SMS Leopard (1917)

The SMS Leopard was a German auxiliary cruiser that operated during World War I. Originally the merchant vessel Yarrowdale, she was seized by the German Navy in 1916 after being captured from the British.

Commissioned in March 1917, the Leopard, disguised as the Norwegian merchant ship Rena, was tasked with raiding Allied shipping in the Atlantic. Her crew consisted of approximately 300 men, and she was armed with hidden guns and torpedo tubes.

Her primary goal was to disrupt Allied trade and supply lines. The Leopard's career was short-lived. On March 16, 1917, she encountered the British armed merchant cruiser HMS Achilles. During the ensuing engagement, the Leopard removed her disguise and engaged the Achilles in battle. Heavily outgunned, the Leopard was sunk, and all hands were lost. The HMS Achilles also sustained significant damage during the battle. The Leopard's single wartime cruise represents one of many efforts by the German Empire to use disguised raiders to disrupt Allied shipping during World War I.