SMS Wolf (1916)

SMS Wolf was a German auxiliary cruiser (Hilfskreuzer) that served in the Imperial German Navy during World War I. Originally a Hansa Line cargo ship, she was converted for military use and commissioned in 1916 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Karl August Nerger.

Wolf is notable for her extremely long and successful raiding voyage. Between November 1916 and February 1918, she roamed the seas, primarily in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, preying on Allied merchant shipping. To avoid detection, Wolf was heavily disguised and relied on her own coal supplies as much as possible, supplemented by coal captured from enemy vessels.

The Wolf carried a seaplane, the Friedrichshafen FF.33E, nicknamed Wölfchen ("Little Wolf"), which was used for scouting and attacking targets. Captured ships were either sunk, or more commonly, their crews and any valuable cargo were transferred to the Wolf's hold. Some of the captured vessels were converted into auxiliary cruisers, most notably the Iltis, which was used for laying mines.

Wolf's cruise was remarkably successful, sinking or capturing a significant number of Allied ships. Her activities severely disrupted Allied shipping in the region and tied up considerable resources dedicated to hunting her down. Despite numerous searches and close calls, Wolf managed to evade capture for over 15 months.

She returned to Kiel, Germany, in February 1918, having travelled over 64,000 nautical miles (119,000 km; 74,000 mi) without a single crew member lost in combat. Wolf surrendered to the Allies after the armistice in November 1918 and was eventually sold to a Japanese shipping company. She was scrapped in 1931. The Wolf's long and audacious cruise made her one of the most famous and successful German commerce raiders of World War I.