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 — 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.

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1 The raiders prepare 2 The Orion’s Atlantic war 3 The Hauraki Gulf operation 4 The Pinguin’s first victories 5 The Northeast Passage 6 The Tasman Raider 7 The Far East Squadron 8 The Australian minefields 9 The Indian Ocean pursuit 10 Nauru and the phosphate ships 11 Hilfskreuzer Kormoran 12 The castaways of Emirau Island 13 Von Luckner, spies and the fifth column 14 Return to Nauru and intrigue in Japan 15 The raider war in Antarctica 16 The Kormoran in the Atlantic 17 Remote encounters and the islands of despair 18 Tanker hunt in the Arabian Sea 19 A new operational area 20 The voyage of the Adjutant 21 Destination Bordeaux 22 The Galapagos Islands raider 23 Encounter off Shark Bay 24 The Kormoran–Sydney battle 25 The fleet of lifeboats Epilogue Appendixes: the raiders Glossary Notes Bibliography Index

About the Author :
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.

Review :
"This is a fascinating book. The story is well supported by historic photographs, maps and the use of eyewitness reports.” "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," "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. "False Flags does one important thing — it demonstrates just how omnipresent German vessels were in Australian waters" "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." "extensive archival research of German, British, Australian and New Zealand naval records uncovering never before accessed eyewitness accounts and declassified intelligence reports. Beautifully written" "A meticulously researched and fascinating history of a now largely forgotten aspect of World War II." "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." "an excellent history." "anyone with an interest in naval history will find this book well worth a read."