Q&A · 2:57:53-2:58:12

Could German auxiliary raiders still get to sea?

The same surveillance barrier that traps warships also makes an isolated merchantman with suspicious behaviour easier to investigate.

Question

What stops Germany using auxiliary raiders instead of warships?

Short answer

They must still cross the same watched barriers, and suspicious merchant-ship behaviour is more likely to be investigated.

Notes

Disguising a raider as a merchant ship does not solve the geographic problem. A ship moving alone, emitting the wrong signals, or behaving unexpectedly in a closely watched North Sea attracts investigation. Norwegian observers and Britain-Norway patrol traffic make the same narrow exit routes dangerous regardless of a vessel's outward appearance. The scenario's dense patrol and convoy environment therefore constrains auxiliary raiders as well as conventional naval forces.