Pinguin: The German Merchant Raider That Terrified the Allies in WWII
February 17, 2026
Writes Tim McGraw:
Years ago, I read a book about the German Merchant Raider Atlantis (the book is now out of print; I found a used copy online). The captain of the Atlantis was a great leader. After the war, he became head of the West German Navy. The Atlantis was at sea for over three years (if I remember correctly). It was a record that still stands for days at sea. Occasionally, the Captain of the Atlantis would find a deserted island and let his crew, two at a time, spend two hours on land.
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The seaplane pilot of the Atlantis was also as crazy as the one on the Pinguin. He, too, used a grappling hook to take down an enemy ship’s radio antenna. The floatplane eventually crashed in heavy seas next to the Atlantis, and the pilot was rescued.
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The German merchant raiders were captained and crewed by the best of men. The German Captains and crews did their best not to kill enemy crewmen.
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The Best of Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.
Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., former editorial assistant to Ludwig von Mises and congressional chief of staff to Ron Paul, is founder and chairman of the Mises Institute, executor for the estate of Murray N. Rothbard, and editor of LewRockwell.com. He is the author of Against the State and Against the Left. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
If U.S. or Israel will again invade Iran, Iran very possibly would win.