Luckner, << LOOK ner, >> Count von (1881-1966), Felix Luckner, a German naval officer, was one of the most colorful figures of World War I. He first saw service in 1916 at the Battle of Jutland on the North Sea. Later, he disguised a small ship as a Norwegian lumber ship and sailed through the British blockade. He is said to have sunk about 20 Allied ships. Luckner’s ship, the Seeadler (Sea Eagle), eventually was wrecked, and he was captured by the British. Luckner was freed after the war.
After World War I, Luckner lived for several years in the United States, where he often lectured about his adventures. During World War II, the Nazis imprisoned him for a time. When the Americans approached the city of Halle in 1945, Luckner arranged for its surrender. He was born in Dresden.
