Some people asked about stats for the German Surface Raiders, so, here they are
HSK 9 Michel (aka Schiff 28)
Speed: 3” Turning: 1 Target: 6
Armour: 2+ Damage: 13/4 Crew: 16/5
Special Traits: Aircraft 1, Civilian
In service: 1941
Priority Level: Patrol
Weapon Range AD DD Special
Secondary Armament 12” 2 1 Weak
Port torpedoes 10” 1 3 AP Ultra slow loading
Starboard torpedoes 10” 1 3 AP Ultra slow loading
AAA 8” 2 - -
Length: 433 ft Displacement: 10900 tons Speed: 16 kts Crew: 400
HSK 8 Kormoran (aka Schiff 41)
Speed: 4” Turning: 1 Target: 5
Armour: 2+ Damage: 22/7 Crew: 16/5
Special Traits: Aircraft 1, Civilian
In service: 1940
Priority Level: Patrol
Weapon Range AD DD Special
Secondary Armament 12” 2 1 Weak
Port torpedoes 10” 1 3 AP Ultra slow loading
Starboard torpedoes 10” 1 3 AP Ultra slow loading
AAA 8” 1 - -
Mines Minefield
Length: 538 ft Displacement: 19900 tons Speed: 18 kts Crew: 400
HSK 7 Komet (aka Schiff 45)
Speed: 3” Turning: 1 Target: 6
Armour: 2+ Damage: 10/3 Crew: 11/4
Special Traits: Aircraft 1, Civilian
In service: 1940
Priority Level: Patrol
Weapon Range AD DD Special
Secondary Armament 12” 2 1 Weak
Port torpedoes 10” 1 3 AP Ultra slow loading
Starboard torpedoes 10” 1 3 AP Ultra slow loading
AAA 8” 1 - -
Mines Minefield
Length: 377 ft Displacement: 7500 tons Speed: 15 kts Crew: 279
HSK 6 Stier (aka Schiff 23)
Speed: 3” Turning: 1 Target: 6
Armour: 2+ Damage: 13/4 Crew: 13/4
Special Traits: Aircraft 1, Civilian
In service: 1940
Priority Level: Patrol
Weapon Range AD DD Special
Secondary Armament 12” 2 1 Weak
Port/ Starboard torpedoes 10” 1 3 AP One shot
AAA 8” 1 - -
Mines Minefield
Length: 436 ft Displacement: 11000 tons Speed: 14 kts Crew: 325
HSK 5 Pinguin (aka Schiff 33)
Speed: 3” Turning: 1 Target: 5
Armour: 2+ Damage: 20/7 Crew: 17/6
Special Traits: Aircraft 1, Civilian
In service: 1940
Priority Level: Patrol
Weapon Range AD DD Special
Secondary Armament 12” 2 1 Weak
Port torpedoes 10” 1 3 AP Ultra slow loading
Starboard torpedoes 10” 1 3 AP Ultra slow loading
AAA 8” 1 - -
Mines Minefield
Length: 509 ft Displacement: 17600 tons Speed: 17 kts Crew: 420
HSK 4 Thor (aka Schiff 10)
Speed: 4” Turning: 1 Target: 6
Armour: 2+ Damage: 12/4 Crew: 14/5
Special Traits: Aircraft 1, Civilian
In service: 1940
Priority Level: Patrol
Weapon Range AD DD Special
Secondary Armament 12” 2 1 Weak
Port torpedoes 10” 1 3 AP Ultra slow loading
Starboard torpedoes 10” 1 3 AP Ultra slow loading
AAA 8” 1 - -
Length: 400 ft Displacement: 9200 tons Speed: 18 kts Crew: 349
HSK 3 Widder (aka Schiff 21)
Speed: 3” Turning: 1 Target: 6
Armour: 2+ Damage: 12/4 Crew: 15/5
Special Traits: Aircraft 1, Civilian
In service: 1939
Priority Level: Patrol
Weapon Range AD DD Special
Secondary Armament 12” 2 1 Weak
Port torpedoes 10” 1 3 AP Ultra slow loading
Starboard torpedoes 10” 1 3 AP Ultra slow loading
AAA 8” 1 - -
Length: 499 ft Displacement: 16800 tons Speed: 14 kts Crew: 363
HSK 2 Atlantis (aka Schiff 16)
Speed: 3” Turning: 1 Target: 5
Armour: 2+ Damage: 20/7 Crew: 15/5
Special Traits: Aircraft 1, Civilian
In service: 1939
Priority Level: Patrol
Weapon Range AD DD Special
Secondary Armament 12” 2 1 Weak
Port torpedoes 10” 1 3 AP Ultra slow loading
Starboard torpedoes 10” 1 3 AP Ultra slow loading
AAA 8” 1 - -
Mines Minefield
Length: 509 ft Displacement: 17600 tons Speed: 16 kts Crew: 375
HSK 1 Orion (aka Schiff 36)
Speed: 3” Turning: 1 Target: 6
Armour: 2+ Damage: 18/6 Crew: 15/5
Special Traits: Aircraft 1, Civilian
In service: 1939
Priority Level: Patrol
Weapon Range AD DD Special
Secondary Armament 12” 2 1 Weak
Port torpedoes 10” 1 3 AP Ultra slow loading
Starboard torpedoes 10” 1 3 AP Ultra slow loading
AAA 8” 1 - -
Mines Minefield
Length: 486 ft Displacement: 15700 tons Speed: 14 kts Crew: 377
A few notes: Wherever possible, I drew information from books, rather than websites. If there were multiple books with differing information, I used first person accounts when possible.
You will note that all of these vessels have two more damage points than their displacement would strictly require, and all carry the “civilian” trait. This is to reflect the reinforcement and limited compartmentalising carried out in German dockyards prior to their sailing. These were still, however, vessels that were based on civilian hulls and had the fragility that entails, in comparison with genuine warships.
The two available first person narratives which I have access to both refer, repeatedly, to the large number of salvoes needed by these vessels to sink, or even compel the surrender of, allied merchantmen. This, and the restricted gun arcs forced on the dockyards because of the nature of these ships, are why, even though the vessels all carried six 5.9” guns, they have such low secondary armament values.
Michel was equipped later than the other vessels and carried a significantly heavier AAA battery than the other ships.
All the ships carried at least one aircraft, but none were able to operate more than one at a time, hence the aircraft 1 trait
Materials consulted:
http://www.bismarck-class.dk/hilfskreuz ... _menu.htmlhttp://www.navypedia.org/ships/germany/ ... c_amc2.htmhttp://www.reocities.com/pentagon/2833/ ... ne/raider/“Hitler’s Naval War”, Cajus Bekker.
“The Black Raider” (Orion), Weyher & Ehrlich
“Atlantis” (The Story of a German Surface Raider), Mohr & Sellwood
“Hitler’s Secret Pirate Fleet”, Duffy
Addition: Some additional reading (and re-reading) has led me to think that for all listed vessels, except
Michel when
on their first cruise should have a Command Level of at least 5. There are a lot of references in Both Mohr and Weyher to the crews for these first cruises being hand picked ... and Mohr also mentioning that a lot of the first draft for
Atlantis being rejected by Rogge out of hand