The first patrol produced the kind of interception for which an armed merchant cruiser was intended. Rawalpindi stopped a German merchant vessel, took its crew prisoner, and handled them without the destruction and mass casualties of a capital-ship engagement. The German captain wrote to thank Edward Kennedy for the courteous treatment his people received and gave his saved binoculars to the British boarding officer. This routine commerce-control duty contrasts sharply with the overwhelming surface battle that ended the ship's third patrol.
Notable Point · 41:40-42:12
Rawalpindi's first patrol and humane prisoner handling
Before her final action, Rawalpindi intercepted a German merchant ship and earned its captain's thanks for the treatment of his captured crew.