Manufacturer: Heller
Scale: 1/750
Additional parts: parts from spare part box, 3D prints
Model build: May - Sep 2021
Kriegsmarine Hilfskreuzer Seeteufel
Heller
1/750
1/750
Seeteufel's Shadow
Made with Suno
The Ghost Ship of the South Atlantic: September 1940
The crisp September air whipped Captain Gunther Schmidt's hair as he stood on the bridge of the Seeteufel II, the legendary Pamir reborn a predator. Gone were the days of hauling harmless cargo; beneath the deceptively merchant-like exterior, a wolf in sheep's clothing lurked. Two 15 cm guns, hidden beneath cleverly disguised hatches, and torpedo tubes nestled within the hull, waited to unleash their fury.
Their first prey appeared on the horizon – the British freighter SS Stanhope. Disguised as a Finnish freighter themselves, the Seeteufel II shadowed the unsuspecting vessel for hours. As darkness fell, Captain Schmidt gave the order. With a hiss, a torpedo shot out, leaving a trail of white foam. The Stanhope shuddered as the explosion ripped a gash in its side. Moments later, the freighter slipped beneath the waves, taking its unsuspecting crew with it.
The hunt continued. Over the next three months, the Seeteufel II became a phantom in the South Atlantic. Three more Allied ships fell victim to her hidden bite. The steamer "Highland" was deemed too valuable to sink. It was captured, loaded with German personnel, and sent towards France. The rest met their fiery demise.
News of the mysterious raider spread like wildfire among Allied shipping. Descriptions were inconsistent – a sailing ship, a freighter, a ghost. Panic reigned. Ships changed routes, schedules were disrupted. The Seeteufel II had sown chaos in the commercial arteries of the enemy.
But fate, like the ever-changing ocean, had other plans. The sinking of the mighty Bismarck by the British shifted the balance of power. Supply lines for the Seeteufel II in the North Atlantic became too risky. A new destination was set – Japan.
The journey was long and arduous, but the Seeteufel II arrived in the Land of the Rising Sun in August 1941. Repairs and refitting took months, further delayed by the unthinkable – Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. The world was now at full-blown war, and the Seeteufel II found itself trapped.
It wasn't until August of 1942 that another chance arose. Loaded with strategic materials for Germany, the ship embarked on its most daring voyage yet – a return trip through the vast Pacific and the treacherous waters around Cape Horn.
The journey was fraught with danger. Unseen eyes could be anywhere. Then, one fateful morning near the Falkland Islands, a shadow appeared on the horizon – a small British gunboat. It approached, requesting identification. Tension crackled on the deck of the Seeteufel II. To reveal their true nature was to invite a fight they might not win.
Captain Schmidt made a split-second decision. As the gunboat drew closer, exceeding the safe distance, the order was given. A torpedo launched from the Seeteufel II streaked towards the unsuspecting ship. The detonation was a blinding flash. The gunboat, its ammunition stores ignited, disintegrated in a matter of minutes. Only a handful of survivors remained.
Though a necessary act, the sinking of the gunboat cast a dark shadow over the voyage. The world still believed German U-boats to be the dominant threat in the South Atlantic. The masquerade continued, a carefully crafted web of lies to protect the Seeteufel II's true identity.
Finally, in December 1942, after a perilous journey, the Seeteufel II reached France. Her days as a raider were over. Decommissioned and stripped of its weapons, the ship became a floating barracks, a silent testament to the daring spirit of its crew and the phantom that once ruled the South Atlantic.
The Sailing Raider “Seeteufel II”: A Forgotten Chapter of the Kriegsmarine
Introduction
Long before radar nets and long-range patrol aircraft ruled the seas, the German Navy had already experimented with deception and disguise. During the First World War, auxiliary cruisers, armed merchant vessels hidden beneath civilian façades, proved highly effective in disrupting Allied trade. Among them, SMS Seeadler, a wind-powered raider, became legendary after sinking sixteen Allied ships across the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
When war returned in 1939, the Kriegsmarine again faced shortages in surface warships and long-range cruisers. Inspired by the exploits of Seeadler, a radical idea resurfaced: to field a sailing auxiliary raider once more, fast, silent, and able to pass almost any blockade under the guise of peaceful commerce.
Acquisition and Conversion of the Pamir
In early 1940, the search for a suitable vessel began. The Finnish-owned four-masted barque Pamir, originally built at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in 1905, was identified as the ideal candidate. With Germany supporting Finland during the Winter War, diplomatic pressure allowed the Kriegsmarine to reacquire the ship.
Under secrecy at Kiel, the aging sailing ship underwent extensive conversion:
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Armament:
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2 × 15 cm guns hidden beneath collapsible deckhouses
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2 × 53.3 cm torpedo tubes
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Propulsion Upgrades:
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One 1200 hp auxiliary diesel engine
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Reconnaissance Assets:
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A compact collapsible floatplane stored in a modified hold
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Modifications:
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Reinforced cargo spaces converted to ammunition magazines and crew quarters
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Concealed lookouts, false deck structures, and rapid-change paint gear
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Unofficially christened “Seeteufel II”, the Pamir became the lightly armed but highly deceptive ghost raider of the Kriegsmarine.
The Atlantic and Indian Ocean Raids (1940–1941)
Departing Germany in September 1940 under perfect autumn winds, Seeteufel II slipped through the North Sea blockade disguised as a neutral grain carrier.
South Atlantic Operations — 1940
Across three months, the disguised raider captured or sank four Allied ships:
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3 steamers sunk after crew evacuation
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1 British freighter, Highland, seized as a prize and successfully sailed to occupied France
Indian Ocean Operations — 1941
Reaching the Indian Ocean by early spring, the ship began new operations, sinking three more merchant vessels by May. Its success, however, occurred just as Germany lost the battleship Bismarck, prompting the Royal Navy to tighten patrol lines globally.
With resupply routes collapsing, Seeteufel II could not safely return to Europe. Instead, command ordered her to attempt a long transit to Japan. After a perilous, weather-assisted crossing, the ship arrived at Kobe in August 1941.
Stranded in the Pacific and the Final Return Attempt (1941–1942)
Refitted and restored by Japanese yards, Seeteufel II prepared for another commerce-raiding venture, but fate intervened. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Pacific became too dangerous for a lone sailing raider. For eight months, the barque remained effectively bottled up.
Only in August 1942 did the Kriegsmarine authorize a desperate return voyage to Europe. Loaded with strategic materials like rubber, tin, quinine, the ship departed Japan, taking the long southern route via the Pacific, Cape Horn, and the South Atlantic.
Near the Falklands, the raider encountered a small, elderly British gunboat sent to investigate the suspicious sailing vessel. At extreme close range, the disguised auxiliary fired a single torpedo. The explosion detonated the gunboat’s magazines, sinking it within minutes. Survivors rescued by Seeteufel II later reported the ship lost to a U-boat.
Journey’s End
In mid-December 1942, after 15,000 nautical miles under sail and engine, the Seeteufel II limped into occupied France, her masts battered, her hull salt-scarred, but her mission accomplished. Deemed too unique and vulnerable for further operations, she was quietly decommissioned.
For the remainder of the war, she served as a floating barracks and storage vessel at Brest.
Post-War Legacy
Returned to her original name Pamir, the barque resumed civilian service as a mixed cargo and cadet training ship under various flags. Her wartime role remained largely classified and overshadowed by the more dramatic exploits of U-boats and surface raiders.
On 21 September 1957, the Pamir was lost in the Atlantic during a severe stormm tragically ending the long and unusual career of the last wind-powered commerce raider in naval history.
The model shows the Seeteufel in September 1940.
This is a 1/750 scale Heller model of the Pamir. The guns are 3D printed, aircraft and torpedoes are from the spare part box. Some parts of the superstructure were removed and replaced with custom build ones, the crew is made from PE parts.
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