Osprey

US Liberty Ship vs German Surface Raider

The Battle of the Atlantic 1942

Author:	Mark Lardas
Published:	2026
Format:	Paperback, 80 pages
Size:	248 × 184 × 9 mm

£15⁹⁹

Tax included

Delivery Information

We dispatch most orders within one working day.

Admiralty charts are printed to order. During the busy season from April to August dispatch may take three to five working days due to print queues. If you'd like to know our current dispatch time or if you're up against a deadline please get in touch and we will do our best to help.

Shipping is free on orders over £50.

We ship to the UK. If you're ordering from outside the UK, get in touch and we'll see what we can do.

Friendly Advice

Got a question or need help finding something? We're a seafarer-run business and we're happy to help.

Fill in the contact form or use the chat button.

We're available seven days a week.

Returns

Not what you were looking for? No problem. We accept returns of items in as-sold condition within 30 days. Just let us know and we'll sort everything out, including the cost of return shipping.

Please note that Admiralty charts are not returnable as they are printed to order. See our returns policy for more information.

If anything arrives faulty or damaged, get in touch and we'll sort it out.

Liberty Ships vs German raiders in 1942

Examines the dramatic 1942 duel between Stephen Hopkins and Stier, plus other clashes between Liberty Ships and German auxiliary cruisers during the Battle of the Atlantic.

Fully illustrated, this study examines World War II's most dramatic single-ship action, in which Stephen Hopkins fought a heavily armed German auxiliary cruiser, Stier.

When the United States entered World War II, the Battle of the Atlantic was already raging. The so-called 'Liberty Ships', built at breakneck speed and in huge numbers during 1941–45, were crucial to the Allied war effort. While the greatest successes of Germany's auxiliary cruisers occurred in 1939–41, this book describes how one of these ingenious warships, Stier, confronted the Liberty Ship Stephen Hopkins in an epic single-ship duel on September 27, 1942.

Stephen Hopkins carried one 4in gun, two 37mm cannon and six machine guns, all primarily intended for antisubmarine and antiaircraft purposes. Stier had six 150mm, one 75mm, one twin 37mm, four single 20mm and four 533mm torpedo tubes. At the end of this grossly uneven fight, Stier had sunk Stephen Hopkins, but was so badly damaged it had to be scuttled.

While this battle has garnered much attention, Mark Lardas explores other clashes between the German surface raiders and their Liberty Ship quarry during 1942. Featuring specially commissioned artwork and mapping alongside archive photographs, this lively study investigates the important role both ship types played as the Battle of the Atlantic reached its climax.

Introduction
Chronology
Design and Development
The Strategic Situation
Technical Specifications
The Combatants
Combat
Statistics and Analysis
Aftermath
Further Reading
Index

About the Author

Mark Lardas has always been fascinated by things related to the sea and sky. From building models of ships and aircraft as a teen, he then studied Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, but his interest in aviation led him to take a job on the then-new Space Shuttle program, where he worked for the next 30 years as a navigation engineer. Currently he develops commercial aircraft systems as a quality assurance manager. He has written numerous books on military, naval or maritime history.

Edouard Groult grew up inspired by watching historical documentaries with his father and developed a fascination for historical and fantasy art. Following art studies in both Paris and Belgium he worked as a concept artist in the videogame industry and in recent years has also undertaken historical commissions while working as a freelancer for historical magazines. He lives and works near London.