An item referred to the British minister Winston Churchill who stated that the British cruiser HMS Highflyer (1) (5.700 ton, a speed of 20 miles) destroyed the German steamship Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse (14.350 ton, a speed of 23 miles).(2) The German ship belonged originally to the Nord Deutscher Lloyd and was converted into an auxiliary cruiser with an armament of 10-10,5cm guns. She was disturbing a safe passage towards Cape of Good Hope, South Africa and just one of the few German auxiliary cruisers which succeeded to reach open sea. The surviving crewmembers reached the shore before she sunk. On board of the Highflyer was one men killed, 5 others wounded, She was armed with 11-15cm guns and 14 guns of a smaller calibre.
Notes
1. Laid down by Fairfield Shipbuilding&Engineering, Govan Scotland in June 1897, launched on 4 June 1898 and sold to be broken up 10 June 1921. Of the Highflyer-class
2. Laid down at Stettiner Vulcan, Stettin in 1896, launched on 4 May 1897 and sunk on 26 August 1914 by British hits or scuttled by her own crew. She just bunkered coal at Rio de Oro. Morocco (Villa Cisneros, former Spanish Sahara).
