The Quebec comic book “Les derniers corsaires” tells what appears to be true stories, although it is difficult for me to verify every detail in the book. There may also be some inventions on the part of the authors.
The events are said to have taken place during World War II aboard various British submarines, including the Thorn. Their officers learn on the job and sometimes narrowly avoid making critical mistakes.
For example, Lieutenant Woolf of the Royal Navy wants to quickly defeat the Germans, despite his relative inexperience and flawed strategies. His desire to rack up trophies and earn the rank of captain puts the submarine in danger. In a naval battle, haste is a poor advisor.
This officer redeems himself in a big way as he learns to use all the tools at his disposal to improve his risk management and make brilliant and courageous decisions. Sailors who were previously hesitant to follow him now support him to the death if necessary.
The story is surprising in its intensity and the amount of information it contains. It gives a better understanding of some of the qualities and knowledge required to gain an advantage over an opponent while avoiding costly mistakes. The comic book is a page-turner. You want to know everything, even though that’s obviously not possible.
The content of the correspondence between Captain Woolf and his brother provides a powerful conclusion to this comic book. While researching the content of the comic book, the authors discovered a website (www.walterwoolf.letters.org) which was blocked three days later. The correspondence downloaded during this short period of time reveals interesting information.
Thus, as the war was about to end in favour of the Allies, the SS based in the North Atlantic intended to launch a bacteriological war. They transported Hagen’s bacillus (possibly Hansen’s bacillus) to France by sea on the sailing ship Göteborg.
Although the mission failed and the bacillus did not reach its destination, its discovery on the sailboat raises several questions that have yet to be answered. The crew set off for a desolate spot in Greenland to await nature’s verdict. Were those who discovered the bacillus infected? Where did the entire crew disappear?
The authors write: “In 2001, Denmark declared part of Greenland’s west coast and hinterland a military exclusion zone, which remained in place until 2009. It can be assumed that intensive research is being carried out there.”
This is a well-crafted comic book that will leave no one indifferent.
Title: Les derniers corsaires (The Last Corsairs)
Authors: Jocelyn Houde and Marc Richard
Publisher: La Pastèque, 2012
ISBN: 978-2-923841-14-4
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