Nazi 'Pirates' in the Pacific

26th November 1940: ‘Hilfskreuzers’ - warships disguised as merchantmen begin a trail of destruction on the other side of the world

The Komet was a relatively small ship of 3287 tons gross register, built in 1937 as the Ems for the Norddeutscher Lloyd. Propelled by two oil-engines geared to a single shaft, she had a speed of about 15 knots. She was armed with six 5·9-inch guns, nine light anti-aircraft guns, six deck and four underwater torpedo-tubes. She carried one Arado seaplane …