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False Flags: Disguised German Raiders of World War II
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.
360 pages, Hardcover
First published August 15, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 14, 2020
I have been reading 2nd world books for many years, and the thing that standouts about this book, is that it brings to the attention of the reader a unknown story that is very interesting. This book is a very impressive hard back, a glossy feel to the pages throughout. No editorial errors, and a very attractive book cover This book contains so much detail, demonstrating that the author as really spent lots of time accumulating and researching all the facts needed to produce such a fine piece of story telling, throughout the book there are large numbers of maps, photos that just add quality and content to the novel. There is even an appendix at the rear of the book, allowing the reader to find whatever they seek quickly, plus a list of victims that each of the disguised German raiders sank or captured. The author as transferred all the facts obtained into a story line sequence that engulfs the reader deep into the very addictive story, and guides them through events of all the ships involved in the story. You learn allot in these pages about the Captains, crew of the vessels, packs allot of impressive information within its pages. In my own opinion this book would make a great 2nd world war movie based in the early years of the 2nd World war about German boats raiding and causing chaos around the coastal regions of New Zealand, Australa, and into the Indian Ocean.Will certainly be keeping an eye open regarding what books this author writes in future years.
January 7, 2019
This is one of the best books on German raiders during World War 2. The book focuses mainly on the Orion, Pinguin, Komet and Kormoran and their activities in and around Australasian waters. A great book that is well researched with good details and is easy to read.
February 4, 2017
This was an amazing history of German raiders in World War 2 with a focus on their activity in the vicinity of Australia and NZ. Well written and with an empathetic nod to sailors of all countries. Fascinating!
February 14, 2018
A great read on the daring feats of German Raiders in Australian Home waters during WW2.
The book gives an insight into the minds of the daring and somewhat insane captains and their crews. Definitely worth reading if you’re into WW2 naval history
The book gives an insight into the minds of the daring and somewhat insane captains and their crews. Definitely worth reading if you’re into WW2 naval history
January 24, 2020
The War You Never Heard About
Mr. Robinson does a well researched job of presenting a phase of WW II that has never been given the attention that it deserves. This is a book for history buffs.
Mr. Robinson does a well researched job of presenting a phase of WW II that has never been given the attention that it deserves. This is a book for history buffs.
December 30, 2017
A riveting read! An engaging story with a strong command of extensive detail. History buffs, military enthusiasts and the general reader with an eye for a good story will all enjoy this well-told tale of disguised raiders and those who sailed in them, whether as crew or captives. Excellent maps and photos.
March 27, 2017
An engaging read about the shenanigans of the German raiders.
November 14, 2017
Excellent book - growing up in Australia we were never told the history of war from an impact on Australia point of view - this was excellent.
March 13, 2022
This is an outstanding book, covering a part of WWII history that has been neglected. Robinson, the author takes the readers on a journey around the world with the four most successful German Navy raiders ships that attacked allied shipping and disrupted supply lines and conveys through the use of deception and guile. These ships were able to disguise themselves like pirates of old and then just before they engaged the enemy they would fly their true kriegsmarine colors and usually send a warning before attacking. Unfortunately, as the author points out with the advent of wireless radio communication most merchant captains tried to alert fellow ships in the area that a raider was present often resulting in the German Raider captains having to fire on the ships leading to loss of life and ship destruction. Eventually the allies were able to track down most of the German raiders and sink them. The book culminates with the greatest Raider sea battle between the light Australian Navy cruiser the Sidney and the Kormoran. The Sidney vastly out gunned the Kormoran but bad decision making by the Captain led to a brutal engagement where the Sidney was sunk with a complete loss of life, 645 sailors. The Sidney did manage to cause so much damage the Kormoran had to abandon ship and eventually sunk. A stunning end to a little known chapter of this aspect of WWII. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in WWII naval history.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews