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Book Description
How one German raider terrorised the southern seas during the First World War
Product Description
In the years 1916-1918, the Wolf, an ordinary freighter fitted-out with a hidden arsenal of weapons, was sent by Germany on one of the most daring clandestine naval missions of modern times. Under the command of Kapitan Karl Nerger, the ship undertook a continuous fifteen-month cruise in which she traversed three of the world's major oceans, destroyed more than thirty Allied vessels and captured over 400 men, women and children. During this time the Wolf maintained radio silence and never pulled into port, surviving on fuel and food plundered from captured ships. Equipped with the era's newest technological marvels the Wolf was an instrument of terror in a new age of mechanised warfare.
In The Wolf, Richard Guilliatt & Peter Hohnen bring this little-known story to life by drawing on dozens of eyewitness accounts, unpublished memoirs, declassified government files, newspaper reports and family archives unearthed during three years of intensive research in several countries. What emerges from these accounts is a richly-detailed picture of the world through which the Wolf moved, with all its social divisions and naked xenophobia, its spirit of bravery and stoicism, its paradoxical combination of old-world social mores and rapid technological change.
This extraordinary adventure story exhibits the tremendous impact that one lone, audacious German warship made on the people of many nations during the final two years of the First World War.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
An interesting and entertaining story of one of the German navy's most successful undercover raiders in WW1.It covers the general background of these raiders and gives a most interesting and detailed account of life for crew and prisoners aboard one of these vessels.
Unlike submerged submarines, which sank unarmed merchant ships without warning and, often, with loss of life to most of those on board, the surface raider would give prior warning to the ship that it was about to sink. The crew and passengers would then be saved and taken prisoners before the ship was sunk. Because of intense international criticism of Germany's U-boat activities, the Kaiser, against the wishes of his admirals, wanted U-boat activity curtailed, but supported the use of surface raiders.
The Wolf was the most successful of these undercover raiders and its captain planned to sail the southern oceans for a least a year, without entering any port, keeping radio silence the whole time, before returning to Germany. The German Admiralty considered this an impossibliity and that six months was the maximum time possible before having to return to port. Apart from problems of insufficient fuel, water and food there was the dsitinct possibilty of crew mutiny and prosoners rebelling. But the captain persisted and was at sea for over fourteen months before reurning to Germany. The Wolf obtained its essential supplies of fuel, water and food from ships it captured.
There was not any mutiny amongst the crew nor trouble with the prisoners and, surprisingly, a good feeling developed amongst many of them, and even a few friendships were made.
A most intriguing and entertaining story.
S Pritchard, New Zealand.
Unlike submerged submarines, which sank unarmed merchant ships without warning and, often, with loss of life to most of those on board, the surface raider would give prior warning to the ship that it was about to sink. The crew and passengers would then be saved and taken prisoners before the ship was sunk. Because of intense international criticism of Germany's U-boat activities, the Kaiser, against the wishes of his admirals, wanted U-boat activity curtailed, but supported the use of surface raiders.
The Wolf was the most successful of these undercover raiders and its captain planned to sail the southern oceans for a least a year, without entering any port, keeping radio silence the whole time, before returning to Germany. The German Admiralty considered this an impossibliity and that six months was the maximum time possible before having to return to port. Apart from problems of insufficient fuel, water and food there was the dsitinct possibilty of crew mutiny and prosoners rebelling. But the captain persisted and was at sea for over fourteen months before reurning to Germany. The Wolf obtained its essential supplies of fuel, water and food from ships it captured.
There was not any mutiny amongst the crew nor trouble with the prisoners and, surprisingly, a good feeling developed amongst many of them, and even a few friendships were made.
A most intriguing and entertaining story.
S Pritchard, New Zealand.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Have just read this book which covers a mostly forgotten part of World War 1, Germany's effective use of commerce raiders. The book covers one of the least well known raiders - the SMS Wolf.
The authors have produced a highly readable book which contains interesting social observations of the time, in particular some of the social and racial attitudes which seem completely out of date today.
My only criticisms are there some careless observations in the book - such as stating that 75% of British merchant ships at sea were sunk in April 1917, actually it was 1 in 4 25%, stating that the Red Army rolled into Berlin in August 1945 wheras that was in May 1945, and stating that the old ship was scuttled in the early 30's- she was much more likely to have been sold for scrap and other histories record that as her fate in 1931.
Sorry to be so pedantic!
The authors have produced a highly readable book which contains interesting social observations of the time, in particular some of the social and racial attitudes which seem completely out of date today.
My only criticisms are there some careless observations in the book - such as stating that 75% of British merchant ships at sea were sunk in April 1917, actually it was 1 in 4 25%, stating that the Red Army rolled into Berlin in August 1945 wheras that was in May 1945, and stating that the old ship was scuttled in the early 30's- she was much more likely to have been sold for scrap and other histories record that as her fate in 1931.
Sorry to be so pedantic!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
It would be wonderful Hollywood material even it this story wasn't true. It was a lost asterisk during the horrible blood bath of WW1. In a purpose-built commerce raider, disguised as a common merchantman, Kapitan Karl Nerger, with a large crew near 350 men, sailed from Kiel in the SMS Wulf in late 1916. Evading capture or even detection, he sunk or caused to sink over 30 Allied vessels across three oceans without ever making port or broadcasting one message until he returned to Kiel. Its a rousing sea tale about a well-equipped corsair which included a recon aircraft and state-of-the-art radio gear and a well-trained, seasoned crew. That's not the half of it. Nerger's secret, withheld even from most of the crew, was that he would replenish coal and provisions from his prizes and stay at sea. No letters home for this crew and they were NOT alone. His merchant prizes contained valuable cargos and lots of people. Allied soldiers and sailors, passangers and crews. These were crammed into two huge holds but all allowed some fresh air daily. Four hundred prisoners, four hundred stories. Along with those of captain and crew of SMS Wulf. All fascinating.
A fun read with an outstanding effort by the author to run down many relatives of the cast aboard that forgotten ship, a little bubble in the caldron of war.
A fun read with an outstanding effort by the author to run down many relatives of the cast aboard that forgotten ship, a little bubble in the caldron of war.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Forgotten events in an almost forgotten war
While I was doing research in the University of Washington's main library, I found one section the stacks very depressing. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Michael W. Perry
Best account of a German raider in either WWI or WWII
The best of several accounts I have read of a disguised German raider in WWI or WWII. In WWI the SMS Wulf was a freighter armed with guns & mines and disguised to prey on merchant... Read more
Published 13 months ago by David Lloyd
The story of one of Germany's most successful WW1 commerce raiders for...
Guilliatt and Hohnen have done a solid job of combining official reports, eye witness accounts and fragments from previously unpublished private memoirs into a fairly good read on... Read more
Published 15 months ago by AK
Surface Raiders
The WW1 war at sea was as bitterly fought as anywhere else but where the surface raiders were concerned the whole sea war seems to have been fought without any personal animosity. Read more
Published 17 months ago by James Wells
Excellent read
The story of the Wolf is one that was virtually forgotten and yet this was an epic and successful voyage by a German mercantile raider. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Comical Engineer
Highly recommended
A very interesting book, from all points of view. The stories of the captive crews, the way they related to the Wolff's crew, the personalities of some of the crew and captives,... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Lb Lewis
The Wolf
This is a remarkable story. It is hard to believe that a group of sailors could exist for such a long time without going into port. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Mr. Peter Morris
War at Sea
This is an interesting story about a German merchant raider in the First World War. It describes its voyage from its base in Germany to the Pacific and back. Read more
Published on 20 Jan 2010 by James I. Wilson
privateers at their best
The summary for this book would suggest it's a dry, stilted history with interviews with historical personages and documentary extracts, akin to The World at War. Read more
Published on 13 Nov 2009 by Mr. D. Lupton
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