Merchant raiders are armedcommerce raidingships that disguise themselves asnon-combatantmerchant vessels.
Germany used several merchant raiders early inWorld War I (1914–1918), and again early inWorld War II (1939–1945). The captain of a German merchant raider,Felix von Luckner, used the sailing shipSMSSeeadler for his voyage (1916–1917). The Germans used a sailing ship at this stage of the war because coal-fired ships had limited access to fuel outside of territories held by theCentral Powers due to international regulations concerning refueling of combat ships in neutral countries.[1]
Germany sent out two waves of six surface raiders each duringWorld War II. Most of these vessels were in the 8,000–10,000 long tons (8,100–10,200 t) range. Many of these vessels had originally beenrefrigerator ships, used to transport fresh food from the tropics. These vessels were faster than regularmerchant vessels, which was important for awarship. They were armed with six15 cm (5.9 inch)naval guns, some smaller guns,torpedoes,reconnaissance seaplanes and some were equipped forminelaying. Several captains demonstrated great creativity in disguising their vessels to masquerade as allied or as neutral merchants.
TheKormoran fought the Australian light cruiserSydney ina mutually destructive battle in November 1941.
Italy intended to outfit four refrigeratedbanana boats as merchant raiders during World War II (Ramb I,Ramb II,Ramb III andRamb IV). OnlyRamb I andRamb II served as merchant raiders and neither ship sank enemy vessels due to naval presence in the Red Sea. The New Zealand cruiserLeandersankRamb I off the Maldives (February 1941) while it tried to make for Japan;Ramb II did reach the Far East, where the Japanese prevented her from raiding, ultimately took her over and converted her to an auxiliary transport ship. (Ramb III served as a convoy escort until torpedoed and ended up as a German minelayer, andRamb IV was converted for the Italian Royal Navy to a hospital ship.)
These commerce raiders carried no armour because their purpose was to attack merchantmen, not to engage warships—it would also be difficult to fit armour to a civilian vessel. Eventually most were sunk or transferred to other duties.
The British deployedArmed Merchant Cruisers (AMC) in World War I and in World War II. Generally adapted frompassenger liners, they were larger than the German merchant raiders, were used as convoy escorts and did not disguise themselves. The British AMCCarmania sank the GermanSMSCap Trafalgar which had been altered to look more like theCarmania.
DuringWorld War I, the BritishRoyal Navy deployedQ-ships to combat GermanU-boats. Q-ships were warships posing as merchant ships so as to lure U-boats to attack them; their mission of destroying enemy warships differed significantly from the raider objective of disrupting enemy trade.