German Auxiliary Cruiser Atlantis - Sinking

Sinking

Early on the morning of 22 November, Atlantis was intercepted by Devonshire. U-126 dived, leaving her captain behind (he had gone aboard the Atlantis). At 08:40, Atlantis transmitted a raider report posing as the Dutch ship Polyphemus, but by 09:34 Devonshire had received confirmation that this was false. From 14–15 km (8.7–9.3 mi) away, outside the range of Atlantis's 150 mm (5.9 in) guns, Devonshire opened fire.

After 20–30 seconds, salvos of 8-in (203 mm) shells began to reach Atlantis; the second and third salvos hit the ship. Seven sailors were killed as the crew abandoned ship; Rogge was the last off. Ammunition exploded, the bow rose, and the ship sank.

After Devonshire left the area, U-126 resurfaced and picked up 300 Germans and a wounded American prisoner, whom it began carrying or towing in rafts to Brazil (1,500 km (930 mi) west). Two days later the German refueling ship Python arrived and took on the sailors. On 1 December, while Python was refueling two submarines, the third of the British cruisers seeking the raiders, HMS Dorsetshire, appeared. The U-boats dove immediately, and Python's crew scuttled her; Dorsetshire departed, leaving it to the U-boats to recover the crew. Eventually various German and Italian submarines took Rogge's crew back to Germany.