A prize crew is the selected members of a
ship
A ship is a large watercraft, vessel that travels the world's oceans and other Waterway, navigable waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research and fishing. Ships are generally disti ...
chosen to take over the operations of a captured ship.
History
Prize crews were required to take their prize to appropriate
prize courts, which would determine whether the ship's officers and crew had sufficient cause to have the value of the prize awarded to them.
In the
Age of Sail
The Age of Sail is a period in European history that lasted at the latest from the mid-16th (or mid-15th) to the mid-19th centuries, in which the dominance of sailing ships in global trade and warfare culminated, particularly marked by the int ...
and up into the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, capturing enemy ships was quite common. As a result,
warships
A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is used for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the navy branch of the armed forces of a nation, though they have also been operated by individuals, cooperatives and corporations. As well as ...
optimistically carried extra crew members for use as prize crews. More recently, as evidenced by results of sea battles during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, ships generally were sunk, not captured. If, however, a ship is captured, a prize crew would be selected from the winning ship's complement.
Examples
* See for prize crew and prize court example.
* in 1939,
SS ''City of Flint'' was captured by a German warship in the Atlantic and sailed to Norway. As Norway was neutral, the German prize crew were eventually interned and the vessel returned to her American owners.
* In 1941, a Royal Navy prize crew sailed the captured German U-boat ''
U-570'' from Iceland to the United Kingdom.
* At the end of World War II, selected a prize crew to board the Japanese submarine .
* placed a prize crew on the Japanese ''
Tachibana Maru'' at the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
*
U.S. Coast Guard cutters capture vessels during drug interdiction operations, and then bring them to port using prize crews.
See also
*
Boarding (attack)
*
Prize (law)
In admiralty law prizes (from the Old French ''prise'', "taken, seized") are Military equipment">equipment, vehicles, Marine vessel, vessels, and cargo captured during armed conflict. The most common use of ''prize'' in this sense is the captur ...
*
Prize Court
*
Prize of war
*
Prize money
Prize money refers in particular to naval prize money, usually arising in naval warfare, but also in other circumstances. It was a monetary reward paid in accordance with the prize law of a belligerent state to the crew of a ship belonging to ...
References
External links
German prize crew of 22 sailed the ship into Hampton Roads, Virginia
Nautical terminology
Prize warfare
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