She was spoofed into closing, a tactic the German Captain hoped would lure her in, otherwise the Cruiser could have peperred the raider from 11K away and sunk her. The Australians were probably not on there toes and moved in to within 3000M when the Raider dropped her camouflage, raised her ensign and opened fire with her guns and Heavy Anti Aircraft MG's They swept the deck of Australian crewman and the guns concentrated fire on the Cruisers battle bridge which was quickly decimated and all there soon dead. Without any C&C the cruisers guns ended up firing as best they could all the while receiving murderous incoming fire from the Raider. The cruisers decks were smeared with the blood of dead and dieing, her AA guns unmanned, her torpedoes unmanned and unable to be fired with no crews. The raider fired a salvo of torpedoes which struck the cruiser just aft of the bow taking out her forward turrets and their ammunition bunkers. Within minutes the cruiser independently firing guns holed the raiders thin unarmored hull and several shells found their way into the engineering deck and engines. Fires erupted from holed fuel bunkers and lines. As the ships drew apart the cruisers engines worked madly to continue to provide headway and the distance grew. It was however to late as the torpedoes had weakened the hull and she was rent asunder in a massive explosion of her ammo bunkers. The cruiser bow seperated and the forward momentum crushed bulkhead after bulkhead and she quickly took on water and sank. Meanwhile the raiders engines eventually failed and she stood dead in the water unrepairable. The Captain ordered abandon ship and had demolition charges set to blow the raiders mines. Working quickly several small boats were lifted from cargo areas and lowered unto the sea and the raiders crew and demolition team hurried off.. A vast explosion then took the raider to the sea bottom. Most of the German crew survived and went on to internment. The Australian crew were all lost to a man. The german captain had feared radio traffic had located their position and sent for help.. This was not the case and the raider would have served as a floating refuge for some time if not scuttled.
Was their treachery involved? Was their false identities used, was the Australian Captain irresponsible for closing unto an unknown? The German crew stated they acted within their previous patterns of attack. Was te Australian ship lured to close on a surrendered vessel? Perhaps a look at the wreck will reveal some clue... Likely not..
