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Old 08-04-22, 10:07 AM   #42
CPTLTJASON
Kapitan.z.S Hartmann
 
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On September 1st 1939 at 05:45 the first shots of the Second World War were fired. The Seekriegslietung began preparations for commerce warfare begin in earnest.

The Kriegsmarine was to repeat the successes of the disguised commerce raiders of the Great War such as the Mowe, Seeadler, and Wolf II. The newest and fastest freighters were reserved for troop transports therefore the conversion office of the Kriegsmarine was left with a pool of ships some are modern motorships with reliable diesel engines others have recycled steam turbine engines from bygone passenger liners.

One such motorship was the “Weserfels” of the DDG Hansa Line she was part of the Ehrenfels Class of motorships she was a slightly modified version of the class, at 525ft in length she was 16ft longer and had more powerful engines which allowed her to run at a top speed of 18.5 . She was taken over by the Kriegsmarine on the morning of September 3rd at noon and was placed under guard. Fregettenkapitan Wolfgang Felix Hartmann was chosen to take command of the soon to be raider. Born on November 20, 1905 he joined the navy in 1921 but the war ended before he could see active service nevertheless he remained in the Reichsmarine through the ranks. In 1935 he was promoted to Korvettenkapitan and was assigned as gunnery officer aboard the Pocket Battleship Deutschland in which he saw service in the Spanish Civil War. Having been promoted to Fregettenkapitan, Hartmann took a desk job at the Seekriegslietung, at the beginning of the war he was informed that he was to take command of a disguised commerce raider , an assignment he relished.

When he arrived at Bremen he found the freighter still tied up to her moorings he at once sent for a tugboat which took her off to her builders Deschimag A.G. Weser Werft, Bremen over the next month and half months she was converted from freighter to commerce raider she was armed with the following:
Armament:
6 × 15 cm SK L/45 guns
1 × 75 mm (3 in) gun
2 × 3.7 cm (1.46 in) PaK 36 anti-tank guns
2 × twin 3.7 cm SK C/30 anti-aircraft guns
8 × twin 20 mm anti-aircraft cannons
6 × torpedo tubes (25 torpedoes)
600 × EMC mines
Aircraft:
3 × Arado Ar 196 A-1

During the conversion process freezers were installed to keep food longer and fuel, water and coal storage significantly increased
Range: 80,000 nmi (150,000km) at 12 kn
Endurance: 300 days
Complement: 450
Fuel storage: 4,500 cbm3
Coal: 3,300 t
Water: 4,000 t

Also, during conversion, the crew was picked an initial crew list was provided but Hartmann keeping his high standards, rejected three quarters of the crew and instead choose his own officers, petty officers, and ratings by October 10th the crew was quartered at a hotel in Bremen awaiting the completion of the conversion.

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"The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him" Sun Tzu


Kapitan.z.S Hartmann's (U-35,U-46-U-204-U-332-U-256-U-293, U-838, U-830, U-834, U-1188, U-1180, U-835, U-840, U-839, Schiff 44 “AFRIKA”, Schiff 77 "Stortebecker", "Schiff 66 "WOLF", Schiff 19, Schiff 30) motto: Eastward Ho!
"Be more aggressive"

Schiff 30 wird sie alle versenken!
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