 A civilian pilot , Denis Cutler of Durban , South Africa , was commissioned into the Royal Marines and persuaded to make his private Curtiss seaplane available for the British Empire . The Royal Navy requisitioned the passenger ship Kinfauns Castle to serve as a makeshift tender for Cutler 's aircraft . On his first attempt to locate the cruiser , Cutler , who did not have a compass , got lost and was forced to land on a desert island . On his second flight , he successfully located Königsberg , and a third flight with a Royal Navy observer confirmed his observations . His aircraft 's radiator was damaged on the flight and he was grounded until replacement parts could be brought from Mombasa . A pair of Royal Naval Air Service Sopwiths were brought up with the intention of scouting and even bombing the ship . They soon fell apart in the tropical conditions . A trio of Short seaplanes fared a little better , though they too were quickly disabled by the conditions . 
