The SS Mount Temple Project ^©

Dinosaurs in the Deep ^©

SMS Moewe

The ship built in Germany, initially named Pungo, was launched in 1914 and was intended as a fruit transport ship. At 408 feet in length, displacing 9,800 tons fully loaded, she was designed primarily to haul bananas to Germany from the Cameroon, then a German protectorate. However a much more interesting career was in store for her.

Soon after she was launched, World War I broke out. After early and serious defeats at sea, the German Navy modified its strategic plans. In addition to building more submarines, they sent a series of passenger and merchant ships with cleverly disguised heavy armament into the world’s shipping lanes, laying mines and/or capturing and sinking British or Allied ships of all types. Primary targets were merchant ships.

Pungo, renamed Moewe, was converted to an auxiliary cruiser. During her war service was used for mine laying operations in the North Sea and then made two North Atlantic raids sinking, capturing or mining a total of about 45 ships. This made it the most successful surface raider in World War I.

She survived World War I, was handed over to England under war reparations, renamed Greenbrier and hauled fruit as originally designed. In 1933 she was sold to Germany and renamed Oldenburg. There she served as a merchant ship, but in World War II was again pressed into military service in support of the Norwegian campaign. Her end came on April 7, 1945 when she was sunk in a rocket attack by Allied aircraft in Vadheim, Norway. The wreck still exists in excellent condition and is popular with sport divers. Guided dive tours to the wreck now support the local economy.

More than one ship has carried the name Moewe and at least two German ships carried the name Oldenburg during World War II.

Moewe is also spelled Möwe, but that spelling cannot be displayed on all computer systems. We decided to use the Moewe spelling in this web site. Moewe means seagull in German. Various spellings can be found on the Internet: Möwe, Möve, Møwe, Mowe, Moewe and Moeve.

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