Prinz Eitel Friedrich

The passenger ship Prinz Eitel Friedrich was in South East Asia when World War I broke out. After being equipped as an auxiliary cruiser in Tsingtau, the ship first served as flagship for all auxiliary vessels there. After that it operated with the German cruiser squadron off the South American coast for a short time until it started its own merchant warfare operation in October 1914. In the following 7 months, the ship was able to sink or capture a total of 11 ships in the Pacific and the South Atlantic. Because of coal shortages being surrounded by British warships and auxiliary cruisers, the ship interned in Newport News, USA on 09.04.1915. In April 1917 it was taken over by the USA as troop transport De Kalb, in 1921 it was renamed Mont Clay and used as passenger ship again. It was in active duty until 1924 and scrapped in 1935.