Auxiliary German raiders

[Diagram by types of ship][Diagram by Task Groups]

Start: Sunday March 31, 1940

Ending: Saturday October 16, 1943

Outside spectacular actions by German warships, a dozen of armed merchant ships were fitted, armed and sent in two waves (1940 and 1941) to attack the allied shipping. In contrast to large warships that could take on a whole convoy, the auxiliary raiders staked on stealth. Their first concern when they intercepted a prey, was to prevent her from using the radio to signal her position. They operated mainly in remote waters, where Britain couldn't possibly hunt them down.
Although their score was much more modest than the U-boats, and even if they did not pose a strategic threat like the bigger warships, they were until 1942 a nuisance for the allies, who were forced to maintain expensive patrols in almost all seas of the globe to hold them in check. Comparing the modest means involved and the results obtained, they were probably the best anti-shipping weapons of the Germans. Together, they sank ships for more than 800 000 BRT, while the larger warships did less than 250 000 for the whole war.

Place: N/A

Type: Raider operation

	Allies	Germany
Forces	Raiders-killers: 3 cruisers, 1 submarine. Victims of the German corsairs. Total: 3 cruisers, 1 submarine	German raiders: 10 auxiliary cruisers.
Losses	1 light cruiser, 1 auxiliary cruiser, 137 merchant ships, 821 611 tons lost. 2 auxiliary cruisers damaged.	6 auxiliary cruisers lost.

Webmaster's question(s) and remark(s): I am not sure that I have perfectly reconciled the listed ships with the overall tonnage losses.

Additional information on the web : [Omega][Omega]

Made by LemaireSoft © August 30, 2002