HSK MICHEL

HSK Michel: The Last German Commerce Raider of World War 2

HSK Michel (Schiff 28/Kriegsmarine; Raider H/Royal Navy) was a German auxiliary cruiser serving as a merchant raider. It was the last German raider to go on her second cruise and was involved in several successful attacks on Allied merchant shipping across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans during the Second World War.

Design and Construction

The HSK Michel was built as the freighter Bielsko in 1938 at Danziger Werft, Danzig for the Polish Gdynia-America-Line, designed as a North Atlantic cargo ship with a GRT of 4,897 tons and a length of 132 meters. Her unremarkable appearance made her an ideal candidate for conversion into an auxiliary cruiser, as her disguise could be as a neutral or Allied merchantman. The German occupation of Poland in September 1939 saw the Kriegsmarine take over Bielsko in October of that year, using the ship as a hospital transport in the Baltic for the next few months. Her work as a hospital ship lasted until early 1941, when the Kriegsmarine chose her for conversion into an auxiliary cruiser to replace the well-traveled and worn-out Widder, whose engines had given out on her first and only cruise.

Her conversion into a commerce raider began at Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in late spring 1941, with the ship being armed with the same set of weaponry that Widder had used on her one cruise. The armament used on Michel included 6 15 cm guns for use against merchant shipping, one 10.5 cm gun, two 3.7 cm anti-aircraft guns, and four 2 cm anti-aircraft guns for defense against enemy aircraft. The ship also had two twin 53.3 cm torpedo tubes and a single LS-3 motor torpedo boat (MTB), the Esau, as an additional weapon. An Arado Ar 196 seaplane was also mounted on the stern for scouting, although the air vessel was of little use in bad weather as it could not take off. The medical facilities were removed, and additional space was used to hold prisoners and munitions. Michel was powered by a single diesel engine, which provided her with a top speed of 16 knots. Although this was not very fast compared to modern ships, it was faster than many merchant ships, but it was not enough to outrun the faster Allied warships. The diesel engine provided a range of about 40,000 nautical miles (74,000 km; 46,000 mi), which allowed it to operate for long periods without resupply. HSK Michel was commissioned on September 7, 1941, under the command of Fregattenkapitän Helmuth von Ruckteschell, the former captain of Widder. The crew of 375 men were specially trained in commerce raiding.

What Made HSK Michel Special?

HSK Michel is considered as special due to her role as an auxiliary cruiser or a stealth merchant raider. This was an essential element of Germany’s naval warfare strategy for crippling Allied shipping. Unlike traditional warships, auxiliary cruisers were built or captured merchant vessels that had been reconfigured to carry heavy weapons. The major difference with these commerce raiders from warships was that they were expected to resemble neutral or Allied ships as closely as possible to approach targets under false pretenses. HSK Michel was therefore painted in civilian colors with false flags, funnels, and other disguises. In addition, Michel’s true identity was never completely verified, and the ship’s stealthy appearance was crucial to its success as a raider. Raids on merchant shipping were conducted from as close range as possible, then the target was dealt with, often with little to no warning. These tactics were necessary as merchant ships were often unescorted in remote regions like the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

The combined firepower of Michel’s weapons was large for her size, with the main batteries being former Widder’s 15 cm SK C/28 naval guns. The German Type 3 10.5 cm SK C/32 deck gun, 3.7 cm SK C/30, and 2 cm SK C/30 anti-aircraft guns were added as defense against air attack. The 53.3 cm torpedoes added another method of attack. The addition of the Esau MTB added another method of attack at short range as the ship launched its 500 kg torpedo against targets from close range, which provided a new tactic as the ship itself would disengage until the torpedo hit. In the cases where a ship had greater speed or Michel’s crew was not able to sink it outright, the raider would generally disengage and either flee or observe the enemy as they escaped. The vessel was special because the maximum range of 40,000 nautical miles (74,000 km; 46,000 mi) allowed Michel to remain at sea for many months at a time while being supported by supply ships like Charlotte Schliemann, whose presence was advertised on German radio to lure out any Allied warships. This was in contrast to traditional warships that needed to be resupplied much more frequently.

The Arado Ar 196 seaplane was another feature that gave Michel a great advantage over enemy shipping that might otherwise be unapproachable. The scout plane could spot targets at a great distance, allowing the raider to prepare for attack. Weather conditions were the only drawback, as the seaplane could not take off if the seas were too rough. In comparison, the Allied armed merchant cruisers were primarily defensive, designed to protect convoy shipping and to sink any attackers, whereas HSK Michel was developed with an aggressive role, taking on enemy shipping as a priority to cut off the flow of vital oil and food from the Americas to Europe. The commander was another factor that made this ship special. Helmuth von Ruckteschell was the captain of Widder and had a background of success and controversy in using his ships to sink Allied shipping. Von Ruckteschell used aggressive tactics that often led to the sinking of many ships, but this also led to his postwar conviction of war crimes due to his sinking of ships and lifeboats at the sea without any attempt to ensure crew safety.

Key Roles of HSK Michel in World War II

The Kriegsmarine of Germany was involved in World War II to destroy the Royal Navy’s hold over the seas as well as to inflict economic damage on the Allies. Although the 1935 Anglo-German Naval Agreement did place some limits on the navy, Germany’s ocean-going warships were unable to match the might of the Royal Navy. In order to even the odds, and keep the Royal Navy guessing, Germany turned to commerce raiding. Auxiliary cruisers like HSK Michel were disguised, heavily armed merchant ships that had been selected to look as much as possible like regular shipping and with the ability to use disguises to avoid detection as a warship. Ships like Michel were used by the Kriegsmarine in major oceanic regions with relatively low naval defenses to attack merchant shipping, forcing the Allies to divert warships to protect their convoys, thus relieving the pressure on German U-boats and warships.

HSK Michel was the last auxiliary cruiser to break out into the Atlantic, setting sail on March 13, 1942, after an aborted attempt where the ship ran aground in the English Channel. Escorted heavily by U-boats, the raider attempted to slip through the Channel on March 20, suffering heavy British air and naval attacks that did minimal damage. Captain Helmuth von Ruckteschell chose to operate in the South Atlantic and later the Indian Ocean to take advantage of the lack of Allied naval forces in these areas to sink as many ships as possible.

Michel was the last raider to go on a second cruise, her first being from March 1942 to March 1943, during which she sank 14 ships with a total GRT of 94,363. The voyage began in the South Atlantic where the HSK Michel met the British tanker Patella (7,469 GRT) on April 19, 1942, which was sunk with her captain and crew still on board. Three days later on April 22, 1942, the Esau was used to sink the American tanker Connecticut (8,684 GRT). A shot fired at the British freighter Menelaus (6,959 GRT) on May 1 failed to sink the faster merchantman, and the news of this raid resulted in the Royal Navy sending the cruiser HMS Shropshire and two armed merchant cruisers to the South Atlantic. After eluding these ships, Michel sank the Norse freighter Kattegat (4,245 GRT) on May 7, 1942, by luring it into range.

The attack on the American Liberty ship George Clymer (6,800 GRT) proved to be a long-range battle of attrition, with the ship requiring 4 hits from Esau before it was abandoned. The Clymer was rescued by the British armed merchant cruiser Alcantara, and Michel escaped when the raider was sighted. Overall, Michel would sink 14 ships on her first cruise with a total GRT of 94,363 GRT and returned to Japan in March 1943. The second cruise, which began in the summer of 1943 from Japan, would last from June to October and would see three ships sunk with a total of 27,632 GRT. The Norwegian tanker Høegh Silverdawn (7,715 GRT) was sunk on June 11, followed by the British freighter Empire March (7,040 GRT) on August 29. The final attack would be the American tanker India Arrow (8,877 GRT) on September 25, 1943.

This campaign was far less successful than the first due to increased Allied vigilance and the increasing presence of Allied submarines which had to be avoided as best as possible. This second cruise added 17 ships to Michel’s total of 121,995 GRT, a remarkable number for a ship of her size, yet pale in comparison to other German commerce raiders such as Atlantis, who managed to sink 22 ships.

Major Engagements of HSK Michel in World War II

The attacks by HSK Michel on Allied shipping began with her first cruise in the South Atlantic. The British tanker Patella (7,469 GRT), carrying oil, was engaged by the raider after a successful approach under a neutral flag on April 19, 1942. Patella was then sunk with her captain and crew on board, before Michel broke radio silence to broadcast the news. Three days later, the American tanker Connecticut (8,684 GRT) was sunk by the Esau, one of Michel’s auxiliary vessels, on April 22, 1942. An attack on the British freighter Menelaus (6,959 GRT) on May 1 was unsuccessful due to the faster speed of the target, resulting in the Royal Navy sending the cruiser HMS Shropshire and two armed merchant cruisers into the South Atlantic.

After evading these ships, the raider sank the Norse freighter Kattegat (4,245 GRT) on May 7, 1942, by luring it to close range. The American Liberty ship George Clymer (6,800 GRT) was attacked by Michel later in the campaign and required multiple torpedo hits from the Esau to finish the job. The Clymer was rescued by the British armed merchant cruiser Alcantara, and Michel broke off the engagement in order to avoid detection. After resupplying in Japan in March 1943, the HSK Michel set sail for her second cruise, operating mainly in the Indian Ocean. The campaign proved far less successful than her previous cruise due to the increase in Allied vigilance and the presence of submarines.

The Norwegian tanker Høegh Silverdawn (7,715 GRT) was sunk on June 11, followed by the British freighter Empire March (7,040 GRT) on August 29. The final attack by Michel was the American tanker India Arrow (8,877 GRT) on September 25, 1943. All these attacks occurred in the Indian Ocean, a major oceanic region with Allied naval forces in the vicinity and attacks often involved the deployment of the Esau. The ship was armed with an Arado Ar 196 seaplane, but this was not much use due to often rough seas that meant it could not take off to provide reconnaissance information, forcing the raider to make do with visual sightings and tips from supply ships. Although the ship had many successful engagements in its two-month campaign, it was also involved in at least 2 or 3 close shaves that could have gone either way. In these cases, Michel’s captain and crew were rescued by other German ships to avoid capture by the Allies, an indication of the dangers of such raiding operations.

Michel was torpedoed and sunk on October 17, 1943, by the American submarine USS Tarpon while it was cruising off of Japan. On September 12, 1943, the United States Navy submarine USS Tarpon arrived at the Japanese port of Yokohama to begin patrols in Japanese waters. The submarine sighted Michel on October 17, 1943, and managed to line up a spread of torpedoes into the German raider, striking it and causing catastrophic damage. The ship quickly sank with 290 of the 375 crew members, including the captain Helmuth von Ruckteschell, and disappeared to the bottom. Tarpon also received damages to her propellers as well, and the submarine had to be scuttled in 1944.

The sinking of HSK Michel by USS Tarpon on October 17, 1943, marked the end of the Germans’ surface commerce-raiding campaign as Michel was the last operating auxiliary cruiser at the time of her sinking. The loss of the HSK Michel represented a major blow to the Kriegsmarine, which had long since decided to prioritize U-boats over surface raiders. The impact of the German commerce-raiding campaign was significant in terms of the sheer number of merchant vessels sunk and tonnage. HSK Michel alone was responsible for 17 ships with a total GRT of 121,995, which had a significant impact on Allied shipping. The German surface raiders added to the pressure on the already beleaguered Allied merchant shipping. Yet the increasing effectiveness of the Allied convoys, air patrols, and even the growing number of Allied submarines had limited the effectiveness of these surface raiders by 1943.

The Legacy of HSK Michel

HSK Michel left a legacy as one of the most successful of the German auxiliary cruisers during the Second World War. Her effectiveness as a commerce raider that disrupted Allied shipping by sinking a large number of ships with a high total GRT contributed to this. Her ability to operate in multiple oceanic regions for a year before her sinking as well as her endurance supported by supply ships like Charlotte Schliemann was a large part of her success. The upgrades that were done to Michel to make her an effective commerce raider like the inclusion of the Esau as a fast torpedo-carrying attack craft as well as the Arado seaplane as a scout both contributed to her effectiveness as well.

The unique tactics used by HSK Michel, such as the firing on ships without warning and the sinking of ships with their crews on board, contributed to the success of the German Kriegsmarine’s commerce-raiding strategy. However, these actions also led to her commander, Helmuth von Ruckteschell, being convicted of war crimes in the postwar period. Yet the loss of life during the sinking by the US submarine USS Tarpon on October 17, 1943, was a significant blow to the Kriegsmarine and was an example of the ways that its surface-raiding efforts had been largely neutralized by Allied countermeasures by 1943. In this way, HSK Michel’s legacy is mixed, as its commander was later convicted of war crimes for sinking ships without warning or attempting to rescue the crew, and its sinking in 1943 marked the end of Germany’s surface commerce-raiding campaign.

final thoughts

HSK Michel was a major contributor to Germany’s naval warfare efforts during the Second World War, representing the Kriegsmarine’s efforts in commerce raiding to reduce the Allies’ economic might. Her successes as a commerce raider are undeniable as the ship was responsible for the sinking of 17 ships totaling 121,995 GRT during her two-year service life and also played a major role in disrupting the Allied shipping lanes. Her operational history as a raider is evidence of the importance that the Germans placed on commerce raiding as a way of reducing the Allies’ economic power, with her specific role as a merchant raider providing evidence of this as well.

The upgrades that were done to Michel to make her an effective commerce raider like the inclusion of the Esau as a fast torpedo-carrying attack craft as well as the Arado seaplane as a scout both contributed to her effectiveness as well. The unique tactics used by HSK Michel, such as the firing on ships without warning and the sinking of ships with their crews on board, contributed to the success of the German Kriegsmarine’s commerce-raiding strategy.

However, these actions also led to her commander, Helmuth von Ruckteschell, being convicted of war crimes in the postwar period. Yet the loss of life during the sinking by the US submarine USS Tarpon on October 17, 1943, was a significant blow to the Kriegsmarine and was an example of the ways that its surface-raiding efforts had been largely neutralized by Allied countermeasures by 1943. In this way, HSK Michel’s legacy is mixed, as its commander was later convicted of war crimes for sinking ships without warning or attempting to rescue the crew, and its sinking in 1943 marked the end of Germany’s surface commerce-raiding campaign.