APPENDIX N

Axis Blockade Runners

January 1941 - April 1943

Table 1 (A) Far East to Europe
First Blockade Running Period
April 1941 - May 1942

Ship

Sailed Arrived Date of Loss Cause of Loss
Ermland Jan. '41 3 Apr. '41    
Regensburg Apr. '41 27 June '41    
Elbe Apr. '41   6 June '41 Aircraft from Eagle
Anneliese Essberger June '41 10 Sept. '41    
Odenwald July '41   6 Nov. '41 Captured and sunk by U.S.S. Omaha and Somers
Burgenland Oct. '41 9 Dec. '41    
Elsa Essberger Nov. '41 12 Jan. '41    
Cortellazo Nov. '41 27 Jan. '42    
Spreewald Dec. '41   31 Jan. '42 U-333
Pietro Orseolo Dec. '41 24 Feb, '42    
Osorno Jan. '42 19 Mar. '42    
Rio Grande Feb. '42 10 Apr. '42    
Fusiyama Feb. '42 26 Apr. '42    
Munsterland Feb. '42 17 May '42    
Portland Mar. '42 10 May '42    
Ramses Turned back to Japan after sailing  

 

Approximate total cargo carried (in tons)

Type Despatched
(excluding ship
turned back)
Delivered Lost
Edible oils and fats 44,000 32,600 11,400
Rubber 44,500 32,650 11,800
Ore 3,650 2,700 950
Miscellaneous 9,675 7,050 2,625
TOTAL 101,775 75,000 26,775

--482--

Table 1 (B) Far East to Europe
Second Blockade Running Period
August 1942 - April 1943

Ship

Sailed Arrived Date of Loss Cause of Loss
Tannenfels 8 Aug. '42 2 Nov. '42    
Kulmerland 26 Aug. '42 7 Nov. '42    
Dresden 8 Sept. '42 3 Nov. '42    
Rhakotis 5 Nov. '42   1 Jan. '43 Scylla
Ramses 23 Nov. '42   10 Dec. '42 Scuttled on interception by H.M.A.S. Adelaide and Dutch Heemskerck
Hohenfriedburg
(ex Herborg)
19 Dec. '42   26 Feb. '43 Sussex
Doggerbank
(ex Speybank)
15 Jan. '43   3 Mar. '43 U-43
Rossbach 17 Jan. '43 Recalled to Japan    
Karin
(ex Kota Nopan)
4 Feb. '43   10 Mar. '43 Scuttled on interception by U.S.S. Savannah and Eberle
Regensburg 6 Feb. '43   30 Mar. '43 Glasgow
Weserland 6 Feb. '43 Recalled to Japan    
Pietro Orseolo 16 Feb. '43 1 Apr. '43    
Irene
(ex Silvaplana)
20 Feb. '43   10 Apr. '43 Scuttled on interception by Adventure
Burgenland 18 Mar. '43 Recalled to Japan    
Rio Grande 18 Mar. '43 Recalled to Japan    

 

Approximate total cargo carried (in tons)

Type Despatched
(excluding ships
turned back)
Delivered Lost
Edible oils and fats 54,500 16,500 38,000
Rubber 43,000 7,600 35,400
Ore 10,600 1,900 8,700
Miscellaneous 14,800 3,600 11,200
TOTAL 122,900 29,600 93,300
Number of blockade runners sailed  15
Number of blockade runners arrived   4
Number of blockade runners sunk   7
Number of blockade runners turned back   4

 

Table 2 (A) Europe to the Far East
First Blockade Running Period
September 1941 - June 1942

Ship

Sailed Arrived Date of Loss Cause of Loss
Rio Grande 17 Sept. '41 6 Dec. '41    
Portland Oct. '41 Jan. '42    
Doggerbank 21 Jan. '42 19 Aug. '42    
Regensburg 12 Feb. '42 7 July '42    
Tannenfels 7 Mar. '42 12 May '42    
Dresden 16 Apr. '42 23 June '42    

--483--

 

Approximate total cargo carried (in tons)

Type Despatched Delivered Lost
Engines, engine parts
Commercial goods
Chemical products
32,540 32,540 Nil
Number of blockade runners sailed  6
Number of blockade runners arrived  6

 

Table 2 (A) Europe to the Far East
Second Blockade Running Period
September 1942 - May 1943

Ship

Sailed Arrived Date of Loss Cause of Loss
Weserland 8 Sept. '42 1 Dec. '42    
Uckermark 9 Sept. '42 24 Nov. '42 30 Nov. '42 Explosion in Yokohama
Brake 27 Sept. '42 23 Dec. '42    
Pietro Orseolo 1 Oct. '42 2 Dec. '42    
Burgenland 9 Oct. '42 12 Jan. '43    
Rio Grande 10 Oct. '42 31 Dec. '42    
Irene 10 Oct. '42 20 Dec. '42    
Anneliese Essberger 5 Nov. '42   21 Nov. '42 Scuttled on interception by U.S.S. Milwaukee
Karin 6 Nov. '42 30 Dec. '42    
Elsa Essberger 7 Nov. '42 Returned to France after being severely damaged by aircraft
Spichern 9 Nov. '42 Returned to France after being severely damaged by aircraft
Cortelazzo 29 Nov. '42   1 Dec. '42 Scuttled on interception by Redoubt
Germania 12 Dec. '42   15 Dec. '42 Scuttled on interception by Egret and Tanatside
Alsterufer 29 Mar. '43 19 June '43    
Osorno 29 Mar. '43 4 June '43    
Portland 29 Mar. '43   13 Apr. '43 Sunk by Free French Georges Leygues
Himalaya 29 Mar. '43 Returned to France after being severely damaged by aircraft

 

Approximate total cargo carried (in tons)

Type Despatched
(excluding ships
turned back)
Delivered Lost
War materials and commercial products 33,829 24,447 9,382
Number of blockade runners sailed  17
Number of blockade runners arrived  10
Number of blockade runners sunk   3
Number of blockade runners turned back   4 (excluding Uckermark)

--484--

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