# German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis



## Smokey (Aug 15, 2005)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantis_auxiliary_cruiser

This cruiser captured some mail from the cargo ship Automedon on November 11, 1939. This mail included the whole of the Top Secret mail for the High Command, Far East, new code tables, and a War Cabinet report on British forces, defenses of Singapore, information regarding Australia and New Zealand, and an appraisal of Japanese intentions. Automedon was sunk at 1507.

The documents, POWs, and 10,000 tons of aviation fuel were sent to Japan, aboard Ole Jacob. The mail reached the German embassy in Tokyo, on December 5, and was then hand-carried to Berlin via the Trans-Siberian railway. A copy was given to the Japanese and it is sometimes argued that this played a prominent part in the Japanese decision to initiate what it referred to as the, "Greater East Asia War". Rogge was rewarded with an ornate katana Samurai sword.


----------



## Parmigiano (Aug 15, 2005)

There was a book 'Atlantis' by Ulrich Mohr about the cruise of this 'pirate' ship. Mohr was part of the Atlantis crew.


----------

