One of the lesser reported events of World War 2 is the success achieved by Germany's "Surface Raiders" or Armed Merchant Ships.

Look at a globe depicting the world's land masses, and you will be impressed by the vast expanses of oceans that circle the earth, in fact, seven tenths of the World's surface is water.

These oceans became "Home" for the "Marauders of the Sea" in W.W.2 carrying a slew of names such as "Atlantis," (no doubt the doyen of this group) "Orion," "Widder." "Thor," "Pinguin," "Komet," "Michel," "Stier," and "Togo, and, the best known, "Kormoran," who was involved with the disappearance and death of the famous Australian Cruiser "Sydney," "

In its own small way this work seeks to redress the paucity of reportage in this area of Maritime History.

Atlantis (Ship 16)

This ship was known as Ship 16 to Berlin, and was given the code letter "C"' by the Bristish Admiralty. She commissioned under her Captain, Captain Bernard Rogge, on the 19th. of December 1939.

Rogge gave her the name "Atlantis." the first of a proposed nine disguised cornmerce raiders planned to operate in two separate waves.

The I939-l940 winter in Europe was a particularly severe one. The proposed German offensive in the west was postponed many times due to the prevailing appaling weather.

Thus, Rogge and his 'Atlantis' could not sail for trials until March31 1940, A month later than planned. The former battleship "Hiessen" launched in 1903, had fought at Jutland, and was now serving as a radio controlled target vessel was set to act as an icebreaker. With some difficulty she forced a passage for herself and "Atlantis" plus two other raiders, "Widder," and "Orion" into the North Sea.

Timing was paramount, waters of the far north were usually deserted, but the imminent German attack on Norway would, no doubt, attract the attention of the British Home Fleet. "Atlantis" sailed only a week before German forces departed for the Norway Campaign and was disguised as the "Krim," a Russian auxiliary warship.

"Atlantis," with the help of a blizzard and misty weather worked her way undetected down the Greenland coast and by April 24-25 had crossed the equator. As a Russian ship was very unlikely to be sailing in these waters, she became lie Japanese 8,400 ton "Kasii Maru.''

This formidable raider captained by a most resourceful officer carried 6 by 5.9 inch guns hidden behind collapsible bulkheads. one 75 millimeter gun, 6 light AA guns, 4 torpedo tubes and 92 mines, plus a Heinkel 114 seaplane.

Rogge was a master of disguises for his ship, having, at different times, posed as a British, Russian, Japanese, Norwegian or Netherland's ship. Children from ships sunk were used on the upper deck as a screen, a few passengers, including a woman with a pram paraded the Boat Deck.

"H.M.S. DEVONSHIRE" - Entering Freetown Harbour, West Africa, after Sinking the "Atlantis"

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