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==Escape across the Pacific==
In the last week of August, 1939, ''Erlangen'' was in port in [[Dunedin]], New Zealand. She was low on coal and [[Victualler|victuals]], and was due to cross the [[Tasman Sea]] to [[Bunkering|bunker]] in [[Port Kembla harbour|Port Kembla]], New South Wales. However, a secret [[Wireless telegraphy|wireless telegraph]] signal from Germany warned her that war was about to begin, and ordered her to take refuge in the nearest [[Neutral powers during World War II|neutral]] port to avoid capture. On
The New Zealand Government suspected that ''Erlangen'' may have taken refuge in the Auckland Islands, so it sent the [[light cruiser]] {{HMNZS|Leander}} to look for her. ''Leander'' arrived off the islands on 29 September, but bad weather prevented her from entering Carnley Harbour. ''Leander'' put a [[landing party]] ashore on Musgrave Point, where there was an emergency food depôt for any survivors of shipwrecks who might reach the island. However, ''Erlangen''{{'}}s crew had left the depôt untouched, in order to avoid leaving any clue that their ship might be there. ''Leander'' carried a [[Fairey Seafox]] [[reconnaissance]] [[floatplane]], but in the rough sea, she did not send it to reconnoitre Carnley Harbour.
''Erlangen''{{'}}s officers estimated that they needed 400 tons of wood to augment their coal supply enough to reach Chile. However, fearing discovery, the ship left the Auckland Islands on 7 October. By then, her crew had felled about {{convert|3|acre}} of rātā, which had yielded only about 240 tons of firewood.
==Scuttling==
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