Another mystery solved

Seems HMAS Sydney and her 645 sailors have been missing since a battle with the German merchant raider Kormoran in November of 1941 (back before the Japanese got into WW2) off the west coast of Australia. They've now located the wrecks of both ships, some 800 miles north of Perth, in 2500 meters of water. The Kormoran was "a prime example of the relatively successful 'disguised freighter' technique used in commerce raiding by the Kriegsmarine in World War Two. The largest of the German raiders, Kormoran operated in the South Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and the South Pacific. In common with other auxiliary cruisers, she had substantial (hidden) armament: six 150 mm (5.9 in) guns, torpedo tubes and seaplanes, but lacked the armour protection, fire control systems and speed of a proper warship. Successful raiding depended on surprise and disguise." "At the time, the German raider was posing as a Dutch freighter, the Straat Malakka. Captain Detmers hoped to pass by undetected, but Sydney closed to investigate."

Rico says disguised freighters certainly worked, but it was cheating...