{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.026030368763557483, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0010845986984815619, 'mean_word_length': 5.112582781456954, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
The Auxiliary Cruiser Thor's Death and Transfiguration: A case study in Nazi newsreel propaganda in the Second World War

In Germanic belief, Thor, the god of thunder, is the protector of the gods, a deity constantly involved in battles with giants [1]. During the Second World War, the German propaganda machine created its very own myth about ‘Thor’—in the shape of an auxiliary cruiser named for the god of thunder that, ironically, was accidentally destroyed by fire in a Japanese harbour. German propagandists never informed the outside world about the destruction of the Thor. Moreover, nearly a year after its disappearance, Nazi newsreels ran stories alleging that the so-called auxiliary cruiser was still preying on allied ships. This case study, which describes a hitherto ignored example of German military propaganda, not only focuses on newsreel reports but also takes other communication media into account.