228 GERMAN COMMERCE RAIDERS 1914-18

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This is the story of Germany's commerce raiders of World War I, the surface ships that were supposed to starve the British Isles of the vast cargoes of vital resources being shipped from the furthest reaches of the Empire. To that end, pre-war German naval strategists allocated a number of cruisers and armed, fast ocean liners to the effort supported by a complex and globe-spanning supply system known as the Etappe network.

This book explains the often overlooked role that the commerce raiders played in World War I. Whilst exploring the design and development of the ships, it also describes their operational history, how they tied up a disproportionate amount of the British fleet on lengthy pursuits, and how certain raiders such as the SMS Emden were able to wreak havoc across the oceans.