Computer line drawings of the Pinguin as the Kandelfels, in British disguise, in Dutch troop transport disguise and as the Greek Kassos by Alexander van Maanen
Of the County-class. Laid down at the Devonport Dockyard at Plymouth, England on 9 October 1924, launched on 11 March 1926, commissioned on 8 May two years later and was together with the HMS Dorsethire on 5 April 1942 by Japanese aircraft west of Ceylon with 198 crewmembers killed.
A selection of ships' badges of his majesty's Royal Navies published by Gutta, Percha&Rubber, Limited in 1942, digital available via the website www.archive.org
With a displacement of 9,750 (standard)-13,450 (full load) tons were her dimensions 190 x 20,80 x 4,95 metres or 630’ x 68’3” x 16’3”. The four turbines and eight boilers supplied 80,000 ship allowing a speed of 31,5 knots while her fuel oil bunker capacity of 3,400 tons allowed with maximum speed a range of 3,100 nautical miles and with 22 knots 13,300 nautical miles. Her armament when she was sunk consisted of 8-8” (20,3cm) guns, 4x4 (10,2cm) dual anti aircraft guns, 2x2pdr (3,7cm) pom-poms eight barrel guns and 2-0.5” quadruple machine guns. She also carried with her three planes and a catapult removed on 1942. The armour consisted of 1.375” deck, 1-4”magazine box protection. A 4.5” thick belt. 1” thick side-plating, turrets and bulkheads and between 1936-1940 were the internal boiler rooms fitted out with a protection of 4” armour. Her crew numbered 700 men.
The Dutch newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad morning edition dated 12 March 1926 published an item dated London 11 March that she was that day launched at Devonport as one of the five new cruisers in the presence of a large public including civil and naval representatives.
The Dutch newspaper Het Vaderland morning edition dated 7 August 1929 published an item dated London 6 August reporting that she last Saturday collided with the German steamship of the Hamburg Amerika Linien in the mouth of the Wangpo river near Woesing. Both ships were slightly damaged but there were no casualties. The Conway continued her voyage towards Shanghai.
The Dutch newspaper De Sumatra Post dated 5 June 1936 published a remarkable item dated Singapore 30 May. The Cornwall left that day Singapore towards England with on board a crocodile which was caught in a Malaysian river and destined for the London Zoo. Just before the departure managed the crocodile to cross forward the head through a hole in the cage and a sailor nearly escaped from being seriously wounded. Immediately was started with building a stronger cage.
The Dutch newspaper Amigoe di Curacao dated 9 May 1941 reported that she sunk a German merchant raider [this was the Penguin] in the Indian Ocean.
The German auxiliary cruiser or merchant commerce raider Pinguin was known in Kriegsmarine service as Schiff 33 or Raider F with as sign; HSK 5. She was in 1936 launched at the shipyard AG Weser the freighter Kandelfels for the Hansa Line. In the winter of 1939-1940 purchased by the German Kriegsmarine and converted into an auxiliary cruiser at the shipyard pf DeSchiMAG at Bremen. She had a displacement of 17,900 tons/17,600 tons and as dimensions 155 x 18,7 x 8,7 metres or 509 x 61 x 29 feet. The two 6-cylinder diesel engines supplied7,600 hp allowing a speed of 17 knots while with a speed of 12 knots she had a range of 60.000 nautical miles. As the Pinguin numbered her crew 401 men. She had an armament of 6-15cm (5.9) guns, 1-7,5cm (3.0”0 gun, 1x2-3,7cm anti aircraft guns, 2x2-2cm anti aircraft guns, 2 torpedo tubes and she could carry with her 300 mines. In advance fitted out with two Heinkel He 114B floatplanes later replaced by one Arado 196A-1. In 1940 camouflaged as the Russian freighter Petschura (with a black coloured hull and hammer and sickle markings). Later that year she was camouflaged as the Greek Kassos. She became the most successful German commerce raider during the Second World War until she was destroyed by the HMS Cornwall. Apparently she was at that moment disguised as the Tamerlane Norwegian flagged. Although the silhouette matcher with the real Tamerlane as described in Talboth Booth shipping register of Merchant Ships it was not known that she was in these waters.
