May 9:
Red Sea:
0500 HMS Trent picks up wireless message between German warships. Worried that Königsberg may have managed to elude King-Hall's forces and be heading their way, Captain Fullerton orders the convoy to turn back toward the Suez Canal.
0800 Unable to raise Suez on the wireless, Fullerton reverses course and heads south again.
2359: A large ship is spotted approaching from astern. When in sight of the tugs the ship puts out its lights. After some panic the ship turns out to be the freighter Trioba, which had suffered a dynamo failure at the most inopportune time.
German East Africa:
1330 HMS Laconia launches Short No. 121 for another reconnaissance flight.
1425 Short 121 comes down some distance away.
1445 HMS Chatham weighs anchor and proceeds to Short 121's position.
1458 Laconia weighs anchor and proceeds to Short 121's position.
1525 Chatham sights Short 121.
1545 Chatham and HMS Fly guarding Short 121.
1614 Laconia anchors next to Short 121
1645 Short 121 hoisted aboard Laconia.
No information is given on why Short 121 failed to make it back to Laconia.
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“Never do anything you can't take back.”
—Rocky Russo
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