The Odyssey of the Komet: Raider of the Third Reich

by Olivier Pigoreau

Overview

Part of the Gotenhafen on July 3, 1940 in a campaign that would last 516 days, the Komet was a cargo processed by the German Navy to operate as auxiliary cruiser allied against trade ships.

Winner of the Pacific waters’ partially frozen Arctic Ocean, this predator disguised as a Japanese vessel will carried out hunting in all oceans, even in Antarctica, boarding ten allied ships, creating insecurity off of the Australian coast and New Zealand as well as around the Panama Canal.

A fascinating adventure with 200 restored and unpublished shots.

The secret rendezvous with German supply ships at sea, the capture and destruction of enemy ships, the prisoners taken on board, daily life, ceremonies, shore excursions or meeting with the U-boats in the Atlantic: little has escaped the lens of the photographer.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9782352504559
Publisher:	Histoire & Collections
Publication date:	03/16/2016
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Olivier Pigoreau a déjà publié chez Histoire & Collections
deux autres récits historiques : «Sanglante randonnée» et «l’été
chaud des collabos», ainsi que le compte-rendu annoté du
procès de l’espion nazi Roland Nosek.

Editorial Reviews

...includes an introduction by Max Moulin, a retired naval officer active in French maritime history associations...While much has been published on the famous German commerce raiders, what distinguishes this volume is the stunning photography, roughly 200 images taken during the ship’s 1940-1941 deployment that are believed to have been made by the ship’s senior medical officer. Candid, high-quality images make this a truly remarkable “cruise book”, giving an intimate and extensive view of the ship, its crew, and its activities never before seen in such detail, all the more remarkable for the clandestine nature of the ship’s activity and its early destruction at the outset of a second deployment soon afterwards. "

Warship International

"The author’s previously mentioned introduction should be noted as one of the best written on the subject, useful for a popular audience as well as professional scholars. One memorable example is the statistic that, on average, German armed merchant cruisers sank 90,000 tons per ship while U-boats averaged only 15,000 tons apiece … photographs were a great find and they are now presented in an easy-to-access manner for anyone interested in the topic. Readers from all backgrounds will enjoy this book and specialists in the field should be pleasantly surprised. It is a recommended read and a chance to “step back aboard."

The Northern Mariner

The author’s previously mentioned introduction should be noted as one of the best written on the subject, useful for a popular audience as well as professional scholars. One memorable example is the statistic that, on average, German armed merchant cruisers sank 90,000 tons per ship while U-boats averaged only 15,000 tons apiece … photographs were a great find and they are now presented in an easy-to-access manner for anyone interested in the topic. Readers from all backgrounds will enjoy this book and specialists in the field should be pleasantly surprised. It is a recommended read and a chance to “step back aboard.

The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord

...includes an introduction by Max Moulin, a retired naval officer active in French maritime history associations...While much has been published on the famous German commerce raiders, what distinguishes this volume is the stunning photography, roughly 200 images taken during the ship’s 1940-1941 deployment that are believed to have been made by the ship’s senior medical officer. Candid, high-quality images make this a truly remarkable “cruise book”, giving an intimate and extensive view of the ship, its crew, and its activities never before seen in such detail, all the more remarkable for the clandestine nature of the ship’s activity and its early destruction at the outset of a second deployment soon afterwards. "

Warships International