Felix von Luckner
Felix von Luckner | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Der Seeteufel (The Sea Devil) Die Piraten des Kaisers (The Emperor's Pirates) |
| Born | 9 June 1881 Dresden, German Empire |
| Died | 13 April 1966 (aged 84) Malmö, Sweden |
| Allegiance | German Empire (1903-04, 1908-19) Weimar Republic (1918–22) |
| Branch | Imperial German Navy Reichsmarine |
| Years of service | 1903–04, 1908-22 |
| Rank | Korvettenkapitän (Captain) |
| Unit | SMS Panther SMS Kronprinz |
| Commands | SMS Seeadler Kronprinzessin Cecilie (sloop) Niobe (schooner) |
| Battles / wars | World War I |
| Awards | Pour le Mérite Iron Cross 1st Class Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany |
| Other work | Sailor, author, memoirist |
Felix Nikolaus Alexander Georg Graf von Luckner (9 June 1881, Dresden – 13 April 1966, Malmö), sometimes called Count Luckner in English, was a German nobleman, naval officer, author, and sailor who earned the epithet Der Seeteufel (the Sea Devil), and his crew that of Die Piraten des Kaisers (the Emperor's Pirates), for his exploits in command of the sailing commerce raider SMS Seeadler (Sea Eagle) during the First World War. After the war, Luckner became a war hero in Germany and was renowned around the world for his seamanship and chivalrous conduct during the war, which resulted in a minimal loss of life on both sides.