During WW2, Emperor Hirohito of Japan awarded only 3 ceremonial swords in his personal gift to officers of the German Military. One to Hermann Goering in his capacity as commanding officer of the Luftwaffe, one to Field Marshall Irwin Romel, and one to Captain Bernhard Rogge.
This is a picture of Captain Bernhard Rogge, master of the German Raider, ATLANTIS during the second World War.
Like many officers of the Kriegsmarine, or German Navy, he was of Jewish descent. Unlike many, though, he saw distinguished service in WW2 as commanding officer of the raider ATLANTIS. He rose to the rank of Vice Admiral in the Kriegsmarine, and served as Rear Admiral in the West German navy. Following the war's end, Captain Rogge was one of very few senior officers not arrested, due in large part to the conduct of his command of the ATLANTIS. In fact, in the words of Captain J. Armstrong-White, master of City Of Baghdad, sunk by the ATLANTIS in July, 1941, "His treatment of prisoners left respect, instead of hatred".
There is much to come in the days ahead, including the secret dossier that led to the downfall of Singapore and laid the way for the Japanese invasion of Singapore. The master of the German Raider Atlantis is central to the dye of the second world war, events that unfolded due to the actions, in many respects, of a single German Naval Officer, and a man of singular high warrant as a man and as a sailor. Captain Bernhard Rogge.
