German Auxiliary Cruiser Pinguin - Raiding Career

Raiding Career

Schiff 33, the Pinguin had sailed over 59,000 miles more than twice the circumference of the Earth in 357 days at sea. She sank or captured 28 ships, a total of 136,642 gross register tons. 52,000 tons was sent back to Germany under prize crews. A further four ships were sunk by mines, a total of 18,068 tons. The Pinguin's grand total amounts to 154,710 gross register tons. The Pinguin was the first of the Kriegsmarine's Auxiliary Cruisers to be sunk.

Ships sunk or captured by Pinguin
Date Name Displacement Fate Type Nationality Notes
31 July 1940 Domingo de Larrinaga 5,358 GRT Sunk Freighter United Kingdom Sunk by torpedo
27 August 1940 Filefjell 6,901 GRT Sunk Tanker Norway Sunk by explosive charges
27 August 1940 British Commander 5,008 GRT Sunk Tanker United Kingdom Sunk by torpedo
27 August 1940 Morviken 7,616 GRT Sunk Freighter Norway Sunk by explosive charges
12 September 1940 Benavon 5,872 GRT Sunk Freighter United Kingdom Sunk by gunfire, 21 dead
16 September 1940 Nordvard 4,111 GRT Captured Freighter Norway Valuable cargo of wheat, dispatched to Bordeaux with 200 prisoners, safely arrived, later used as a blockade runner
7 October 1940 Storstad 8,998 GRT Captured Tanker Norway Converted to minelayer, renamed Passat, sent with 100 mines to Bass Strait then dispatched to Bordeaux
19 November 1940 Nowshera 7,920 GRT Sunk Freighter United Kingdom Sunk by explosive charges, 113 prisoners
20 November 1940 Maimoa 10,123 GRT Sunk Freighter United Kingdom Hundreds of tons of frozen meat, butter and eggs transferred to Pinguin, sunk by explosive charges
21 November 1940 Port Brisbane 8,739 GRT Sunk Freighter United Kingdom Sunk by torpedo
30 November 1940 Port Wellington 8,303 GRT Sunk Freighter United Kingdom Sunk by gunfire, 82 prisoners including 7 women.
14 January 1941 Ole Wegger 12,201 GRT Captured Whaling Factory Ship Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Solglimt 12,246 GRT Captured Whaling Supply-ship Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Torlyn 247 GRT Captured Whaler Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Pol VIII 293 GRT Captured Whaler Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Pol IX 354 GRT Captured Whaler Norway Converted into auxiliary, renamed Adjutant
14 January 1941 Pol X 354 GRT Captured Whaler Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Pelagos 12,083 GRT Captured Whaling Factory Ship Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Star XIV 247 GRT Captured Whaler Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Star XIX 249 GRT Captured Whaler Norway Sunk by HMS Scarborough
14 January 1941 Star XX 249 GRT Captured Whaler Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Star XXI 298 GRT Captured Whaler Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Star XXII 303 GRT Captured Whaler Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Star XXIII 357 GRT Captured Whaler Norway Dispatched to Bordeaux
14 January 1941 Star XXIV 361 GRT Captured Whaler Norway Sunk by HMS Scarborough
25 April 1941 Empire Light 6,828 GRT Sunk Freighter United Kingdom Sunk by explosive charges
28 April 1941 Clan Buchanan 7,266 GRT Sunk Freighter United Kingdom Sunk by explosive charges
7 May 1941 British Emperor 3,663 GRT Sunk Tanker United Kingdom Sunk by torpedo, prisoners taken on board
Sunk by mines from Pinguin and Passat
Date Name Displacement Type Nationality
7 November 1940 Cambridge 10,846 GRT Passenger Freighter United Kingdom
9 November 1940 City of Rayville 5,883 GRT Freighter United States
5 December 1940 Nimbin 1,052 GRT Freighter United Kingdom
26 March 1941 Millimumul 287 GRT Fishing Trawler Australia

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