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Engine trouble continued to dog the ship, and as she was virtually only filling in time awaiting the arrival of "Rekum" to refuel and victual them.

To relieve the monotony. the Greek ship "Antonio Chandres" of 5,866 tons was run down and then blown up, all their crew being put off into the ship's boats, Ruckteschell noting they were "well found" and adding there would be "no shortage of fresh water as it was raining."

They met up with their tanker, which turned out to be not "Rekum" but the "Eurofeld." By the 16th. of September, the fuelling task was completed, but by now the "Widder's" engines were at the end of their useful life. She could only make 8 knots and was too slow to even overtake an old collier which she had sighted.

The engines again stopped although the engine room staff had spent 6 days slaving over them, and only 5 knots could be coaxed from them. The Captain was faced with but one decision, "if possible, it is now time to make for home."

Slowly they proceeded in a north westerly direction towards France and sanctuary. Their luck held, reaching Brest on the last day of October.

They had sunk 10 ships of 58,645 tons, although they had spent only a brief time on station, namely from the 6th. of May to the 31st. of October 1940. Ruckteschell did not exhibit the flair of Rogge from "Atlantis," but had done a workman like job for his country. All the guns and equipment were now removed, to be reused in new Raiders. The Captain was given time at home, then placed in a new Raider command, "Michel."

Post war, he became the only Raider Captain to be tried as a War Criminal, and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, and subsequently died whilst in custody. Ruckteschell was guilty of failing to secure the safety of the crews from "Beaulieu" and "Anglo Saxon" and to have kept up firing on the "Davisian," after her Captain had indicated that his ship was being abandoned. The long arm of memory had reached out and struck him down.

"Widder" survived the war and becarne the British ship "Ulysses" - then was sold back to Germany and renamed 'Eichenheim."

Thor, (Ship 10)

"Thor" of only 3,144 tons built in 1938 in Hamburg, had commissioned as the Banana ship, "Santa Cruz." When compared with the usual merchant ship, any vessel designed as a fruit carrier was faster. Because of the deterioration factor of the cargo carried, it was rnandatory to quickly move the fruit across the seas to a waiting market; any delays were liable to cause loss of both cargo and profit. These ships also were usually smaller. For a Raider, the presentation of a small silhouete to an enemy ship was a distinct advantage, thus, "Thor," was one of the smaller ships to convert to a Raider role.


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