German auxiliary cruiser Stier
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2021) |
 Stier under way.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Germany | |
| Owner | Atlas Levant Line |
| Builder | Germaniawerft |
| Launched | 1936 |
| Christened | Cairo |
| Fate | Requisitioned by Kriegsmarine, 1939 |
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | Stier |
| Namesake | Taurus |
| Operator | Kriegsmarine |
| Yard number | 6 |
| Recommissioned | 10 May 1942 |
| Renamed | Stier, 1939 |
| Reclassified | Auxiliary cruiser , 1939 |
| Nickname(s) |
|
| Fate | Scuttled in the South Atlantic, 27 September 1942 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 4,778 GRT |
| Displacement | 11,000 tons |
| Length | 134 m (440 ft) |
| Beam | 17.3 m (57 ft) |
| Draught | 7.2 m (24 ft) |
| Propulsion | 1 × 7-cylinder diesel engine, 3,750 hp (2,796 kW) |
| Speed | 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
| Range | 50,000 nmi (93,000 km; 58,000 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Endurance | 173 days |
| Complement | 324 |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 2 × Arado Ar 231 floatplanes |
Stier (HSK 6) was an
The name Stier means "bull" and also represents the Taurus constellation in the German language. She was the last German raider to break out into the Atlantic in World War II.
Early history
Built by
Raiding voyage
On 10 May 1942 she left Germany for operations in the
So during her operation the Stier sank four ships, totalling 29,409 tons (GRT).
Final engagement
On 27 September 1942 Stier encountered the Liberty ship Stephen Hopkins en route from Cape Town to Paramaribo.
Closing in foggy conditions, the two ships sighted each other around 08:52 AM 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, 2 x 37mm guns of an unknown model forward, and 6 x machine guns), but when firing commenced, around 08:55, she put up a spirited defense. She scored several hits on Stier, damaging her engines and steering gear. However, overwhelmed by fire from Stier, the Hopkins drifted away; by 10 a.m. 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's commander, Captain Paul Buck, was posthumously awarded the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal for his actions. So was United States 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 heavily damaged: unable to make headway, and not responding to the helm. Gerlach made the decision to scuttle the ship and prevent her from falling into Allied hands. After the scuttling charges were exploded, Stier sank at 11:40 AM.[1] All but two of her crew survived the fight, and returned to France on the German 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 | American | 7,181 | Sunk in combat |
Citations
- ^ Turner, L.C.F. (1961). War in the Southern Oceans: 1935-45. Oxford University Press, Cape Town. p. 148.
References
- Paul Schmalenbach (1977). German Raiders 1895–1945. ISBN 0-85059-351-4.
- August Karl Muggenthaler (1977). German Raiders of World War II. ISBN 0-7091-6683-4.
- Stephen Roskill (1956). The War at Sea 1939–1945 Volume II.
28°8′0″S 11°59′0″W / 28.13333°S 11.98333°W
