|
The German auxiliary cruiser ''Kormoran'' (HSK-8) was a ''Kriegsmarine'' (German navy) merchant raider of World War II. Originally the merchant vessel Steiermark, the ship was acquired by the navy following the outbreak of war for conversion into a raider. Administered under the designation ''Schiff 41'', to the Allied navies she was known as "Raider G." The largest merchant raider operated by Germany during World War II, ''Kormoran'' was responsible for the destruction of 10 merchant vessels and the capture of an eleventh during her year-long career in the Atlantic and Indian oceans. She is also known for sinking the Australian light cruiser during a mutually destructive battle off Western Australia on 19 November 1941. Damage sustained during the battle prompted the scuttling of ''Kormoran''. While 318 of the 399 aboard the German ship were rescued and placed in prisoner of war camps for the duration of World War II, there were no survivors from the 645 aboard the Australian cruiser. The wreck of ''Kormoran'' was rediscovered on 12 March 2008, five days before that of her adversary. ''Kormoran''s success is commonly attributed to the proximity of the two ships during the engagement, and the raider's advantages of surprise and rapid, accurate fire. Prior to the discovery of the wrecks in 2008, the cruiser's loss with all hands compared to the survival of most of the German crew created controversy and spawned numerous conspiracy theories; some alleged that the German commander, Theodor Detmers, used illegal ruses to lure ''Sydney'' into range, others that a Japanese submarine was involved, or that details of the battle were concealed through a wide-ranging coverup. ==Construction and conversion== The merchant vessel ''Steiermark'' was constructed by Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel for the Hamburg-Amerika Line. Launched in 1938, the ship was to operate on the East Asia run, but had only completed sea trials when war was declared.〔Frame, ''HMAS Sydney'', p. 45〕 Following World War I, German naval power had limits placed upon it by the Treaty of Versailles, which were later eased by the 1935 Anglo-German Naval Agreement.〔Frame, ''HMAS Sydney'', pp. 41-4〕 By the 1930s, the discrepancy between the conventional warship strength of Germany and that of other nations led the German military to recognize that auxiliary cruisers engaged in commerce raiding could play a significant role in future wars, as they had during World War I.〔 Merchant ships that could be converted into raiders were identified, and were to be taken up by the ''Kriegsmarine'' for conversion following a declaration of war.〔Frame, ''HMAS Sydney'', p. 44〕 ''Steiermark'' was one of these ships.〔 Receiving the designation ''Schiff 41'' (Ship 41) for administrative purposes, she was taken into dockyard hands following the outbreak of World War II.〔〔 Conversion of the merchant ship commenced in early 1940, and was prioritized as second only to work on the U-boat fleet.〔 The conversion work included installation of camouflaged weapons, fitting of bunks for the sailors, creation of internal passageways leading to their stations.〔 Prisoner accommodation, consisting of an open area for hammocks and facilities to keep ship's masters and women separate from the general population, were constructed.〔 The raider was also provided with equipment with which to modify her appearance and allow her to masquerade as other merchant vessels.〔 While the ship was being refitted, her future crew underwent training aboard the blockade runner ''Monte Pascoal''.〔Winter, ''H.M.A.S. Sydney'', pgs. 23, 25〕 ''Korvettenkapitän'' (Lieutenant Commander) Theodor Detmers was selected to command ''Schiff 41'' in July 1940; the 37-year-old was the youngest man to command a German merchant raider.〔〔Olson, ''Bitter Victory'', p. 141〕 Detmers named the ship ''Kormoran'', inspired by (a Russian merchant ship captured by the Germans during World War I and operated as a raider) and the cormorant (with Detmers comparing the seabird's use in fishing to his ship's attempts in catching Allied vessels).〔Frame, ''HMAS Sydney'', pp. 47-8〕〔Winter, ''H.M.A.S. Sydney'', pp. 19-20〕 After a successful trials cruise in September 1940, ''Kormoran'' was commissioned on 9 October.〔Frame, ''HMAS Sydney'', pp. 50-1〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|