HSK1 Orion 1940
Orion 1941
HSK2 Atlantis 1940
HSK4 Thor 1940
HSK5 Pinguin 1940
Pinguin 1941
HSK6 Stier 1942
HSK7 Komet 1940
HSK8 Kormoran 1941
HSK9 Michel 1942
HSK10 Coronel 1942
Schiff 5
|
Name |
Launched // Comm. |
Builder |
Tonnage, BRT (disp., t) |
Dimensions, m (length pp) |
Speed, kts |
Engine, Power hp |
Armament |
Fate |
| HSK1 Orion (Schiff 36) (ex-Kurmark), 1.1944- Hektor, 3.1945- Orion | 27.3.1930 // 12.1939 | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg | 7021 (15700) | 148.0x18.6x8.2 | 14 | geared steam turbine, 4 boilers, 6200 | 6 x 1 - 149/42, 1 x 1 - 75/32, 1 x 2 - 37/80, 4 x 1 - 20/65, 2 x 3 - 533 TT, 228 mines, 1 seaplane (Ar 196) | repair ship 1942, TS 1.1944, sunk 4.5.1945 |
| HSK2 Atlantis (Schiff 16) (ex-Goldenfels) | 16.12.1937 // 12.1939 | Bremer Vulkan | 7862 (17600) | 155.0x18.7x8.7 | 16 | 2 diesels, 7600 | 6 x 1 - 149/42, 1 x 1 - 75/32, 1 x 2 - 37/80, 4 x 1 - 20/65, 4 x 1 - 533 TT, 92 mines, 2 seaplanes (He 114) | sunk 22.11.1941 |
| HSK3 Widder (Schiff 21) (ex-Neumark) | 21.12.1929 // 11.1939 | Howaldtswerke, Kiel | 7851 (16800) | 152.0x18.2x8.3 | 14 | geared steam turbine, 4 boilers, 6200 | 6 x 1 - 149/42, 1 x 1 - 75/32, 1 x 2 - 37/80, 4 x 1 - 20/65, 2 x 2 - 533 TT, 2 seaplanes (He 114) | repair ship 1941 |
| HSK4 Thor (Schiff 10) (ex-Santa Cruz) | 16.3.1938 // 3.1940 | Deutsche Werft, Hamburg | 3862 (9200) | 122.0x16.7x7.1 | 18 | geared steam turbine, 2 boilers, 6500 | 6 x 1 - 149/42, 1 x 1 - 60/18, 1 x 2 - 37/80, 4 x 1 - 20/65, 2 x 2 - 533 TT, 30 mines, 1 seaplane (Ar 196) | explosion 30.11.1942 |
| HSK5 Pinguin (Schiff 33) (ex-Kandelfels) | 12.11.1936 // 2.1940 | Weser, Bremen | 7766 (17600) | 155.0x18.7x8.7 | 17 | diesel, 7600 | 6 x 1 - 149/42, 1 x 1 - 75/32, 1 x 2 - 37/80, 4 x 1 - 20/65, 2 x 1 - 533 TT, 300 mines, 2 seaplanes (He 114) | sunk 8.5.1941 |
| HSK6 Stier (Schiff 23) (ex-Cairo) | 7.10.1936 // 11.1941 | Germaniawerft, Kiel | 4778 (11000) | 133.0x17.3x7.2 | 14 | diesel, 3750 | 6 x 1 - 149/46, 1 x 2 - 37/80, 4 x 1 - 20/65, 2 - 533 TT (beam), 2 seaplanes (Ar 196) | sunk 27.9.1942 |
| HSK7 Komet (Schiff 45) (ex-Ems) | 16.1.1937 // 6.1940 | Deschimag, Bremen | 3287 (7500) | 115.0x15.3x6.5 | 14.8 | 2 diesels (1 shaft), 3900 | 6 x 1 - 149/42, 1 x 1 - 60/18, 1 x 2 - 37/80, 4 x 1 - 20/65, 2 x 2 - 533 TT, 2 - 533 TT (beam), 30 mines, 2 seaplanes (Ar 196), 1 MTB (LS2) | sunk 14.10.1942 |
| HSK8 Kormoran (Schiff 41) (ex-Steiermark) | 15.9.1938 // 10.1940 | Germaniawerft, Kiel | 8736 (19900) | 164.0x20.2x8.5 | 18 | 4 diesel-generators, 2 electric motors, 16000 | 6 x 1 - 149/42, 2 x 1 - 37/46, 5 x 1 - 20/65, 2 x 2 - 533 TT, 2 - 533 TT (beam), 360 mines, 2 seaplanes (Ar 196), 1 MTB (LS3) | sunk 20.11.1941 |
| HSK9 Michel (Schiff 28) (ex-Bielsko) | 4.1939 // 9.1941 | Danziger Werft | 4740 (10900) | 132.0x16.8x7.4 | 16 | 2 diesels (1 shaft), 6650 | 6 x 1 - 149/42, 1 x 1 - 105/42, 2 x 2 - 37/80, 4 x 1 - 20/65, 2 x 2 - 533 TT, 2 - 533 TT (beam), 2 seaplanes (Ar 196), 1 MTB (LS4) | sunk 17.10.1943 |
| HSK10 Coronel (Schiff 14) (ex-Togo) | 13.8.1938 // 12.1942 | Bremer Vulkan | 5042 (12700) | 134.0x17.9x7.9 | 16 | diesel, 5100 | 6 x 1 - 149/46, 6 x 1 - 40/56, 8 x 1 - 20/65, 3 seaplanes (Ar 196) | fighter direction ship Togo 10.1943 |
| Schiff 5 (ex-Glengary, ex-Meersburg) | 5.1940 // --- | Burmeister & Wain, Copenhagen, Denmark | 9138 (19200) | 153.0x20.1x8.7 | 17 | 2 diesels, 9000 | 8 x 1 - 149/46, 1 x 1 - 105/42, 4 x 2 - 37/80, 4 x 4 - 20/65, 12 x 1 - 20/65, 2 x 1 - 533 TT, 2 - 533 TT (beam), 2 seaplanes (Ar 196), 1 catapult | conversion cancelled 7.1943, TS Hansa 2.1944 |
Project history: German AMCs intended for actions against merchant shipping at oceans and offen called as "commerce raiders". They were converted from cargo ships, armament was masked. All had a triple designation: nominal name, number of an auxiliary cruiser (HSK — Handels-Stör-Kreuzer) and the auxiliary ship number (Schiff).
Modernizations: Thor, 1942: - 6 x 1 - 149/42, 1 x 1 - 60/18; + 6 x 1 - 149/46
Komet, 1942: - 1 x 1 - 60/18, mines, seaplanes, MTB; + 1 x 2 - 37/80.
Naval service: Atlantis was in raid since 31.3.1940, 22 vessels (145697BRT) were sunk. 22.11.1941 she was sunk by British heavy cruiser Devonshire NE off St. Elena. Orion had raid since 6.4.1940 till 23.8.1941; 11 vessels (73477BRT) were sunk. In 1942 she was renamed Kurmark, in 1943 converted to gunnery drill ship and 12.1.1944 entered service as Hector; early 1945 again renamed Orion and 4.5.1945 sunk by Soviet Il-2 attackers at Swinemünde. Widder was in a raid since 5.5 till 31.10.1940; 10 vessels (58644BRT) were sunk. Subsequently she was used as repair ship and transferred on reparations to United Kingdom. Thor had first raid since 6.6.1940 till 31.4.1941; 12 vessels (96546BRT) were sunk, including British AMC Voltaire. Second raid was since 17/1 till 9.10.1942; 10 vessels (56093BRT) were sunk. Thor was lost 30.11.1942 at Yokohama as result of explosion on German supply vessels Uckermark. Komet had raid since 3.7.1940 till 26.11.1941; 7 vessels (41568BRT) were sunk. Komet was sunk in La Manche 14.10.1942 at attempting to go to second raid by British destroyers and MTBs. Pinguin departed to a raid 15.6.1940; 32 vessels (154619BRT) were sunk. Pinguin 8.5.1941 was sunk by British heavy cruiser Cornwall N off Seychelles. Kormoran departed to a raid 3.12.1940; 11 vessels (68274BRT) and Australian light cruiser Sydney were sunk. In battle against the latter 20.11.1941 Kormoran received heavy damages and has sunk in 300nm W off Australia. Michel was former Polish m/s, captured at Danzig in September, 1939. She had a raid since 9.3.1942 till March, 1943; 14 vessels (94363BRT) were sunk. The second raid from Japan in the summer of 1943 given 3 vessels (27632BRT). Michel 17.10.1943 was torpedoed by American submarine Tarpon at Yokohama. Stier departed to raid 10.5.1942; 4 vessels (29409BRT) were sunk. Stier 27.9.1942 was sunk from the damages received in battle against American s/s Stephen Hopkins in Southern Atlantic. Coronel was commissioned 1.3.1940 as an auxiliary minelayer Togo. In 1941-1942 she was converted to AMC. Did not go out to raid. In October, 1943 she was converted to fighter direction ship and on reparations transferred to United Kingdom. Hansa (so it was planned to name Schiff 5) was former Danish m/s, captured at Copenhagen 9.4.1940. She was converted to AMC in 1942-1943. Did not go out to a raid. She was used as training and target vessel; transferred on reparations to United Kingdom.
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-14