Japanese warships passing Straits of Malacca for unknown reasons according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 1 August 1942

An item reported the passsing on 29 July of the Straits of Malacca by 2 Japanese cruisers and 2 destroyers possible for escorting a convoy to Rangoon, Burma, or to reconnoiter Ceylon [Sri Lanka] to act as raiders off the Indian east coast probably as a political demonstration of the navy related to the Congressional season.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 234 dated 1 August 1942.

Enemy raider reported on the Indian Ocean according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 9 August 1942

An item reported of an enemy raider on a distance of 100 miles north-west of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 242 dated 9 August 1942.

Cocos Island attacked by warship or raider according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 4 March 1942

An item reported that a enemy surface raider attacked in the darkness Cocos Island and since then was cable communication impossible.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 84 dated 4 March 1942.

Q-ships successful against enemy submarines according to the British War Cabinet meeting of 2 April 1917

In the meeting reported the First Sea Lord (1) that the the acting of so-called Q- ships and a Q-trawler in respectively 3 and 1 action against submarines were promising. The submarines damaged 2 British ships. (2) The Q-7 and Q-36 had been brought in. He pointed out that firing from a large distance was almost useless as experienced. Unless there was fired from a very short range had the enemy submarine a good chance to escape safely. Further more he reported the serious marine casualties caused by submarines and by raiders.  

Notes

1. John Rushworth Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe (5 December Southampton, England 1859-Kensington London, England 20 November 1935), served in the Royal Navy between 1872-1919 ending his career in the rank of Admiral of the Fleet, First Sea Lord between 30 November 1916 and 10 January 1918 and commanded the Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland in May 1916. Governor-General of New Zealand 27 September 1920-12 December 1924.

2. Vessels pretending to be harmless merchant ships but heavily armed to be used against submarines. The armament was concealed.

Source

The National Archives, Kew Gardens, England, CAB 23-2-28

The Soviet naval icebreaker Iosef Stalin 1937-

Belonged to the Leader-class with a displacement of 11,000 tons as dimensions 351 x 75,5 x 30,5’. The two steam engines with diesel electric propulsion and ten boilers supplied 10,500 hp allowing a speed of15 knots. The coal bunker capacity was 3,000 tons. Her crew numbered 142 men minimum. The armament consisted of 2-13cm guns, 4-7,62cm anti aircraft guns, 2 machineguns and maximum 3 small floatplanes. She was built in 1937-1938 at the Ordzonikidze yard at Leningrad.

In 1938 was she for the first time used in an Artic expedition. On 18 January 1940 freed she the Russian icebreaker Sedov between Greenland and Svalbard. The Sedov was at that moment used as a Drifting Polar Station. In 1940 she and the Lenin assisted the German merchant raider Komet which ship went from Gotenhafen via the Artic Ocean passages and the Bering Straits towards the Pacific. The Komet was in advance disguised as the Soviet icebreaker Semyon Dezhnev and was later renamed Donau.

American whaler Europa in October 1865 at Honolulu, Hawaii escaping capture by CSS Shenandoah according to the Whalemen’s Shipping List dated Tuesday 19 December 1865

An item written by captain Crosby on board of the Europa of Edgartown lying at Honolulu on 24 October. She came back from the Arctic with a catch that season of 650 barrels whale oil and 12.000 lbs bone. Transported home were 2.600 barrels whale oil and 13.000 lbs bone. On board were 1.450 barrels whale oil and 12.000 lbs bone stored. Sailing with eight whalers she managed to escape in the fog when the ships were attacked by the Shenandoah (1) and during which seven were burned.

Note
1. The commerce raider CSS Shenandoah, a sailing vessel with auxiliary steam power, launched on 17 August 1863 at the shipyard of Alexander Stephen&Sons, River Clyde, Scotland as the Sea King. The same year purchased by the Confederate States, commissioned as commerce raider on 19 October 1864 and surrendered on 6 November 1865 to the Union forces. She was really successful capturing 38 ships mostly whalers. In 1866 sold to the sultan of Zanzibar and renamed El Majid.

Chinese harbours closed for Confederate raider CSS Alabama according to the Whalemen’s Shipping List dated Tuesday 14 June 1864

An item reported that the Chinese government ordered that the so-called pirate Alabama not was allowed to enter Chinese harbours. (1)

Note
1. The famous screw steam sloop CSS Alabama, laid down in 1862 at the shipyard of John Laird Sons&Company, launched on 29 July, commissioned on 24 August and finally decommissioned on 19 June 1864.

Battle reported between German raider Thor and British cruiser HMS Enterprise according to the Dutch newspaper Soerabaijasch handelsblad dated 10 December 1940

An item dated Montevideo, Uruguay 9th referred to a radio telegram reporting that in the South Atlantic Ocean a fight was going on between a German raider (1) and the British cruiser HMS Enterprise.(2) It was the same raider earlier battling with the Carnarvon Castle.(3) Well informed sources at Montevideo had no further prove of the battle except for the radio telegram.

Notes
1 Also known in the German navy as the HSK-4 and Schiff 10, but by the British Royal Navy as Raider E. In 1938 built as the merchant vessel Santa Cruz for the Oldenburg Portuguese Line (OPDR) by the Deutsche Werft, Hamburg, Germany in 1938, acquired by the Kriegsmarine in 1939, commissioned in March 1940 as the Thor and lost when fire broke while lying in the harbour of Yokohama, Japan on 30 November 1942.
2. The Emerald-class light cruiser HMS Enterprise, laid down by John Brown Shipbuilding&Engineering Company Lt., Clydebank, Scotland with yard number 484 on 28 June 1918, launched on 23 December 1919, commissioned on 7 April 1925, decommissioned on 13 January 1946 and arrived at the Cashmore’s yard, Newport, Wales on 21 April 1946 to be broken up. Together with the HMS Cumberland and Newcastle she indeed search for the Thor but fruitless.
3. Launched by Harland and Wolff, Belfast, Ireland with yard number 595 on 14 January 1926 for the Union-Castle Line, completed on 26 June 1926, acquired by the British Royal Navy on 8 September 1939, converted at the naval base at Simonstown, South Africa into an auxiliary cruiser, commissioned on 6 October 1939, decommissioned in December 1943, plans of converting her into an aircraft carrier not executed but instead at New York, USA into a troopship in 1944 and broken up in 1963. The battle mentioned in the news item was on 5 December 1939 with the German auxiliary cruiser Thor and she was heavily damaged with 4 dead and 27 wounded crew members. It seemed that for the repairs steel was used salvaged from th German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee.

British Royal Navy not prepared for acting against heavy armed merchant raiders according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1938 no. 5

German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee

An item referred to the magazine Marine Rundschau dated June 1938 reporting that the British Royal Navy was not prepared against the large number of heavy armed merchant raiders am future enemy could sent towards sea.(1) The available destroyers and gunboat-escort vessels were no match for the raiders and there were for cruisers to be built especially for escort tasks.

Note
1. For instance Germany with her so-called pocket battleships later called heavy cruisers of the Deutschland-class. The Admiral Graf Spee destroyed 9 merchant ships and was hunted by the French and British navies with battleships, a battle cruiser, aircraft carriers and a large number of cruisers. She was involved in the Battle of the River Plate on 13 December 1939 fighting with 3 cruisers which damaged her but which were on their turn damaged. The Germans scuttled their ship believing that the British were underway with heavy naval forces. Her main armament consisted of 2x3-28cm/11” guns. Her heaviest opponent in the Battle was the British heavy cruiser HMS Exeter with a main armament of just 3x2-20,3cm/8” guns! The other HMNSZ Achilles (4x2-15,2cm/16” guns) and HMS Ajax (4x2-15,2cm/16” guns) were Leander-class light cruisers.

American protected cruiser USS Columbia (C-12) 1890-1921 and Old Columbia 1921-1922

USS Columbia

Of the Columbia-class consisting of the Columbia and Minneapolis, especially designed for acting as a commerce raider to hunt and destroy the fast ocean liners. To obtain the needed high maximum speed for this purpose was the armament and armour inferior to other protected cruisers. The machinery provided to be expensive while in use and at maximum speed was the range just limited. Just over a decade became this class obsolete while the ocean liners were faster. Preceded by the Cincinnati-class and succeeded by the Denver-class. Building costs for hull and machinery 2.725.000 US dollars. The class was designed with 3 funnels, however Columbia was built instead with 4 funnels and Minneapolis 2 funnels.

Building approved by Act of Congress dated 30 June 1890, building ordered under Fiscal Year 1891 on 30 June 1890, awarded on 10 November 1890, laid down by William Cramp&Sons, Philadelphia, USA on 30 December 1890, launched by Miss H. Morton on 26 July 1892, completed on 19 May 1893, delivered on 22 December 1893, commissioned on 22 December 1893, decommissioned and refitted 1907-1915, decommissioned on 21 August 1919, reclassified CA-16 on 17 July 1920, renamed Old Columbia on 17 November 1921, stricken on 26 January 1922 and sold on 21 June 1922.

Displacement 7.468 (standard)-8.403 (full load) tons and as dimensions 125,45 (between perpendiculars)-125,91 (over all) x 17,73 x 6,88 metres or 411.7-413.1 x 58.2 x 22.7 feet. The 3 vertical triple expansion reciprocating engines and 8 double ended and 2 single ended steam boilers supplied 21.000 ihp via  screws allowing a speed of 22,5 (design)-22,8 (trials) knots. Range was 25.520 (design) nautical miles with a speed of 10 knots and a coal bunker capacity of 800 (normal)-1.576 or 2.130 (design for maximum range) ton. Schooner rigged. Her crew numbered 477 men (included 30 officers). The armour consisted of a 6,4cm/2.5” (flats)-10,2cm/4” (slopes) thick deck, 10,2cm/4” thick shields, 10,2cm/4” thick gun sponsons with the conning tower protected by 12,7cm/5”. The original armament consisted of 1-20,3cm/*” 40 cal Mark 5 gun, 2-15,2cm/6” 50 cal guns, 8-10,2cm/4” 40 cal quick firing guns, 12-5,7cm/2.2?5pd quick firing guns, 4-3,7cm/1.5”/1pd quick firing guns, 4 gatlings, 1 wheeled field gun for landing purposes and 4-35,6cm/14” or 4-45,7cm/18” torpedo tubes. Torpedo tubes removed in 1904, after 1917 was the 1-8” replaced by a 1-6” gun and 2-4” guns removed.

American protected cruiser USS Minneapolis (CA-13) 1891-1921

USS Columbia

Of the Columbia-class consisting of the Columbia and Minneapolis, especially designed for acting as a commerce raider to hunt and destroy the fast ocean liners. To obtain the needed high maximum speed for this purpose was the armament and armour inferior to other protected cruisers. The machinery provided to be expensive while in use and at maximum speed was the range just limited. Just over a decade became this class obsolete while the ocean liners were faster. Preceded by the Cincinnati-class and succeeded by the Denver-class. Building costs for hull and machinery 2.725.000 US dollars. The class was designed with 3 funnels, however Columbia was built instead with 4 funnels and Minneapolis 2 funnels.

Building approved by Act of Congress dated 2 March 1891. Building ordered under Fiscal Year 1892, building ordered on 2 March 1891, awarded on 31 August 1891, laid down at William Cramp&Sons, Philadelphia, USA on 16 December 1891, launched by Miss Elizabeth Washburn, on 12 August 1893, commissioned on 13 December 1894, decommissioned 7 November 1907, decommissioned on 2 July 1917, reclassified CA-17 on 17 July 1920, decommissioned on 15 March 1921 and sold to be broken up on 5 August 1921.

Displacement 7.468 (standard)-8.403 (full load) tons and as dimensions 125,45 (between perpendiculars)-125,91 (over all) x 17,73 x 6,88 metres or 411.7-413.1 x 58.2 x 22.7 feet. The 3 vertical triple expansion reciprocating engines and 8 double ended and 2 single ended steam boilers supplied 21.000 ihp via  screws allowing a speed of 22,5 (design)-23.,07 (trials) knots. Range was 25.520 (design) nautical miles with a speed of 10 knots and a coal bunker capacity of 800 (normal)-1.576 or 2.130 (design for maximum range) ton. Schooner rigged. Her crew numbered 477 men (included 30 officers). The armour consisted of a 6,4cm/2.5” (flats)-10,2cm/4” (slopes) thick deck, 10,2cm/4” thick shields, 10,2cm/4” thick gun sponsons with the conning tower protected by 12,7cm/5”. The original armament consisted of 1-20,3cm/*” 40 cal Mark 5 gun, 2-15,2cm/6” 50 cal guns, 8-10,2cm/4” 40 cal quick firing guns, 12-5,7cm/2.2?5pd quick firing guns, 4-3,7cm/1.5”/1pd quick firing guns, 4 gatlings, 1 wheeled field gun for landing purposes and 4-35,6cm/14” or 4-45,7cm/18” torpedo tubes. Torpedo tubes removed in 1904, after 1917 was the 1-8” replaced by a 1-6” gun and 2-4” guns removed.

Portugal entering the war would not alter naval balance according to the Dutch newspaper Het nieuws van den dag dated 23 December 1914

An item referred to what the maritime correspondent of the British newspaper Times wrote about the consequences of entering the war by the British ally Portugal. At that moment were German merchant ships lying in Portuguese harbours with a huge total tonnage. Seizing would enrich the Portuguese economy on large scale. Further more were Portuguese harbours from then on no longer available for German cruisers for coal and victuals unless with force but the correspondent believed that the Portuguese government was prepared for this potential danger. Despite the fact that the Portuguese parliament approved a budget for building a new fleet was yet no money spent for this purpose. While British shipyards which were to built the Portuguese warships had enough work, was a Portuguese active participation in the war just fiction. Her present navy consisted of aged ships not suitable for modern welfare causing Portugal to count on allied protection at sea. Still it was possible that one of more of the several to be seized German merchant mail boats could be sold to England and be converted into auxiliary cruisers, if still necessary for chasing German privateers.

US Navy decreasing repair costs of wood built ships according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad no. 3 dated 1892-1893

An item reported that the US Department of Navy proposed to repair no longer the large number of wood-built warships if the repair costs were more as 10% of the original building costs. Until then was the limit 20%. The intention was to exclude the Kearsage (1) and Hartford (2) of this decision die to their historical value. If the proposal was approved was the result that most of the aging US navy ships were to be decommissioned. The Lancaster (3) was at the moment undergoing extensive repairs.

Notes
1. Screw steam sloop of war. Building ordered in 1861, laid down at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine in 1861, launched on 11 September 1861, commissioned on 24 January 1862, sunk the famous Confederate raider CSS Alabama on 19 June 1864 and wrecked on 2 February 1894.
2. Screw steam sloop of war, launched at the Boston Navy Yard on 22 November 1858, commissioned on 27 May 1859, decommissioned on 20 August 1926 and finally sunk at her berth at the Norfolk Navy Yard on 20 November 1956 and dismantled.
3. Screw steam sloop of war. Laid down at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in December 1857, launched on 20 October 1858, commissioned on 12 May 1859, decommissioned on 1 May 1902, stricken on 31 December 1915 and finally broken up in 1933.

British Admiralty ordered ships being in dangerous areas to extinguish all lights excluded for navigation according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1918-1919 no. 4

An item referred to the magazine Naval and Military Record dated 29 May 1918 reporting that the British Admiralty ordered that ships in the areas where a meeting with a submarine or raider of the enemy was possible all lights were to be extinguished except for the navigation lights.

British Admiralty ordered ships being in dangerous areas to extinguish all lights excluded for navigation according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1918-1919 no. 4

An item referred to the magazine Naval and Military Record dated 29 May 1918 reporting that the British Admiralty ordered that ships in the areas where a meeting with a submarine or raider of the enemy was possible all lights were to be extinguished except for the navigation lights.

Crews of American warships USS Niagara, USS Kearsage and CSS Alabama numbered several foreign sailors according to the Dutch newspaper Vlissings Weekblad dated 9 July 1864

An item dated Vlissingen, Netherlands 1st reported that the crew of 650 sailors of the steam warship USS Niagara (1) numbered more as 100 Dutchmen. Commodore Craver (2) was even from Dutch descent and captain J.A. Winslow(3) of the USS Kearsage (4) of Danish descent. When the Dutch steam frigate Zr. Ms. Zeeland (3) recently visited Cape of Good Hope, South Africa where the CSS Alabama (4) was lying. One crewmember of the Zeeland went on board of the Alabama where him was told by an officer that among the crew were 23 West Frisians, brave huge sailors and even a Dutchmen which name was especially not supplied in the newspaper but who served with a certain rank on board of the ship. In his fatherland he seemed to had an important position which was also the reason that his name stayed anonymous.

Notes
1 Screw steam frigate launched at the New York Navy, USA on 23 February 1855, commissioned on 6 April 1857, decommissioned on 28 September 1864, berthed since then on the Boston Navy Yard and finally sold on 6 May 1885. Her armament consisted of 12-11”/28cm Dahlgren smoothbore guns.
2. This must be Thomas Tingey Craven (30 December 1808 Washington, D.C., USA-23 August 1887 Boston, Massachusetts, USA), ended his career on the rank of rear-admiral.
3. John Ancrum Winslow (19 November 1811 Wilmington, North Carolina-29 September 1873 Boston, Massachusetts, USA), ended his career in the rank of rear admiral.
4. Of the Mohican-class sloops, building ordered in 1861, on stocks at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, USA in 1861, launched on 11 September 1861, commissioned on 24 January 1862, destroyed the CSS Alabama off Cherbourg, France on 19 June 1864 and finally wrecked on a reef off Roncador Cay on 2 February 1894. Armament consisted of 2-11”/28xm smoothbore Dahlgren guns, 4-32pd guns and 1-30pd Parrott rifle.
5. Screw steamship 1st class, call sign GRDC, wood-built, laid down at the navy yard at Vlissingen, Netherlands 28 February 1856, launched 31 July 1859, stricken 1874, guard ship at Batavia, Dutch East Indies 1875, decommissioned 8 December 1883, towed half January 1884 towards the roads of Surabaya, Dutch East Indies, sold on an auction for ƒ 20.600,00 to the Arab Sai Agil bin Hijdroes to be broken up morning of 15th March, dimensions 63,5 x 15,7 x 6,7 metres, displacement 3.300 tons, horsepower 400 hp, speed 8 miles, a crew numbering 500 men and an armament of 4 (as guard ship 1-15cm, 3-12cm guns)-51 guns (consisting of 1 long 60pd gun, 30-long 30pd guns, 12-20” grenade guns and 8 rifled 16cm guns).
6. On stocks at the shipyard of John Laird, Son&Company, Birkenhead, England with hull number 290 in1862, launched as the Enrica on 29 July 1862, fitted out as a commerce raider at Terceira Island, Azores and commissioned as the screw steam CSS Alabama on 24 August 1862 and sunk in a battle with the USS Kearsage off Cherbourg, France on 19 June 1864. With an armament of 6-32lb guns, 1-110lb gun and 1-68lb gun.

American commerce raider CSS Sumter visited Willemstad, Curacao according to the Dutch newspaper De Curacaosche courant dated 20 July 1861

An item reported the arrival at Willemstad, Curacao on Wednesday evening the 17th at 19.00 o’clock of the CSS steamship Sumter (1) commanded by Raphael Semmes coming from Cuba. At 19.30 o’clock was a signal given for a pilot. The pilot was told that she was a warship of the Confederate States and that he wanted to enter the harbour. The pilot returned and informed the governor. The latter told the pilot that the Dutch cabinet ordered that privateers and their prizes were not to allow the harbour unless a disaster at sea was to be feared. The next day sent Semmes the governor a letter writing that he had a proper commission of the government of the Southern States. With this letter and the statement that he was not a privateer received Semmes permission to enter the harbour.

Note
1. Screw steamship rigged like a bark which was originally built at the merchant steamship Haban for account of McConnell’s New Orleans at Philadelphia in 1859, purchased by the Confederate States at New Orleans in April 1861, commissioned as a commerce raider 3 June, after capturing several prizes (18) entered she Cadiz to undergo repairs on 4 January 1862, forced to go to Gibraltar, laid up in April, disarmed and sold on an auction on 19 December, renamed Gibraltar or Gibraltar of London sunk in 1867. Displacement 473 tons and as dimensions 56 x 9,1 x 3,7 metres or 184’x 30’x 12’. Speed 10 knots. She was slightly armed with 1-8” shell gun and 4-32pd guns and a small crew of 18 men.

USS steamship Keystone State searching for the CSS Sumter visited Willemstad, Curacao according to the Dutch newspaper De Curacaosche courant dated 17 August 1861

An item reported the arrival at Willemstad, Curacao in the afternoon of Thursday the 8th of the American steamship USS Keystone State (1) commanded by G.H. Scott after visiting St. Thomas and Barbados and now destined for the coast of New Granada. According to rumours was she to find the CSS Sumter which recently visited Trinidad to load coal.

Notes
1. Wood-built sidewheel paddle steam gunboat built at the shipyard of J.W. Lynn, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA in 1853, chartered by the Union navy from the Ocean Steam navigation Co., Philadelphia on 19 April 1861, acquired 10 June, commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy yard 19 July, de commissioned 26 March 1865, sold on a public auction at Washington, D.C. to M.O. Roberts and afterwards renamed San Francisco on 15 September and served until 1879. With a displacement of 1.364 long tons/1.386 tons were her dimensions 67 x 11 x 4,42 x 6,65 (depth of hold) metres or 220’x 35’x 14’6”x 21’10”. Speed 9,5 knots, a crew numbering 163 men and armed with 4-12pd guns (2 light, 2 heavy).
2. Screw steamship rigged like a bark which was originally built at the merchant steamship Haban for account of McConnell’s New Orleans at Philadelphia in 1859, purchased by the Confederate States at New Orleans in April 1861, commissioned as a commerce raider 3 June, after capturing several prizes (18) entered she Cadiz to undergo repairs on 4 January 1862, forced to go to Gibraltar, laid up in April, disarmed and sold on an auction on 19 December, renamed Gibraltar or Gibraltar of London sunk in 1867. Displacement 473 tons and as dimensions 56 x 9,1 x 3,7 metres or 184’x 30’x 12’. Speed 10 knots. She was slightly armed with 1-8” shell gun and 4-32pd guns and a small crew of 18 men.

New Confederate States raider Chickamauga (ex-Edith) fitted out according to the Whalemen’s Shipping List dated Tuesday 20 December 1864

An item referred to the newspaper London Times which reported that the new Rebel privateer [of the Conferates States] Chickamauga probably was the former blockade runner Edith which entered Wilmington around the same time the Tallahassee returned to the same port. Just a short time ago it was mentioned that the Edith was fitted out to run the blockade under a new name.(1)

Note
1. In September 1864 acquired by the Confederate States Navy with the intention to use her as a troop and supply ship at Wilmington. She was however used as a successful raider and on 25 February 1865 burned at the Café Fear River after Wilmington was evacuated to prevent that the Union forces would capture her.

German raider Seeadler successful according to the Dutch newspaper Het nieuws van den dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië dated 13 October 1917

An item dated Sydney the 12th reported that the German raider Seeadler (1) departed towards Germany disguised as a Norwegian timber ship. Her crew stated that they destroyed ships of a value of 8 million Lst. When busy to convert the island Mopelia into a livable environment was the island buried under the sand as result of a tidal wave.

Notes
1.. A three masts windjammer launched as the Pass of Balmaha at the shipyard of R. Duncan&Co., Port Glasgow, Scotland for account of the Harris-Irby Cotton Company, Boston, USA. in 1878, captured by the German submarine U-36, converted into a commerce raider and finally wrecked on 2 August 1917 after a successful cruising destroying 15 merchant ships.
2. Maupihaa or Mopelia, an atoll part of the Leeward group of the Society Island, French Polynesia.