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What did the Seeadler do in World War 1?

What did the Seeadler do in World War 1?

SMS Seeadler ( Ger: sea eagle) was a three-master steel-hulled sailing ship. She was one of the last fighting sailing ships to be used in war when she served as a merchant raider with Imperial Germany in World War I. Built as the British-flagged Pass of Balmaha, she was captured by the German submarine SM U-36,…

Who was the commander of the SMS Seeadler?

For its raider role the ship was renamed SMS Seeadler (sea eagle) and placed under the command of Kapitän Leutnant Felix von Graf von Luckner. GLG 0005 Section of Count Felix von Luckner’s wooden cell from his internment on Ripapa Island, Lyttleton Harbour.

Who are the sister ships of the Seeadler?

Her sister ships included Bussard, the lead ship, along with Falke, Condor, Cormoran, and Geier. Seeadler was built at the Kaiserliche Werft (Imperial Shipyard) in Danzig in late 1890, launched in February 1892, and commissioned in August of that year.

How big was the SMS Seeadler at full load?

Seeadler was 82.60 meters (271 ft) long overall and had a beam of 12.70 m (41 ft 8 in) and a draft of 4.42 m (14 ft 6 in) forward. She displaced 1,612 t (1,587 long tons) normally and up to 1,864 t (1,835 long tons; 2,055 short tons) at full load.

Who was the commander of the Seeadler ship?

On 21 December 1916, she sailed under the command of Kapitänleutnant Felix von Luckner. The ship was disguised as a Norwegian wood carrier and succeeded in crossing the British blockading line despite being boarded for an inspection. The crew had been handpicked partly for their ability to speak Norwegian.

What was the length of the SMS Seeadler?

She was 245 feet (75 m) long, 39 feet (12 m) in beam and with a depth of 23 feet (7.0 m). Delivered in the following month to the ownership of David R Clark, a partner in Gibson & Clark, Glasgow, she was registered at that port with Official Number 95087 and signal letters KTRP.

Where did SMS Seeadler capture bark Cambronne?

The German auxiliary cruiser SMS Seeadler capturing the French bark Cambronne off the Brazilian coast on 20 March 1917. Depicted by Willy Stöwer. By 1916 the Allies had blockaded German warships in the North Sea, and any commerce raiders that succeeded in breaking out lacked foreign or colonial bases for resupply of coal.

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Ruth Doyle