View source for SMS Cap Trafalgar

{{Short description|German ocean liner}}
{{About|the World War I passenger liner/auxiliary cruiser|the geographic region in Spain|Cape Trafalgar}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
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|Ship image=File:Cap Trafalgar 1899.jpg
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|Ship country= German Empire
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|German Empire|naval}}
|Ship class=
|Ship name=''Cap Trafalgar''
|Ship namesake=[[Cape Trafalgar]]
|Ship owner=Hamburg Südamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft
|Ship ordered=
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=[[AG Vulcan Stettin|AG Vulcan]], Hamburg
|Ship yard number=334
|Ship laid down=
|Ship launched=31 July 1913
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|Ship commissioned=
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|Ship in service=1 April 1914
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|Ship fate=Sunk in combat, 14 September 1914
|Ship homeport=Hamburg
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Ship tonnage=18,710 [[Gross register tonnage|GRT]]
|Ship displacement=23,640 tons<ref>Schmalenbach p48</ref>
|Ship length={{convert|613|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|72|ft|m|abbr=on}}
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|Ship power=15,000 [[Horsepower|shaft horsepower]]
|Ship propulsion= *2 × 4-cylinder triple-expansion engines 
*1 × steam turbine 
*3 × propellers
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|Ship speed= 17 knots
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|Ship armament= *(as [[Armed merchantman#Auxiliary_cruisers|auxiliary cruiser]]):
*2 × [[10.5 cm SK L/40 naval gun|10.5 cm (4.1&nbsp;in) gun]]s
*6 × [[QF 1-pounder pom-pom|37 mm (1.46&nbsp;in) pom-pom]]s
}}
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'''SS ''Cap Trafalgar''''' was a German [[ocean liner]] launched in 1913 for the [[Hamburg Süd]] line. In 1914, she was converted for use as an [[auxiliary cruiser]] during [[World War I]]. She was the first [[armed merchant cruiser]] sunk by a ship of the same class; she was destroyed by [[RMS Carmania (1905)|HMS ''Carmania'']],<ref>{{cite book|title=SUPPLEMENT to The London Gazette Of TUESDAY, the 6th of APRIL, 1915.|url={{Google books|Vc87AQAAMAAJ|page=3550|plainurl=yes}}|page=3550|quote=For services in the action between H.M.S. "Carmania" and the German Armed Merchant Cruiser "Cap Trafalgar," on 14th September, 1914, when the latter vessel was sunk—}}</ref> also a converted ocean liner, in a furious action in the South Atlantic on 14 September 1914. It was the world's first battle between former ocean liners.<ref>{{cite book  |title=[[Castles of Steel|Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea]] |publisher=Ballantine Books |author=Robert K. Massie |author-link=Robert K. Massie |chapter=Ch. 11. Admiral Cradock's Voyage |year=2003 |quote=Quote: Cap Trafalgar fired back, and the world's first battle between ocean liners began.}}</ref>

==Early career==
The [[Ocean liner|passenger liner]] SS ''Cap Trafalgar'' was built at the [[AG Vulcan Stettin|AG Vulcan]] Shipyard on the [[Elbe River]] in [[Hamburg]], Germany for the [[Hamburg Süd|''Hamburg-South America Line'']] for their service between Germany and the [[Río de la Plata|River Plate]] (Río de la Plata). She was named after the Spanish [[Cape Trafalgar]], scene of the famous [[Battle of Trafalgar]] in 1805. A three-funneled vessel of {{convert|613|ft|m|abbr=on}} length and {{convert|72|ft|m|abbr=on}} beam, she measured 18,710 [[Gross Register Tonnage|GRT]] and could carry nearly 1,600 passengers (400 1st class, 276 2nd class, 913 3rd or [[Steerage (deck)|steerage]] class. A triple-screw vessel, her outer propellers were powered by two [[Compound steam engine|triple-expansion steam engines]] with the centre one driven by an [[Steam turbine|exhaust turbine]].<ref name=Cooper>{{cite book|last=Cooper|first=James|title=The Hamburg South America Line|year=1989|publisher=The World Ship Society|location=Kendal|isbn=0-905617-50-9|pages=13–14, 64 |author2=Arnold Kludas |author3=Joachim Pein}}</ref><ref name=Bonsor>{{cite book|last=Bonsor|first=N R P|title=South Atlantic Seaway|year=1983|publisher=Brookside Publications|location=Jersey|isbn=0-905824-06-7|pages=194–195, 213, 494}}</ref>

When ''Cap Trafalgar'' began her [[Glossary of nautical terms (M-Z)#maiden voyage|maiden voyage]] on 10 April 1914 from Hamburg for South American ports in [[Brazil]], [[Argentina]] and [[Uruguay]], she was the largest vessel traveling on the South American service and among the most luxurious.<ref name=Cooper /><ref name=Bonsor /> Her upper decks included a swimming pool and a cafe in a greenhouse while her 1st class halls and stairwells were full of beautiful gold filigree, and her staterooms were furnished in the highest fashion of the period. She was the epitome of pomp, elegance, and Germanic engineering but when war was declared, her career among the socialites and wealthy of the world ended.<ref name="wartimehistoryonline">{{cite web|title=Battle between the ''Carmania'' and the ''Cape Trafalgar''|url=https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/desperate-fight-death-rms-carmania-vs-sms-cap-trafalgar-1914.html|website=wartimehistoryonline|date=17 March 2017 |access-date=9 January 2018|archive-date=10 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110054604/https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/desperate-fight-death-rms-carmania-vs-sms-cap-trafalgar-1914.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Sinking ==
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Sinking of SMS ''Cap Trafalgar''
| partof            = [[Naval warfare of World War I]]
| image             = Sinking Cap Trafalgar.jpg
| image_size        = 300
| caption           = ''Carmania'' sinking ''Cap Trafalgar''
| date              = 14 September 1914
| place             = Off [[Trindade and Martim Vaz|Trindade Island]], South Atlantic Ocean ([[Brazil]])
| coordinates       = {{coord|20|29|S|29|18|W|display=title}}
| result            = British victory
| combatant1        = {{flagcountry|German Empire}}
| combatant2        = {{flagcountry|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland}}
| commander1        = {{flagdeco|German Empire|naval}} Julius Wirth{{KIA}}
| commander2        = {{flagdeco|United Kingdom|naval}} Noel Grant
| strength1         = SMS ''Cap Trafalgar''
| strength2         = HMS ''Carmania''
| casualties1       = {{ubl|16–51 killed|279 captured|''Cap Trafalgar'' sunk}}
| casualties2       = {{ubl|9 killed|''Carmania'' damaged}}
| campaignbox       = {{Campaignbox Atlantic 1914–1918}}
}}

[[File:Cap Trafalgar mit SMS Eber.jpg|thumb|left|''Cap Trafalgar'' and {{SMS|Eber|1903|2}} in Trindade]]
[[File:RMS Carmania.jpg|thumb|left|The ''Carmania'']]
[[File:The Memories That Haunt - affiche.jpg|thumb|left| 1914 poster of the Vitagraph Company's silent film ''The Memories That Haunt'' featuring a ship bearing a strong resemblance to ''Cap Trafalgar'' and predicting her sinking. The funnels are in [[Hamburg Süd]] colors. The film was released April 7, 1914, ''Cap Trafalgar'' was in service from April 1, 1914 until she was sunk on September 14, 1914]] 
When war was declared in Europe in August 1914, ''Cap Trafalgar'' was in Buenos Aires and was laid up pending orders. As already planned, the [[German Imperial Navy]] requisitioned her as an auxiliary cruiser. On 18 August she arrived in [[Montevideo]] for coal and then sailed to rendezvous at the remote Brazilian island of [[Trindade and Martim Vaz|Trindade]], {{convert|500|mi|km}} east of the Brazilian mainland, with the gunboat {{SMS|Eber|1903|6}}, which transferred naval officers, ammunition and armaments to the liner. At the same time, her third funnel, which was a dummy, was removed. She was armed with two [[10.5 cm SK L/40 naval gun|4.1 inch guns]] and six [[QF 1-pounder pom-pom|one-pounder pom-poms]] (named for the sound they made while firing), all manned by experienced naval personnel, and given the mission to sink British merchant shipping.<ref name=Bonsor /><ref name=Hocking>{{cite book|last=Hocking|first=Charles|title=Dictionary of Disasters at Sea during the Age of Steam|year=1969|publisher=Lloyd's Register of Shipping|location=London|page=119}}</ref>  She was given the codename ''Hilfskreuzer B'' (Auxiliary Cruiser B) and was commanded by ''[[Korvettenkapitän]]'' Wirth. After a fruitless initial cruise, ''Cap Trafalgar'' returned on 13 September to the secret supply base at [[Trindade and Martin Vaz|Trindade Island]] to take on fuel from German [[Collier (ship type)|colliers]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

The RMS ''Carmania'' was a British ocean liner designed by [[Leonard Peskett]] and built by [[John Brown & Company]] for the [[Cunard Line]]. She was launched on 21 February 1905 and made her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York on 2 December of the same year. Following the outbreak of World War I, ''Carmania'' was converted into an armed merchant cruiser, equipped with eight 4.7-inch guns, and put under the command of Captain Noel Grant.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=carma |title=S/S Carmania, Cunard Line |work=Norway Heritage |access-date=2018-01-09 |archive-date=2019-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325191514/http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=carma |url-status=live }}</ref>

It was at this base on 14 September that ''Cap Trafalgar'' was discovered by the ''Carmania'' which had been sent to flush out German colliers and small warships that might be using the inhospitable island as a base against British merchant shipping. ''Carmania'' spotted ''Cap Trafalgar's'' smoke early in the morning and some hours later was able to surprise the German ship with two colliers in the island's only harbour.

The ''Cap Trafalgar'' (disguised as the ''Carmania'')'s only battle was against the real ''Carmania''.<ref>{{cite web|title='Carmania' sinking the 'Cap Trafalgar' off Trinidade Island in the South Atlantic, 14 September 1914|work=Royal Museums Greenwich (Collections)|publisher=National Maritime Museum|access-date=18 February 2013|url=http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/204091.html|archive-date=13 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213225612/http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/204091.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Some accounts incorrectly allege that the ''Carmania'' was itself disguised as the ''Cap Trafalgar''.{{efn|"In a twist of incredible irony, the crew of the ''Cap Trafalgar'', in an attempt to disguise their ship, had altered her appearance so that she would closely resemble one of the 'Pretty Sisters.' (Though it would later be said that the ''Carmania'' had also altered her appearance so that she might be mistaken for the ''Cap Trafalgar'', there is no truth to the claim.)"<ref>{{cite book|last=Butler|first=Daniel Allen|author-link=Daniel Allen Butler|title=The Age of Cunard : A Transatlantic History 1839-2003|year=2004|publisher=Lighthouse Press Publication|location=Annapolis, MD|isbn=9781577853480|page=209|edition=1st|chapter=The Great War|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jVYUMUmOYaIC&pg=PA209}}</ref>}}
{{OSM Location map
| coord = {{Coord|20|00|00|S|29|00|00|W}}
| zoom = 2
| float = right
| width = 250
| height = 250
| mark-size = 12
| mark-coord = {{Coord|20|31|30|S|29|19|30|W}}
|caption = Location of the island of Trindade
}}

Both the captains of the ''Cap Trafalgar'' and the ''Carmania'' had realized that to fight a successful action, their respective vessels required plenty of room; so, the captains had separately steamed several miles from the outcrop of the Island of Trindade in order to gain the space required. The ''Cap Trafalgar'' also sent out encoded German messages, announcing the engagement with the ''Carmania'', and the position as [[35th meridian west|35 degrees west]], [[26th parallel south|26 degrees south]], with a NNW heading. Then the two ships turned towards each other and began to fight, the ''Carmania'' firing too early and thus allowing the ''Cap Trafalgar'' to land the first blow. ''Carmania'' fared worse than her opponent in the ensuing two hours,{{dubious|date=December 2014}} being hit 79 times, holed below the waterline and having her bridge totally destroyed by shellfire. However, as the range closed her own guns began to inflict damage, and fires broke out on both ships, sailors lining the rails and firing machine guns at their opposite numbers as the ships came within a few hundred yards of each other. Neither ship had the fire control systems or ammunition hoists of a modern warship, so the action was fought in the style of [[Horatio Nelson|Nelson's]] day, with ammunition being brought to the guns by hand and the guns firing as the target bore.<ref name="Various">{{cite web |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18333/18333-h/18333-h.htm |title=The Illustrated War News, Nov. 18, 1914 |author=Various |work=Number 15, p. 21 |publisher=Project Gutenberg |access-date=24 October 2010 |archive-date=28 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828115034/http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18333/18333-h/18333-h.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Just as it seemed that the fires on ''Carmania'' would burn out of control, ''Cap Trafalgar'' veered away, lowering lifeboats as she heeled over to port. A shell below the waterline had ruptured several compartments, and the ship was rapidly sinking, although the colliers were able to rescue 279 sailors from the wreck before she sank. Fifty-one were killed in the fighting or the sinking (other reports{{which|date=November 2022}} say sixteen or seventeen people died), including Captain Wirth. ''Carmania'' was equally damaged, listing severely, heavily flooded and burning, with nine men dead and many more wounded. It was at this point that ''Cap Trafalgar's'' contemporary the armed merchant cruiser {{SS|Kronprinz Wilhelm}} arrived, seemingly to provide the ''coup de grace'' for the shattered ship. However, the ''Kronprinz Wilhelm's'' captain feared a trap, since many ships both German and Allied in the area had doubtlessly been listening to the SOS calls of the ''Cap Trafalgar'', which, though in German code, had been supplemented by messages from the ''Carmania'' with the British code.  Since multiple warships were on their way to the location, and the ''Cap Trafalgar'' had presumably already sunk, the captain of the ''Kronprinz Wilhelm'' turned his ship about and sailed away without firing a shot.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

The ''Carmania'' was barely afloat. She listed severely as fires burned and the communication and navigation equipment on her bridge were almost destroyed. She turned away and sped south, hoping to rendezvous with a British cruiser in the area. By the time she was rescued on the 15th, she was hardly seaworthy and most likely would have sunk if at sea for more than another day or two. The following day the ''Carmania'' was rescued and brought into [[Pernambuco]] by other units of the [[Royal Navy]], whilst the survivors of the ''Cap Trafalgar'' were rescued by the collier ''Eleonore Woermann'' and taken to Buenos Aires. Most were interned for the duration of the war on the Argentine island of [[Martín García Island|Martín García]].<ref name=Cooper />

It is possible that the German base at Trindade ceased to be maintained after the battle.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Westera |first=Rick |title=Historical Atlas of South America (15 August 1914): Opening of the Panama Canal |url=https://omniatlas.com/maps/south-america/19140815/#event-3175 |access-date=2024-12-03 |website=Omniatlas |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Battle of Río de Oro]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==Citations==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* Edwards, B. (1995). ''Salvo! Epic Naval Gun Actions''. Cassell. {{ISBN|0304351717}}.
* Simpson, C. (1977). ''The Ship That Hunted Itself''. Penguin Books. {{ISBN|0140048235}}.
* Schmalenbach, P. (1979). ''German raiders: A history of auxiliary cruisers of the German Navy, 1895-1945''. Naval Institute Press. {{ISBN|0870218247}}.
* [[Alfred von Niezychowski|Niezychowski, A.]] (1928). ''The Cruise of the Kronprinz Wilhelm''.

==External links==
* [http://ahoy.tk-jk.net/MaraudersWW1/Raiders.html World War I Raiders]
* [http://www.cunard.com/AboutCunard/default.asp?Active=Heritage&Sub=GetShip&ShipID=53 Cunard: The Most Famous Ocean Liners in the World] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061020042440/http://www.cunard.com/AboutCunard/default.asp?Active=Heritage&Sub=GetShip&ShipID=53 |date=2006-10-20 }}
* [http://bob.plord.net/Ships/MS-2/Germany/CapTrafalgar.html Cap Trafalgar]
* [http://www.greatships.net/captrafalgar.html Images at Greatships.net]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060509061316/http://ca.geocities.com/volturno@rogers.com/volturno61.html  Account of battle]

{{September 1914 shipwrecks}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cap Trafalgar}}
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean]]
[[Category:Ocean liners]]
[[Category:World War I cruisers of Germany]]
[[Category:World War I commerce raiders]]
[[Category:Passenger ships of Germany]]
[[Category:World War I shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in September 1914]]
[[Category:Auxiliary cruisers of the Imperial German Navy]]
[[Category:Naval battles of World War I involving the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Naval battles of World War I involving Germany]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in Brazil]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1914]]
[[Category:Atlantic operations of World War I]]
[[Category:1913 ships]]