Stier was a German auxiliary cruiser of World War II. The name Stier means “bull”. She was the last German raider to break out into the Atlantic in World War II.
In the late sixties the German Navy realized the necessity for a new fast attack craft to counter missile boats of the Russian navy. They were not used after the cold war, and the ships were decommissioned in 2004 and 2005.
When launched, Victoria was the largest, fastest, and most heavily-armed ironclad. Three years after commissioning, she collided with HMS Camperdown and quickly sank, with the loss of 358 men.
Using a spar torpedo mounted on Picket Boat No.1, Lt. William Cushing and his crew succeeded in sinking CSS Albemarle at Plymouth, North Carolina, on the night of 27 October 1864.