German auxiliary cruiser Pinguin

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Pinguin in the Indian Ocean in 1941.
History
Germany
NameKandelfels
OwnerDDG Hansa
BuilderDeschimag A.G. Weser
Launched12 November 1936
FateRequisitioned by Kriegsmarine, 1939
Nazi Germany
NamePinguin
NamesakePenguin
BuilderDeschimag A.G. Weser, Bremen
Yard number5
Acquired1939
Recommissioned6 February 1940
ReclassifiedAuxiliary cruiser, 1940
Nickname(s)
  • HSK-5
  • Schiff 33
  • Raider F
FateSunk in the Indian Ocean by HMS Cornwall, 8 May 1941
General characteristics
Displacement17,600 long tons (17,882 t)
Length155 m (509 ft)
Beam18.7 m (61 ft)
Draft8.7 m (29 ft)
Installed power7,600 hp (5,700 kW)
Propulsion2 × 6-cylinder diesel engines
Speed17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph)
Range60,000 nmi (110,000 km; 69,000 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Endurance207 days
Complement401
Armament
Aircraft carried

The Pinguin was a German auxiliary cruiser (Hilfskreuzer) which served as a commerce raider in World War II. The Pinguin was known to the Kriegsmarine as Schiff 33, and designated HSK 5. The most successful commerce raider of the war, she was known to the British Royal Navy as Raider F. The name Pinguin means penguin in German.

Early history[edit]

Formerly a freighter named Kandelfels, she was built by AG Weser in 1936, and was owned and operated by the Hansa Line, Bremen. In the winter of 1939/40, she was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine (KM) and converted to a warship by DeSchiMAG, Bremen. Her main armament was taken from the obsolete battleship Schlesien.

Raider voyage[edit]

Pinguin was one of the first wave of raiders sent out by the Kriegsmarine, sailing on 15 June 1940 under the command of Fregattenkapitän (later Kapitän zur See) Ernst-Felix Krüder.

Slipping through the Denmark Straits, Pinguin made for her patrol area in the Southern Ocean.

In 10½ months at sea she accounted for 28 ships, totalling 136,000 tons (GRT).

Her most successful coup was the capture, on 14 January 1941, of most of the Norwegian whaling fleet in Antarctica, totalling three factory ships and 11 whalers. These were sent back as prizes to Europe, arriving in Bordeaux, occupied France in March 1941. One of the whalers was retained as an auxiliary raider and re-named Adjutant.

Adjutant went on to lay mines around New Zealand waters.[1]

Fate[edit]

On 8 May 1941, Pinguin was sunk in a battle with the British heavy cruiser HMS Cornwall. She was the first auxiliary cruiser of the Kriegsmarine to be sunk in the war. 532 lives, among them 200 prisoners, were lost when Pinguin blew apart when the mines stored on board took a hit and exploded. Cornwall rescued 60 crew members and 22 prisoners who were originally crew of the 28 merchant ships the raider had either sunk or captured.

Ships sunk or captured by Pinguin
Date Name Displacement Fate Type Nationality Notes
31 July 1940 Domingo de Larrinaga 5,358 GRT Sunk Freighter  United Kingdom Sunk by torpedo
27 August 1940 Filefjell 6,901 GRT Sunk Tanker  Norway Sunk by explosive charges
27 August 1940 British Commander 5,008 GRT Sunk Tanker  United Kingdom Sunk by torpedo
27 August 1940 Morviken 7,616 GRT Sunk Freighter  Norway Sunk by explosive charges
12 September 1940 Benavon 5,872 GRT Sunk Freighter  United Kingdom Sunk by gunfire, 21 dead
16 September 1940 Nordvard 4,111 GRT Captured Freighter  Norway Valuable cargo of wheat, dispatched to Bordeaux with 200 prisoners, safely arrived, later used as a blockade runner
7 October 1940 Storstad 8,998 GRT Captured Tanker  Norway Converted to minelayer, renamed Passat, sent with 100 mines to Bass Strait then dispatched to Bordeaux
19 November 1940 Nowshera 7,920 GRT Sunk Freighter  United Kingdom Sunk by explosive charges, 113 prisoners
20 November 1940 Maimoa 10,123 GRT Sunk Freighter  United Kingdom Hundreds of tons of frozen meat, butter and eggs transferred to Pinguin, sunk by explosive charges
21 November 1940 Port Brisbane 8,739 GRT Sunk Freighter  United Kingdom Sunk by torpedo
30 November 1940 Port Wellington 8,303 GRT Sunk Freighter  United Kingdom Sunk by gunfire, 82 prisoners including 7 women.
14 January 1941 Ole Wegger 12,201 GRT Captured Whaling Factory Ship  Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Solglimt 12,246 GRT Captured Whaling Supply-ship  Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Torlyn 247 GRT Captured Whaler  Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Pol VIII 293 GRT Captured Whaler  Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Pol IX 354 GRT Captured Whaler  Norway Converted into auxiliary, renamed Adjutant
14 January 1941 Pol X 354 GRT Captured Whaler  Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Pelagos 12,083 GRT Captured Whaling Factory Ship  Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Star XIV 247 GRT Captured Whaler  Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Star XIX 249 GRT Captured Whaler  Norway Sunk by HMS Scarborough
14 January 1941 Star XX 249 GRT Captured Whaler  Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Star XXI 298 GRT Captured Whaler  Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Star XXII 303 GRT Captured Whaler  Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Star XXIII 357 GRT Captured Whaler  Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Star XXIV 361 GRT Captured Whaler  Norway Sunk by HMS Scarborough
25 April 1941 Empire Light 6,828 GRT Sunk Freighter  United Kingdom Sunk by explosive charges
28 April 1941 Clan Buchanan 7,266 GRT Sunk Freighter  United Kingdom Sunk by explosive charges
7 May 1941 British Emperor 3,663 GRT Sunk Tanker  United Kingdom Sunk by torpedo, prisoners taken aboard
Sunk by mines from Pinguin and Passat
Date Name Displacement Type Nationality
7 November 1940 SS Cambridge 10,846 GRT Passenger Freighter  United Kingdom
9 November 1940 MS City of Rayville 5,883 GRT[Note 1] Freighter  United States
5 December 1940 MV Nimbin 1,052 GRT Freighter  Australia
26 March 1941 Millimumul 287 GRT Fishing Trawler  Australia

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ First US merchantman sunk by enemy action in World War II.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Search for WW2 german mines

Bibliography[edit]

  • Brennecke, H J (1954). Ghost Cruiser HK33.
  • Duffy, James P (2005). Hitler's Secret Pirate Fleet: The Deadliest Ships of World War II. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0-8032-6652-9.
  • Muggenthaler, August Karl (1977). German Raiders of World War II. ISBN 0-7091-6683-4.
  • Roskill, Stephen (1954). The War at Sea 1939–1945. Vol. I.
  • Schmalenbach, Paul (1977). German Raiders 1895–1945. ISBN 0-85059-351-4.
  • Talbot-Booth, E.C. (1940) [1936]. Merchant Ships. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co.
  • Ivanov, Lyubomir and Ivanova, Nusha. Whaling period. In: The World of Antarctica. Generis Publishing, 2022. pp. 91–94. ISBN 979-8-88676-403-1

External links[edit]

External links[edit]

3°30′0″N 57°48′0″E / 3.50000°N 57.80000°E / 3.50000; 57.80000

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