SMS Greif (1914)
| History | |
|---|---|
 Germany
| |
| Name: | Greif |
| Builder: | Neptun[1] |
| Launched: | 1914[1] |
| Acquired: | 1915[1] |
| Commissioned: | 23 January 1916[1] |
| Fate: | sunk 29 February 1916 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 9900 tons normal[1] |
| Length: | 131.7 m (432 ft)[1] |
| Beam: | 16.4 m (54 ft)[1] |
| Draught: | 7.5 m (25 ft)[1] |
| Propulsion: | Two coal-fired boilers, one 3,000 shaft horsepower (12 MW) 3-cylinder triple expansion reciprocating steam engine driving one propeller[1] |
| Speed: | 13 knots (24.1 km/h)[1] |
| Range: | 35,000 nautical miles (65,000 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h)[1] |
| Complement: | 10 officers & 297 men[2] |
| Armament: | Four 15 cm (5.9 in) /40 guns (4 × 1) with 600 rounds ammunition, one 10.5 cm (4.1 in) /40 rapid-fire gun with 200 rounds ammunition, and two 50 cm (20 in) torpedo-tubes with 12 torpedoes[3] |
SMS Greif was a German cargo steamship that was converted into a merchant raider for the Imperial German Navy.[1]
Built as Guben, she was a 4,962 GRT steel-hulled ship owned by the German-Australian Line (DADG), Hamburg.[1] She was converted for naval service at Kaiserliche Werft Kiel in 1915 and commissioned as Greif on 23 January 1916.[1] She sailed from the Elbe port of Cuxhaven on 27 February 1916[4] under the command of Fregattenkapitän Rudolf Tietze (born 13 September 1874).[5] The Royal Navy had learned of Greif's sailing and was waiting in the North Sea.[6]
Greif was disguised as the Norwegian Rena bound for Tønsberg, Norway when intercepted by the 15,620 GRT armed merchant cruiser Alcantara on the morning of 29 February 1916.[4] Alcantara closed to 2000 yards and slowed to lower a boarding cutter when Greif hoisted the German battle ensign, increased speed, and opened fire.[4] Alcantara returned fire with her six 6-inch (150 mm) guns and two 3-pounders.[4] Range was never more than 3000 yards.[4]
Alcantara was hit by a torpedo amidships on her port side, and one of Alcantaras shells exploded the ready ammunition for Greifs after gun.[4] Both ships lost speed.[4] Greifs crew abandoned ship 40 minutes after opening fire.[4] Alcantara sank first.[4] The C-class light cruiser Comus and M-class destroyer Munster then arrived to sink the stationary Greif[4] and rescue 120 German survivors.[2] An estimated 187 Germans perished along with 72 Britons.
See also
Notes
References
- Poole, Francis (July 1975). "Alcantara vs. Greif: Duel of the Merchant Cruisers". United States Naval Institute Proceedings.
- Schmalenbach, Paul (1977). German Raiders. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85059-351-4.
Coordinates: 61°45′N 1°10′E / 61.750°N 1.167°E