Commerce raider "Stier"

[Carl Schwamberger]

Picked up the links to these two site from another forum. Can anyone confirm or rebuke the accuracy of the events described on them?

http://www.usmm.org/hopkins.html

http://www.ahoy.tk-jk.net/MaraudersWW2/17Stier.html

[Sid Guttridge]

I have never had reason to question these events, which are widely known and reported upon.

Have you any particular reason to question it?

It seems no more unlikely than another German merchant raider sinking the cruiser HMAS Sydney.

Cheers,

Sid.

[Orwell1984]

Article by US Merchant Marine member on fringe of story:
http://www.usmm.org/duffyheroic.html

The Stephen Hopkins/Stier saga is well known to German naval veterans of World War II. Therefore, when former Kapitanleutnant Konrad Hoppe of the Michel was here in early September, we made a pilgrimage of sorts to Merrimacport where he took a photograph of the house that I believe was Captain Buck's. We also visited Patricia True, Merrimac's town clerk, who knew of Captain Buck because a writer had called at the Town Hall some years ago seeking information on him. On the other hand, when I showed my copy of the 1943 casualty list to the president of the bank in the square, I received a negative shrug of the shoulders. How many others in Merrimac would offer the same reply?

So it appears Kriegsmarine officers of the time accepted the commonly reportedly events if Hoppe wanted to honor Buck.
It's also referenced in a number of well respected histories including Stephen Roskill's War at Sea 1939-45 Volume III
Here's a reference to the event in another history of the Liberty ship that references Roskill:
http://books.google.com/books?id=4_V-up ... ll&f=false
Some of the references in chapter 9 A Liberty versus a German raider might be of use if you wish to follow up further on the event.

[Carl Schwamberger]

...
So it appears Kriegsmarine officers of the time accepted the commonly reportedly events if Hoppe wanted to honor Buck.
It's also referenced in a number of well respected histories including Stephen Roskill's War at Sea 1939-45 Volume III
Here's a reference to the event in another history of the Liberty ship that references Roskill:
http://books.google.com/books?id=4_V-up ... ll&f=false
Some of the references in chapter 9 A Liberty versus a German raider might be of use if you wish to follow up further on the event.

What I was looking for, thanks for the advice.

The incident shows the value of good training, and luck, in a fight.