SS Prinz Eitel Friedrich (1904)
Encyclopedia
SS Prinz Eitel Friedrich was a German
passenger liner which saw service in the First World War as an auxiliary cruiser of the Imperial German Navy. Though largely overlooked, Prinz Eitel Friedrich was, after Kronprinz Wilhelm
, the most successful of Germany’s first wave of auxiliary cruisers.
She was able to remain at large for seven months, from August 1914 to March 1915, and sank 11 ships, for a total tonnage of 33,000 GRT.
, a former shipping company of the Hapag-Lloyd
, by the AG Vulcan
shipyard in Stettin, in 1904. For the ten years prior to the First World War she served on NDL routes in the Far East. On the eve of war in August 1914 she was at Shanghai
, with orders to proceed to the German naval base at Tsingtao for conversion as an auxiliary cruiser (hilfkreuzer).
She was commissioned on 5 August 1914 and sailed from Tsingtao the same day to join company with Adm Graf von Spee
and the German Far East squadron
. These were at Pagan
in the Caroline Islands
, and Prinz Eitel Friedrich arrived there on 12 August.
On 13 August she was detached for independent operations and a remit to attack and destroy allied commerce. She sailed south to start this mission along the coast of Australia
.
In the following seven months she operated in the Pacific and South Atlantic, sinking 11 vessels, mostly sailing ships, for a total of 33,423 GRT
.
In march 1915, her bunkers nearly empty and her engines worn out, Prinz Eitel Friedrich headed for the neutral United states, and on 11 March 1915 sailed into Newport News harbour, to be interned.).
and served for the remainder of the war as a troopship on the trans Atlantic route.
After the war she was returned to civilian service, as Mount Clay, before being scrapped and broken up in 1927.
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...
passenger liner which saw service in the First World War as an auxiliary cruiser of the Imperial German Navy. Though largely overlooked, Prinz Eitel Friedrich was, after Kronprinz Wilhelm
SS Kronprinz Wilhelm
SS Kronprinz Wilhelm was a German passenger liner built for the Norddeutscher Lloyd, a former shipping company now part of Hapag-Lloyd, by the AG Vulcan shipyard in Stettin, in 1901...
, the most successful of Germany’s first wave of auxiliary cruisers.
She was able to remain at large for seven months, from August 1914 to March 1915, and sank 11 ships, for a total tonnage of 33,000 GRT.
Early career
Prinz Eitel Friedrich was built for the Norddeutscher LloydNorddeutscher Lloyd
Norddeutsche Lloyd was a German shipping company. It was founded by Hermann Henrich Meier and Eduard Crüsemann in Bremen on February 20, 1857. It developed into one of the most important German shipping companies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and was instrumental in the economic...
, a former shipping company of the Hapag-Lloyd
Hapag-Lloyd
Hapag-Lloyd is a German transportation company comprising a cargo container shipping line, Hapag-Lloyd AG, which in turn owns other subsidiaries such as Hapag-Lloyd Ships and a cruise line, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises which is now integrated into TUI AG, Hanover...
, by the AG Vulcan
Stettiner Vulcan AG
Aktien-Gesellschaft Vulcan Stettin was a German shipbuilding and locomotive builder company, located in Stettin . AG Vulcan Stettin played a significant role in both World Wars, building U-boats and warships for the Kaiserliche Marine...
shipyard in Stettin, in 1904. For the ten years prior to the First World War she served on NDL routes in the Far East. On the eve of war in August 1914 she was at Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, with orders to proceed to the German naval base at Tsingtao for conversion as an auxiliary cruiser (hilfkreuzer).
Service history
At Tsingtao Prinz Eitel Friedrich was equipped for her role as a commerce raider, transferring the armaments and crews of the aging gunboats Luchs, and Tiger. KK Max Therichens, of Luchs, took command.She was commissioned on 5 August 1914 and sailed from Tsingtao the same day to join company with Adm Graf von Spee
Maximilian von Spee
Vice Admiral Maximilian Reichsgraf von Spee was a German admiral. Although he was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, the counts von Spee belonged to the prominent families of the Rhenish nobility. He joined the Kaiserliche Marine in 1878. In 1887–88 he commanded the Kamerun ports, in German West...
and the German Far East squadron
German East Asia Squadron
The German East Asia Squadron was a German Navy cruiser squadron which operated mainly in the Pacific Ocean between the 1870s and 1914...
. These were at Pagan
Pagan Island
Pagan is an island of the Northern Mariana Islands chain,located at , approximately 320 kilometers northof Saipan.Pagan has an area of 47.23 km² , making it the fourth largest island of the Northern Marianas, and consists of two stratovolcanoes joined by a narrow strip of land.The...
in the Caroline Islands
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
, and Prinz Eitel Friedrich arrived there on 12 August.
On 13 August she was detached for independent operations and a remit to attack and destroy allied commerce. She sailed south to start this mission along the coast of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
In the following seven months she operated in the Pacific and South Atlantic, sinking 11 vessels, mostly sailing ships, for a total of 33,423 GRT
Tonnage
Tonnage is a measure of the size or cargo carrying capacity of a ship. The term derives from the taxation paid on tuns or casks of wine, and was later used in reference to the weight of a ship's cargo; however, in modern maritime usage, "tonnage" specifically refers to a calculation of the volume...
.
In march 1915, her bunkers nearly empty and her engines worn out, Prinz Eitel Friedrich headed for the neutral United states, and on 11 March 1915 sailed into Newport News harbour, to be interned.).
Later career
In April 1917, on US entry into the war, Prinz Eitel Friedrich was seized by the US Navy and put in hand for conversion as a troopship. She was commissioned on 7 April 1917. as USS De KalbUSS DeKalb (ID-3010)
USS DeKalb was a German mail ship SS Prinz Eitel Friedrich that served during the early part of the First World War as an auxiliary cruiser in the German Navy and later after the US entry into the war, as US Navy troop ship...
and served for the remainder of the war as a troopship on the trans Atlantic route.
After the war she was returned to civilian service, as Mount Clay, before being scrapped and broken up in 1927.
Table
| Date | Ship | Type | Nationality | Tonnage GRT Tonnage Tonnage is a measure of the size or cargo carrying capacity of a ship. The term derives from the taxation paid on tuns or casks of wine, and was later used in reference to the weight of a ship's cargo; however, in modern maritime usage, "tonnage" specifically refers to a calculation of the volume... | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.12.1914 | Charcas | Freighter | British | 5,067 | Sunk |
| 11.12.1914 | Jean | Sailing ship | French | 2,207 | Retained as collier Collier (ship type) Collier is a historical term used to describe a bulk cargo ship designed to carry coal, especially for naval use by coal-fired warships. In the late 18th century a number of wooden-hulled sailing colliers gained fame after being adapted for use in voyages of exploration in the South Pacific, for... Scuttled 31.12.14 |
| 12.12.1914 | Kidalton | Sailing ship | British | 1,784 | Sunk |
| 26.1.1915 | Isabel Browne | Sailing ship | Russian | 1,315 | Sunk |
| 27.1.1915 | Pierre Lott | Sailing ship | French | 2,196 | Sunk |
| 27.1.1915 | William P Frye | Sailing ship | American | 3,374 | Sunk |
| 28.1.1915 | Jacobsen | Sailing ship | French | 2,195 | Sunk |
| 12.2.1915 | Invercoe | Sailing ship | British | 1,421 | Sunk |
| 18.2.1915 | Mary Ada Short | Sailing ship | British | 3,605 | Sunk |
| 19.2.1915 | Floride | Freighter | French | 6,629 | Sunk |
| 20.2.1915 | Willerby | Freighter | British | 3,630 | Sunk |