Buy used:

$4.75

FREE delivery April 22 - 27. Details

Used: Good | Details

Sold by Great Time Books

Share

Have one to sell?

Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See this image

Follow the Author

Colin Simpson

The Ship That Hunted Itself Hardcover – March 1, 1977

by Colin Simpson (Author)

12 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$33.00

$64.15

$32.98

Hardcover, March 1, 1977

$4.75

—

$4.75

Paperback

"Please retry"

$3.07

—

$3.07

Records the unusual World War I naval battle between two 18,000 ton British and German ocean liners, both of which had been converted into armed merchant cruisers and had, because of their vulnerability, taken on the disguise of the enemy

Print length

207 pages
Language

English
Publisher

UNKNO
Publication date

March 1, 1977
ISBN-10

0812819268
ISBN-13

978-0812819267
See all details

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ UNKNO (March 1, 1977)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 207 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0812819268
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0812819267
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds

Best Sellers Rank: #4,348,358 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews:
12 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Colin Simpson

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

5 star		77%
4 star		17%
3 star		6%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Kiwiwriter

One of the most bizarre stories of naval warfare is brought to life in a lively and compelling manner

Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2015

Verified Purchase

This is one of the most bizarre stories in the history of naval warfare.

On the outbreak of World War I, a German liner, the Cap Trafalgar, was in South America. The Kaiser ordered it turned into an armed merchant raider, something for which it was not fitted, by its civilian design, and, more importantly, lack of armament. The former could not be changed, but the latter was provided from the German African river gunboat Eber. Cap Trafalgar's captain cleverly decided to disguise his identity by camouflaging his ship as a British liner, picking out the Carmania.

At the same time, the real RMS Carmania was called up to serve as an Armed Merchant Cruiser, loaded with guns, given a Royal Navy captain, and sent to the South Atlantic to hunt for...German liners operating as merchant raiders. In doing so, the Carmania's captain thought it would be clever to disguise his ship as a German liner, and did so. By coincidence, he picked the Cap Trafalgar, and did so.

By even greater coincidence, the two ships met in battle, and fought an extremely heroic engagement.

Colin Simpson, a veteran historian and naval writer, did an outstanding job of telling this compelling story, with its array of colorful characters, humor, heroism, and even pigs. You will read this book and find yourself amazed that such a bizarre story could have ever happened -- it would not have passed the desk of any fiction editor. But it's all true.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Chris

A fascinating piece of nautical history.

Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2016

Verified Purchase

This is a well written book about a fascinating bit of history. During World War I, two ocean liners, the Carmania and the Cap Trafalgar, were converted by their respective countries (England and Germany) into armed warships and sent out to hunt enemy vessels. The captain of each vessel decided to disguise his ship and ironically the two ships took on the appearance of each other. Even more ironic, they found and did battle with each other.
The author has done a great deal of research not only about the ships, their commanders and crew, but also the conditions in their countries' government and Navies. There is also a light touch with some humorous anecdotes added so that this is far from a dull and dry history lesson. I was delighted to find this book and add it to my collection.

Helpful

Helen Halva

excellent book---non-fiction but reads like a novel

Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2020

Verified Purchase

This book is an extremely well-written, engaging account of little-known naval activity in the early days of WWI. The reportage is thorough but the characters of the participants are very well and sensitively drawn. The narration is sympathetic to all characters and contains many humorous episodes and descriptions. It is extremely well researched. The sense of honor motivating the characters is very refreshing to this 21st c. American reader.

Helpful

Kevin M Quigg

The epic battle between the Cap Trafalgar and the Carmania.

Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2004

At the outset of WWI, the British used some of the large passenger liners as auxillary cruisers. The Germans did the same, but were not as organized as the British. This book is about the fight between two of these armed vessels. The British represented by the Carmania was rapidly converted to war use by the addition of guns. The German Cap Tradalgar was converted using the guns of an old gunboat. Both made themselves look like the other, and when they finally met, the Germans were bested simply because their opponent had more guns. The German ship sank, and the Carmania averted sinking only through diligent action by the crew members.
Simpson does a good job of detailing the conflict between these two opponents. This probably was not an epic battle, and it determined nothing toward the final outcome of the war. It was a battle between two big ocean liners. The story was well told.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

patrick

BACK_COVER SYNOPSIS

Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2008

"At the outbreak of WW1, the 18000-ton British liner Carmania was in Liverpool. The 18000-ton German liner Cap Trafalgar was in Buenos Aires.Each ship's captain was ordered to convert his vessel into an armed merchant cruiser.Both ships used sandbags in absence of armour-plates and both were on active service within two weeks. Each captain, fearful that the hasty conversion left his ship an easy target, resorted to disguise.

by coincidence, each ship disguised itself as the other!

by even greater coincidence...they both met in the South Atlantic!

The ensuing battle was one of the most bizarre and remarkable encounters in naval history."

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Fife and Drummer

Duel Of the Auxiliary Cruisers

Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2012

Very engaging tale of the Carmania and Cap Trafalgar battle off Trinidad at the beginning of World War I, written by a journalist.

Many interesting details on the officers and men of both sides. Strangely, the book has no index.

An area map of the South Atlantic and a tactical schematic of the battle might have added another star.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

ellison

That is US!

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2011

Engaging World War I story about two ships that just happened to disguise themselves as each other. Then they encountered each other and began shooting because obviously each was not the other. A quality read.

One person found this helpful

Helpful