Q Ships

[Matt Wiser]

The Raider crews in both world wars generally fought honorably. Only one, Capt. Helmuth von Rucketshell (Widder and Michel) was tried as a war criminal (for leaving survivors in their lifeboats in the mid-Atlantic, and firing on lifeboats in two cases). Convicted and given 7 years by the British, died in prison of heart disease just before he was to be released on health grounds. The other raider skippers were examined by the British and U.S. Navies, but were cleared of any wrongdoing, especially when captains and officers of ships captured by raiders testified on the Germans' behalf. The Germans were sailors first and formost, and treated their captives as humanely as possible, given the circumstances.

Usual method of seizing a ship was to come in close, and if in daylight, drop the disguises (and any false flag) and raise the German flag, and then reveal the guns. If the prey stopped, a boarding party was sent over. If not, fire was opened to stop the ship and knock out any guns. If the target vessel had cargo valuable enough to send back to Occupied France, the Germans would put a prize crew aboard, along with prisoners, and sail her for France. If the ship was too badly damaged, or was too close to an Allied base, she'd be sunk, but not before everything of value was taken off (food, charts, any documents, booze-for the Raider's wardroom, mail-for intelligence examination, etc). They were under orders to avoid fights with warships, but if they were cornered, it was a fight to the finish. One Raider, Komet, had fights on three occasions with British Armed Merchant Cruisers. Two were shot up enough to be sent packing, and the third, HMS Voltaire, was sunk. The Sydney-Kormoran fight was unique-the only time a raider sank a cruiser, but at the cost of the raider herself.