Kriegsmarine Auxiliary Cruisers New Vanguard 156 Written by Gordon Williamson Illustrated by Ian Palmer 48 pages ISBN: 978-1-8460-3333-9 Kriegsmarine Auxiliary Cruisers at Osprey... I have had an interest in naval combat ever since first reading about the battles of the Coral Sea and Leyte Gulf when I was a child and whether it is sail and cannon, or nuclear reactors and guided missiles, I still enjoy reading about the various aspects of their operational history. Gordon and Ian have done an excellent job in presenting a well researched, thoroughly interesting read about a small group of commerce raiders that were far more effective (in terms of the cost and materials) than their more famous counterparts. The book starts with a brief introduction before moving into more detailed reviews of the activities of 11 different Auxiliary Cruisers. The story of these vessels briefly covers their introduction into service and specifications before moving into their operational history and captains.

Whilst there are numerous interesting stories, there were two leapt out at me. Both came from the history of HSK 1 – Orion, which laid mines around the approaches to the Hauraki Gulf (the Gulf is literally outside out offices at Battlefront in Aukland), sinking the Niagra which was carrying 8 tons of gold bullion, belonging to the Bank of England. Later during the Orion’s voyage the ship changed identities and due to a lack of Japanese ship names, ended up being known as ‘Not suitable for use in the tropics’. The history of the vessels is well backed up by a great range of photos and illustrations, which would be invaluable for anyone looking to recreate these ships in any scale, whether it was for modeling or gaming purposes. Numerous pictures from the Deutsches U-Boot Museum are included in the book for those us that may never have the opportunity to visit. If you have any interest in World War Two naval actions and are looking to learn about these heavily armed predators, then this is a great place to start. Chris