False Flags: Disguised German Raiders of World War II

Description

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 - 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.

Stephen Robinson studied Asian history and politics before working at the Department of Veterans' Affairs researching British atomic weapons tests and as a policy officer in the Defence Department. An officer in the Australian Army Reserve, he has also instructed at the Royal Military College.

"This is a fascinating book. The story is well supported by historic photographs, maps and the use of eyewitness reports." * Military Books Australia * "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 * "Deception, violence and waste are the ingredients of war...Stephen Robinson's handsome, well documented book is full of events that illustrate this... Raiders were fighting ships disguised as merchantmen, crewed by trained naval seaman deeply committed to serving the German war effort. Like Caribbean pirates from the days of sail in some Boy's Own world, they masked their evil intent by sailing under assumed flags... before hoisting aloft the German Navy flag, like a modern day Skull and Cross Bones, and savaging an unwary prey." - Outstanding 2 page review Click here to read the review. * The White Ensign - The Journal of the Naval Association of Australia. * "False Flags does one important thing - it demonstrates just how omnipresent German vessels were in Australian waters" * The Weekly Times * "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 * "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 * "A meticulously researched and fascinating history of a now largely forgotten aspect of World War II." * Australian National Maritime Associantion Newsletter * "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 * "an excellent history." * Australia New Zealand Defender Magazine *