Hilfskreuzer
 

Page dedicated to the development, voyage, etc of the fictional Hilfskreuzer “Afrika”.


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23.8.1939 Kiel Harbor 1st day at sea
After 5 months of conversion and training the Hilfskreuzer Ship-15 is ready for service. Under the command of FKpt.z.S Hans Felix Brinkmann (former artillery officer of the Admiral Scheer) Ship-15 is ordered to make for the Central Atlantic and await further orders. Since arriving at Kiel on 1.8.1939 Ship-15 has been taking on provisions, fuel, water, ammunition, etc. enough to last up to one year at sea. In the meantime Brinkmann has been in Berlin being briefed, (On September 1, 1939 at 05:45 Poland will be invaded, Ship-15 is to remain undetected in southern waters. If Hostilities have not ended by September 25th The Kommandant is authorized to begin commerce raiding. From 50N to the equator.)
Ship-15 will be disguised as a transport under the Reich Service flag, the disguise is as follows,
Outer hull painted black
Deck hatches, ventilators, winches, etc. painted grey.
Superstructure and funnel painted grey.
Masts Grey with crow's nest
Cannons I and IV disguised and painted as deckhouses.
Boats set out
German flag hoisted on the mainmast.

Ship 15 is ordered to depart Kiel on 24.8.1939 at midnight.
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24.8.1939 Kiel Harbor.

At 23:00 hrs. the starboard watch is called and anchors are raised, Ship 15 is departing for the Atlantic under the cover of darkness. Morale aboard is high after months of the inactivity the raider soon might see action, Ship 15 will take the Kattegat/Skagerrak route then proceed through the Denmark Strait. Our next report will be when she is in the Atlantic.
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6.9.1939 North Atlantic 14th day at sea 62° 20’N, 30° 22,W

Ship 15 has entered the North Atlantic, the crew has been mustered and a short speech by the Kommandant is given to the crew among the topics covered is the ship’s new name, The Typhoon.
after the speech Brinkmann orders the ship’s disguise changed from German Transport to Greek freighter the chosen disguise will be the Athens shipping Co. Ltd. ship OLYMPUS 7,388 grt (ANJF) Piraeus.

1. Hull painted black with Greek neutrality markings,
2. Superstructure painted white
3. Funnel painted black height and width remain the same
4. Masts, ventilators, winches, etc. painted dark yellow
5.Greek flag hoisted on the signal deck.

The situation has deteriorated rapidly since September 1st, on the 3rd of September England, France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and India declare war on Germany. With this the Seekriegslietung has ordered Brinkmann to speed up the march south and to not attack shipping North or east of the Azores and to keep east of the Caribbean. The Deutschland will operate between Newfoundland and Bermuda while the Graf Spee will patrol the South Atlantic/Indian Ocean. Ship 15 is to proceed to the Pacific Ocean once the Graf Spee has cleared Ascension Island area. For now Ship 15 will continue the transit south.

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1/10/1940 South Atlantic 35° 26’S, 12° 34’E 139th day at sea

Ship 15 has been patrolling without success since the last report only 3 neutral freighters were sighted, stopped, searched, and released. Seeing no success FKpt.z.S Brinkmann decides to move south on December 22nd 1939 at 14:00 hrs. Ship 15 crossed the equator. For crossing ceremony lasted all afternoon. From there Ship 15 briefly patrolled the South American routes without success and Brinkmann continued the voyage south Brinkmann began to plan the minelaying operation off Cape Town. Along with the I. Officer, Navigator, and Mine Officer Brinkmann planned to lay 220 EMC mines on the approaches to Cape Town and a smaller minefield off the Cape of Good Hope.
This will be accomplished during one night while Ship 15 moves at full speed. The mine officer and the specialists begin to prepare mines for the operation. Afterwards we will make for the Indian Ocean to resume commerce raiding along the Cape-Indi-Australia routes and the Mozambique Channel. We will retain the disguise of the Greek freighter for now and will change after the minelaying operation.

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5/26/1940 Indian Ocean 21°42’S, 85°28’E 277th day at sea

SInce the last report only one French freighter was sunk the LARRODE 3,800 grt (ZHDU) from La Rochelle to Rangoon again in ballast. After this Ship 15 returned to the East coast of Madagascar and after another fruitless hunt returned to the mid Indian Ocean and is currently proceeding towards the Sunda Strait. Brinkmann plans to capture tankers for 1. Conversion into Auxiliary minelayers 2. Convert into supply ships. Ship 15 will meet the tanker Ermland the which besides food, fuel, and provisions has parts for the Arado Ar 196 seaplanes, a so called Leichte Schnellboote, and 300 EMC mines. The meeting which was scheduled for May 1st will now take place on June 10th in (Waiting Area F II, Point Red V).

Brinkmann will also receive 10 Prize officers. An indication of what the Seekriegslietung expected of Ship 15. The raider will retain the current disguise of an anonymous British freighter.

Pictures:
1. Ship 15 taken from the motor launch following a hull inspection by the Kommandant and Chief Engineer.
2. Sinking of the French freighter LARRODE
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July 10, 1940 Indian Ocean 37°31’S, 47°42’E 327th day at sea.


Radio report picked up on 30.6.1940 from radio Berlin

"Deutsche Hilfskreuzer auf kaperfahrt im allen meer. Die Deutsche Hilfskreuzer im Indischen Ozean hat 72.000 BRT Schiffsfracht versenkt und ihre Minen haben 10 Schiffe für 50.000 BRT Schiffsfracht versenkt.

Continuing the hunt in the Indian Ocean May 28th, Ship 15 sank the British freighter HUFFMAN 5,195 grt (JSQY) from Melbourne to Southampton loaded with tires and steel plate. On May 31st 2 ships were sent to bottom within minutes, first was the Australian tanker BELLWOOD 2,780 grt (PNXH) from N.Boerno to Malta via the Cape Town-Freetown-Gibraltar loaded with 3,000 t of fuel oil. 17 minutes later a large freighter was sighted and engaged the Australian freighter KIRKLAND 7,178 grt (GSGE) from Sydney to Liverpool via Cape Town loaded with airplane engines, propellers, steel, tin, and misc cargo. On June 3rd the British freighter ALTON 4,100 grt (CDJE) was shelled and sunk she was transporting army and air force equipment from Calcutta to Liverpool via Durban-Cape Town. Returning to the South African coast on June 27th Ship 15 sank the British tramp steamer MILLHOUSE 4,067 grt (QPDJ) from Durban to Freetown loaded with misc. cargo and mail. Ship 15 has sunk 12 ships for 72,000 grt. With 422 prisoners aboard Ship 15 proceeded to meet the tanker Nordmark at (Point Green 10 Waiting Area Nr.III) she arrived on July 1st and for 10 days prisoners, provisions, ammunition, mines, stores, fuel, mail, etc. was transferred between the two ships. Now FKpt.z.S Brinkmann plans to operate North of the equator in the Bay of Bengal and as Far East as the South China Sea. Ship 15 will retain her anonymous British disguise as no ship has been able to transmit her appearance.

Laid minefields,

-Cape Town Minefield Nr.I-X: The radio reports of the minefield are less than the propaganda put it since the laying of the minefield 6 ships have been confirmed sunk.

-Cape of Good Hope Minefield Nr.I: No successes from this minefield have been picked up.
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11/1/1940 South Atlantic 22°50’S, 7°39’E 441st day at sea



Since the last report Ship 15 has sent an additional 8 ships to the bottom, off the coast of Madagascar 2 ships were shelled, On July 14th the French steamer LUXOR 8,205 grt (FHWJ) from Diego Suarez to Plymouth loaded with misc. cargo. on the 23rd the French motorship KATHERINE 7,903 grt (ZSPL) from Karachi to London loaded with tea, spices, teak, and general cargo. Proceeding into the Bay of Bengal Ship 15 sank 2 ships on September 1st, in the morning was the British steamer CARNIVAL 8,053 grt (TCIZ) from Calcutta to Freetown. In the afternoon the British freighter NORTHWEST 8,140 grt (VVSU) from Madras to London loaded with tea, spices, oil nuts, and jute. The following morning the British freighter CORK 4,056 grt (OZXU) from Rangoon to Gibraltar loaded with army and air force equipment. After this success the Kommandant moved into the Laccadive Sea where Ship 15 sank 2 British freighters on September 12th the BIRMINGHAM 2,427 grt (LMCR) from Colombo to Singapore loaded with stores, mail, and naval stores. Three days later on the 15th the FLYNN 8,039 grt (TUFB) was sunk loaded with 8,100 tons of wheat and flour from Sydney to London via Karachi-Durban-Freetown. Moving into the Arabian Sea Ship 15 sank only one ship the British freighter KINGSTONE 4,012 grt (DOUV) in ballast from Suez to Colombo.



The Kommandant decided to begin the return transit as Schiff 16 and 33 were now operating in the Indian Ocean and Ship 36 and 45 in the Pacific. Brinkmann is now making for the Atlantic for a final hunt before making for Germany. On October 29th the Kommandant was awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross.

Ship 15 has sunk 123,278 grt of shipping.

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1/5/1941 Central Atlantic 505th day at sea
The hunt continues with Ship 15 sinking freighters in the Atlantic and Caribbean. On November 7th 2 British freighters are sunk the BRENTON 5,021 grt (OFJD) from Karachi to Cape Town loaded with textiles, tea, and spices. Later in the afternoon the British freighter CHESTER 4,093 grt (CJNH) from Melbourne to Southampton loaded with timber, steel, rubber, and mail. Crossing the equator for the last time on November 12th Ship 15 made for the Central and North Atlantic to continue operations. On December 11th the British freighters CLEMENTINE 5,252 grt (CFCG) from Cape Town to Malta loaded with airplane engines and propellers and the freighter NORINGTON 5,188 grt (YDBF) from in ballast from Halifax to Karachi. After the sinking of the Norington, Ship 15 proceeded into the Caribbean where on December 21st the small British freighter ATLAS 2,429 grt (HCHF) was sighted and sunk. On December 24th a Norwegian tanker was sighted, stopped, and taken prize she was the motor tanker HORTEN 8,384 grt (VNIS) she was placed under the command of Oblt.z.S.d.R Kuhn and with a prize crew (1 officer, 3 Petty Officers, and 12 ratings) was sent back to Germany (Prize Nr.I) along with her cargo of 10,000 t of gasoline the 563 prisoners Ship 15 had aboard were transferred as well. These successes bring Ship 15’s total to 26 ships for 153,642 grt, however Brinkmann wants more, He plans to take Ship 15 to the Pernambuco area to hunt the South American shipping lanes. The plan is to remain North of the Equator and because there are still 130 EMC mines aboard FKpt.z.S Brinkmann plans to lay 2 minefields off Freetown and on the approaches to the Strait of Gibraltar for this another tanker must be captured intact. Brinkmann plans to make for the Trinidad-Gibraltar-Freetown routes by mid-January and begin the return transit in late February.
Included in today's report is the Ship's emblem Oberbootsmann Karl Neumeister designed it for Ship 15 in early 1940.

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2/18/1941 Baltic, Kiel,
After 550 days at sea the Hilfskreuzer Typhoon (Schiff 15) arrives at Kiel. During that time she sank 33 ships for 175,746 grt of shipping, mined 9 ships (7 freighters and 2 tankers), and took 5 ships prize for an additional 35,000 grt which brings the total score to 210,746 grt of enemy shipping destroyed.
List of ships sunk by Ship 15 since the last report,
January 9th COLUMBIA 4,229 grt (WNDJ) Calcutta-Liverpool British
17th KENSINGTON 2,435 grt (PSJV) Liverpool-Calcutta British
21st ORTEGA 3,630 grt (VNDJ) Halifax-Cape Town Canadian
22nd WILLINGTON 4,247 grt (CSHV) Hong Kong-Southampton British
WORCHESTER 3,680 grt (TUCB) Penang-London British
26th RIPLEY 2,658 grt (EYBC) Colombo-Plymouth British
27th CALVERY 7,906 grt (VFGX) Sydney-Southampton Australian
30th WOODSTOCK 1,703 grt (CJSH) Freetown-Halifax British
Grand Admiral Reader was present among the crowd to receive Ship 15 Reader presented Kapitan.z.S Brinkmann with Knights Cross of the Iron Cross. He was later decorated by the Fuhrer with the Oak Leaves and Swords. Ship 15 was decommissioned on March 1, 1941 and was recommissioned as a minelayer/transport ship she was sunk on August 31, 1944 after being hit by a torpedo from an unknown submarine in the Baltic Sea NW of Danzig Bay. Brinkmann took a position with the Seekriegslietung working in the Hilfskreuzer Operations Division until it was dissolved in October 1943 with the sinking of the Michel he held other staff positions until the end of the war. He was detained in May 1945 but released in November. The fate of the Officers and crew is for the most part unclear many went on to serve in Schnellboote and uboats of the 16 Officers, 50 Petty Officers, and 300 ratings it is known that 138 did not survive the war.

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Enough of this planning BS which is getting me nowhere, The Hilfskreuzer “Afrika” Ship 44 will sail in a weeks time, a brief summary of the beginning of the voyage, the raider will sail on November 1, 1938 bound for Spanish water during the Spanish Civil War, from April 1939-August 10, 1939 the raider will call at various ports around the world during which the ship’s crew will be drilled with her support ships Reichenfels and Kybfels sister ships of the Weserfels “Ship 44” Kandelfels “Ship 33” and Goldenfels “Ship 16”.

As for the rest of the story we’ll have to wait and see……..In the meantime Ship 44 will remain in port(at least until I get a new charger for my laptop)

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May 1, 1938 A.G. Weser Werft, Bremen Commissioning Pier

After many months of reading, writing, and utter failure I bring you the war patrol of the Hilfskreuzer Schiff Nr.44 “Afrika”


Ship 44 began her life as the DDG Hansa Line freighter Weserfels 7,700 grt (DOSG) working the East Asia Line (Hamburg-Calcutta). On her 8th voyage she pulled into Hamburg loaded with Oil Nuts, Jute, Oil Cakes, among other cargo. 3 days later on August 2, 1937 officers and representatives of the Kriegsmarine and Deschimag A.G. Weser Werft boarded the freighter and were taken to the master’s cabin Kplt.z.S Muller informed Kapitan Neumeister “We have orders to requisition the Weserfels for naval service”. Eight hours later the remaining cargo was disembarked and the Weserfels sailed for Bremen arriving 16 hours later under the temporary command of Muller, and docked at the Haushafen II she remained there for 3 days before her new commanding officer arrived KKpt.z.S Hans Felix Hartman. By this time the Spanish Civil War had been raging for over a year. Hartmann had served as Artillery officer aboard the Admiral Graf Spee before that he commanded a minesweeper (M-13) and expert in navigation, minelaying, and artillery made him a suitable candidate for the commander of a commerce raider. Hartmann took command and sailed the ship for the Deschimag A.G. Weser Werft, Bremen where the ship would undergo an extensive refit and modifications

In a 8 months shipwrights lengthened, modified, and finally armed the Weserfels now known by her hull number HSK-16. She was completed on April 30, 1938 and commissioned the following day. During the 8 months she was at the shipyard Hartmann began picking his 440 man crew he meticulously picked officers, petty officers, and ratings rejecting the initial recommendations of the personnel office. After the commissioning came the five and half months of training. Artillery, minelaying, torpedo firing, aircraft launch and recovery, engine, rudder exercises and trials were conducted in the Baltic.
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October 31, 1938 Kiel, Kaiserhafen IV



Confident that his ship was ready for action Hartmann sailed into Kiel on August 5, 1938 and docked at the Kaiserhafen IV that same evening Ship 44 took on her ammunition, torpedoes, stores, mines, fuel, water, coal among other items needed for her operation. Hartmann, recently promoted to Fregattenkapitän has been making several trips to Berlin for briefings with the Seekriegslietung (1/SKL)

On October 1st Ship 44 weighed anchor and proceeded to Kiel-Holtenau the home base of 5/196 Bordfliegerstaffel here she took aboard 6 Arado Ar 196 A-1 aircraft during the night, by dawn she was back at her dock and loading resumed.

Shipments are brought in by train or ship, Hartmann arranged to have no more than 30 wagons per shipment by day each set would arrive with a mix of food, provisions, supplies, spare parts, torpedoes, ammunition, etc. for 4 nights barges would come alongside and load mines (100 EMC mines per shipment).

On the night of October 30th, a new Leichte Schnellboote (LS 33) arrived and was hoisted aboard. The following Morning 10 wagons were dropped off these contained ammunition, fuel, spare parts, and equipment for the boat. The final shipment was on October 19th when 103 wagons were dropped off these contained wood, steel plate, beams, canvas, paint, among other structural materials needed to effect disguises. The following evening and into the night 60 officers and men of the newly formed 8.MSK under Oblt.z.S Felix von Lindner board Ship 44 a few hours later the Luftwaffe detachment under the command of Hptm Wolfgang Kelsch come aboard along with 15 Prize officers, an indication of what was expected of Ship 44.

During the night the ship’s disguise was changed, she was to become a transport sailing under the “Reich Service Flag”

1. Hull Black

2. Superstructure light grey

3. I and X 15cm guns camouflaged and painted grey

4. Smokestack length and width remain

5. Masts yellow without the crows nest

6. Boats setout

7. Deck hatches, ventilators, winches, booms, etc. painted grey

8. Masts and cargo booms put up

9. Draft marks added to hull

10. Reich Service Flag hoisted atop the bearing deck.

Ship 44 has orders to sail at 01:00 hrs. on November 1.

*Radio Transmission Gkdos 3184/38 *
After 01:00 hrs. on November 1st Ship 44 is to depart at Kommandant discretion.

*S.K.L.*

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November 1, 1938 Kiel Harbor 1st day at sea

Loading was completed late on the 31st at 23:00 hrs. the I. Officer KKpt Baumgartner informs the Kommandant “All crew present and accounted for, Ship clear for sea” at midnight the starboard watch is called, and at 01:10 hrs. Ship 44 raises anchor and casts off no bands nor crowds are there to see them off the raider silently pulls away from the harbor unbeknownst to all aboard that this is the last they will see of Germany for a very long time.................

Hartmann has orders to proceed to the Mediterranean and conduct commerce warfare against Spanish republican shipping coming down from Odessa, USSR. Since the attack on the Panzerschiff Deutschland on May 27, 1937 and another attack on the cruiser Leipzig on the 15th and 18th of June, Germany withdrew from Nonintervention patrols uboats have since been sent, albeit secretly however these operations have failed. The orders for Ship 44 were quite specific,* *“The auxiliary cruiser must only sink merchants flying the Spanish Republican flag or the flag of the USSR. Before engaging a merchant, it must be certain that the identity of the enemy has been positively established to avoid the destruction of an allied or neutral vessel”**. The area of operations of Ship 44 is between the ports of Cartagena and Barcelona, and no further east of the Baleares Islands. Furthermore, the operational orders state, **“If the operations of the auxiliary cruiser become known the ship is to leave the area immediately and return once the situation has settled down”**. Mining operations are to be carried out according to the SKL’s recommendations, **“The areas in which mines must be laid are as follows, 1.) On the approaches to the Ports of Valencia and Barcelona. 2.) on the Odessa-Cartagena/Barcelona/Valencia routes”.** More details will come as the ship heads out. Hartmann will take the short route through the English Channel. No escort will be taken out of Kiel to avoid being seen or announcing our departure.

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11/28/1938 Gulf of Valencia, 41° 7'N, 4° 11'E (3877 CH) 28th day at sea

Ship 44 has been busy since entering the Gulf on the 22nd of November. In the late evening of the 22nd a small steamer was sighted and at 16:10 Ship 44 decamouflaged and hoisted battle ensign. At 16:11 Fkpt Hartmann ordered the I. Gunnery Officer Kplt(V) Byer to open fire. Cannons VIII, IX, and X opened fire at 8000m, closing the range to 3000m Ship 44 fired 14 salvos obtaining hits on the superstructure, bridge, engine room, and funnel. At 16:19 the ship slowed and eventually stopped. The Kommandant decided against sending a boarding commando aboard as the ship was mostly on fire, 2 lifeboats (Nr. III and V) were sent to rescue the crew all crewmembers were rescued and brought aboard the raider. The master Captain L.R Garcia gave a brief statement to the Kommandant: “The Pinto departed Odessa, USSR on November 9th loaded with ammunition, army/air force equipment, and misc. cargo”.
The first success of Ship 44 was the Spanish Republican freighter PINTO 2,427 grt (AZTO) from Odessa, USSR-Barcelona.
The following morning a British task force was sighted Numerous destroyers, and at least 2 freighters The Navigation Officer L.z.S Schneider, identified the 2 larger vessels as the HMS London and HMS Dorsetshire. At 12:20 another Spanish Republican freighter was spotted at 12:26 range 4000m Ship 44 decamouflaged and hoisted her battle ensign, she signaled “Stop immediately, do not use wireless, sending boat”. The vessel complies and the main radio room reports no distress signals on the 500m, 600m, or 650m wavelengths. A boarding commando under Oblt.z.S Schmidt boarded the vessel and determining that nothing of value could be taken, evacuated the crew, and 170 lbs. of scuttling charges placed aboard in the holds and engine room. These do little more than cause the ship to settle again Hartmann ordered the artillery to finish off the ship, cannons IX and X open fire, 8 salvos (16 HE rounds) send the freighter to the bottom. The freighter was the NORTE 5,929 grt (GCFH) from Odessa-Valencia loaded with army stores and equipment. 105 prisoners aboard. Later that day another enemy ship was sighted the French tanker BONAAT 10,316 grt (ZTLO) from Toulon-Tampico, Mexico. The freighter was not stopped, only friendly greetings exchanged. 15:15 Mtr.O.Gfr Weber on the fore crosstrees reported to the Bridge, “Feindlicher frachter in sicht mit 351°T 3000m, Spanische republikansische flagge vom mast! 2 minutes later Ship 44 rang out 4 salvos from cannons VI and VIII the freighter was hit 7 times in the engine room and bridge the freighter turns to port and explodes, a cutter (Nr. I) is sent away to rescue survivors 15 were saved including 2 officers. It is later determined that the Master, 3 officers, and 49 sailors went down with ship. The freighter FRESNO 6,393 grt (KDNC) again from Odessa-Cartagena loaded with ammunition. For the next 5 days no shipping has been sighted, The Kommandant will retain the disguise of the English ship. 118 prisoners are now aboard. Hartmann plans to transfer them to the freighter Kybfels which has departed La Spezia, Italy on November 27th.

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12/18/1938 Mediterranean Sea 48th day at sea

Ship 44 hasn’t encountered a single enemy since the last report, now Hartmann the I. Offizier, Navigation officers, and the mine officer laid out a plan to mine 2 harbors and part of the supply route. Working north to south Ship 44 mined the Port of Valencia during the night of 11/28-29 79 EMC mines were laid without being detected. During the day Ship 44 laid a larger minefield (121 mines) along the Odessa Supply route this minefield was laid where the Odessa-Cartagena and Odessa-Valencia routes meet. Moving North towards Barcelona Ship 44 laid her remaining 27 mines, undetected she left the area passing between the Islands of Majorca and Menorca at 17 knots. On December 1, 1938 Ship 44 and the freighter Kybfels met during the night they transferred prisoners so as to keep the identity of the Kybfels anonymous.

The following morning the Kybfels disguised as an Italian freighter proceeded west towards the Strait of Gibraltar and off to Vigo where the prisoners would be released.

For 10 days Ship 44 remained changing her disguise yet again and overhauling the Diesel engines, she would take on the identity of the Kybfels
1. Outer hull painted black
2. White superstructure
3. Yellow masts height remained the same
4. Ventilators, winches, etc. painted dark yellow
5. Funnel painted in DDG Hansa line livery height
and width remain the same
6. 4 Derricks removed
7. Cannons I and X disguised as deckhouses both
are painted white
8. German merchant flag hoisted on the signal deck

During the night the main radio room reported the first success of the minefields,

1. Soviet freighter ANASTASIA 7,310 grt (TLOZ)
2. Soviet freighter LOTZ 2,616 grt (UNTZ)
3. Spanish Republican freighter LUISA 1,300 grt (BYTM)
4. Spanish Republican tanker BRANKO 7,960 grt (YMLZ)
5. Spanish Republican tanker TOLEDO 6,000 grt (BOMM)
6. Soviet tanker MOLOTOV 9,360 grt (PMOM)
Total tonnage sunk: 34,816 grt

Hartmann reported the success to the 1/SKL and at 08:00 hrs.

Radio message 1366/38 Anlage 169/38
“Have sunk 10 ships for 49,565 grt”, 3 minefields laid off Valencia, Barcelona, and the Odessa shipping route”.
Ship 44

Just over an hour later, Ship 44 received the following radio message,

Radio message 1513/38 Anlage 1761/38
“Congratulations to the Kommandant and crew, released from combat operations, proceed as directed (gkdos 1773/38 anlage 1923/38 V.1.9.28)”
1/Seekriegslietung

Ship 44 set sail for La Spezia arriving 3 days later meeting the freighter Hamburg and the tanker Hansel. She remained at La Spezia for 3 days her departure delayed due to bad weather her next stop is Piraeus, Greece. After that she will spend time training in Mediterranean south of Island of Cyprus.

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2/15/1938 Mediterranean Sea 107th day at sea

Ship 44 arrived at Piraeus and spend Christmas at the port. On December 27th Ship 44 departed Piraeus for Point X and Area A where she would conduct training with the seaplanes and Leichte Schnellboote.
The Leichte Schnellboote (LS 33) conducted minelaying exercises. On January 1st Hartmann was promoted to Kapitan zur See. For the last 3 weeks officers and men of 8.Marine Stosstrupp Kompanie trained disembarking and reembarking from Ship 44. On February 13th Kapitan.z.S Hartmann informed that they would return to the Atlantic before crossing the Straits of Gibraltar Ship 44 would conduct another raid along the Odessa supply route. Hartmann decided to avoid visiting anymore ports.

Once the Spanish Civil War draws to a close Hartmann will undertake an expedition into the Pacific Ocean in which the vessel will seek out the best islands to use as bases and rendezvous points for commerce raiders. After this Ship 44 will return to Kiel by the end of the summer.

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Apologies for again ending the patrol but I’m still not satisfied,

3/21/1939 Mediterranean Sea 40km South of Majorca Island 141st day at sea

Ship 44 has had success of in just 3 days 7 freighters and 2 tankers were sunk for 31,827 grt, however just south of the Island of Majorca. the Spanish Republican submarine C-5 was on patrol.Under the command of Capitan de Navio Ernesto Garcia the submarine had left Valencia on March 18th en route to the Italian supply lines of the Nationalists 2 days before Ship 44 had taken the guise of a Greek freighter The raider was approaching Majorca At 13:30 hrs. The port bridge watch reported torpedo tracks bearing 349°T Hartmann ordered hard to port but It was too late the first torpedo slammed into the ship under the aircraft hold. The second torpedo detonated 300-500m away Hartmann at once steered for the Island in hopes of beaching the raider, no sooner had he given the order that a second torpedo struck astern in the area of the aft magazine a colossal explosion engulfed the raider before anyone could escape. Of the 430 officers and ratings there were no survivors.

Ship 44 had been at sea for 141 days sailed 57,000 km and had sunk 62,000 grt of shipping. The crew were posthumously awarded the Iron Cross I and II class as well as the Spanish Cross in Silver and the
Kommandant the Spanish Cross in Gold

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From the Kommandant, Officers, and Ratings of the Merchant raider "Afrika" we wish y'all a blessed and Merry Christmas!

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During the first and second world wars submarines posed the greatest threat to England’s supply lines. Operating mainly in the Atlantic and Mediterranean they sank over ¾ of allied shipping despite this they had limited range and couldn’t operate independently against England’s global empire, so the Germans developed other ways to sink vessels around the world by using surface warships and disguised commerce raiders to sink over 1,500,000 tons of shipping and above all they tied down allied warships hunting them.
11 merchants in total were converted , 9 made it to sea however, there was a 12th raider her identity never established by Bletchley Park. She was a large, dreaded merchant raider rumored doomed to sail the 7 seas for eternity this is the story of the Merchant Raider “Stortebecker”..................

The raider began her career as a freighter of the DDG Hansa Line’s Ehrenfels Class of motorships, she was the “Weserfels”7,000 grt built at the Deshimag A.G. Weser Werft, Bremen in 1936 she entered commercial service in 1938 and ran the Hansa Line’s East Asia Route from Calcutta to Hamburg. On returning from a voyage from Calcutta the Weserfels docked early at Hamburg and by the afternoon she was in the hands of the Kriegsmarine who intended to use her as supply ship for the raging Spanish Civil War instead the Seekriegslietung had a different fate for the ship she was to be converted into the navy’s first commerce raider but not just any commerce raider for a year and half the vessel was transformed from her peaceful 509ft hull into a heavily armed 660ft raider capable of sustaining operations for over 330 days. The conversion took place at the shipyard that brought her to life, A.G. Weser Werft. During this time the SKL assigned her a captain, FKpt.z.S Hans Felix Hartmann an artillery officer aboard the Pocket Battleship Deutschland. He had just received command of the Minesweeper M-39 three months prior after being injured aboard the Deutschland. With enthusiasm for the new command Hartmann began to pour over the available material from raiders of the Great War and had lengthy conversations with Karl August Nerger commander of the Hilfskreuzer Wolf. After this Hartmann began assembling his crew rejecting the navy’s recommendations and demanding officers, petty officers, and ratings by name by mid-April the crew was assembled in barracks at Bremen awaiting their vessel’s completion.
By early May the conversion was complete and soon HSK-14 was commissioned into the Kriegsmarine as “Schiff Nr.77” all the while retaining her original name “Weserfels”. Schiff 77 proceeded to Kiel from Bremen via Bremerhaven where she took on the tremendous number of provisions, stores, equipment, fuel, coal, water, among other things on arriving to Kiel the raider took aboard her reconnaissance aircraft 5 x Arado Ar 196 A-1 aircraft 2 assembled and 3 in five ton crates.
Another month of training cruises followed by a brief stay in Kiel while Hartmann proceeded to Berlin to receive the final briefing from GAdm Reader himself.
Ship 77 will depart as part of Operation “Fall Weiss”.

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/att...1&d=1643148447