Raider campaign

Fight with Sydney and death

Write a review on the article "Cormoran (auxiliary cruiser)"

Notes

Literature

F. Ruge. War at sea, 1939-1945. SPb.: Polygon, 2002, ISBN 5-89173-027-8

Excerpt characterizing Cormoran (auxiliary cruiser)

I looked up and saw dad, who was standing leaning on the door frame, and all this time he was watching me with great interest. Dad came up and, affectionately hugging me by the shoulders, said quietly:
- Well, let's go, you can tell me why you fought so ardently here...
And immediately my soul felt very light and calm. Finally, he will find out everything and I will never have to hide anything from him again! He was my best friend, who, unfortunately, did not even know half the truth about what my life really was... It was dishonest and it was unfair... And I only now realized how strange it all was this is the time to hide my “second” life from dad just because it seemed to mom that dad wouldn’t understand... I had to give him such a chance even earlier and now I was very glad that I could do it at least now...
Sitting comfortably on his favorite sofa, we talked for a very long time... And how much I was delighted and surprised that, as I told him about my incredible adventures, daddy’s face became brighter and brighter!.. I I realized that my whole “incredible” story not only did not frighten him, but, on the contrary, for some reason made him very happy...
“I always knew that you would be special to me, Svetlenka...” when I finished, dad said very seriously. - I am proud of you. Is there anything I can do to help you?
I was so shocked by what happened that, out of nowhere, I burst into tears... Dad cradled me in his arms like a little child, quietly whispering something, and I, from happiness that he understood me, said nothing. I heard, I only understood that all my hated “secrets” were already behind me, and now everything would definitely be fine...
I wrote about this birthday because it left a deep imprint in my soul of something very important and very kind, without which my story about myself would certainly be incomplete...
The next day everything seemed normal and everyday again, as if that incredibly happy birthday had never happened yesterday...
The usual school and household chores almost completely filled the hours allotted in the day, and what remained was, as always, my favorite time, and I tried to use it very “economically” in order to learn as much useful information as possible and as much “unusual” information as possible. to find in yourself and in everything around you...
Naturally, they didn’t let me near the “gifted” neighbor’s boy, explaining that the baby had a cold, but as I learned a little later from his older brother, the boy felt absolutely fine, and was apparently “sick” only for me...
It was a great pity that his mother, who had probably gone through a rather “thorny” path of the same “unusual” at one time, categorically did not want to accept any help from me, and tried in every possible way to protect her sweet, talented son from me. But this, again, was just one of many of those bitter and offensive moments of my life, when no one needed the help I offered, and I now tried to avoid such “moments” as carefully as possible... Again, it is impossible for people had something to prove if they didn't want to accept it. And I never considered it right to prove my truth “with fire and sword,” so I preferred to leave everything to chance until the moment when a person comes to me and asks me to help him.
I again distanced myself a little from my school friends, because lately they had almost constantly the same conversations - which boys they liked the most, and how they could “get” one or the other... Frankly speaking, I just couldn’t understand why it attracted them so much then, that they could mercilessly spend such free hours, so dear to us all, on this, and at the same time be in a completely delighted state from everything said or heard to each other. Apparently, for some reason I was still completely and completely unprepared for this whole complex epic of “boys and girls”, for which I received an evil nickname from my girlfriends - “proud girl”... Although, I think that it was just a proud woman I wasn’t... But the girls were just infuriated that I refused the “events” they offered, for the simple reason that I honestly wasn’t interested in it yet, and I didn’t see any serious reason for throwing away my free time in vain causes. But naturally, my school friends did not like my behavior in any way, since it, again, set me apart from the general crowd and made me different, not like everyone else, which, according to the guys, was “anti-human” according to the school students. ..
This is how my winter days passed, again half “rejected” by school friends and girlfriends, which no longer upset me at all, since, having worried about our “relationship” for several years, I saw that, ultimately, in this makes no sense, since everyone lives as they see fit, well, what will come of us later is, again, a private problem for each of us. And no one could force me to idly waste my “valuable” time on empty conversations, when I preferred to spend it reading interesting books, walking along the “floors” or even riding along winter paths in the Purga...
Dad, after my honest story about my “adventures,” for some reason suddenly (to my great joy!!!) stopped considering me a “little child” and unexpectedly gave me access to all his previously unauthorized books, which tied me even more to “loneliness at home” and, combining such a life with grandma’s pies, I felt absolutely happy and certainly in no way alone...
But, as was the case before, it was clearly “contraindicated” for me to quietly engage in my favorite reading for a long time, since, almost without fail, something “extraordinary” was bound to happen... And so that evening, When I was calmly reading a new book, crunching with pleasure on freshly baked cherry pies, an excited, disheveled Stella suddenly appeared and declared in a peremptory voice:
– It’s so good that I found you - you should come with me now!..
- What happened?.. Go where? – I asked, surprised at such an unusual rush.
– To Maria, Dean died there... Well, come on!!! – the girlfriend shouted impatiently.

on board to obtain information about the Cormoran. He

came from Lamutruk, where he learned shortly before

about the departure of the German auxiliary troops from there

sulfur. After the commander of the American

rabla "Sepplay" ("Supply") informed the admir¬

la that the German raider was interned, the Japanese

went to sea again.

Sent by Cormoran from Lamutruk to Guam pa

Russian boat, flowing and half filled in

come, after a five-day sailing trip I arrived

la to your destination. She fulfilled her instructions

could not, as her crew was immediately interned

local authorities.

While stationed in Guam, the Cormoran surrendered to the Americans.

Kansam only gun locks. Cars due to danger

Typhoon officials were kept ready for action. Stock

coal on the ship could not exceed 150 tons.

When tensions intensified in February 1917

tension between the United States and Germany due to

for unlimited submarine warfare, for

"Cormoran" on Guam began a permanent military

position. Crew members could no longer leave

side of an auxiliary cruiser. All telegrams and

mail for Cormoran was delayed. In American

coastal batteries, day and night, the servants stand

la at the guns, on combat duty. Steam at night

boats without lights patrolled the bay.

The states must decide whether to declare war on Germany.

Therefore, Corvetten-Captain Zuckschwerdt ordered the

make all preparations so that the ship

did not fall into the hands of the enemy.

Rez truce, aide-de-camp to the lieutenant governor

Owen Bartlett, an official letter in which he

kept information about the announcement by the United

States of the war in Germany and the demand for unconditional

surrender of the Cormoran and its crew.

Between the American parliamentarian and the corvette

Captain Zuckschwerdt in the presence of Captain Lei-

Tenant Dressler and Lieutenant Zur See Hans Mühl

The following negotiations took place in the cabin:

Commander. My ship is unarmed and defenseless,

he doesn't have coal, so I can't offer any resistance.

resistance, nor try to leave. I'm ready to entrust the crew

in the custody of the United States, I assume that

decent conditions await him, which I myself consider

I'm grateful for those.

Parliamentarian. And the ship?

Commander. This is a question that I cannot discuss.

German auxiliary cruiser "Cormoran"

after internment in Guam in December 1914

Parliamentarian. I must insist on unconditional

delivery of the ship.

Commander. You are therefore not authorized to

submit my proposal to the governor for discussion

Parliamentarian. No.

Commander. Then I have nothing to add.

Parliamentarian. To this I must note that after

after my departure, your ship will be treated as if it were

enemy.

Commander. My decision is final.

Lieutenant zur See Müller immediately burned the secret

documents, the commander called the entire crew to the quarterdeck. By

after the senior officer reported that the team was in

fully built, and the senior engineer - that

all measures for boilers and machines have been taken, corvette

Captain Zuckschwerdt informed the people that he had rejected

unconditional surrender. And then he ordered the sailors to get ready

curl up jump overboard in complete calm, law

after delivering his speech with three “Hurray!” to the emperor. Soon

orders followed: “Everyone aboard!” and "Ship

blow up! The explosives tore the starboard side of the aircraft

powerful cruiser in the bow from the bottom to the deck on

large area. The crew is completely calm and

jumped overboard in a solemn mood, while

as oboist Farkens played the German anthem. I can't

those who needed to swim, the sick and the Chinese were put in standing

there is a lifeboat at the stern. To save wasps

tal team members had many wooden

new items. "Cormoran" sank with fluttering

flag for four minutes. The commander jumped into

water last from the stern rails. When he again

surfaced, the flagpole with the waving flag hid

sashaying underwater to a loud “Hurray!” floating in the water

of people. The crew, approximately 360 people, was almost

completely rescued by the Americans and taken prisoner. Everything

seven died when the former raider sank

crew members*. Such small sacrifices became the main thing

thus a consequence of the calmness of the commander and the official

cers, as well as impeccable discipline, support

living on a ship.

* Senior helmsman Beuershausen and senior sailor Reschke died

from a heart attack. Senior engineer Bloom, senior sailor

hydrographer Burkhart, senior sailor Glaser, sailor Penning and co.

Chegar Roos drowned. Their caught bodies were ceremoniously buried

** In the American maritime magazine "United States Naval Institute"

article written by former parliamentarian Commander Owen

Bartlett in the spirit of chivalry on the first military event of the war

between the United States and Germany: “Destruction of the S.M.S.

When American naval officers realized that

happened, they did everything in their power to

save the people from the Cormoran. When the boats approach

board the Sepplay, everything was already ready for the

help, and the bugler played a greeting. Koman¬

dir of the American ship met the corvetten-capi-

Tan Zukschwerdt with the words: “You did great.”**

"Cormoran". The author sent this magazine with a friendly dedication

Corvetten-Captain Zuckschwerdt. The officers met in 1935 in

New York and shared their experiences in a cordial conversation. Wherein

it turned out that American officers in Guam then believed that

they will be able to capture the Cormoran. They were counting on the opening

Kingston, and a lot of time would have passed before the ship sank

me. In the meantime, by blowing up the anchor chains, it was possible to free

pull away from the anchors, use steam boats to tow the ship to

shallow place, seal the holes there and pump out the water. Explosion and rapid

Three sinkings ruined this American plan.

"Prince Eitel Friedrich"

When at the end of July 1914 they reported from their homeland

approaching war, abandoned by the cruiser squadron

swarm in Qingdao senior frigate captain officer

von Mueller, cruiser commander

"Emden", gave the order to who was at that time in

Shanghai postal and passenger steamship North-

German Lloyd "Prince Eitel Friedrich" immediately

proceed slowly to Kiao-Chao, where he arrived at 5 p.m.

Miral headquarters announcing mobilization.

The gunboats "Luhs" and "Tiger" will immediately receive

whether the order was to equip and introduce the “Prince Eitel Fried”

Rich" into service as an auxiliary cruiser.

His commander was the previously commanded gunboat

Coy "Luhs" corvetten-captain Tirichen. Next

in the morning both gunboats stood alongside the Prinz Eitel

equipment and equipment. In the evening their crews

decided to board an auxiliary cruiser, and at night the tugs

"Prince Eitel Friedrich", raising the flag and pennant,

joined the Kriegsmarine.

"Cormoran"

Kormoran - cormorant) - German auxiliary cruiser during the Second World War. HSK-8, the former merchant ship Steiermark, was designated "Ship No. 41" in the German Navy and "Raider G" in the British Navy.

History of creation

The Cormoran was built in Kiel at the Germaniawerft shipyard and launched on September 15, 1938 as the merchant ship Steyermark of the GAPAG, Hamburg-America Line. Renamed "Kormoran" or "Cormorant", she began service in the Kriegsmarine on October 9, 1940, under the command of Captain 2nd Rank Theodor Detmers.

Fighting

Raider campaign

Fight with Sydney and death

Main article: Fight between Sydney and Cormoran

On November 19, 1941, off the coast of Western Australia, in the afternoon, the Cormoran met the light cruiser Sydney. In an open battle with a light cruiser, the raider had a very slim chance of winning. The German captain resorted to a trick by raising the Dutch flag and introducing himself as a merchant ship. This trick worked and the Sydney approached the Cormoran from the stern at a distance of 1000 m to carry out a standard inspection procedure. The Kormoran suddenly opened fire almost point-blank. "Sydney" was hit by a 150 mm shell on the command bridge; a torpedo from the raider hit the cruiser in the area of the forward gun turrets, putting them out of action. "Sydney" tried to ram the auxiliary cruiser, perhaps he simply lost control, the torpedoes he fired missed the target, but one of the salvos caused a fire in the engine room of the "Cormoran". A fire also broke out on the Australian cruiser. The ship's crews began to fight the fire. Both vessels received a strong trim on the bow. The Cormoran was forced to stop, the crew abandoned the ship, and a few hours later it exploded. "Sydney", shrouded in smoke, disappeared over the horizon, but never reached its home port. (By: Friedrich Ruge. War at sea 1939-1945)

results

Sunk and captured ships:

Date Vessel name Type Ownership Tonnage, brt Cargo Destiny

The ship Cormoran was built in Danzig (Germany) in 1909 for the Russian merchant fleet and was named Ryazan. The ship was used in Tsarist Russia as a passenger, cargo and mail ship on the North Pacific routes.

On August 4, 1914, southeast of the Korean Peninsula, Ryazan was captured by the light cruiser Emden and became the first World War I prize captured from the Russian Empire. "Ryazan" was taken to Qingdao to the German colony in Jiaozhou Bay and rebuilt into an armed raider-merchant.

The new raider "Cormoran" (SMS Cormoran) replaced the ship "Cormoran" - a small cruiser with a shallow draft that served a long service in the Kaiser's fleet in the Pacific Ocean and took part in the events that led to the incorporation of Jiaozhou into the German colonial empire.
The old Cormoran was located in Qingdao, and due to serious problems with repairs it could not go to sea, all its weapons were transferred to the new raider.

Main characteristics:

Displacement 5200 t (normal), 7250 t (full).
capacity: 3433 register tons.
Length 104.0 m.
Width 13.7 m.
Draft 5.8 m.
Speed 17 knots (31 km/h).

Weapons:

Artillery 8 × 105 mm rapid-fire guns.

On August 10, 1914, the new “Cormoran” or “Cormoran II” left Qingdao Bay and, pursued by Japanese ships, set off for Oceania. On December 14, Cormoran II entered Apra Harbor on Guam with only 50 tons of coal remaining in its bunkers.

Due to tense diplomatic relations between Germany and the United States and Guam's limited coal reserves, Governor William John Maxwell refused to allocate more than a token amount of coal to Cormoran.
American authorities ordered the ship's crew to leave the island within 24 hours or be interned. This order led to a nearly two-year stalemate between the German crew and the Americans, until the ailing Governor Maxwell was replaced by his deputy, William P. Cronan, who decided that the United States should treat the German crew as guests. The Cormoran was no longer allowed to leave the port area, but its crew members were treated as friends.

When the US Congress declared war on Germany on April 7, 1917, Captain Adalbert Zuckschwerdt decided to scuttle the ship to avoid surrender. It was then that the first shot was fired between the United States and the German Empire in World War I, although it is barely mentioned in American history.
American sailors on Guam saw the Germans preparing to scuttle the ship and fired a shot over the bow of the Cormoran. The nine crew members killed in the sinking of the ship were buried with full military honors at the Aganyi Naval Cemetery.
After the Americans rescued and picked up all the surviving Germans, Kronan congratulated Zukeschwerdt for the bravery shown by his team.
The US Navy conducted a limited rescue operation during which the ship's bell was raised. It was displayed at the United States Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis, Maryland. In subsequent years, divers recovered other objects.

The German crew was sent to Fort Douglas, Utah, from where some were transferred to Fort McPherson, Georgia. They returned to Germany on October 7, 1919, almost a year after the end of the war.

The hull of the Cormoran II lies on its left side at a depth of 34 m. Nearby lies the Japanese ship Tokai Maru, sunk by the American submarine Sniper. Thus, this is one of the few places where you can see the hull of a WWI ship next to the hull of a WWII ship.

In 1975, the ship's remains were added to the US National Register of Historic Places due to their connection to World War I.

Abstract on the topic:

Kormoran (auxiliary cruiser)

Plan:

1 History of creation
2 Combat
- 2.1 Raider campaign
  - 2.1.1 Fight with Sydney and death
- 2.2 Results
3 Modern research

Introduction

"Cormoran"(German) Kormoran- cormorant) - German auxiliary cruiser during the Second World War. HSK-8, former merchant ship "Steyermark" (German. Steiermark), in the German fleet it was designated as “Vessel No. 41”, in the British fleet - “Raider “G””.

1. History of creation

2. Combat

2.1. Raider campaign

2.1.1. Fight with Sydney and death

On November 19, 1941, off the coast of Western Australia, in the afternoon, the Cormoran met a light cruiser "Sydney". In an open battle with a light cruiser, the raider had a very slim chance of winning. The German captain resorted to a trick by raising the Dutch flag and introducing himself as a merchant ship. This trick worked and the Sydney approached the Cormoran from the stern at a distance of 1000 m to carry out a standard inspection procedure. The Kormoran suddenly opened fire almost point-blank. "Sydney" was hit by a 150mm shell on the command bridge; a torpedo from the raider hit the cruiser in the area of the forward gun turrets, putting them out of action. "Sydney" tried to ram the auxiliary cruiser, perhaps he simply lost control, the torpedoes he fired missed the target, but one of the salvos caused a fire in the engine room of the "Cormoran". A fire also broke out on the Australian cruiser. The ship's crews began to fight the fire. Both vessels received a strong trim on the bow. The Cormoran was forced to stop, the crew abandoned the ship, and a few hours later it exploded. "Sydney", shrouded in smoke, disappeared over the horizon, but never reached its home port. (By: Friedrich Ruge. War at sea 1939-1945)

2.2. results

Sunk and captured ships:

date	Vessel name	Type	Affiliation	Tonnage, gross	Cargo	Fate
1941-01-06 January 6, 1941	Antonis	cargo ship		03729 3 729	4,800 tons of coal
1941-01-18 January 18, 1941	British Union	tanker	Great Britain	06987 6 987		sunk by torpedo
1941-01-29 January 29, 1941	Africa Star	refrigerator	Great Britain	11900 11 900	5,708 tons of meat and 634 tons of butter	sunk by demolition charges
1941-01-29 January 29, 1941	Eurylochus	cargo ship	Great Britain	05723 5 723	16 heavy bombers without engines	sunk by torpedo
1941-03-22 March 22, 1941	Agnitha	tanker	Great Britain	03552 3 552		sunk by torpedo
1941-03-25 March 25, 1941	Canadolite	tanker		11309 11 309		sent to France as a prize
1941-04-09 April 9, 1941	Craftsman	cargo ship	Great Britain	08022 8 022	large anti-submarine net to protect Cape Town harbor	sunk by artillery and torpedo
1941-04-12 April 12, 1941	Nicholas D.L.	cargo ship		05486 5 486		sunk by torpedo
1941-06-26 June 26, 1941	Velebit	cargo ship	Yugoslavia	04153 4 153		sunk by artillery
1941-06-26 June 26, 1941	Mareeba	cargo ship	Great Britain	03472 3 472	5,000 tons of sugar	sunk by demolition charges
1941-09-26 September 26, 1941	Stamatios G Embiricos	cargo ship		03941 3 941		sunk by demolition charges
1941-11-19 November 19, 1941	Sydney	light cruiser	Australia	6,830 tons	-	sunk by artillery in battle

During the war, the Cormoran sank and captured 11 ships, the total tonnage of which was about 70 000 gross

3. Modern research

The search for "Sydney" did not stop after the war. Researchers regularly reported discovering the remains of an Australian cruiser, but each time it turned out that there had been a mistake. . In March 2008, the Australian Prime Minister confirmed the discovery of the remains of both ships.

Notes

Scuba Diving News CDNN - Cyber Diver News Network - www.cdnn.info/news/industry/i070818.html (English)
See article en:Search for HMAS Sydney and HSK Kormoran (English)