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The German attacks on Nauru refers to the two attacks on Nauru in December 1940. These attacks were conducted by auxiliary cruisers between 6 and 8 December and on the 27th of the month. The raiders sank five Allied merchant ships and inflicted serious damage on Nauru's economically important phosphate-loading facilities. Despite the significance of the island to the Australian and New Zealand economies, Nauru was not defended and the German force did not suffer any losses. The two attacks on Nauru were the most effective operations conducted by German raiders in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. They disrupted supplies of phosphate to Australia, New Zealand and Japan, which reduced agricultural production in these countries. In response, Allied naval vessels were deployed to protect Nauru and nearby Ocean Island and escort shipping in the South Pacific. Small garrisons were also established to protect the two islands. ==Background== Nauru and nearby Ocean Island were important sources of phosphate for Australian and New Zealand fertilizer production and played an important role on both countries agriculture industries at the time of World War II. The Melbourne-based British Phosphate Commission (BPC) managed the extraction and export of phosphate from the islands and dominated all aspects of Nauruan life.〔Pretes (2003), pp. 24–25〕 During the year ending 30 June 1940, the BPC shipped almost a million tons of phosphate from Nauru and about half that amount from Ocean Island using its fleet of four vessels (''Triadic'', ''Triaster'', ''Triona'' and ''Trienza'') and chartered merchant ships.〔Gill (1957), pp. 276–277〕 As the islands have no harbours or anchorages, the phosphate ships were loaded by securing to deep moorings and embarking their cargo via cantilever jetties. During south-westerly wind periods—which are common from November to March—the ships had to stop loading and sail away from the island until conditions improved. It was common for these ships to be allowed to drift to save fuel, and there were often several vessels lying off Nauru.〔Gill (1957), p. 277〕 Despite their importance to the Australian and New Zealand economies, Nauru and Ocean islands had been allocated a low priority for the limited military assets which were available to protect the Australia Station and both islands were undefended in December 1940. Strategic stockpiles of phosphate had been built up in Australia, however, to lessen the impact of an attack on the islands.〔Gill (1957), p. 283〕 In late October 1940, the German raider , which was commanded by Captain Kurt Weyher met , which came under the command of Captain Robert Eyssen, and the supply ship ''Kulmerland'' at Lamotrek in the Caroline Islands. Eyssen was the more senior of the two captains, and assumed overall command of the force.〔Gill (1957), p. 280〕 The three ships operated off New Zealand's east coast for 18 days during November and sank the small coaster ''Holmwood'' and large ocean liner with gunfire without being detected by the weak New Zealand defences on 25 and 27 November respectively.〔Jackson (1998), p. 94〕 Following these attacks, the raiders proceeded to the Kermadec Islands where they transferred their women and children prisoners to ''Kulmerland'' on 29 November. The three ships then proceeded to Nauru to attack the island's phosphate industry and the concentration of shipping which the German captains knew was usually present.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「German attacks on Nauru」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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