SMS Möwe

About

SMS Möwe (German pronunciation: [ˈmøːvə]; German: Seagull) was a merchant raider of the Imperial German Navy which operated against Allied shipping during World War I. Disguised as a neutral cargo ship to enable it to get close to targets, the Möwe was effective at commerce raiding, sinking 40 ships in the course of the war.

Built by the Joh. C. Tecklenborg yard at Geestemünde, she was launched as the banana boat Pungo in 1914, and operated by F. Laeisz of Hamburg for the Afrikanische Fruchtkompanie. After carrying bananas from the German colony of Kamerun to Germany, she was requisitioned by the Imperial German Navy for use as a minelayer and merchant raider. Her conversion took place at Imperial shipyard at Wilhelmshaven in the autumn of 1915, and under the command of Nikolaus zu Dohna-Schlodien, she entered service on 1 November that year.

Möwe left Wilhelmshaven on 29 December 1915 for her first task, to set a minefield in the Pentland Firth, near the main base of the British Home Fleet at Scapa Flow. This was completed in severe weather conditions. A few days later the pre-dreadnought battleship HMS King Edward VII struck one of the mines; despite attempts to tow her to safety she sank. Möwe then moved down the west coast of Ireland to France. There she laid another mine field off the Gironde estuary, which sank a further two ships.

This part of her mission complete, Möwe then moved into the Atlantic, operating first between Spain and the Canary Islands, and later off the coast of Brazil.

The single ship action was fought between a German auxiliary cruiser and a UK cargo ship off the Portuguese islands of Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean.

Möwe was steaming about 120 miles south of Madeira with the passenger ship Appam, which she had captured the previous day, placed a prize crew aboard, and transferred several dozen prisoners of war to her. At sunset, lookouts aboard Möwe sighted smoke on the horizon, indicating a ship. Kapitän Dohna-Schlodien ordered Appam to remain behind while he went to investigate. Several minutes later, at about 21:00, Möwe came within distance of making out that the smoke had originated from a large cargo ship, later identified as Clan Mactavish.

By the time Möwe came within close range, it was dark, so Möwe approached cautiously. Using a signal lamp, Dohna-Schlodien asked the cargo ship's name. Clan Mactavish replied by asking that the German ship first identify herself. Dohna-Schlodien signalled that his ship was Author, a Harrison Line ship sailing from Liverpool to Natal. Möwe reportedly looked very similar to Author, which had been sunk by the German Navy a few weeks earlier. Clan Mactavish then signalled her name and that they were returning to Britain from Australia.

Having identified the British ship, Dohna-Schlodien crossed her bow and ordered a halt. Instead of complying, Clan Mactavish changed course and increased speed, hoping to outrun the raider. Möwe fired warning shots and gave chase. Clan Mactavish returned fire with her single gun, but repeatedly missed, and the German ship suffered no damage or casualties. Möwe fired salvoes with her four 150 mm guns. Clan Mactavish sent wireless telegraph distress signals that were received by the armoured cruiser HMS Essex. However, the telegraphist aboard Essex failed to tell his superiors, so no help was sent. After taking four hits, Clan Mactavish caught fire, and her captain signalled his surrender to Möwe. Möwe then manoeuvred for boarding.

All of the German rounds were hits, apart from the warning shots. 18 crew members were killed in the battle, [ clarification needed ] and five others were wounded. A boarding party from Möwe captured Clan Mactavish, and removed her surviving crew as prisoners. Clan Mactavish ' s captain was a Royal Navy reservist and her gun was crewed by two Royal Navy gunners. The remainder of her crew were civilians. This marked a total of more than 500 Allied prisoners of war on Möwe and Appam. The boarding party scuttled Clan Mactavish with explosive charges.

After sinking Clan Mactavish, Möwe rejoined Appam and set a westward course to avoid any Royal Navy cruisers in the area. Two cruisers were just over 100 mi (87 nmi ; 160 km ) away and could have intercepted Möwe had the telegraphist aboard Essex responded.

Möwe went on to sink several more Allied ships before returning home. Upon arrival, Korvettenkapitän Dohna-Schlodien was awarded the Iron Cross second class. Richard Stumpf records that there was a number of Africans amongst the crew upon this arrival. Felix von Luckner served aboard Möwe before his journey with SMS Seeadler in late 1916 to late 1917.

The single ship action was fought between a German auxiliary cruiser and a UK cargo ship off the Portuguese islands of Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean.

Möwe was steaming about 120 miles south of Madeira with the passenger ship Appam, which she had captured the previous day, placed a prize crew aboard, and transferred several dozen prisoners of war to her. At sunset, lookouts aboard Möwe sighted smoke on the horizon, indicating a ship. Kapitän Dohna-Schlodien ordered Appam to remain behind while he went to investigate. Several minutes later, at about 21:00, Möwe came within distance of making out that the smoke had originated from a large cargo ship, later identified as Clan Mactavish.

By the time Möwe came within close range, it was dark, so Möwe approached cautiously. Using a signal lamp, Dohna-Schlodien asked the cargo ship's name. Clan Mactavish replied by asking that the German ship first identify herself. Dohna-Schlodien signalled that his ship was Author, a Harrison Line ship sailing from Liverpool to Natal. Möwe reportedly looked very similar to Author, which had been sunk by the German Navy a few weeks earlier. Clan Mactavish then signalled her name and that they were returning to Britain from Australia.

Having identified the British ship, Dohna-Schlodien crossed her bow and ordered a halt. Instead of complying, Clan Mactavish changed course and increased speed, hoping to outrun the raider. Möwe fired warning shots and gave chase. Clan Mactavish returned fire with her single gun, but repeatedly missed, and the German ship suffered no damage or casualties. Möwe fired salvoes with her four 150 mm guns. Clan Mactavish sent wireless telegraph distress signals that were received by the armoured cruiser HMS Essex. However, the telegraphist aboard Essex failed to tell his superiors, so no help was sent. After taking four hits, Clan Mactavish caught fire, and her captain signalled his surrender to Möwe. Möwe then manoeuvred for boarding.

All of the German rounds were hits, apart from the warning shots. 18 crew members were killed in the battle, [ clarification needed ] and five others were wounded. A boarding party from Möwe captured Clan Mactavish, and removed her surviving crew as prisoners. Clan Mactavish ' s captain was a Royal Navy reservist and her gun was crewed by two Royal Navy gunners. The remainder of her crew were civilians. This marked a total of more than 500 Allied prisoners of war on Möwe and Appam. The boarding party scuttled Clan Mactavish with explosive charges.

After sinking Clan Mactavish, Möwe rejoined Appam and set a westward course to avoid any Royal Navy cruisers in the area. Two cruisers were just over 100 mi (87 nmi ; 160 km ) away and could have intercepted Möwe had the telegraphist aboard Essex responded.

Möwe went on to sink several more Allied ships before returning home. Upon arrival, Korvettenkapitän Dohna-Schlodien was awarded the Iron Cross second class. Richard Stumpf records that there was a number of Africans amongst the crew upon this arrival. Felix von Luckner served aboard Möwe before his journey with SMS Seeadler in late 1916 to late 1917.

In an effort to maintain security, Möwe was renamed Vineta, after another auxiliary cruiser which had been withdrawn from service. In this guise she set out on a series of short cruises during the summer of 1916 to attack Allied shipping off the coast of Norway. This only brought one success, however, before she was ordered in for a refit prior to another sortie into the Atlantic.

Leaving on 23 November 1916, Möwe had even more success on her second cruise into the Atlantic.