ABSTRACT
As the previous chapter has shown, Imperial Germany’s plans were ambitious. This demanded a substantial support base, which included not only the ships of the Cruiser Squadron, but also the Imperial offices in the colonies and all consulates in the region. Moreover, plans specified the use of cargo and passenger vessels for auxiliary wartime services and, last but not least, a formidable surveillance organisation, made up of members of the civil service and the community at large, was busy providing valuable facts and information. The chief of this network in Australasia, the Hauptberichterstatter [HBE], was normally stationed in Sydney and assisted by two Berichterstatter/Vertrauensmänner [BE(VM)s]. Further BE(VM)s reported from Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland.
