
False Flags
Disguised German Raiders of World War II
Stephen Robinson(Author)
Exisle Publishing
Published on 1. September 2019
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-1-925335-80-4 (ISBN)
Description
Now available in paperback, False Flags tells the epic untold story of German raider voyages to the South Seas during the early years of World War II. In 1940 the raiders Orion, Komet, Pinguin, and Kormoran left Germany and waged a "pirate war" in the South Seas as part of Germany's strategy to attack the British Empire's maritime trade on a global scale. Their extraordinary voyages spanned the globe and are maritime sagas in the finest tradition of seafaring.
The four raiders voyaged across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans as well as the Arctic and Antarctic. They sank or captured 62 ships in a forgotten naval war that is now being told in its entirety for the first time. The Orion and Komet terrorised the South Pacific and New Zealand waters before Pearl Harbor when the war was supposed to be far away. The Pinguin sank numerous Allied merchant ships in the Indian Ocean before mining the approaches to Australian ports and capturing the Norwegian whaling fleet in Antarctica. The Kormoran raided the Atlantic but will always be remembered for sinking the Australian cruiser Sydney off Western Australia, killing all 645 sailors on board in tragic circumstances.
False Flags is also the story of the Allied sailors who encountered these raiders and fought suicidal battles against a superior foe as well as the men, women and children who endured captivity on board the raiders as prisoners of the Third Reich. False Flags is an engrossing tale that will appeal to not only military experts, but also to anyone interested in Maritime History.
The four raiders voyaged across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans as well as the Arctic and Antarctic. They sank or captured 62 ships in a forgotten naval war that is now being told in its entirety for the first time. The Orion and Komet terrorised the South Pacific and New Zealand waters before Pearl Harbor when the war was supposed to be far away. The Pinguin sank numerous Allied merchant ships in the Indian Ocean before mining the approaches to Australian ports and capturing the Norwegian whaling fleet in Antarctica. The Kormoran raided the Atlantic but will always be remembered for sinking the Australian cruiser Sydney off Western Australia, killing all 645 sailors on board in tragic circumstances.
False Flags is also the story of the Allied sailors who encountered these raiders and fought suicidal battles against a superior foe as well as the men, women and children who endured captivity on board the raiders as prisoners of the Third Reich. False Flags is an engrossing tale that will appeal to not only military experts, but also to anyone interested in Maritime History.
Reviews / Votes
"Few writers have attempted to present a balanced, strategic overview of (the German raider) operations, but in False Flags, Stephen Robinson has written a thoroughly researched account of the auxiliary cruisers' war,"-Royal United Services Institution Victoria "False Flags does one important thing - it demonstrates just how omnipresent German vessels were in Australian waters"
-The Weekly Times "extensive archival research of German, British, Australian and New Zealand naval records uncovering never before accessed eyewitness accounts and declassified intelligence reports. Beautifully written"
-Have a Go News "False Flags is the epic story of German commerce raiders that sailed into the South Seas during the early years of the Second World War ... an excellent addition for all book collectors."
-Australian Warship "Stephen Robinson undertook extensive research for this book in the German, British, Australian and NZ naval records. He uncovered never-before-accessed eyewitness accounts and declassified intelligence reports. Many of the crews and passengers of the ships targeted by the raiders ended up as prisoners of war, while others were set adrift in life rafts."
-Australian Defence Magazine
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Auckland
New Zealand
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
50 b-w photos and maps
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
460 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-925335-80-4 (9781925335804)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Stephen Robinson studied Asian history and politics at the University of Western Sydney, graduating with First Class Honours. He has worked at the Department of Veterans' Affairs researching British atomic weapons tests and as a policy officer in the Department of Defence. Stephen Robinson is also an officer in the Australian Army Reserve and has served as an instructor at the Royal Military College. He also graduated from Australian Command and Staff College.
Content
Introduction
The raiders prepare
The Orion's Atlantic war
The Hauraki Gulf operation
The Pinguin's first victories
The Northeast Passage
The Tasman Raider
The Far East Squadron
The Australian minefields
The Indian Ocean pursuit
Nauru and the phosphate ships
Hilfskreuzer Kormoran
The castaways of Emirau Island
Von Luckner, spies and the fifth column
Return to Nauru and intrigue in Japan
The raider war in Antarctica
The Kormoran in the Atlantic
Remote encounters and the islands of despair
Tanker hunt in the Arabian Sea
A new operational area
The voyage of the Adjutant
Destination Bordeaux
The Galapagos Islands raider
Encounter off Shark Bay
The Kormoran-Sydney battle
The fleet of lifeboats
Epilogue
Appendixes: the raiders
Glossary
Notes
Bibliography
Index
The raiders prepare
The Orion's Atlantic war
The Hauraki Gulf operation
The Pinguin's first victories
The Northeast Passage
The Tasman Raider
The Far East Squadron
The Australian minefields
The Indian Ocean pursuit
Nauru and the phosphate ships
Hilfskreuzer Kormoran
The castaways of Emirau Island
Von Luckner, spies and the fifth column
Return to Nauru and intrigue in Japan
The raider war in Antarctica
The Kormoran in the Atlantic
Remote encounters and the islands of despair
Tanker hunt in the Arabian Sea
A new operational area
The voyage of the Adjutant
Destination Bordeaux
The Galapagos Islands raider
Encounter off Shark Bay
The Kormoran-Sydney battle
The fleet of lifeboats
Epilogue
Appendixes: the raiders
Glossary
Notes
Bibliography
Index