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If I may: I know that the main role of the Kriegsmarine's major surface units, like the Scharnhorst and Prinz Eugen, was to conduct commerce raiding on Britain's trade routes. Did Scharnhorst's loss during late 1943 spell the end of major Kriegsmarine offensive actions during the war? ( Other than the U-boats, of course. ) Also, how vital was the surface raiders' operations in the overall campaign? I had also heard that Q ship-like German raiders operated during the war. What were their numbers? Were they part of the High Seas Fleet or some other branch of the KM? Did the light cruisers ever go raiding, or were they tactical assets for use near home waters and/or the Baltic?

The only offensive operations of major German surface units in the Atlantic were that of the "Admiral Graf Spee" and the "Deutschland" in late 1939 and that of the "Scharnhorst", "Gneisenau", "Admiral Scheer" and "Admiral Hipper" in late 1940 and early 1941. The operations of major KM surface units effectively ended with the failure of Rheinübung. After that, there were only limited (and unsuccessful) operations against the PQ convoys on the Murmansk route and the Hilfskreuzer operations in the South Atlantic, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. On 9 May 1942, HSK Stier was the last surface unit that left Europe for a raiding mission against Allied merchant shipping.

For information on German commerce raiders you can have a look at
http://www.german-navy.de/kriegsmarine/ ... index.html

Helloto all ; a little complement....................

Admiral scheer!

Source: Bilden Aus Dem leben des Führer.

Cheers. Raúl M .

Hello to all ; a complement...................................

Operation "Berlin" 1941.

On 22 January 1941 Scharnhorst and Gneisenau sailed from Kiel on a second attempt and on March 22, the two ships were met by destroyers from the flotilla stationed at Brest. At 07:00 hours the entrance to the port loomed in sight. The cruise of 17,800 miles in sixty days created a record for German capital ships. Scharnhorst having sunk 8 merchant vessels totalling 47.588 gross registered tons. Gneisenau sunk or captured 13 merchant vessels totalling 62.865 gross registered tons. Scharnhorst and Gneisenau together sunk 1 merchant vessel on 3.237 gross registered tons. Scharnhorst and Gneisenau sunk and captured all together 22 merchant vessels totalling 113.690 gross registered tons.

Sources: https://www.scharnhorst-class.dk/scharn ... erlin.html
http://www.ebay.at/itm/Foto-Schiff-Schl ... SwtfhYpxDE
http://www.ebay.at/itm/Foto-Schiff-Schl ... Sw-0xYi1f9

Cheers. Raúl M .

The German auxilliary cruiser Kormoran sank the Australian cruiser Sydney off the west coast of Australia in late 1941. Perhaps not a major influence on the war but the action represented the worst loss by the RAN during the war.

Hello to all ; more..................................

Operation "Berlin" 1941.

From the KTB Bordflugkommando Gneisenau 1. / 196 for the Unternehmen Berlin:

- 22.01.41 Leaving Kiel
- 30.01. - 01.02.41 Oil takeover at sea
- 08.02.41; 9:00-10:30; Alarm, sighting of an English convoy, attack is abandoned as a battleship is identified as escorts.
- 14.02.41 Oil takeover
- 21.02.41 board aircraft of SH and GU fly strip reconnaissance.

- 22.02.41,
09.42h: Viewing several independent targets
10.51h: first Br. Steamer "Kantarn" (3327 GRT) sinks.
13.10h: second Br. Steamer "Trelawny" (4689 GRT) sinks.
16:22 h: third steamer "A.D.Huff" (6219 GRT) sinks.
16.40h: board aircraft attacks Br. Steamer "Halesden" (5400 BRT) with bombs and MG's, without success, bombs were duds, planes receives enemy fire.
17.30h: GU is looking for this steamer
23.07h: fourth steamer "Halesden" (5400 GRT) sinks.

- 23.02.-05.03.41 war sailing, airplanes fly from time to time strip reconnaissance.
- 27.02.41: Oil takeover.
- 05.03.41 Airplanes fly reconnaissance acc. Fleet G 13 Plan Y. At the landing at 16:06h T 3 + AK was severely damaged, struts of the engine mount broken. It is therefore commanded by the fleet to exchange the on-board aircraft of the GU for one of the SH and exchange for T 3 + HH. T 3 + AK rolls to SH at 19:50h. Takeover at 20.09h.
- 06.03.41, T 3 + HH is made clear to the transfer, when relocating the machine (AK), the standing on the catapult machine (HH) is too far advanced and falls, as the carriage lock released, is upside down from the catapult, 80% breakage ,
- 12.03.41, oil transfer from the tanker "Ermland", transfer of prisoners.

- 15.03.41:
09.30h: Nw. Tanker "Bianka" (5688 BRT) taken.
13.00h: Br. Tanker "San Casimiro" (8046 GRT) taken.
17.00h: Nw. Tanker "PolyKarp" (6405 GRT) taken.
17.15h: Br. Tanker "Simnia" (6197BRT) is sunk.

-16.03.41:
04.00h: dimmed sailing steamer (5000 GRT) is sunk.
09.00h: Fr. Steamer "Myson" (4364 GRT) is sunk.
19.00h: Br. Steamer "Chileanreefer" (1838 BRT) is sunk.

- 22.03.41, 10.15h Arrival in Brest!

Sources: https://www.forum-marinearchiv.de/smf/i ... ic=11492.0

Cheers. Raúl M .

Hello to all ; a complement...................................

Prinz Eugen - Gotenhafen ​May 1941​!

Prior to "Rheinübung" officers of the "Prinz Eugen" wait for the visit of Admiral Lütjens. The ​watch officer (see chest badge) ​Oblt.z.S. von Stülpnagel, but I could not find this officer in the HMA crew lists WWII.

Source: https://www.ebay.at/itm/Foto-Kaptitan-B ... oFXsGN6:rk: 1:pf:0
https://www.ebay.ch/itm/Foto-Kriegsmari ... SwIgNXsF72

Cheers. Raúl M .

Hello to all ; a complement...................................

Prinz Eugen - Gotenhafen ​May 1941​!

Prior "Rheinübung", Admiral Lütjens visits the Prinz Eugen.

Source: https://picclick.de/Foto-Admiral-Besich ... 02403.html
https://www.ebay.ch/itm/Foto-Admiral-Lu ... SwIgNXsHxp

Cheers. Raúl M .