SMS Cormoran

9 Images

SMS Cormoran or SMS Cormoran II was built at Danzig, Germany in 1909 for the Russian merchant fleet and named SS Ryaezan (Rjasan or Rjäsan). She was used by imperial Russia as a combination passenger, cargo and mail carrier on North Pacific routes. SS Ryaezan was captured southeast of the Korean peninsula by the light cruiser SMS Emden on 4 August 1914 as the first prize of the war with the Russian empire.[2] The SS Ryaezan was taken to Tsingtao in the German colony Kiautschou and converted to an armed merchant raider and renamed SMS Cormoran II.

On 14 December 1914 Cormoran II pulled into Apra Harbor in the United States Territory of Guam with only 50 tons of coal remaining in her bunkers. Due to strained diplomatic relations between the United States and Germany and the limited amount of coal stored at Guam, the local military governor refused to supply Cormoran with more than a token amount of coal. Thus, the ship was forced into internment on Guam.

With the American war entry against Germany on 7 April 1917, captain Adalbert Zuckschwerdt scuttled the ship. The naval forces at Guam took note of the German crew preparing to sink the ship and fired a shot over the bow of Cormoran II, which is often cited as the first shot fired by the U.S. military in World War I.

Length: 290 ft. 88 m. Gross Tonnage: 3,500 tons. Depth: 34 m.

Tokai Maru

27 Images

The TOKAI MARU was a Japanese passenger-cargo freighter put in service in August, 1930. She was a "state-of-the-art" vessel, and was used by the Osaka Shosen Company as one of their modern fast luxury freighters on the Tokyo to New York City run. She was re-commissioned as a freighter under contract to the Japanese Imperial Navy in October, 1941, and was used to transport war materials and personnel throughout the pacific.

On January 24, 1943 the Tokai was observed anchored in Apra Harbor by the US submarine FLYING FISH. Assuming that the ship was soon to leave the harbor, the FLYING FISH waited outside the entrance for 3 days. With no movement of the ship or any other vessels, the FLYING FISH fired two torpedoes set to run at 1' depth (to cross over a very shallow reef). One of the torpedoes ran aground on the reef, but the other struck the Tokai causing considerable damage, but not sinking her.

Seven months later, the US submarine SNAPPER, patrolling west of Guam, spotted two ships in the harbor. The submarine patiently waited for one week, and then made a submerged attack under the eye's of a Japanese patrol vessel less than two miles away. At 3:23 on the afternoon of August 27th, the SNAPPER fired a spread of four torpedoes. The SNAPPER immediately headed west for safer waters. Over the next few hours numerous explosions were heard, and the Tokai was observed with the bow at an extreme "up angle", indicating that the stern was on the bottom. A few minutes later the Tokai slipped beneath the surface.

Length: 440 ft. 134 m. Gross Tonnage: 8,300 tons. Depth: 15-40 m.