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Description: | obverse design: sea monster, having the head and forequarters of a lion and the tail of a whale, wearing an admiral's
cocked hat and standing in an open boat which is flying the the English naval ensign and is armed with cannon. To the right of the monster,
a seagull flying from left to right, the tip of its right wing hitting the monster on the nose. In the background, two stylised
warships.
obverse text: 'S.M.S. MÖWE HEIMKEHR'
reverse design: dolphins, two, positioned head to head, their tales curved back to form an elaborate cartouche which encloses four lines of
embossed text.
reverse text: 'DAS WELTMEERE-HERRSCHENDE ALBION ZEICHNET IN GOLD EINE MILLION' & '4.MÄRZ 1916' (upper centre edge)
exergue: 'IV.REICHS-KRIEGS ANLEIHE'
This 1916 satirical medal by Goetz was designed to raise money for the 4th National War Loan. The piece pokes fun at
the Royal Navy's failure to prevent the German commerce raider Möwe's attacks on British and allied commerce in the Atlantic and celebrates
the successful return of the vessel, despite the British naval blockade, to its home port in March 1916. The Möwe (literally 'Seagull' - a
name the Germans made great play on), commanded by Count Dohna-Schlodien, was a converted merchantman of 4,500 tons fitted as a minelayer
and armed fore and aft with two groups of guns and two torpedo tubes. Her appearance as a trader was preserved by having the Swedish
colours painted on her sides. As a result of the German decision to revert to the policy of surface commerce raiders, following the
cessation of the submarine campaign the Möwe was ordered to sea to lay mines and then to carry on cruiser warfare. The obverse text on the
piece is translated as 'Return of the Möwe', the reverse text as 'Albion ruler of the waves subscribes a million in gold' (a reference to
the seizure of bullion from the SS Appam) and the exergue text as '4th National War Loan'. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Subjects: | satirical Cruise of & 29/12/1915 - 5/3/1916 Naval Operations Atlantic & SMS Möwe German Navy & SMS Möwe commemorative First World War | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Goetz, Karl | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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