Germany’s Raider That Picked the Wrong Liberty Ship： HSK Stier, 1942 - Animated

On September 27, 1942, in the fog-drenched waters of the South Atlantic, the German auxiliary cruiser HSK Stier encountered what appeared to be an easy target. Instead, the heavily armed commerce raider ran headlong into the American Liberty ship SS Stephen Hopkins. Armed with hidden naval artillery, torpedoes, and accompanied by the blockade runner Tannenfels, Stier expected a quick surrender. What unfolded was one of the most ferocious close-quarters naval duels of World War II. Commanded by Captain Paul Buck, the crew and Armed Guard of Stephen Hopkins refused to yield, battling blazing guns against devastating odds. Merchant Marine Cadet Edwin O'Hara fired the ship's final remaining rounds even as his vessel sank beneath him. Their relentless fire mortally wounded the German raider, making Stephen Hopkins the only US merchant vessel to sink a German surface warship during the war. #WW2 #NavalHistory #HSKStier #SSStephenHopkins #LibertyShip #Kriegsmarine #USMerchantMarine #WarAtSea #WW2History #NavalBattle #MilitaryHistory #HistoryAnimation