Talk:Merchant raider

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Military history: Maritime / European / German / World War I / World War II

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Proposed merger

Against - as proposed. There's a case for reorganising the various articles on "armed merchantmen". There's a difference between raiders and those that were equipped for defence or deterrence, wg, MACs, CAMs, DEMS, etc. Folks at 137 (talk) 20:44, 29 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If this is still open, I’m Against; A summary paragraph at Armed Merchantmen is quite appropriate, with a link to a main article at Merchant raider. Xyl 54 (talk) 15:18, 13 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

PS there’s been no response to this for a long time, so I’m removing the tags. Xyl 54 (talk) 15:19, 13 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Clarification on "Merchant raider" scope

I'd like to propose a clarification regarding the definition of "Merchant raider" as it currently seems to imply that only "armed commerce raiding ships that disguise themselves as non-combatant merchant vessels" (i.e., auxiliary cruisers or disguised raiders) qualify.

While auxiliary cruisers are indeed a prominent and perhaps the most iconic type of merchant raider, the term "Merchant raider" itself is broader. It refers to any warship or armed vessel whose primary mission is to attack and destroy or capture enemy merchant shipping.

This broader definition includes, but is not limited to:

Submarines: Particularly during both World Wars, submarines were highly effective merchant raiders, engaging in unrestricted submarine warfare against Allied shipping.

Regular Warships: Certain cruisers and even "pocket battleships" (like German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee) were specifically tasked with commerce raiding missions, operating independently to interdict enemy trade routes. These vessels, though purpose-built warships, functioned as merchant raiders in their assigned roles.

Therefore, while auxiliary cruisers are a prime example of merchant raiders, limiting the definition solely to them would exclude other significant types of vessels that performed the same critical function throughout naval history. The article is probably benefit from a more inclusive definition that acknowledges these other types of vessels. Auxiliary cruiser and Merchant raider should have separate articles to distinguish the two concepts. 我不是产品经理 (talk) 16:52, 4 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]