Prize crew
Encyclopedia
Prize crew is a term used to indicate a number of crew members of a ship
chosen to take over the operations of a captured ship.
In the early days of sailing
and up into the American Civil War
, capturing enemy ships was quite common. As a result, warships optimistically carried extra crew members for use as prize crews.
Prize crews were required to take their prize to appropriate prize court
s, which would determine whether the prize crew had sufficient cause to have the title of the prize awarded to them.
Today, as evidenced by results of sea battles during World War I
and World War II
, ships generally were sunk, not captured. Therefore, prize crews were no longer an integral part of a ship's complement. If, however, a ship was captured, a prize crew would be selected from the winning ship’s complement.
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
chosen to take over the operations of a captured ship.
In the early days of sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
and up into the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, capturing enemy ships was quite common. As a result, warships optimistically carried extra crew members for use as prize crews.
Prize crews were required to take their prize to appropriate prize court
Prize court
A prize court is a court authorized to consider whether or not a ship has been lawfully captured or seized in time of war or under the terms of the seizing ship's letters of marque and reprisal...
s, which would determine whether the prize crew had sufficient cause to have the title of the prize awarded to them.
Today, as evidenced by results of sea battles during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and 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...
, ships generally were sunk, not captured. Therefore, prize crews were no longer an integral part of a ship's complement. If, however, a ship was captured, a prize crew would be selected from the winning ship’s complement.
Examples
- See USS Nightingale (1851)USS Nightingale (1851)USS Nightingale was originally the tea clipper and slave ship Nightingale, launched in 1851. She was captured in Africa in 1861 by , taken as a prize and purchased by the United States Navy....
for prize crew and prize court example. - in 1939, the SS City of Flint was captured by a German warship in the Atlantic and sailed to Norway. As Norway was neutral, the German prize crew were eventually interned and the vessel returned to her American owners.
- In 1941, a Royal Navy prize crew sailed the captured, German, U-boat U-570 from Iceland to the United Kingdom.
- At the end of World War II, Bangust (DE-739)USS Bangust (DE-739)USS Bangust was a built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys. She returned to the States at war's end with a near-record setting number of...
selected a prize crew to board Japanese submarine I-14Japanese submarine I-14The submarine I-14 was a large, seaplane-carrying submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy of the AM type. 400 feet long and 40 feet high, it didn't see action in World War II. With a range of 21,000 nmi, it could carry two or three Aichi M6A Seiran bombers, whose wings and tail could be folded to...
. - Hanna (DE-449)USS Hanna (DE-449)USS Hanna was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in convoy, in addition to other tasks as assigned, such as patrol or radar picket...
placed a prize crew on the Japanese Tachibana Maru at the end of World War IIWorld War IIWorld 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...
. - U.S. Coast Guard cutters capture vessels during drug interdiction operations, and then bring them to port using prize crews.
See also
- Boarding (attack)Boarding (attack)Boarding, in its simplest sense, refers to the insertion on to a ship's deck of individuals. However, when it is classified as an attack, in most contexts, it refers to the forcible insertion of personnel that are not members of the crew by another party without the consent of the captain or crew...
- Prize (law)Prize (law)Prize is a term used in admiralty law to refer to equipment, vehicles, vessels, and cargo captured during armed conflict. The most common use of prize in this sense is the capture of an enemy ship and its cargo as a prize of war. In the past, it was common that the capturing force would be allotted...
- Prize CourtPrize courtA prize court is a court authorized to consider whether or not a ship has been lawfully captured or seized in time of war or under the terms of the seizing ship's letters of marque and reprisal...
- Prize of warPrize of warA prize of war is a piece of military property seized by the victorious party after a war or battle, typically at sea. This term was used nearly exclusively in terms of a captured ship during the 18th and 19th centuries....
- Prize moneyPrize moneyPrize money has a distinct meaning in warfare, especially naval warfare, where it was a monetary reward paid out to the crew of a ship for capturing an enemy vessel...