Hilfskreuzer Schiff 44 (HSK-16) “Afrika”

[CPTLTJASON]

23.8.1939 Kiel Harbor 1st day at sea
After 5 months of conversion and training the Hilfskreuzer Ship-15 is ready for service. Under the command of FKpt.z.S Hans Felix Brinkmann (former artillery officer of the Admiral Scheer) Ship-15 is ordered to make for the Central Atlantic and await further orders. Since arriving at Kiel on 1.8.1939 Ship-15 has been taking on provisions, fuel, water, ammunition, etc. enough to last up to one year at sea. In the meantime Brinkmann has been in Berlin being briefed, (On September 1, 1939 at 05:45 Poland will be invaded, Ship-15 is to remain undetected in southern waters. If Hostilities have not ended by September 25th The Kommandant is authorized to begin commerce raiding. From 50N to the equator.)
Ship-15 will be disguised as a transport under the Reich Service flag, the disguise is as follows,
Outer hull painted black
Deck hatches, ventilators, winches, etc. painted grey.
Superstructure and funnel painted grey.
Masts Grey with crow's nest
Cannons I and IV disguised and painted as deckhouses.
Boats set out
German flag hoisted on the mainmast.

Ship 15 is ordered to depart Kiel on 24.8.1939 at midnight.

[CPTLTJASON]

24.8.1939 Kiel Harbor.

At 23:00 hrs. the starboard watch is called and anchors are raised, Ship 15 is departing for the Atlantic under the cover of darkness. Morale aboard is high after months of the inactivity the raider soon might see action, Ship 15 will take the Kattegat/Skagerrak route then proceed through the Denmark Strait. Our next report will be when she is in the Atlantic.

[CPTLTJASON]

6.9.1939 North Atlantic 14th day at sea 62° 20’N, 30° 22,W

Ship 15 has entered the North Atlantic, the crew has been mustered and a short speech by the Kommandant is given to the crew among the topics covered is the ship’s new name, The Typhoon.
after the speech Brinkmann orders the ship’s disguise changed from German Transport to Greek freighter the chosen disguise will be the Athens shipping Co. Ltd. ship OLYMPUS 7,388 grt (ANJF) Piraeus.

1. Hull painted black with Greek neutrality markings,
2. Superstructure painted white
3. Funnel painted black height and width remain the same
4. Masts, ventilators, winches, etc. painted dark yellow
5.Greek flag hoisted on the signal deck.

The situation has deteriorated rapidly since September 1st, on the 3rd of September England, France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and India declare war on Germany. With this the Seekriegslietung has ordered Brinkmann to speed up the march south and to not attack shipping North or east of the Azores and to keep east of the Caribbean. The Deutschland will operate between Newfoundland and Bermuda while the Graf Spee will patrol the South Atlantic/Indian Ocean. Ship 15 is to proceed to the Pacific Ocean once the Graf Spee has cleared Ascension Island area. For now Ship 15 will continue the transit south.

[CPTLTJASON]

1/10/1940 South Atlantic 35° 26’S, 12° 34’E 139th day at sea

Ship 15 has been patrolling without success since the last report only 3 neutral freighters were sighted, stopped, searched, and released. Seeing no success FKpt.z.S Brinkmann decides to move south on December 22nd 1939 at 14:00 hrs. Ship 15 crossed the equator. For crossing ceremony lasted all afternoon. From there Ship 15 briefly patrolled the South American routes without success and Brinkmann continued the voyage south Brinkmann began to plan the minelaying operation off Cape Town. Along with the I. Officer, Navigator, and Mine Officer Brinkmann planned to lay 220 EMC mines on the approaches to Cape Town and a smaller minefield off the Cape of Good Hope.
This will be accomplished during one night while Ship 15 moves at full speed. The mine officer and the specialists begin to prepare mines for the operation. Afterwards we will make for the Indian Ocean to resume commerce raiding along the Cape-Indi-Australia routes and the Mozambique Channel. We will retain the disguise of the Greek freighter for now and will change after the minelaying operation.

[CPTLTJASON]

5/26/1940 Indian Ocean 21°42’S, 85°28’E 277th day at sea

SInce the last report only one French freighter was sunk the LARRODE 3,800 grt (ZHDU) from La Rochelle to Rangoon again in ballast. After this Ship 15 returned to the East coast of Madagascar and after another fruitless hunt returned to the mid Indian Ocean and is currently proceeding towards the Sunda Strait. Brinkmann plans to capture tankers for 1. Conversion into Auxiliary minelayers 2. Convert into supply ships. Ship 15 will meet the tanker Ermland the which besides food, fuel, and provisions has parts for the Arado Ar 196 seaplanes, a so called Leichte Schnellboote, and 300 EMC mines. The meeting which was scheduled for May 1st will now take place on June 10th in (Waiting Area F II, Point Red V).

Brinkmann will also receive 10 Prize officers. An indication of what the Seekriegslietung expected of Ship 15. The raider will retain the current disguise of an anonymous British freighter.

Pictures:
1. Ship 15 taken from the motor launch following a hull inspection by the Kommandant and Chief Engineer.
2. Sinking of the French freighter LARRODE

[CPTLTJASON]

July 10, 1940 Indian Ocean 37°31’S, 47°42’E 327th day at sea.


Radio report picked up on 30.6.1940 from radio Berlin

"Deutsche Hilfskreuzer auf kaperfahrt im allen meer. Die Deutsche Hilfskreuzer im Indischen Ozean hat 72.000 BRT Schiffsfracht versenkt und ihre Minen haben 10 Schiffe für 50.000 BRT Schiffsfracht versenkt.

Continuing the hunt in the Indian Ocean May 28th, Ship 15 sank the British freighter HUFFMAN 5,195 grt (JSQY) from Melbourne to Southampton loaded with tires and steel plate. On May 31st 2 ships were sent to bottom within minutes, first was the Australian tanker BELLWOOD 2,780 grt (PNXH) from N.Boerno to Malta via the Cape Town-Freetown-Gibraltar loaded with 3,000 t of fuel oil. 17 minutes later a large freighter was sighted and engaged the Australian freighter KIRKLAND 7,178 grt (GSGE) from Sydney to Liverpool via Cape Town loaded with airplane engines, propellers, steel, tin, and misc cargo. On June 3rd the British freighter ALTON 4,100 grt (CDJE) was shelled and sunk she was transporting army and air force equipment from Calcutta to Liverpool via Durban-Cape Town. Returning to the South African coast on June 27th Ship 15 sank the British tramp steamer MILLHOUSE 4,067 grt (QPDJ) from Durban to Freetown loaded with misc. cargo and mail. Ship 15 has sunk 12 ships for 72,000 grt. With 422 prisoners aboard Ship 15 proceeded to meet the tanker Nordmark at (Point Green 10 Waiting Area Nr.III) she arrived on July 1st and for 10 days prisoners, provisions, ammunition, mines, stores, fuel, mail, etc. was transferred between the two ships. Now FKpt.z.S Brinkmann plans to operate North of the equator in the Bay of Bengal and as Far East as the South China Sea. Ship 15 will retain her anonymous British disguise as no ship has been able to transmit her appearance.

Laid minefields,

-Cape Town Minefield Nr.I-X: The radio reports of the minefield are less than the propaganda put it since the laying of the minefield 6 ships have been confirmed sunk.

-Cape of Good Hope Minefield Nr.I: No successes from this minefield have been picked up.

[CPTLTJASON]

11/1/1940 South Atlantic 22°50’S, 7°39’E 441st day at sea



Since the last report Ship 15 has sent an additional 8 ships to the bottom, off the coast of Madagascar 2 ships were shelled, On July 14th the French steamer LUXOR 8,205 grt (FHWJ) from Diego Suarez to Plymouth loaded with misc. cargo. on the 23rd the French motorship KATHERINE 7,903 grt (ZSPL) from Karachi to London loaded with tea, spices, teak, and general cargo. Proceeding into the Bay of Bengal Ship 15 sank 2 ships on September 1st, in the morning was the British steamer CARNIVAL 8,053 grt (TCIZ) from Calcutta to Freetown. In the afternoon the British freighter NORTHWEST 8,140 grt (VVSU) from Madras to London loaded with tea, spices, oil nuts, and jute. The following morning the British freighter CORK 4,056 grt (OZXU) from Rangoon to Gibraltar loaded with army and air force equipment. After this success the Kommandant moved into the Laccadive Sea where Ship 15 sank 2 British freighters on September 12th the BIRMINGHAM 2,427 grt (LMCR) from Colombo to Singapore loaded with stores, mail, and naval stores. Three days later on the 15th the FLYNN 8,039 grt (TUFB) was sunk loaded with 8,100 tons of wheat and flour from Sydney to London via Karachi-Durban-Freetown. Moving into the Arabian Sea Ship 15 sank only one ship the British freighter KINGSTONE 4,012 grt (DOUV) in ballast from Suez to Colombo.



The Kommandant decided to begin the return transit as Schiff 16 and 33 were now operating in the Indian Ocean and Ship 36 and 45 in the Pacific. Brinkmann is now making for the Atlantic for a final hunt before making for Germany. On October 29th the Kommandant was awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross.

Ship 15 has sunk 123,278 grt of shipping.