Profile drawing of Widder
HSK 3Raider designation
152 mOverall length
16800 tDisplacement

Design and service

The story of Widder

The auxiliary cruiser Widder started its Atlantic operation in May 1940, this operation lasted 180 days in which 10 ships were sunk. One notable event during this operation was the encounter with the British submarine Clyde while the ship was still in Norwegian waters. On 31.10.1940 it returned to Brest. On its operation between the Widder sunk or captured 10 ships with 58644 t. From 1941 on it was used as the repair ship Neumark in Norway. After the war, it was taken over by the British and used as the transport ship Ulysses. In 1950 it was sold to Germany where and renamed to Fechenheim. On 03.10.1955 it beached near Bergen during a storm and broke into two parts six days later.

At a glance

Technical profile

Dimensions, armament and performance.

Dimensions

Size
16800 t
Length
152 m
Beam
18,2 m
Draft
8,3 m

Armament

15 cm guns
6
7,5 cm guns
1
3,7 cm guns
2
2 cm guns
4
Torpedo tubes
4
Aircraft
2 × Heinkel He 114 float planes

Performance

Machinery and speed
6200 shp, 14kn

Construction record

Widder

Laid down
Howaldtswerke Kiel, 1929
Commissioned
30.11.1939 (as auxiliary cruiser)
Fate
beached 03.10.1955