Six German surface raiders operated in Australian waters at different times between 1940 to 1943.
The coal was suspected of being destined for German surface raiders.
Elsewhere in the world, the Navy hunted down the handful of German surface raiders at large.
Together with surface raiders, merchant shipping lines were also attacked by U-boats.
Patrols to search for German surface raiders were also conducted in April and May 1917.
Other German surface raiders now began to make their presence felt.
The Royal Navy assembled nine forces to search for the surface raider.
The ship was reported missing, and was at first believed to have been sunk by a Japanese surface raider.
As a result, Behar was the final Allied merchant ship to be sunk by surface raiders during the war.
She was there as insurance against attack by surface raiders.
