SMS Cormoran

SMS "Cormoran" was originally built by Germany in 1909 for the Russian Volunteer Fleet and named the "Rjasan". She was used by the Russians as a combination mail, freight, passenger, and cargo hauler throughout the North Pacific.

She was captured by the Germans in 1914 as their first prize of the war with Russia and Japan. The "Rjasan" was taken to Tsingtao, China and converted to an armed merchant raider and renamed the SMS "Cormoran", after the original warship had serious engine failures only the day before.

On August 10 the "new" "Cormoran" left harbor and sailed throughout the South Pacific region, spending all of her time trying to avoid the larger Japanese battleships that were chasing her all over the Pacific. On December 14, 1914 the "Cormoran" pulled into Apra Harbor, Guam with only 50 tons of coal remaining.

Due to both the very unstable relationships between Germany and the U.S., and that Guam also had a very limited amount of coal, the Guam Military Governor refused to supply the "Cormoran" with more than a token amount of coal, hence, she was forced into internment on Guam. Over the next two years the crew became guests of the Guamanians, and relations were very good. Eventually, the crew moved off the ship and settled into a "normal" routine ashore.

With the American entry into the war with Germany (April 7, 1917), the captain of the "Cormoran", Adalbert Zuckschwerdt, scuttled the ship instead of turning her over to the Americans. The American forces at Guam took note of the crew preparing to sink the ship and fired a shot over the bow of the "Cormoran". It is said that this was the first shot fired by the US forces in World War I. 13 crew members went down with the ship and they were buried with full military honors in the naval cemetery in Agana.

The remainder of the crew was sent to Fort Douglas, Utah and many were transferred on to Fort McPherson, Georgia for the duration of the war. They were finally sent home to Germany on October 7, 1919.

The SMS "Cormoran" has another unusual claim. She rests 110' below the waters of Apra harbor on her port side, with the Japanese cargo ship "Tokai Maru" resting against her screw. It is one of the few places on Earth where divers can explore a ship from World War I next to a ship from World War II. [cite web | url = http://www.mdaguam.com/tokaimaru1.htm | title = Tokai Maru Shipwreck in Guam | publisher = Micronesian Divers Association | accessdate = 2007-11-27 ]

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