German auxiliary cruiser Stier
Encyclopedia
The German auxiliary cruiser Stier (HSK 6) was a German
auxiliary cruiser during World War II
. Her Kriegsmarine
designation was Schiff 23, to the Royal Navy
she was Raider J.
The name Stier means "bull", and represents the Taurus constellation
in German language
. She was the last German raider to break out in the Atlantic in World War II.
services in November 1939. After merchant warfare operations in the Baltic Sea
, she was converted into a mine layer and was planned to be used during Operation Sea Lion. After this operation was canceled, the now renamed Stier was modified into an auxiliary cruiser in April 1941, first at the Wilton
shipyard Rotterdam
and later at Oderwerke
, Stettin, and Kriegsmarinewerft, in Gotenhafen (Gdynia
).
. Moving by stages down the English Channel
, and after an engagement with British coastal forces on the 13th which saw the loss of two torpedo boats (German) and one MTB (British), Stier reached Royan in occupied France on the 19th. From there she departed under the command of FK (later KzS) Horst Gerlach for operations in the South Atlantic. However after a cruise of only 4 ½ months, in which she engaged and sank three ships, she had a fatal encounter on 27 September 1942; the ship was sunk during a battle with an American cargo ship the SS Stephen Hopkins
, which was also lost.
During her operation, which lasted four and a half months, the Stier sank 4 ships of 29,409 tons (GRT).
en route from Cape Town
to Paramaribo
.
Closing in foggy conditions the two ships sighted each other around 08:52 at a distance of 4,000 yards. Gerlach sent his men to action stations; the master of the Stephen Hopkins was suspicious of the unidentified vessel and did the same. The Stephen Hopkins had a small defensive armament (1 × 4 inch gun astern, and several machine guns), but when firing commenced, around 08:55, she put up a spirited defence. She scored several hits on Stier, damaging her engines and steering gear. However, overwhelmed by fire from Stier, the Hopkins drifted away; by 10 am she had sunk. Forty-two of her crew were killed in the action, and three more died later; the fifteen survivors finally reached Brazil
31 days later. Stephen Hopkins commander, Captain Paul Buck, was posthumously awarded the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal
for his actions. So was US Merchant Marine Academy
cadet
Edwin Joseph O'Hara, who single-handedly fired the last shots from the ship's 4-inch gun.
Meanwhile Stier had been fatally damaged; unable to make headway, and not responding to the helm, Gerlach made the decision to abandon ship. Stier exploded and sank at 11:40 . All but two of her crew survived and were rescued by the supply ship Tannenfels, which was accompanying Stier at the time of the action.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
auxiliary cruiser during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Her Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
designation was Schiff 23, to the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
she was Raider J.
The name Stier means "bull", and represents the Taurus constellation
Taurus (constellation)
Taurus is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is a Latin word meaning 'bull', and its astrological symbol is a stylized bull's head:...
in German language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. She was the last German raider to break out in the Atlantic in World War II.
Early history
Built by Germaniawerft in 1936 as the freighter Cairo, she was operated by the Atlas Levant Line (ALL) until being requisitioned for KriegsmarineKriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
services in November 1939. After merchant warfare operations in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, she was converted into a mine layer and was planned to be used during Operation Sea Lion. After this operation was canceled, the now renamed Stier was modified into an auxiliary cruiser in April 1941, first at the Wilton
Wilton-Fijenoord
Wilton-Fijenoord was a shipbuilding and repair company in Schiedam in the Netherlands from 1929 to 1999.The company has since been fully absorbed into Damen Shiprepair.-Ships built:* De Zeven Provinciën class cruiser:** HNLMS De Ruyter,...
shipyard Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
and later at Oderwerke
Oderwerke
Oderwerke or Stettiner Oderwerke was a German shipbuilding company, located in Stettin.-History:Oderwerke was founded on January 28, 1903 and built 154 ships prior to World War I....
, Stettin, and Kriegsmarinewerft, in Gotenhafen (Gdynia
Gdynia
Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...
).
Raiding voyage
On 10 May 1942 she left Germany for operations in the AtlanticAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Moving by stages down the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, and after an engagement with British coastal forces on the 13th which saw the loss of two torpedo boats (German) and one MTB (British), Stier reached Royan in occupied France on the 19th. From there she departed under the command of FK (later KzS) Horst Gerlach for operations in the South Atlantic. However after a cruise of only 4 ½ months, in which she engaged and sank three ships, she had a fatal encounter on 27 September 1942; the ship was sunk during a battle with an American cargo ship the SS Stephen Hopkins
SS Stephen Hopkins
The SS Stephen Hopkins was a United States Merchant Marine Liberty ship that served in World War II. She was the first US ship to sink a German surface combatant during the war....
, which was also lost.
During her operation, which lasted four and a half months, the Stier sank 4 ships of 29,409 tons (GRT).
Final engagement
On 27 September 1942 Stier encountered the Liberty ship SS Stephen HopkinsSS Stephen Hopkins
The SS Stephen Hopkins was a United States Merchant Marine Liberty ship that served in World War II. She was the first US ship to sink a German surface combatant during the war....
en route from Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
to Paramaribo
Paramaribo
Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population...
.
Closing in foggy conditions the two ships sighted each other around 08:52 at a distance of 4,000 yards. Gerlach sent his men to action stations; the master of the Stephen Hopkins was suspicious of the unidentified vessel and did the same. The Stephen Hopkins had a small defensive armament (1 × 4 inch gun astern, and several machine guns), but when firing commenced, around 08:55, she put up a spirited defence. She scored several hits on Stier, damaging her engines and steering gear. However, overwhelmed by fire from Stier, the Hopkins drifted away; by 10 am she had sunk. Forty-two of her crew were killed in the action, and three more died later; the fifteen survivors finally reached Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
31 days later. Stephen Hopkins commander, Captain Paul Buck, was posthumously awarded the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal
Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal
The Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal is a decoration of the United States Merchant Marine . The decoration is the highest award which can be bestowed upon members of that service and is the service’s equivalent of the Medal of Honor; since mariners serving in the United State Merchant...
for his actions. So was US Merchant Marine Academy
United States Merchant Marine Academy
The United States Merchant Marine Academy is one of the five United States Service academies...
cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
Edwin Joseph O'Hara, who single-handedly fired the last shots from the ship's 4-inch gun.
Meanwhile Stier had been fatally damaged; unable to make headway, and not responding to the helm, Gerlach made the decision to abandon ship. Stier exploded and sank at 11:40 . All but two of her crew survived and were rescued by the supply ship Tannenfels, which was accompanying Stier at the time of the action.
Raiding career
| Date | Ship | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 June 1942 | SS Gemstone | British | 4,986 | Sunk |
| 6 June 1942 | SS Stanvac Calcutta | Panamanian | 10,170 | Sunk in combat |
| 9 August 1942 | SS Dalhousie | British | 7,250 | Sunk |
| 27 September 1942 | SS Stephen Hopkins SS Stephen Hopkins The SS Stephen Hopkins was a United States Merchant Marine Liberty ship that served in World War II. She was the first US ship to sink a German surface combatant during the war.... |
American | 7,181 | Sunk in combat |