Action of 8 May 1941
Encyclopedia
The Action of 8 May 1941 was a single ship action fought during the Second World War
in the course of which the British
heavy cruiser
sank the German
auxiliary cruiser . The engagement took place off the Seychelles
, an archipelago
in the Indian Ocean
, north of Madagascar
.
s in two twin turrets, two four-barrel 2-pounder pom-pom guns, and two 0.5 in (12.7 mm) machine gun
s. Cornwall also carried three aircraft with one catapult.
The auxiliary cruiser Pinguin was originally the freighter
Kandelfels, which had been launched in 1936. As an auxiliary cruiser, she carried six 5.9 in (149.9 mm) guns, one 2.95 in (74.9 mm) gun, two 37 mm (1.46 in) anti-aircraft guns, four 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in) autocannon
, and two torpedo tube
s. She also carried one Arado Ar 196
A-1 floatplane
. Of the two ships, Cornwalls armament was the most powerful.
In January 1941, Pinguin was at the high point in her commerce raiding
career while Cornwall was receiving rudder repairs in Selborne
. On 14 January, Pinguin captured 14 Norwegian
merchant vessels. She took three factory ship
s and 11 whaler
s, all belonging to the same whaling company. She sent the prizes to occupied France
where one was renamed and was used as minelayer for the German raiders in the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean.
Months later, in May, Cornwalls mission was to find and destroy the German raider as it cruised off Africa
. Pinguins position and description was given away as it sunk an oil tanker whose crew managed to get the warning out . On 8 May, Cornwall found Pinguin.
Ernst-Felix Krüder
of Pinguin engaged Cornwall. At least one shell hit Cornwall, causing little damage but enough to force her to seek repairs after the battle. The British responded and the vessels exchanged volleys. Eventually, after receiving several hits at and below the water line, Pinguin began to sink and her crew abandoned ship.
was somewhere near Cornwalls stern when killed by Pinguins opening rounds. No Britons are known to have been wounded.
Among the men on Pinguin were 222 prisoners, merchant sailors that the Germans had taken captive from over 30 different allied vessels. About 200 of the prisoners went down with the ship; only 22 survived. Around 332 Germans were killed; 60 were rescued and taken captive. Pinguin sank and Cornwall returned to Durban
for repairs to her battle damage.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in the course of which the British
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
sank the German
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
auxiliary cruiser . The engagement took place off the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
, an archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, north of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
.
Background
Cornwall carried eight 8 in (203.2 mm) guns in four twin turrets, four 4 in (101.6 mm) anti-aircraft gunAnti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
s in two twin turrets, two four-barrel 2-pounder pom-pom guns, and two 0.5 in (12.7 mm) machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s. Cornwall also carried three aircraft with one catapult.
The auxiliary cruiser Pinguin was originally the freighter
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
Kandelfels, which had been launched in 1936. As an auxiliary cruiser, she carried six 5.9 in (149.9 mm) guns, one 2.95 in (74.9 mm) gun, two 37 mm (1.46 in) anti-aircraft guns, four 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in) autocannon
Autocannon
An autocannon or automatic cannon is a rapid-fire projectile weapon firing a shell as opposed to the bullet fired by a machine gun. Autocannons often have a larger caliber than a machine gun . Usually, autocannons are smaller than a field gun or other artillery, and are mechanically loaded for a...
, and two torpedo tube
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
s. She also carried one Arado Ar 196
Arado Ar 196
-See also:-Bibliography:* Dabrowski, Hans-Peter and Koos, Volker. Arado Ar 196, Germany's Multi-Purpose Seaplane. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military History, 1993. ISBN 0-88740-481-2....
A-1 floatplane
Floatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...
. Of the two ships, Cornwalls armament was the most powerful.
In January 1941, Pinguin was at the high point in her commerce raiding
Commerce raiding
Commerce raiding or guerre de course is a form of naval warfare used to destroy or disrupt the logistics of an enemy on the open sea by attacking its merchant shipping, rather than engaging the combatants themselves or enforcing a blockade against them.Commerce raiding was heavily criticised by...
career while Cornwall was receiving rudder repairs in Selborne
Selborne
Selborne is a village in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is south of Alton. It will be just within the extreme northern boundary of the proposed South Downs National Park, which is due to take effect in mid-2010....
. On 14 January, Pinguin captured 14 Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
merchant vessels. She took three factory ship
Factory ship
A factory ship, also known as a fish processing vessel, is a large ocean-going vessel with extensive on-board facilities for processing and freezing caught fish...
s and 11 whaler
Whaler
A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...
s, all belonging to the same whaling company. She sent the prizes to occupied France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
where one was renamed and was used as minelayer for the German raiders in the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean.
Months later, in May, Cornwalls mission was to find and destroy the German raider as it cruised off Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. Pinguins position and description was given away as it sunk an oil tanker whose crew managed to get the warning out . On 8 May, Cornwall found Pinguin.
Battle
The battle began when Cornwall sighted a vessel off the Seychelles. She pursued and challenged what she thought was a merchant freighter but was actually Pinguin. Catching the British off guard, CaptainCaptain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
Ernst-Felix Krüder
Ernst-Felix Krüder
Ernst-Felix Krüder was a Captain of the German Navy who, during World War II, commanded a merchant raider. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
of Pinguin engaged Cornwall. At least one shell hit Cornwall, causing little damage but enough to force her to seek repairs after the battle. The British responded and the vessels exchanged volleys. Eventually, after receiving several hits at and below the water line, Pinguin began to sink and her crew abandoned ship.
Aftermath
Only one British sailor was killed in the engagement; the sailorSailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
was somewhere near Cornwalls stern when killed by Pinguins opening rounds. No Britons are known to have been wounded.
Among the men on Pinguin were 222 prisoners, merchant sailors that the Germans had taken captive from over 30 different allied vessels. About 200 of the prisoners went down with the ship; only 22 survived. Around 332 Germans were killed; 60 were rescued and taken captive. Pinguin sank and Cornwall returned to Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
for repairs to her battle damage.