Shipping raiders

[Lephturn]

Saw a little tiny bit of a show on History channel about shipping raiders.  These were ships desguised as merchant vessels that could sneak up close, and would then drop panels and uncover the guns to blow the snot out of the merchants.

Can anybody tell me what these were called?  Apparently the Germans and Brits both had some?

These would be a BLAST in AH.   Heheh, I'll take my PT boat and beat up on this merchant convoy....  what the!  BLAM!  Heheheh.

BTW, they'll have to rename this forum when the navy hits.  

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Lephturn - Chief Trainer
A member of The Flying Pigs  http://www.flyingpigs.com


"My P-47 is a pretty good ship, she took a round coming 'cross the Channel last trip.
Just thinking 'bout my baby and lettin' her rip, always got me through so far."
 - Steve Earl

[Dinger]

Q-ships?
Wasn't there a movie about them?

[RAM]

Can anybody tell me what these were called?  Apparently the Germans and Brits both had some?
[/QUOTE]

Armed merchant cruisers. Germany had some damned fine ships, some of them had a lot of success:

Atlantis: sank 22 ships for a total tonnage od 145.697tons. She was sunk by HMS Devonshire, 22-11-1941.

Orion: she sank 9 1/2 (3 1/2 shared) ships for a total tonnage of 57.744 tons. She returned germany (23-8-1941) and was never used again.

Komet: she sank 6 1/2 (3 1/2 shared) ships for a total of 42.959 tons.Sha sailed by the north east passage and bering sea, returning home in 30-11-1941.

Widder: She sank 10 ships for a total tonnage of 58643 tons. She returned home not to be used again as a raider (31-10-1941).

Thor: She sank 11 ships for a total of 85.000 tons, She also sank an allied armed merchant cruiser. She returned home (30-4-1941) not to sortie again.

Pinguin: she sank 28 ships for a total of 136.551tons. She was sunk by HMS Cornwall, 8-5-1941.

Kormoran: sank a total of 11 shps for a tonnelage of 68.274 tons. She was about to be registered by HMAS Sydney (she was under a fake identification)in 19-11-1941 when she opened fire at point blank range. Sydney fatally damaged Kormoran and she had to be abandoned by her crew. But Sydney blew up and sank with all hands.