[ Page 20 ] On the 2Oth. of July, a long gunnery battle between "Thor," and the British freighter "Indus" took place, half of the British crew were killed in this action, and "Thor's" company also suffered casualities.
In six months of operation, this Raider had sunk 10 ships totalling 56,037 tons, she now made her way up to Yokohama in Japan for a long refit. It was here that "Thor" met the Tanker "Uckermark," which had formerly been the "Altmark," and had featured in the "Cossack" incident in February 1940, in Jossingijord.
It was in "AItmark" that 299 prisoners, taken by the "Graf Spee" were held captive. She was stormed by a boarding party from "Cossack" and her prisoners released with that famous cry" The Navy is here"
"Thor" and "Uckermark" lay alongside each other in a basin at Yokohama, and an official luncheon was held for both Japanese and German news people on the 30th. of November.
Just before 1400 (2PM) there was a loud detonation on board the "Uckermark." This was quickly followed by a more intense explosion. Huge flames leapt from the Tanker, and soon both ships were ablaze. A third explosion removed "Uckermark's" bridge, and damaged the "Thor's" upperworks.
Both ships began to sink, and their crews rushed ashore, or leapt overboard into the waters of the basin, the former "Nankin," now renamed "Leuthen" also caught alight, as the whole basin was now covered with burning oil.
It was 2200 (10PM) before the flames died down. The 3 German ships plus a Japanese ship also trapped in this basin were no more, the deadly oil fire had done its task, all 4 ships totally lost.
43 from "Uckermark" and a further 13 from "Thor" perished in this disaster.
The cause of this debacle seems to have been a spark in the fume laden air within the fuel tanks of "Uckermark" setting off the initial detonation, probably as a result of repairs being executed by a work gang.
An ignominous end to a Raider that had caused the death of 2l ships, had survived 3 encounters with larger British Armed Merchant Cruisers. "Thor" had been cut down by an accident, when the might of the Royal Navy had failed to destroy her.
Kormoran, (Ship 41)
"Kormoran" of all the Armed Merchant Raiders, was the largest. She was almost 3 times the size of "Thor," but carried a very similar armament and commenced her nomadic life with 320 mines and had 6 torpedo tubes.
Diesel-electric engines gave her a comfortable top speed of 18 knots whilst 2 Arado seaplanes increased her range of vision, and finally she carried a small torpedo boat.
Her Captain was but 38, the youngest of all the Raider Commanding Officers. Theodor Detmers had joined the Navy at age 19.
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