KURMARK she came to the Kriegsmarine in October 1939 and on 9 December 1939 was commissioned ORION (Schiff 16) or Raider A. In 1942 she was a training ship and on 12 January 1944 she was the gunnery school ship HEKTOR. She was bombed from 30 April until 4 May of 1945 by Soviet aircraft north of Swinemunde where she foundered and 50 lost their lives. She was later raised and in 1952, she was broken up in Poland.

MAX ALBRECHT this ship was interned in El Ferrol (Spain) on 3 September 1939, the day war broke out in Europe. On 22 July 1945, she was taken over by the Allies. On 27 July 1945 she went to Great Britain. After 11 October 1945, she had many names in the British merchant service; MoWT, EMPIRE TAGRALIA and in 1947, REPTON.

MILWAUKEE she came to the Kriegsmarine on 7 March 1940 as an accommodation ship in Kiel where she remained throughout the war and was captured in May 1945 by Great Britain. She then was named WAVENE but on 1 March 1946, she caught fire in Liverpool and by 3 March, she was partially sunk. On 4 May 1946 she was refloated. In 1947, she was broken up at Dalmuir.

MONTE OLIVIA came to the Kriegsmarine on 4 January 1940 as support ship for NÜRNBERG and later in Kiel as an accommodation ship and then on to Gotenhaven. 23 May 1944 she was transferred back to Hamburg. 15 February 1945 she became a hospital ship. 3 April 1945 she was bombed by the USAAF 8th Air Force. She was being repaired in Kiel but caught fire and burnt out. 12 June 1946 she was raised but broken up in 1948.

MONTE ROSA 11 Nov 1940 she was an accommodation ship in Kiel. In 1942, she was a transport. From October 1943 until April of 1944, she was a workshop ship for the battleship TIRPITZ. On 15 January 1945 she became a hospital ship and was in Copenhagen in May 1945. On 1 August 1945, she was taken as a prize of war. On 18 November 1945 she went to the British and in 1946 was renamed EMPIRE WINDRUSH.

There were many ships, warships and submarines that changed hands and flags during the course of World War II. And, like all other wars, when it ended, the victors plundered the vanquished of anything valuable, calling it the ‘spoils of war’. We will continue to bring this information to you from CHUCK and his research.

More German Ships (KTB # 160)