Kriegsmarine Raider "ATLANTIS" Book

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NAZI KRIEGSMARINE RAIDER ATLANTIS BOOK

A RARE EXAMPLE OF
THE NAZI BOOK
,,DIE KRIEGSFAHRT DES
HILFSKREUZER ATLANTIS’’
(THE WAR-TIME JOURNEY
OF THE AUXILIARY
CRUISER “ATLANTIS”)
1944

This is a rare example of the 8-1/2 x 11-3/4 inch, very heavily illustrated hardcover book ,,Die Kriegsfahrt des Hilfskreuzer ATLANTIS’’ (The Wartime Journey of the Auxiliary Cruiser “ATLANTIS”) by Kaptänleutnant Dr. Ulrich Mohr as published by Verlag John Jahr in Berlin, Germany in 1944. Kaptänleutnant Dr. Mohr was the Adjutant aboard the ATLANTIS during her amazing 20 month round-the-world cruise that began in Kiel on 31 March 1940, so he knew her story intimately.

Actually, the story of the ATLANTIS began somewhat earlier, in the fall of 1939, when Admiral Erich Raeder ordered the conversion of six old freighters into “Hilfskreuzers” or Armed Surface Raiders. German shipyards modified the Old Hansa Line freighter ,,Goldenfels’’ into what looked like an inoffensive neutral merchant ship that could navigate the world’s oceans without challenge. Under her false skin the newly launched ATLANTIS was equipped with powerful new diesel engines, chocked full with fuel, food, ammunition and water and well-armed with 75 mm and 150 mm guns, torpedoes and mines.

ATLANTIS put to sea in 1940 disguised as a Russian ship under the command of Captain Bernhard Rogge. As she traveled she continually reinvented herself through adjustments and changes made to her telescoping and disappearing funnels and masts, removable super structure, fake deck cargo and the “passengers” that lounged about her decks. She patrolled the seas masquerading as the Japanese freighter “Kasii Maru” and ships of other neutral countries.

Of the fleet of surface raiders launched in 1940, ATLANTIS was the most successful. Her first kill was the British freighter “Scientist” bound for Liverpool with a cargo of grain and chromium. In twenty months ATLANTIS sailed over 102,000 miles, captured or sank 22 ships (including the Egyptian “Zamzam” with 138 Americans out of the 340 passengers aboard), captured hundreds of prisoners and obtained critical raw materials like rubber by the hundreds of tons.

The crew of the ATLANTIS returned to Germany without her, in a long chain of rubber boats pulled by a submarine for an incredible 1000 miles! Naturally, the crew received an incredible heroes welcome, stacks of medals and even a personal visit from Großadmiral Raeder. Their odyssey was one of the most incredible true stories to come out of World War II.

The condition of this 61 year old book is very good.

The book contains almost 200 very rare photographs of the men and the equipment of the ATLANTIS, photos of their victims, their celebrations, their rescue, and of course, their heroes welcome in Berlin.

Interested in original Kriegsmarine photo albums? Click HERE.

This rare Kriegsmarine / Atlantis book is **SOLD**.

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