Felix von Luckner

Felix von Luckner
Nickname(s)Der Seeteufel (The Sea Devil)
Die Piraten des Kaisers (The Emperor's Pirates)
Born(1881-06-09)9 June 1881
Dresden, German Empire
Died13 April 1966(1966-04-13) (aged 84)
Malmö, Sweden
Allegiance German Empire (1903-04, 1908-19)
 Weimar Republic (1918–22)
Service / branch Imperial German Navy
 Reichsmarine
Years of service1903–04, 1908-22
RankKorvettenkapitän (Captain)
UnitSMS Panther
SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm
CommandsSMS Seeadler
Kronprinzessin Cecilie (sloop)
Niobe (schooner)
Battles / warsWorld War I
AwardsPour le Mérite
Iron Cross 1st Class
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Other workSailor, author, memoirist

Felix Nikolaus Alexander Georg Graf[1] 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.

  1. ^ Regarding personal names: Until 1919, Graf was a title, translated as 'Count', not a first or middle name. The female form is Gräfin. In Germany, it has formed part of family names since 1919.