RAIDER PINGUIN 1 SHIP SUNK 3 CAPTURED - PINGUIN SCHIFF 33

1)RAIDER PINGUIN SCHIFF 33

Photo. Bismarck & Tirpitz (bismarck-class.dk)

Built 1939

Tonnage 7,766/10,450 

Range 60,000 miles 109,000 km

Complement 401

Airplane: 2x He-114B; later 1x Ar196A-1

The auxiliary cruiser Pinguin (Kapitan Ernst Felix Krüder), was originally the freighter Kandefels, which had been launched in 1936. After conversion to an auxiliary cruiser it became Schiff 33 to the Kriegsmarine. Pinguin was armed with six 150 mm (5.9 in) guns, a 75 mm (3.0 in) gun, two 37 mm (1.46 in) anti-aircraft guns, four 20 mm (0.79 in) autocanon, two torpedo tubes, 300 mines and an Arado Ar 196 A-1 floatplane. By 15 January, (Raider F) to the British) had captured 14 Norwegian merchant vessels by commerce raiding. It had captured three 12,000 long tons (12,000 t) factory ships and eleven whalers belonging to the same whaling company. The prizes were sent to occupied France where one was renamed Adjutant and was used as minelayer for the German raiders in the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. In April, Pinguin sank three British merchant ships in the Indian Ocean, close to the Equator.

Pinguin was one of the first wave of raiders sent out by the German navy, sailing on the15 June 1940 under the command of FK (later KzS) Ernst-Felix Krüder. Slipping through the Denmark Straits, Pinguin made for her patrol area in the Southern Ocean. In 10 ½ months at sea she has numbered 28 ships sunk, totaling 136,000 tons (GRT).

FATE

The engagement took place 8 May 1941 in the Indian Ocean off the Seychelles archipelago, north of Madagascar. Pinguin slightly damaged Cornwall, before return-fire caused an explosion and Pinguin sank. One British sailor was killed and of 222 British and Indian Merchant Navy prisoners, captured from over thirty merchant vessels on Pinguin, 200 were killed in the explosion. Of the crew of 401 men, 332 were killed and 60 were rescued along with 22 of the Merchant Navy prisoners. Cornwall returned to Durban for repairs until 10 June.

In the south Atlantic Raider Pinguin sunk 1 ship with a total 9,135 tons DWT and captured 3

 DOMINGO DE LARRINAGA

 SOLGLIMT

 PELAGOS

 OLE WEGGER

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