Itinerary of the German cruiser S.M.S. Cormoran 1902-1914

Marshall Islands History Sources No. 30
Itinerary of the German cruiser S.M.S. Cormoran 1902-1914

S.M.S. Cormoran was one of the German patrol cruisers on the Australian Station, charged with showing the German flag on routine visits to various ports in the South Pacific, enabling the German administrators to travel their islands territories on law enforcement missions and to be on stand-by for any military conflict. The itinerary reproduced below has been compiled from various sources held in the archives of the German Imperial colonial office. It has been reproduced here to serve as example of naval visits in the later days of the German protectorate over the Marshall Islands.

Arrive Harbour Depart Comments

Sydney 26 Jul 1902

? Aug 1902 Suva 6 Aug 1902

? Aug 1902 Levuka 15 Aug 1902

? Aug 1902 Samoa 22 Sep 1902

? Oct 1902 Honolulu 18 Oct 1902

? Oct 1902 Jaluit 26 Nov 1902 and patrol trip in the Marshall Islands

? Dec 1902 Pohnpei 15 Dec 1902

? Dec 1902 Chuuk Dec 1902

second part Dec 1902 Yap and Palau mid Jan 1903

second part Dec 1902 Guam, Saipan Jan 1903

end of Jan 1903 Pohnpei 15 Feb 1903

Feb 1903 Bismarck-Archipelago 15 Mar 1903

Feb 1903 Buka, Bougainville Mar 1903

March 1903 Brisbane 30 Mar 1903

April 1903 Sydney 7 April 1903

April 1903 Melbourne

-o-o-o-

Apia 20 Mar 1910

Noumea 27 Mar 1910

8 Apr 1910 Matupi 13 Apr 1910

19 Apr 1910 Yap 23 Apr 1910

1 May 1910 Hongkong 11 Jun 1910

19 Jun 1910 Yap 22 Jun 1910

28 Jun 1910 Matupi 1 Jul 1910

10 Jul 1910 Suva 13 Jul 1910

15 Jul 1910 Apia 23 Aug 1910 originally to depart 18 Aug

31 Aug 1910 Nauru 1 Sep 1910 originallly scheduled to arive 27 Aug 1910

3 Sep 1910 Jaluit 13 Sep 1910 arrived a day early, originally scegduled to depart 17 September

18 Sep 1910 Kosrae 26 Sep 1910 originally 20-28 Sep

28 Sep 1910 Pohnpei 29 Sep 1910 originally to sail via Mortlock and Chuuk until 5 Oct. 1910, this trip cancelled to save coal

2 Oct 1910 Rabaul detour to drop off Oberleutnant Seiffert due to illness, astop in Yap (14-23 Oct 1910) was left off

16 Oct 1910 Western Carolines 3 Nov 1910 was scheduled to arrive a week later

5 Nov 1910 Yap 16 Nov 1910 was scheduled to arrive a week later

19 Nov 1910 Saipan 26 Nov 1910

29 Nov 1910 Yap 5 Dec 1910

12 Dec 1910 Matupi

-o-o-o-

Pohnpei 1 Mar 1911

Matupi

11 Mar 1911 Brisbane 21 Mar 1911

23 Mar 1911 Sydney 22 May 1911

25 May 1911 Brisbane 31 May 1911

7 Jun 1911 Matupi 19 Jun 1911 patrol trip through the Bismarck-Archipelago, the Eastern Carolines and the Solomon Islands

19 Jul 1911 Matupi 31 Jul 1911 patrol trip through the Admiralty Islands and German New Guinea

25 Aug 1911 Matupi 7 Sep 1911

16 Sep 1911 Suva 27 Sep 1911

1 Oct 1911 Apia 25 Nov 1911

6 Dec 1911 Jaluit 19 Dec 1911 patrol trip through the Eastern Carolines

5 Feb 1912 Guam 9 Feb 1912 patrol trip trough the Marianas

15 Feb 1912 Yap 19 Feb 1912 patrol trip through the Western Carolines and the Bismarck-Archipelago

18 Mar 1912 Matupi 6 Apr 1912 originally to depart 10 Apr 1912

13 Apr 1912 Yap 15 Apr 1912

24 Apr 1912 Nagasaki 1 May 1912 originally Manila 23-28 Apr 1912

4 May 1912 Tsingtau 3 Jul 1912 annual repairs and change-over of crew (originally from 1 Apr 1912 in Hongkong)

8 Jul 1912 Kobe 15 Jul 1912

22 Jul 1912 Saipan 24 Jul 1912

27 Jul 1912 Yap 29 Jul 1912

30 Jul 1912 Palau 1 Aug 1912

5 Aug 1912 Eitape (New Guinea) 7 Aug 1912

8 Aug 1912 Friedrich Wilhelmshafen 10 Aug 1912

11 Aug 1912 Peterhafen 12 Aug 1912

13 Aug 1912 Rabaul 1 Oct 1912 originally to depart 8 October

original schedule

18 Oct 1912 Suva 21 Oct 1912 originally 8-17 October

23 Oct 1912 Apia 26 Nov 1912

30 Nov 1912 Tongatapu 4 Dec 1912

10 Dec 1912 Auckland 18 Dec 1912

21 Dec 1912 Wellington 28 Dec 1912

31 Dec 1912 Westport 3 Jan 1913

9 Jan 1913 Hobart 22 Jan 1913

25 Jan 1913 Melbourne 9 Feb 1913

12 Feb 1913 Adelaide 26 Feb 1913

3 Mar 1913 Sydney

replaced schedule

12 Oct 1912 Sydney 17 Oct 1912

21 Oct 1912 Hobart 2 Nov 1912

7 Nov 1912 Adelaide 19 Nov 1912

22 Nov 1912 Melbourne 4 Dec 1912

12 Dec 1912 Wellington 20 Dec 1912

23 Dec 1912 Auckland 2 Jan 1913

9 Jan 1913 Apia 15 Feb 1913

19 Feb 1913 Suva 22 Feb 1913

3 Mar 1913 Sydney 15 Apr 1913

20 Apr 1913 Norfolk Island 22 Apr 1913

27 Apr 1913 Suva 30 Apr 1913

2 May 1913 Apia 1 Jul 1913

10 Jul 1913 Nauru 11 Jul 1913

14 Jul 1913 Jaluit 25 Jul 1913

30 Jul 1913 Pohnpei 5 Aug 1913

10 Aug 1913 Rabaul 10 Aug 1913 tour of the islands

15 Oct 1913 Pohnpei 15 Nov 1913 tour of the islands

17 Nov 1913 Chuuk 25 Nov 1913 originally depart 27 Nov 1913

30 Nov 1913 Yap 7 Dec 1913

10 Dec 1913 Guam 15 Dec 1913 originally 30 Nov - % Dec 1913

16 Dec 1913 Saipan 19 Dec 1913 originally 6 -10 Dec 1913

23 Dec 1913 Yap 28 Dec 1913 and neighbouring islands, originally 13-27 Dec 1913

23 Jan 1914 Rabaul 7 Mar 1914 tour of the islands

12 Mar 1914 Nauru 14 Mar 1914

16 Mar 1914 Gilbert Islands 19 Mar 1914

21 Mar 1914 Jaluit 7 Apr 1914

11 Apr 1914 Pohnpei 23 Apr 1914

29 Apr 1914 Yap 16 May 1914 originally 14 -28 Mar 1914

25 May 1914 Nagasaki 27 May 1914 originally 5 -12 Apr 1914

30 May 1914 Tsingtau originally to arrive 15 April 1914

The outbreak of World War I prevented the following itinerary from being executed:

Tsingtau 1 Sep 1914

4 Sep 1914 Mijashima 5 Sep 1914

7 Sep 1914 Kobe 14 Sep 1914

24 Sep 1914 Yap 26 Sep 1914

2 Oct 1914 Rabaul 23 Oct 1914

2 Nov 1914 Suva 5 Nov 1914

7 Nov 1914 Apia 6 Dec 1914

10 Dec 1914 Tongatapu 13 Dec 1914

21 Dec 1914 Wellington 30 Dec 1914

Sources:
Reiseplan SMS Cormoran für die Zeit vom 26. Juli 1902 bis zum Frühjahr 1903; dated Berlin 10 July 1902. RKA 2658.-- Reiseplan SMS Cormoran B 270 I; dated Berlin 2 Feb 1910. RKA 2659.-- Reiseplan SMS Cormoran B 1556 I; dated Berlin 14 May 1910. RKA 2659.-- Reiseplan SMS Cormoran (im AnschluÙ an den Reiseplan vom 14. Mai d. Js B 1556 I) B 1898 I; dated Berlin 20 June 1910. RKA 2659.-- Reiseplan SMS Cormoran B 630 I; dated Berlin 21 February 1911. RKA 2659.-- Reiseplan SMS Cormoran (im AnschluÙ an den Reiseplan vom 21 Februar 1911 B 630 I) B 1458 I; dated Berlin 5 May 1911. RKA 2659.-- Reiseplan SMS Cormoran (im AnschluÙ an den Reiseplan vom 5. Mai d. Js. B 1458 I) B 2771 I; dated Berlin 25 August 1911. RKA 2659.-- Reiseplan SMS Cormoran (in Abänderung des Reiseplanes vom 25 August d. Js. B 2771 I) B 4384 I; dated Berlin 19 December 1911. RKA 2659.-- Reiseplan SMS Cormoran (im AnschluÙ an den Reiseplan vom 19 December 1911. B 4384 I) B 1278 I; dated Berlin 6 April 1912. RKA 2659.-- Reiseplan SMS Cormoran (im AnschluÙ an den Reiseplan vom 6 April 1912. B 1278 I) B 1946 I; dated Berlin 6 Jun 1912. RKA 2659.-- Reiseplan SMS Cormoran (in Abänderung des Reiseplanes vom 6. Juni d. Js. B 1946 I) B 3510 I; dated Berlin 12 Sep 1912. RKA 2659.-- Reiseplan SMS Cormoran (im AnschluÙ an den Reiseplan vom 12 September 1912. B 3510 I) B 4669 I; dated Berlin 22 Jan 1913. RKA 2660.-- Reiseplan SMS Cormoran B 3241 I; dated Berlin 9 Jul 1913. RKA 2660.-- Reiseplan SMS Cormoran (in Abänderung des Reiseplanes vom 9. Juli d. Js. B 3241 I) B 5156 I; dated Berlin 28 Oct 1913. RKA 2660.-- Reiseplan SMS Cormoran (im AnschluÙ an den Reiseplan vom 28 October d Js. B 5166 I) B 5857 I; dated Berlin 12 December 1913. RKA 2660.-- Reiseplan SMS Cormoran (im AnschluÙ an den Reiseplan vom 12 December 1913. B 5857 I) B 1119 I; dated Berlin 23 March 1914. RKA 2660.
RKA 2658 = Auswärtiges Amt, Kolonial-Abteilung. Segelorders für die Schiffe der Kaiserlichen Marine Südsee . 19 January 1885 Õ August 1904. Series. Marinesachen 13e. file n½ RKA 2658. National Library of Australia, Canberra. Mfm no . G8570.
RKA 2659= Auswärtiges Amt, Kolonial-Abteilung. Segelorders für die Schiffe der Kaiserlichen Marine Südsee Station. July 1905 Õ December 1912. Series. Marinesachen 13e. file n½ RKA 2659. National Library of Australia, Canberra. Mfm no . G8570.
RKA 2660= Auswärtiges Amt, Kolonial-Abteilung. Segelorders für die Schiffe der Kaiserlichen Marine Südsee Station. January 1913 Õ July 1914. Series. Marinesachen 13e. file n½ RKA 2660. National Library of Australia, Canberra. Mfm no . G8570.

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CONTACT:
Dirk H.R. Spennemann, Institute of Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, P.O.Box 789, Albury NSW 2640, Australia.
e-mail: dspennemann@csu.edu.au

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Arrive	Harbour	Depart	Comments
	Sydney	26 Jul 1902
? Aug 1902	Suva	6 Aug 1902
? Aug 1902	Levuka	15 Aug 1902
? Aug 1902	Samoa	22 Sep 1902
? Oct 1902	Honolulu	18 Oct 1902
? Oct 1902	Jaluit	26 Nov 1902	and patrol trip in the Marshall Islands
? Dec 1902	Pohnpei	15 Dec 1902
? Dec 1902	Chuuk	Dec 1902
second part Dec 1902	Yap and Palau	mid Jan 1903
second part Dec 1902	Guam, Saipan	Jan 1903
end of Jan 1903	Pohnpei	15 Feb 1903
Feb 1903	Bismarck-Archipelago	15 Mar 1903
Feb 1903	Buka, Bougainville	Mar 1903
March 1903	Brisbane	30 Mar 1903
April 1903	Sydney	7 April 1903
April 1903	Melbourne
	-o-o-o-
	Apia	20 Mar 1910
	Noumea	27 Mar 1910
8 Apr 1910	Matupi	13 Apr 1910
19 Apr 1910	Yap	23 Apr 1910
1 May 1910	Hongkong	11 Jun 1910
19 Jun 1910	Yap	22 Jun 1910
28 Jun 1910	Matupi	1 Jul 1910
10 Jul 1910	Suva	13 Jul 1910
15 Jul 1910	Apia	23 Aug 1910	originally to depart 18 Aug
31 Aug 1910	Nauru	1 Sep 1910	originallly scheduled to arive 27 Aug 1910
3 Sep 1910	Jaluit	13 Sep 1910	arrived a day early, originally scegduled to depart 17 September
18 Sep 1910	Kosrae	26 Sep 1910	originally 20-28 Sep
28 Sep 1910	Pohnpei	29 Sep 1910	originally to sail via Mortlock and Chuuk until 5 Oct. 1910, this trip cancelled to save coal
2 Oct 1910	Rabaul		detour to drop off Oberleutnant Seiffert due to illness, astop in Yap (14-23 Oct 1910) was left off
16 Oct 1910	Western Carolines	3 Nov 1910	was scheduled to arrive a week later
5 Nov 1910	Yap	16 Nov 1910	was scheduled to arrive a week later
19 Nov 1910	Saipan	26 Nov 1910
29 Nov 1910	Yap	5 Dec 1910
12 Dec 1910	Matupi
	-o-o-o-
	Pohnpei	1 Mar 1911
	Matupi
11 Mar 1911	Brisbane	21 Mar 1911
23 Mar 1911	Sydney	22 May 1911
25 May 1911	Brisbane	31 May 1911
7 Jun 1911	Matupi	19 Jun 1911	patrol trip through the Bismarck-Archipelago, the Eastern Carolines and the Solomon Islands
19 Jul 1911	Matupi	31 Jul 1911	patrol trip through the Admiralty Islands and German New Guinea
25 Aug 1911	Matupi	7 Sep 1911
16 Sep 1911	Suva	27 Sep 1911
1 Oct 1911	Apia	25 Nov 1911
6 Dec 1911	Jaluit	19 Dec 1911	patrol trip through the Eastern Carolines
5 Feb 1912	Guam	9 Feb 1912	patrol trip trough the Marianas
15 Feb 1912	Yap	19 Feb 1912	patrol trip through the Western Carolines and the Bismarck-Archipelago
18 Mar 1912	Matupi	6 Apr 1912	originally to depart 10 Apr 1912
13 Apr 1912	Yap	15 Apr 1912
24 Apr 1912	Nagasaki	1 May 1912	originally Manila 23-28 Apr 1912
4 May 1912	Tsingtau	3 Jul 1912	annual repairs and change-over of crew (originally from 1 Apr 1912 in Hongkong)
8 Jul 1912	Kobe	15 Jul 1912
22 Jul 1912	Saipan	24 Jul 1912
27 Jul 1912	Yap	29 Jul 1912
30 Jul 1912	Palau	1 Aug 1912
5 Aug 1912	Eitape (New Guinea)	7 Aug 1912
8 Aug 1912	Friedrich Wilhelmshafen	10 Aug 1912
11 Aug 1912	Peterhafen	12 Aug 1912
13 Aug 1912	Rabaul	1 Oct 1912	originally to depart 8 October
	original schedule
18 Oct 1912	Suva	21 Oct 1912	originally 8-17 October
23 Oct 1912	Apia	26 Nov 1912
30 Nov 1912	Tongatapu	4 Dec 1912
10 Dec 1912	Auckland	18 Dec 1912
21 Dec 1912	Wellington	28 Dec 1912
31 Dec 1912	Westport	3 Jan 1913
9 Jan 1913	Hobart	22 Jan 1913
25 Jan 1913	Melbourne	9 Feb 1913
12 Feb 1913	Adelaide	26 Feb 1913
3 Mar 1913	Sydney
	replaced schedule
12 Oct 1912	Sydney	17 Oct 1912
21 Oct 1912	Hobart	2 Nov 1912
7 Nov 1912	Adelaide	19 Nov 1912
22 Nov 1912	Melbourne	4 Dec 1912
12 Dec 1912	Wellington	20 Dec 1912
23 Dec 1912	Auckland	2 Jan 1913
9 Jan 1913	Apia	15 Feb 1913
19 Feb 1913	Suva	22 Feb 1913
3 Mar 1913	Sydney	15 Apr 1913
20 Apr 1913	Norfolk Island	22 Apr 1913
27 Apr 1913	Suva	30 Apr 1913
2 May 1913	Apia	1 Jul 1913
10 Jul 1913	Nauru	11 Jul 1913
14 Jul 1913	Jaluit	25 Jul 1913
30 Jul 1913	Pohnpei	5 Aug 1913
10 Aug 1913	Rabaul	10 Aug 1913	tour of the islands
15 Oct 1913	Pohnpei	15 Nov 1913	tour of the islands
17 Nov 1913	Chuuk	25 Nov 1913	originally depart 27 Nov 1913
30 Nov 1913	Yap	7 Dec 1913
10 Dec 1913	Guam	15 Dec 1913	originally 30 Nov - % Dec 1913
16 Dec 1913	Saipan	19 Dec 1913	originally 6 -10 Dec 1913
23 Dec 1913	Yap	28 Dec 1913	and neighbouring islands, originally 13-27 Dec 1913
23 Jan 1914	Rabaul	7 Mar 1914	tour of the islands
12 Mar 1914	Nauru	14 Mar 1914
16 Mar 1914	Gilbert Islands	19 Mar 1914
21 Mar 1914	Jaluit	7 Apr 1914
11 Apr 1914	Pohnpei	23 Apr 1914
29 Apr 1914	Yap	16 May 1914	originally 14 -28 Mar 1914
25 May 1914	Nagasaki	27 May 1914	originally 5 -12 Apr 1914
30 May 1914	Tsingtau		originally to arrive 15 April 1914
The outbreak of World War I prevented the following itinerary from being executed:
	Tsingtau	1 Sep 1914
4 Sep 1914	Mijashima	5 Sep 1914
7 Sep 1914	Kobe	14 Sep 1914
24 Sep 1914	Yap	26 Sep 1914
2 Oct 1914	Rabaul	23 Oct 1914
2 Nov 1914	Suva	5 Nov 1914
7 Nov 1914	Apia	6 Dec 1914
10 Dec 1914	Tongatapu	13 Dec 1914
21 Dec 1914	Wellington	30 Dec 1914

Marshall Islands History Sources No. 30 Itinerary of the German cruiser S.M.S. Cormoran 1902-1914

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Marshall Islands History Sources No. 30
Itinerary of the German cruiser S.M.S. Cormoran 1902-1914