The Wolf (book review)

 The Wolf

By Richard Guilliatt & Peter Hohnen

Published by William Heinemann

ISBN 978-1-74166-624-3

Paperback, 366 pages

Now as readers of this blog may know I`m not a naval wargamer, also I don`t really find WW1 of much interest either. So a book about a German surface raider during WW1 would appear well outside my field of interest, well I was wrong and in this review I will explain why.

I picked the book up off a fellow wargamer and professional painter Stuart Foley`s clearance sale, I picked a few interesting titles outside my usual interests. First off I was aware of German surface raiders during both World Wars, the Emden and Seeadler are famous stories known to many readers I`m sure. 

Also one of my all time favourite war movies is Under Ten Flags (1960) with Van Heflin, Charles Laughton and the stunning Mylene Demongeot about a WW2 surface raider. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054328/

But I was unaware of SMS Wolf and the incredible story of her voyage and tour of duty during WW1!

The Wolf originally a freighter called Wachtfels, she was converted into a raider at the navy docks at Wilhelmshaven under the close eye of her Captain – Karl Nerger and set sail on her mission on 18 November 1916.

The book, which uses multiple sources: Kriegsmarine, Royal, Australian and New Zealand Navies logs and reports, plus official records. Personal accounts from both crew and prisoners and intelligence officers; plus news reports from all across the globe! Tells a gripping and interesting tale of the ship, her crew and the prisoners they took; plus the effects of the actions which caused such great consternation among the British, Australian and New Zealand governments they took great pains to censor any mention of the raider! This effect was to lead to the loss of more ships and lives as vessels sailed unknowingly into waters mined by the raider!

The raider`s tour took her around the North Sea, down through the Atlantic, across the Indian Ocean into the Pacific and back again – a total of 64,000 miles!! She was at sea for an incredible 444 days without once making port, though they did occasionally stop at isolated islands to strip ships they had captured, like pirates! The Wolf`s wartime achievements were of course exaggerated by the Kreigsmarine and played down by the Allies, but the book using modern, now unclassified archives credits her with thirty (30) victims, either captured and sunk or sunk/damaged by mines she had laid!

A terrific read, highly recommended.