Rhein
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The
German freighter Rhein was at the outbreak of world war
two in Tampico in Mexico. After being laid at anchor for
months, they decided to break out and set course for
Germany through the waters of neutral America. They were
pursued by American naval ships despite the fact that the
country was still neutral. 11. December 1940 they were
"accidentally" spotted by the Dutch sloop HNLMS Van
Kinsbergen that fired warning shots to stop her. The crew
put her on fire and prepared to scuttle her, and while she
was full ablaze in flames the English light cruiser HMS
Caradoc also arrived. The cruiser fired over twenty shots
with their 6" guns after they had taken the crew as
prisoners of war, and she soon disappeared in the deep.
The wreck was found in 1991 and rest today on a depth of
40 meter at Dry Tortugas some 70 nautical miles northwest
of Key West.
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 Illustration: HAPAG Poster in 1900 Last updated: June 2019 |
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