, Victim of Komet |accessdate=2008-09-05 |work= |publisher=Warsailors.com |date= ] approximately nine miles south of Nauru. While the raider was spotted from the shore her disguise was successful and she was assumed to be a merchant ship bound for Japan.cite book|last=Gill|title=Royal Australian Navy 1939–1942 |date=1957|pages=p.281] "Orion" joined "Komet" off Nauru in the early hours of 8 December and attacked and damaged "Triadic" (6,378 tons) and sank "Triaster" (6,032 tons). "Komet" then tried to sink "Triadic" with scuttling charges, but this was unsuccessful and "Orion" sank the merchant ship with gunfire. "Komet" later sank the British steamer "Komata" (3,900 tons). Following these attacks the two raiders and "Kulmerland" withdrew and assembled convert|20|mi|km east of Nauru. As the weather precluded a landing on the island, it was decided that "Komet" and "Kulmerland" would go to Ailinglap in the Marshall Islands where "Komet" would refuel while "Orion" operated north-west of Nauru. Following this the ships would meet up off the island and attempt a landing if possible.

When the German force reassembled off Nauru on 15 December the weather continued to be too bad to permit a landing and the attack on Nauru was broken off. Further attacks on shipping were judged impractical as the raiders' had intercepted radio messages ordering ships bound for Nauru and Ocean Island to disperse. Instead, the three German ships proceeded to the Australian-administered island of Emirau to disembark the 675 prisoners they were carrying. Fortunately for the Germans Emirau was one of the few islands in the region to not have a Royal Australian Navy-supplied radio to contact the Australian authorities.cite book|last=Jackson|first=|title=Maritime Power in the 20th Century: The Australian Experience|editor=David Stevens|date=1998|chapter=Forcing force development: the impact of the German raiders on New Zealand's maritime defences|pages=p.95] The released prisoners were quickly supplied by the Australian authorities and were transported to Townsville, Queensland on 29 December. They provided useful intelligence on the German raiders' operations, and the German Naval Staff issued a directive prohibiting raiders from releasing further prisoners on 19 February 1941.cite book|last=Waters|title=The Royal New Zealand Navy|date=1956|pages=pp.145–146]

The three German ships parted company after leaving Emirau on 21 December. "Orion" proceeded to Lamutrik and then Maug in the Caroline Islands to overhaul her engines, "Kulmerland" went to Japan and only "Komet" continued operations in the South Pacific. She attempted to lay mines off Rabaul on 24 December using her motor boat but this project was abandoned when the boat's engines failed.

"Komet" returned to Nauru following the unsuccessful attempt to mine Rabaul and arrived off the island at 5:45am on the morning of 27 December. After issuing a warning for those on shore to not use radio and signalling her intent to destroy the phosphate loading plant she opened fire at 6:40am. The bombardment lasted for about an hour during which time the raider wrecked the loading plant, oil tanks, boats, buildings and mooring buoys. Following this attack she sailed to the south east and Nauru broadcast news of the attack to Australia. This was the last visit of German ships to Nauru during the war, and "Komet" transferred her activities to the Indian Ocean.cite book|last=Gill|title=Royal Australian Navy 1939–1942 |date=1957|pages=p.282]

Aftermath

The German raids on Nauru had an impact on the Australian and New Zealand economies and were the greatest success achieved by German raiders in the Pacific Ocean during World War II.cite book|last=Waters|title=The Royal New Zealand Navy|date=1956|pages=pp.147–148] It took ten weeks to resume phosphate shipments from Nauru and the loss of ships and damaged infrastructure resulted in a significant decline in output. The resulting phosphate shortages forced the introduction of fertilizer rationing in New Zealand from July 1941. "Komet"'s bombardment of the island also interfered with phosphate consignments to Japan, which caused the Japanese government to threaten to reduce the aid it was providing to Germany.

The success of the attacks on Nauru led to rumours in Australia and New Zealand that the raiders had been aided by treachery in the islands. Several investigations were conducted into the rumours and proved them to be unfounded.

Following the raids the Australian Naval Board requested that the British Admiralty agree to redeploy Australian naval units to meet the threat posed by raiders. This was agreed to and the light cruiser HMAS "Sydney" and armed merchant cruiser HMAS "Kanimbla" returned to Australia. This allowed naval protection to be provided to Nauru and Ocean islands and HMAS "Manoora" arrived off Ocean Island on 4 January 1941 escorting "Trienza". Several Australian and New Zealand warships maintained a continual presence off the islands during subsequent months and two field guns were deployed to each island. The attacks also led to the introduction of convoys between Australia and New Zealand.cite book|last=Gill|title=Royal Australian Navy 1939–1942 |date=1957|pages=p.284]

Notes

References

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