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auxiliary cruisers
Tag
(21)
1914
August
04
Auxiliary cruiser Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse sails for the Atlantic
On 4 August 1914 the converted liner Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse sailed from Bremerhaven as a German auxiliary cruiser to attack merchant shipping.
06
Auxiliary cruiser Prinz Eitel Friedrich sails from Tsingtao
In early August 1914 the armed liner Prinz Eitel Friedrich left the German base of Tsingtao in China to join Admiral von Spee's squadron.
26
HMS Highflyer sinks Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse
On 26 August 1914 the British cruiser Highflyer attacked the German auxiliary cruiser Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse off the coast of Río de Oro.
September
14
Carmania sinks Cap Trafalgar
On 14 September 1914 off Trindade in the South Atlantic the British armed merchant cruiser Carmania sank the German Cap Trafalgar. Both were liners.
December
14
Internment of Cormoran at Guam
On 14 December 1914 the German auxiliary cruiser Cormoran, formerly the Russian Ryazan, reached American Guam out of coal. The ship and her crew were interned.
1915
January
28
Sinking of the sailing ship William P. Frye
On 28 January 1915 the German auxiliary cruiser Prinz Eitel Friedrich sank the American barque William P. Frye, the first US ship lost in this war.
April
08
Internment of Prinz Eitel Friedrich
On 8 April 1915 the German auxiliary cruiser Prinz Eitel Friedrich, at Newport News since March, agreed to be interned in the United States.
26
Internment of the Kronprinz Wilhelm
On 26 April 1915 the German auxiliary cruiser Kronprinz Wilhelm, the last Kaiserliche Marine raider then at large on the oceans, was interned at Newport News.
December
29
Möwe sails on her first cruise
On 29 December 1915 the auxiliary cruiser Möwe, disguised as a freighter, put to sea from Wilhelmshaven to lay mines and sink Allied ships.
1916
January
15
Möwe captures the Appam
On 15 January 1916 the raider Möwe captured the British liner Appam off Madeira. A German prize crew took her with prisoners to the United States.
February
08
Britain asks Japan for naval help
On 8 February 1916 the Admiralty framed a request for Japanese warships. Tokyo refused to send destroyers to Europe but stepped up patrols in the Indian Ocean.
29
Action between Alcantara and Greif
On 29 February 1916 the armed merchant cruiser Alcantara fought the German raider Greif off Shetland. Both ships sank and more than 200 sailors died.
March
04
Möwe returns from her first cruise
On 4 March 1916 Germany announced the raider Möwe's return from a cruise of over two months. She sank or took 15 ships; her mines sank a British battleship.
November
23
Möwe sails on her second cruise
On 23 November 1916 the raider Möwe set out on her second cruise, to break through the British blockade into the Atlantic again. It was her most successful.
30
Wolf sets out on her cruise
On 30 November 1916 Karl August Nerger's raider Wolf, a disguised freighter meant to lay mines and sink ships in the Indian Ocean, sailed from Kiel.
December
21
Seeadler sets sail
On 21 December 1916 Felix von Luckner's sailing ship Seeadler put to sea disguised as a Norwegian timber ship. She was the third raider sent out that winter.
1917
March
16
Sinking of the raider Leopard
On 16 March 1917 north of the Shetlands the cruiser Achilles and the steamer Dundee sank the raider Leopard, formerly Yarrowdale. None of over 300 men survived.
22
Möwe returns from her second cruise
On 22 March 1917 the raider Möwe returned to Kiel after four months in the Atlantic. On the way home she fought a fierce action with the New Zealand ship Otaki.
August
02
Seeadler wrecked
On 2 August 1917 the German sailing ship Seeadler was wrecked on the reef of Mopelia atoll in Polynesia, ending the cruise of Felix von Luckner's raider.
1918
February
24
Wolf returns home
On 24 February 1918 the raider Wolf returned to Kiel after 451 days at sea, with 467 prisoners on board. That day her prize Igotz Mendi ran aground off Skagen.
October
06
Sinking of HMS Otranto
On 6 October 1918 off Islay, in a storm, the transport Kashmir rammed Otranto, which was carrying American soldiers. About 470 people died.