German naval officer (1881–1966) who earned the nickname ‘Sea Devil’ for his legendary maritime exploits during World War I. Attractive color 6.75 x 9 print of Christopher Rave’s painting of Captain Felix von Luckner’s commerce raider SMS Seeadler (Sea Eagle) cutting through open ocean waves, signed below in fountain pen, “Felix Graf Luckner, 34.” In fine condition.
On December 21, 1916, the SMS Seeadler sailed under the command of Felix von Luckner. Disguised as a Norwegian wood carrier, the ship succeeded in crossing the British blockading line and, over the next 225 days, captured 15 ships in the Atlantic and Pacific. Her journey ended wrecked on a reef at the island of Mopelia 280 miles from Tahiti in the Society Islands, part of French Polynesia. Too big for Mopelia's harbour, the ship was anchored outside the reef, where she was ultimately destroyed by a tsunami wave on August 2, 1917.
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