[BlueLancer]

"The HMS Alcantara, former royal mail liner, armed and in war service when it skirmishes with the German merchant raider Thor in the south Atlantic. In the South Atlantic... There is an engagement in the south Atlantic between the German auxiliary cruiser Thor and the similar but less well-armed British merchant cruiser Alcantara. Thor is only lightly hit but Alcantara is forced to break off and head for Rio. Only proper British cruisers are adequate to catch and fight such German vessels."

And, sometimes, even that isn't enough ...

The German auxiliary cruiser KORMORAN engaged and sank the HMAS SYDNEY, a Leander-class cruiser, off Australia. Although the KORMORAN was also severely damaged and was ultimately scuttled, the SYDNEY was hammered unmercifully by the Germans heavy guns and torpedoed at least once. The SYDNEY staggered off into the darkness and sank with all hands. The wreckage of both ships has only been recently discovered.

Computer animation of SYDNEY/KORMORAN engagement:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQwDAeoD-40

...[sorry, I don't know how to put in active links]...

[freedumb2003]

Active links:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQwDAeoD-40">Computer Animation of the battle</a>

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Computer Animation of the battle