Kurzbeschreibung
The scourge of Allied shipping during World War II, the U-Boot Waffe was one of the most feared components of Hitler's war machine, yet the Kriegsmarine was the least political branch of the Third Reich. The sailors of the U-boat arm were courageous, highly skilled seamen, who fought a war in the toughest conditions: subject to immense tension, and forced to cope with the challenges of the Atlantic, life for a U-boat recruit was far from easy. This title explores the life of a typical U-boat crewman, from recruitment, through training and service conditions, to combat experience throughout the war. Illustrated with many previously unpublished images, this book offers a fresh insight into the experiences of the men in Dönitz's legendary 'wolf packs'.
Synopsis
There have been few military formations in history which have elicited such mixed reactions as the U-Boat Waffe of Hitler's Kriegsmarine. Often seen by those seamen who suffered the predations of Grossadmiral Donitz's "Grey Wolfs" as some sort of sadistic monsters, the men of the U-boat arm in fact fought a war which saw a remarkable level of old-fashioned chivalry. This title takes us into the life of a typical World War II German navy U-boat crewman, serving on a type VIIc U-boat. It charts his recruitment, training, service conditions and combat experiences from 1939 to the war's end - and includes some surprising tales of how such sailors were deployed in the final days of the war.