She was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine in 1940, serving until deliberately wrecked in November 1940 whilst being chased by the British cruiser HMS Naiad.

She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine of 92 nhp, driving a single screw propeller via a low pressure turbine.

[1] Hinrich Freese was built as yard number 504 by Deschimag, Wesermünde for the Hanseatische Hochseefisherei AG, being completed in December 1930.

[3] on 24 May, Hinrich Freese sailed from Trondheim in German-occupied Norway to relieve Adolf Vinnen north of Iceland.

She was to operate in support of Admiral Scheer, which was to transit the Denmark Strait to reach the Atlantic Ocean.

HMS Naiad gave chase; realising that she could not outrun the cruiser, her captain deliberately ran her ashore at high speed on the Søraustkapp, wrecking the ship with the loss of two lives.