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| peter dönitz: Dönitz Peter Padfield, 2001 A distinguished naval historian and biographer paints a riveting portrait of Grand Admiral Karl Donitz, the Supreme Commander of the German Navy and mastermind of World War Two's devastating submarine war. As Germany slid inexorably towards defeat in 1945, the Fuhrer rewarded his most loyal supporter by appointing Donitz his successor--the Third Reich's final leader. Compellingly readable...conveys a flavor of Nazi leadership unmatched by anything outside the memoirs of Albert Speer. It is difficult to frame higher praise.--John Keegan. |
| peter dönitz: The Deadly Deep Iain Ballantyne, 2018-12-04 A fascinating and comprehensive account of how an initially ineffectual underwater boat—originally derided and loathed in equal measure—evolved into the most powerful and terrifying vessel ever invented—with enough destructive power to end all life on Earth. Iain Ballantyne considers the key episodes of submarine warfare and vividly describes the stories of brave individuals who have risked their lives under the sea, often with fatal consequences. His analysis of underwater conflict begins with Archimedes discovering the Principle of Buoyancy. Our clandestine journey then moves through the centuries and focuses on prolific characters with deathly motives, including David Bushnell, who in 1775 in America devised the first combat submarine with the idea of attacking the British. Today, nuclear-powered submarines are among the most complex, costly ships in existence. Armed with nuclear weapons, they have the ability to destroy millions of lives: they are the most powerful warships ever created. At the heart of this thrilling narrative lurks danger and power as we discover warfare’s murkiest secrets. |
| peter dönitz: The Sea and the Second World War Marcus Faulkner, Alessio Patalano, 2019-12-10 The sea shaped the course and conduct of World War II, from the first moments of the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, to the Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945. The impact could be felt far beyond the shoreline, as the arms and armies carried across the oceans were ultimately destined to wage war ashore. Populations and industries depended on the raw materials and supplies in a war that increasingly became a contest of national will and economic might. Ultimately, it was the war at sea that linked numerous regional conflicts and theaters of operation into a global war. As the war grew in complexity and covered an increasingly larger geographical area, the organization of the maritime effort and the impact it had on the formulation of national strategy also evolved. This volume illustrates the impact of naval operations on the Second World War by highlighting topics previously neglected in the scholarship. In doing so, it provides new insights into political, strategic, administrative, and operational aspects of the maritime dimension of the war. |
| peter dönitz: How Hitler Evolved the Traditional Army Establishment Andrew Sangster, Pier-Paolo Battistelli, Pier Paolo Battistelli, 2024-08-30 An examination of Hitler's key military generals and their contributions and failures to the Germany military. Under the surveillance of General von Seeckt the Germans re-established their military, which Hitler utilised for his aggression of recovering Germany’s military greatness. This book explores some of the leading military figures. The often-ignored Field Marshal Keitel is explored, to see if there were any substance in the Allied belief that this Chief of the OKW was the driving force behind initial German success or was he merely Hitler’s lackey and bureaucrat. He was derided by his contemporaries because of his unstinting Prussian obedience to Hitler. This sense of total compliance was also reflected by General Paulus, who although obedient, was reluctant to carry out Hitler’s barbaric orders relating to Jews and prisoners, but otherwise was obedient and trusting of Hitler even though he knew it would lead to military disaster. It took time in a Russian prison camp to turn him against the once adored German dictator where he eventually became anti-Nazi. In striking contrast to the failed Paulus Field Marshal Manstein is examined. He was a skilled strategist and tactician and proved this in his victory in France. He lacked the social sophistication of many other leading military commanders, but he was one of the very few who had the courage to challenge Hitler’s military directions and decisions. He was eventually dismissed by Hitler and postwar wrote two books to regain his reputation, despite the fact he was convicted of war crimes, and whether he deserves a pedestal remains with the reader. |
| peter dönitz: Torpedoed! Philip Lecane, 2005 The long forgotten story of the sinking of the R.M.S. Leinster in the dying days of the First World War is brought back to life in this tale of the disaster. The book tells the stories of those on board the Leinster and UB-123 and examines not only the sinking but also its ramifications for those left behind. |
| peter dönitz: Anti-Submarine Warfare in World War I John Abbatiello, 2006-05-02 Investigating the employment of British aircraft against German submarines during the final years of the First World War, this new book places anti-submarine campaigns from the air in the wider history of the First World War. The Royal Naval Air Service invested heavily in aircraft of all types—aeroplanes, seaplanes, airships, and kite balloons—in order to counter the German U-boats. Under the Royal Air Force, the air campaign against U-boats continued uninterrupted. Aircraft bombed German U-boat bases in Flanders, conducted area and ‘hunting’ patrols around the coasts of Britain, and escorted merchant convoys to safety. Despite the fact that aircraft acting alone destroyed only one U-boat during the war, the overall contribution of naval aviation to foiling U-boat attacks was significant. Only five merchant vessels succumbed to submarine attack when convoyed by a combined air and surface escort during World War I. This book examines aircraft and weapons technology, aircrew training, and the aircraft production issues that shaped this campaign. Then, a close examination of anti-submarine operations—bombing, patrols, and escort—yields a significantly different judgment from existing interpretations of these operations. This study is the first to take an objective look at the writing and publication of the naval and air official histories as they told the story of naval aviation during the Great War. The author also examines the German view of aircraft effectiveness, through German actions, prisoner interrogations, official histories, and memoirs, to provide a comparative judgment. The conclusion closes with a brief narrative of post-war air anti-submarine developments and a summary of findings. Overall, the author concludes that despite the challenges of organization, training, and production the employment of aircraft against U-boats was largely successful during the Great War. This book will be of interest to historians of naval and air power history, as well as students of World War I and military history in general. |
| peter dönitz: Convoy Will Scatter Bernard Edwards, 2013-06-12 A naval historian reveals the full story of the HMS Jervis Bay and the merchant ships that valiantly saved lives during the WWII Battle of the Atlantic. On November 5th, 1940, the thirty-eight merchant ships of Convoy HX84 were making their way across the North Atlantic, escorted by the armed cruiser HMS Jervis Bay. In mid-ocean, they were attacked by the German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer. Though the Jervis Bay charged at the enemy, she was hopelessly outgunned. Within twenty-two minutes, the ship was destroyed. Meanwhile, the merchantmen scattered under the cover of a smokescreen. But the radar-equipped Admiral Scheer was still capable of picking them off one at a time. Captain Hugh Pettigrew, commanding the highly armed Canadian Pacific cargo liner SS Beaverford, began a desperate game of hide and seek with the Scheer, which continued until the Beaverford was sunk with no survivors. Thanks to this sacrifice, thirty-three merchantmen were able to escape. Later the neutral flag Swedish freighter Stureholm, commanded by Captain Olander, picked up survivors from the Jervis Bay. While Jervis Bay’s Captain Edward Fegen was rightly awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery and sacrifice, the history books only mention the Beaverford and the Stureholm in passing. This thrilling book puts the record straight. |
| peter dönitz: Lost Patrols Innes McCartney, 2002-12 This book brings to life the stories of the 121 submarines that lie entombed on the seabed of the English Channel. Most of them got there as the result of war and peacetime accidents. The first was lost in 1774; the last was the tragic accident that befell HMS Affray in 1951, the last British submarine to have been lost at sea. |
| peter dönitz: Ireland's Aviator Heroes of World War II John C. Hewitt, 2016-04-08 'Ireland's Aviator Heroes of World War II' celebrates Irish aviators who served in the Royal Air Force during the dark days of the Second World War. Individual stories have been painstakingly and extensively researched through interviews with the surviving subjects and their families, and using the original log books and service records of the men. Many of the stories contain details of the individuals' participation in important wartime campaigns, although others are limited to war service records due to a lack of surviving information. Above all this book celebrates the great courage and sacrifice demonstrated by these Irishmen during their contribution to the Allied war effort against Nazi Germany, her western allies and Japan. Many of the men included paid the ultimate price for their participation. The book is also well illustrated with many photographs, some taken by the subjects themselves. |
| peter dönitz: Churchill's Greatest Fear Richard Doherty, 2015-11-30 The Battle of the Atlantic (Churchill's term) was arguably the pivotal campaign of the Second World War it was certainly the longest starting with the sinking of RMS Athenia on 3 September 1939 and ending with the torpedoing of SS Avon Dale on 7 May 1945.This superbly researched work covers all the major aspects of The Battle, balancing the initial advantages of Admiral Doenitz's U-Boat force, the introduction of the convoy system, the role of the opposing surface fleets and air forces, relative strengths and the all important technical developments. Intelligence particularly the Bletchley Park intercepts played an increasingly important part in the final outcome.The author concludes that May 1943 was the moment when the Allies seized the initiative and, despite desperate German efforts, never lost their advantage.Using official records, personal accounts and a wealth of historical research, this work gives the reader a splendidly concise yet broad account of the course of the campaign, the men who fought it on both sides and the critical moments and analysis of the outcome. |
| peter dönitz: Major Blunders of The Second World War Andrew Sangster, 2025-06-04 Blunders and their Consequences: Examining Errors of the Second World War War is rife with mistakes, but the consequences can be catastrophic when those errors escalate to blunders caused by carelessness or ignorance. In the Second World War context, these blunders often led to devastating loss of life, strategic failures, and enduring controversies. This book delves into such incidents, from obscure mishaps to high-profile missteps. Among the tales are the shocking story of an American destroyer accidentally firing a live torpedo at a battleship carrying President Roosevelt, and a German aircraft crash-landing in neutral territory with critical invasion plans onboard. Overconfidence played a key role in many tragedies, such as a Luftwaffe raid that struck American gas shells, causing widespread casualties, and the Dieppe raid, which became a planning disaster. Some incidents remain fiercely debated. The British sinking of the French fleet continues to raise questions about necessity versus error, while King Edward VIII’s alleged treachery may stem more from naivety than intent. The conviction of Admiral Karl Dönitz at Nuremberg also sparks controversy, as his U-boat tactics mirrored Allied strategies. Through vivid storytelling and detailed analysis, this book exposes the human error behind critical wartime decisions, from tactical misjudgments to intelligence failures. It examines the hidden and often overlooked blunders that shaped the course of WWII, offering a fresh perspective on the complexities of war and the fragile nature of leadership under pressure. |
| peter dönitz: Anti-Submarine Warfare David Owen, 2007-11-15 The submarine was undoubtedly the most potent purely naval weapon of the twentieth century. In two world wars, enemy underwater campaigns were very nearly successful in thwarting Allied hopes of victory - indeed, annihilation of Japanese shipping by US Navy submarines is an indicator of what might have been. That the submarine was usually defeated is a hugely important story in naval history, yet this is the first book to treat the subject as a whole in a readable and accessible manner. It concerns individual heroism and devotion to duty, but also ingenuity, technical advances and originality of tactical thought. What developed was an endless battle between forces above and below the surface, where a successful innovation by one side eventually produces a counter-measure by the other in a lethal struggle for supremacy. Development was not a straight line: wrong ideas and assumptions led to defeat and disaster. |
| peter dönitz: The Second World War Bradley Lightbody, 2004 An accessible history of the Second World War in its global contect for A-level students. |
| peter dönitz: U-Boat Attack Logs Bruce Taylor, Daniel Morgan, 2011-11-09 “An indispensable reference work for anyone studying either the U-boat campaign or WW2 at sea . . . copiously illustrated, fascinating—and harrowing.”—Navy News During the Second World War over 250 Allied warships from a dozen navies were sent to the bottom by German U-boats. This ground-breaking study provides a detailed analysis of every sinking for which source material survives from both the Allied and the German sides, resulting in detailed treatment of the fate of 110 vessels, with the remainder summarized in an extensive appendix. Uniquely, each entry is built around a specialist translation of the relevant segment of the war diary (log) of the U-boat in question, taken directly from the surviving originals—remarkably, this represents the first large-scale publication of the U-boat war diaries in any language. The book offers a wealth of new information, not only with respect to the circumstances of the sinkings from both the Allied and German perspectives, but also to the technical environment in which they lived as well as the fate of the crews. The entries include background details on the vessels concerned and the men involved, with a selection of rare and carefully chosen photos from archives and collections around the world. Each entry is itself a compelling narrative, but is backed with a list of sources consulted, including documents, published works and websites. A decade in the making, this is probably the most important book on the U-boat war to be published for many a year. “Offers significant new information on many of the most famous incidents.”—Maritime Advisor |
| peter dönitz: The German War Machine in World War II David T. Zabecki, 2019-12-02 This invaluable resource offers students a comprehensive overview of the German war machine that overran much of Europe during World War II, with close to 300 entries on a variety of topics and a number of key primary source documents. This book provides everything the reader needs to know about the German war machine that developed into the potent armed force under Adolf Hitler. This expansive encyclopedia covers the period of the German Third Reich, from January 1933 to the end of World War II in Europe, in May 1945. Dozens of entries on key battles and military campaigns, military and political leaders, military and intelligence organizations, and social and political topics that shaped German military conduct during World War II are followed by an illuminating epilogue that outlines why Germany lost World War II. A documents section includes more than a dozen fascinating primary sources on such significant events as the Tripartite Pact among Germany, Italy, and Japan; the Battle of Stalingrad; the Normandy Invasion; the Ardennes Offensive; and Germany's surrender. In addition, six appendices provide detailed information on a variety of topics such as German aces, military commanders, and military medals and decorations. The book ends with a chronology and a bibliography of print resources. |
| peter dönitz: Arn's War Edward C. Arn, 2006 Arn writes in a straightforward and engaging manner that avoids false sentimentality or romanticism. Instead, he gives readers keen insights into the daily life of soldiers locked in gruesome events far beyond their experience and describes how it feels to be under fire, to suffer a wound, to agonize over the deaths of friends, to endure true suffering, to sacrifice, and to survive. Edited and annotated by Jerome Mushkat, this memoir is an account of a citizen-soldier who survived his baptism by fire during World War II.--BOOK JACKET. |
| peter dönitz: The Nazi Titanic Robert Watson, 2016-04-26 The little-known story of the most intriguing ship ever to set sail |
| peter dönitz: Imponderable but Not Inevitable Malcolm H. Murfett, 2009-11-12 This book fills an important gap in the literature of modern warfare by focusing on random elements in warfare often overlooked in both the planning and execution of military operations—factors that can turn certain success into devastating failure. By definition, the unforeseeable cannot be seen, but one way to bring more variables under consideration when planning a military action is to review those instances where the unforeseeable changed everything. For professionals and enthusiasts alike, Imponderable But Not Inevitable: Warfare in the 20th Century does just that, reviewing specific instances in 20th-century warfare when things did not go according to plan. Imponderable but Not Inevitable uses case studies to expose the Inevitability Syndrome, exploring the role of luck, fate, and randomness in influencing both victory and defeat. In essays drawn from World War II, Konfrontasi, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War, a distinguished set of military experts looks at real scenarios of inexplicable losses, illustrating why nothing—nothing—should be taken for granted in war. |
| peter dönitz: Field-Marshal Kesselring Andrew Sangster, 2015-04-01 Postwar analyses of Germany’s last ever Field-Marshal, Albert Kesselring, have tended to be sympathetic and even adulatory in their appraisals. This book raises fundamental questions about their legitimacy, and challenges the widely held belief that he was one of the “greatest commanders to emerge” from the last World War. It illustrates that this reputation has been bolstered by the need to conceal the ineptitude and inexperience of Allied opposition. Often seen as a benign and good-natured patrician, the study shows that he was deeply implicated in the Nazi preparation for war, that he was guilty of serious war crimes, and that he committed perjury to save himself at the expense of a junior general. The book also highlights that the SS became a scapegoat for the whole Nazi regime, that he became a pawn in Cold War politics which assisted his release from execution and prison, that he survived the denazification process because it became a nonsense, that those who hoped he would assume a leadership in postwar Germany were disappointed by his inability to accept the new Europe, and that he died in ignominy. The book is a re-appraisal of Kesselring and demythologises many deeply held concepts of the period between 1930 and 1960. |
| peter dönitz: Killing Shore K. A. Nelson, 2024-04-04 The shocking story of Nazi Germany’s naval assault in American waters, told through the eyes of seafarers who experienced it off the Jersey Shore. It is January 1942. Six weeks after the United States entered World War II, Imperial Japan is annihilating American forces across the Far East while the Nazis stand triumphant over much of Europe. Adolf Hitler’s forces are about to commence an assault along the East Coast of the United States, but this “Atlantic Pearl Harbor” would prove far more devastating than Japan’s attack on Hawaii. The wolves are closing in, and few Americans realize their beaches and coastal cities are about to witness the worst naval defeat in American history. The Western Hemisphere holds the key to victory for the beleaguered Allies, but only if the vast economic and military resources of North and South America can be carried across the Atlantic by Allied merchant ships. These civilian-manned cargo vessels are the backbone of the American war economy and the lifeline enabling Britain and the Soviet Union to survive—but Hitler’s favorite admiral also knows this, and he has set in motion a plan of unprecedented boldness. Germany’s dreaded submarines, or “U-boats,” are going to the United States. The fiery months that followed would pit American servicemen against German U-boat sailors in a desperate struggle that stained East Coast waters with oil and blood. In the crosshairs of this deadly cat-and-mouse game was a stalwart contingent of civilian mariners who crewed the tankers and freighters supplying the war against the Axis Powers. Thousands of them would perish as hundreds of merchant ships were sunk. Every American coastal state became a battlefront in 1942, and the events that transpired off New Jersey illustrate the perils and brutality of this forgotten campaign. The seafloor along the Garden State is today strewn with shipwrecks that bear witness to the innumerable ways to die faced by friend and foe alike only miles from the boardwalk. Though these seafarers’ lives were forfeit, the battle they fought would decide the fates of millions. |
| peter dönitz: GCHQ Nigel West, 2020-02-19 The go-to intelligence expert and author of MI6 has “provided the clearest review of GCHQ and its predecessors in a publicly available book” (Firetrench). Signal intelligence is the most secret, and most misunderstood, weapon in the modern espionage arsenal. As a reliable source of information, it is unequalled, which is why Government Communications Headquarters, almost universally known as GCHQ, is several times larger than the two smaller, but more familiar, organizations, MI5 and MI6. Because of its extreme sensitivity, and the ease with which its methods can be compromised, GCHQ’s activities remain cloaked in secrecy. In GCHQ: The Secret Wireless War 1900-1986, the renowned expert Nigel West traces GCHQ’s origins back to the early days of wireless and gives a detailed account of its development since that time. From the moment that Marconi succeeded in transmitting a radio signal across the Channel, Britain has been engaged in a secret wireless war, first against the Kaiser, then Hitler and the Soviet Union. Following painstaking research, Nigel West is able to describe all GCHQ’s disciplines, including direction-finding, interception and traffic analysis, and code-breaking. Also explained is the work of several lesser known units such as the wartime Special Wireless Groups and the top-secret Radio Security Service. Laced with some truly remarkable anecdotes, this edition of this important book will intrigue historians, intelligence professionals and general readers alike. “Nigel West is an acknowledged expert in this field of literature and his latest book is fascinating and intriguing.” —Books Monthly “Rich in the kind of detail from which all students of radio and military history can learn.” —The Spectrum Monitor |
| peter dönitz: Germany and the Axis Powers from Coalition to Collapse R. L. DiNardo, 2005 It seemed that whenever Mussolini acted on his own, it was bad news for Hitler. Indeed, the Fuhrer's relations with his Axis partners were fraught with an almost total lack of coordination. Compared to the Allies, the coalition was hardly an alliance at all. Focusing on Germany's military relations with Italy, Romania, Hungary, and Finland, Richard DiNardo unearths a wealth of information that reveals how the Axis coalition largely undermined Hitler's objectives from the Eastern Front to the Balkans, Mediterranean, and North Africa. DiNardo argues that the Axis military alliance was doomed from the beginning by a lack of common war aims, the absence of a unified command structure, and each nation's fundamental mistrust of the others. Germany was disinclined to make the kinds of compromises that successful wartime partnerships demanded and, because Hitler insisted on separate pacts with each nation, Italy and Finland often found themselves conducting counterproductive parallel wars on their own. DiNardo's detailed assessments of ground, naval, and air operations reveal precisely why the Axis allies were so dysfunctional as a collective force, sometimes for seemingly mundane but vital reasons-a shortage of interpreters, for example. His analysis covers coalition warfare at every level, demonstrating that some military services were better at working with their allies than others, while also pointing to rare successes, such as Rommel's effective coordination with Italian forces in North Africa. In the end, while some individual Axis units fought with distinction—if not on a par with the vaunted Wehrmacht—and helped Germany achieve some of its military aims, the coalition's overall military performance was riddled with disappointments. Breaking new ground, DiNardo's work enlarges our understanding of Germany's defeat while at the same time offering a timely reminder of the challenges presented by coalition warfare. |
| peter dönitz: Decoding History W. Gardner, 1999-09-21 The German attack on merchant shipping in the Second World War, known as the Battle of the Atlantic, was countered partly by code-breaking intelligence known as Ultra. The dramatic revelation of this factor in the middle 1970s resulted in many works giving this as the most important cause of Allied success. |
| peter dönitz: Two-Edged Sword Nicholas Tracy, 2012-10-01 In the first major study of the Royal Canadian Navy's contribution to foreign policy, Nicholas Tracy takes a comprehensive look at the paradox that Canada faces in participating in a system of collective defence as a means of avoiding subordination to other countries. Created in 1910 to support Canadian autonomy, the Royal Canadian Navy has played an important role in defining Canada's relationship with the United Kingdom, the United States, and NATO. Initially involved with participation in Imperial and Commonwealth defence, the RCN's role shifted following the Second World War to primarily ensuring the survival of the NATO alliance and deflecting American influence over Canada. Tracy demonstrates the ways in which the Navy's priorities have realigned since the end of the Cold War, this time partnering with the US and NATO navies in global policing. Insightful, detailed, and grounded in solid historical scholarship, A Two-Edged Sword presents a complete portrait of the shifting relevance and future of a cornerstone of Canadian defence. |
| peter dönitz: Operation Barbarossa Jonathan Dimbleby, 2021-05-03 Author of an acclaimed history of the Battle of the Atlantic during World War Two (OUP 2016), Jonathan Dimbleby now offers a compelling account of the largest military operation not only of World War Two but of all time--the invasion of Russia by Nazi Germany in 1941. Often seen as the turning point of the war in Europe, Operation Barbarossa turned allies into mortal enemies, triggering the atrocities that would characterize the Holocaust. Historians have spent generations puzzling over Barbarossa. For Hitler and the other Nazi leaders, who began planning the invasion even as the pact with the Soviets was in full force, the invasion would annihilate communism, eradicate inferior races , and provide the German people (and military) with resources that would guarantee not just survival but global domination. What followed was catastrophe. Between June, when the invasion began, and December 1941, when it stalled, some six million men were killed, wounded, or registered as missing in action. Soldiers on both sides committed atrocities on a scale that few events in the history of warfare can rival. When German commanders were forced to retreat, it was clear to the world clear that the German war machine was not only not infallible but fatally weakened. Once the invasion began to falter, it all but guaranteed the Germans would eventually lose the war. Operation Barbarossa has been much written about in histories of World War Two. However, no single general-audience book focused purely on the operation dominates the field, either covering only aspects of what was a massive undertaking or simply outdated. Moreover, Dimbleby's book makes ample use of memoirs, diaries, and letters, along with unpublished and untranslated correspondence from newly opened Russian archives. It promises to become the standard general history of Operation Barbarossa. |
| peter dönitz: Hitler: 1936-1945 Nemesis Ian Kershaw, 2001-09-17 The climax and conclusion of one of the best-selling biographies of our time. The New Yorker declared the first volume of Ian Kershaw's two-volume masterpiece as close to definitive as anything we are likely to see, and that promise is fulfilled in this stunning second volume. As Nemesis opens, Adolf Hitler has achieved absolute power within Germany and triumphed in his first challenge to the European powers. Idolized by large segments of the population and firmly supported by the Nazi regime, Hitler is poised to subjugate Europe. Nine years later, his vaunted war machine destroyed, Allied forces sweeping across Germany, Hitler will end his life with a pistol shot to his head. [M]ore probing, more judicious, more authoritative in its rich detail...more commanding in its mastery of the horrific narrative.—Milton J. Rosenberg, Chicago Tribune |
| peter dönitz: Britain, Germany and the Battle of the Atlantic Dennis Haslop, 2013-11-07 The length, scale and intensity of the Battle of the Atlantic led the British and German navies to make substantial changes to their organisation, strategy and tactics. In this book, Dennis Haslop examines the pivotal lessons learned, and how these helped to determine the outcome of the Battle of the Atlantic Convoy War. He questions how well adapted the two organisations were to learn from the conflict, and how effective they were in identifying problems and producing remedies. Based on the in-depth analysis of British and German primary sources, this study provides an innovative basis against which to assess the German and British approach to changing warfare and provides important new insights into aspects of convoy warfare, in particular the virtually unknown subject of German 'Operational Research'. |
| peter dönitz: Britain's Anti-submarine Capability 1919-1939 George Franklin, 2004-08-02 Britain's Anti-Submarine Capability, 1919-1939is the first unified study of the development of Britain's anti-submarine capability between the armistice in 1919 and the onset of the second world German submarine attack on Britain's maritime trade in 1939. Well researched and yet accessibly written, this book challenges the widespread belief that the Royal Navy failed to anticipate the threat of the U-boat in the Second World War. |
| peter dönitz: Blackett's War Stephen Budiansky, 2013-11-05 A Washington Post Notable Book In March 1941, after a year of devastating U-boat attacks, the British War Cabinet turned to an intensely private, bohemian physicist named Patrick Blackett to turn the tide of the naval campaign. Though he is little remembered today, Blackett did as much as anyone to defeat Nazi Germany, by revolutionizing the Allied anti-submarine effort through the disciplined, systematic implementation of simple mathematics and probability theory. This is the story of how British and American civilian intellectuals helped change the nature of twentieth-century warfare, by convincing disbelieving military brass to trust the new field of operational research. |
| peter dönitz: U-Boat Commander Oskar Kusch Eric C Rust, 2020-06-15 To his enlisted men on U-154, Lieutenant Oskar Kusch was the ideal skipper--bright, experienced, successful, caring, tolerably eccentric--and a popular captain who always brought his boat home safely when so many others vanished without a trace. To most of his officers Kusch came across as someone very different--a Nazi-hating intellectual with an artistic bent given to lengthy criticisms of the regime, its leaders and its propaganda, a suspected coward and potential traitor unfit for command. Early in 1944, after his second patrol under Kusch, his executive officer, a reservist with a doctorate in law and member of the Nazi party, denounced him on charges of sedition and cowardice. A hastily arranged court-martial cleared Kusch of the cowardice accusation but sentenced him to death on purely ideological grounds for undermining the fighting spirit of his boat, even though the prosecutor had only recommended a ten-year jail sentence. Abandoned by all but his closest friends and relatives, coldly sacrificed by Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz, unwilling to plead for mercy, and to the end tormented by a naval legal bureaucracy acting in collusion with the brown regime, Oskar Kusch was executed in May 1944. This study, the first scholarly work on Kusch in English, traces his career and ordeal from his upbringing in Berlin to his tragic death and beyond, including the fifty-year struggle to rehabilitate his name and restore his honor in a postwar Germany long loath to confront the darker dimensions of its past. The passing of the wartime generation and the emergence of a new school of historians dedicated to critical research and inspired historiography have finally combined to rectify our picture of the Kriegsmarine and to appreciate the sacrifice of men like Oskar Kusch. |
| peter dönitz: Battles that Changed History Spencer C. Tucker, 2010-11-11 This encyclopedic collection of more than 200 of the most decisive and important battles throughout world history gets a fresh interpretation by a noted military historian. The mythic and doomed stand of the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae; the siege of Carthage in 149-146 BCE, which ended with Rome destroying the city and enslaving the entire remaining Carthaginian population; the Battle of Hastings in 1066, arguably the most important battle ever on English soil; the Battle of Trenton that saved the American Revolutionary cause and established the military reputation of General Washington; the firebombing of Tokyo on the night of March 9-10, 1945, that destroyed one quarter of the city. All of these conflicts—and hundreds more—played a crucial role in defining the direction of history and the evolution of human society. This text provides high school-level readers with detailed descriptions of the battlefield actions that have played the greatest parts in shaping military history and human existence. Special attention is paid to the greater historical context and significance of each battle, especially in relation to other events. |
| peter dönitz: Business in Great Waters John Terraine, 2009-10-15 Twice within 25 years Britain was threatened with starvation by the menace of the U-Boat. In this study of submarine warfare, the author explains why Winston Churchill wrote the only thing that ever frightened me during the war was the U-Boat peril. Until it had been overcome, the Anglo-American entry into Europe in 1944 would have been impossible. John Terraine concentrates on the combatants themselves, both German and Allied, but does not overlook the three main factors in the equation—the political, the military and the technological, as well as the intelligence, the weapons and the devices both sides employed in order to outwit each other. He also focuses on the fighting men on either side, seeing the action from where it was at. |
| peter dönitz: Hitler, 1936-45 Ian Kershaw, 2000 This one-volume edition of Kershaw's superb biography (Ian Buruma, New York Times Book Review) of Hitler will be the final word on the most demonic figure of the 20th century. of photos. |
| peter dönitz: War from the Top Alan F. Wilt, 1990-08-22 Wilt writes... well and offers many sound perceptions. -- Choice ... a stimulating book... a timely warning against overindulgence in hindsight in evaluating the great issues of the war... -- Parameters ... a significant new study... a clearly written, excellent book... -- Airpower Journal ... an impressive work of scholarship... -- British Politics Group Newsletter Wilt's comparative approach permits us fresh perspectives on both sides of the war. Moreover, Wilt has chosen to compare two of the major rival belligerents at the most stimulating and interesting level at which such comparison might be made, the level of the summit of decision making -- with the magnetic figures of Hitler and Churchill playing major roles in his narrative and analysis. -- Russell F. Weigley This is a masterful treatment of a complex subject and a must read book for anyone writing about the Second World War. -- The Historian |
| peter dönitz: World War II at Sea Spencer C. Tucker, 2011-11-10 The war at sea was a key aspect of World War II, one that is too-often under-studied. This comprehensive encyclopedia shares current understandings of the struggle to control the seas during that conflict—and it opens our eyes to the reasons sea power continues to be of critical importance today. Scholarly treatment of World War II is constantly changing as new materials inform new interpretations. At the same time, current military operations lead to reevaluation of the tactics and technologies of the past. Marshalling the latest information and insights into this epic conflict, World War II at Sea: An Encyclopedia will enable students and other interested readers to explore specific naval engagements, while also charting the transformation of naval history through innovations in ordnance. In treating the naval aspects of World War II, this two-volume ready reference enhances the understanding of a part of the war that is often overshadowed by the fighting on land and in the air. The encyclopedia focuses on the events, individuals, organizations, and ideas that shaped the world's navies during World War II, as well as the resultant battles that changed naval history. It also covers the numerous innovations that occurred during the conflict and shows how strategies evolved and were executed. |
| peter dönitz: No Ordinary War Christian Prag, 2009-04-16 U-604 was a standard Type VIIC of which over 600 were built, and at first glance her six war patrols might seem typical - but they were far from ordinary.Using the official war diary and the eyewitness testimony of survivors this book weaves a detailed but vivid tapestry of life and action during some of the fiercest convoy battles of the Atlantic war. Often counter-attacked, but seeming to bear a charmed life, U-604 had her successes, including inflicting the largest single loss of US mercantile personnel in one attack. However, the drama of her career pales alongside the epic story of her loss. After repeated bombing by American aircraft, Hltring, the boat's CO, organised an amazing rescue attempt by two other U-boats and finally scuttled U-604. This rescue itself went badly wrong, leading to the loss of one more U-boat and Hltring's suicide in controversial circumstances. Based on interviews with survivors and illustrated with previously unpublished photos, it is simply an extraordinary story. |
| peter dönitz: Turning the Tide Ed Offley, 2012-05-08 At times, even his admirers seemed unsure of what to do with General Douglas MacArthur. Imperious, headstrong, and vain, MacArthur matched an undeniable military genius with a massive ego and a rebellious streak that often seemed to destine him for the dustbin of history. Yet despite his flaws, MacArthur is remembered as a brilliant commander whose combined-arms operation in the Pacific -- the first in the history of warfare -- secured America's triumph in World War II and changed the course of history. In The Most Dangerous Man in America, celebrated historian Mark Perry examines how this paradox of a man overcame personal and professional challenges to lead his countrymen in their darkest hour. As Perry shows, Franklin Roosevelt and a handful of MacArthur's subordinates made this feat possible, taming MacArthur, making him useful, and finally making him victorious. A gripping, authoritative biography of the Pacific Theater's most celebrated and misunderstood commander, The Most Dangerous Man in America reveals the secrets of Douglas MacArthur's success -- and the incredible efforts of the men who made it possible. |
| peter dönitz: World War II Sea War, Vol 9: Wolfpacks Muzzled Gordon Smith, Don Kindell, Donald A. Bertke, 2016-04-10 This volume covers day-to-day naval actions during March-June 1943. The Allies attacked German U-boats day and night, forcing their withdrawal from the vital North Atlantic convoy routes, clearing the way for the eventual invasion of Europe from Britain. In the Bismarck Sea, Allied aircraft destroyed an entire Japanese troop convoy bound for New Guinea. In the Komandorski Islands, the U.S. Navy engaged a superior Japanese force and out fought them. After this loss, the Japanese commander was fired in disgrace. The Allies isolated the German and Italian troops fighting in Tunisia with an air and sea blockade. Without support from Italy, Tunisia fell. U.S. aircraft ambushed Japanese Admiral Yamamoto while he was en route to an inspection visit in the Solomon Islands. The U.S. 7th Infantry Division liberated Attu Island in the Aleutian Islands. |
| peter dönitz: V Is For Victory Craig Nelson, 2023-05-23 A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF 2023 “Belongs in the library alongside the histories and biographies of Martin Gilbert, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., and David McCullough.” —Doug Stanton, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Horse Soldiers In this epic and definitive history of the American home front during World War II, New York Times bestselling historian Craig Nelson reveals how FDR won the support of a nation antagonistic to war in Europe and pushed both government and industry to build “the arsenal of democracy”—the secret weapon that won the war. In 1938, the United States was so politically isolationist and pacifist that its defense forces were smaller than Portugal’s. That same year, Franklin Delano Roosevelt ordered the federal government to spark a dramatic expansion in domestic airplane production, and this minor effort—three years before the attack on Pearl Harbor—would in time become what Roosevelt called “the arsenal of democracy,” the full-throttle unleashing of American enterprise and ingenuity that was the secret weapon for victory in World War II. Signaled by Roosevelt’s public fight with Lindbergh—known as the Great Debate—victory at land, sea, and air across the globe began at home. In this “richly detailed, highly readable account of presidential leadership in perilous times” (New York Journal of Books), Craig Nelson traces how under FDR, the United States rose from poverty and solitude to defeat the greatest evils of the 20th century. By transforming what Americans thought they could achieve, FDR’s efforts ended the Great Depression; conquered the fascists of Germany, Italy, and Japan; birthed America’s middle-class affluence and consumer society; led to jet engines, computers, radar, the military-industrial complex, Big Science, and nuclear weapons; triggered a global economic boom; and turned the U.S. military into a worldwide titan—with America the undisputed leader of world affairs. While the arsenal of democracy has come to mean this miracle of American industry, when Roosevelt said it, he meant the miracle of the American people. Revealing an era when Detroit was Silicon Valley; Ford was Apple; and Sears, Roebuck was Amazon, while filled with reflections on our own time, V Is for Victory draws on five years of research to create a powerful and essential narrative largely overlooked in conventional histories of the war but which, in Nelson’s skilled, authoritative hands, becomes an illuminating and important work destined to become an American history classic. |
| peter dönitz: Count Not the Dead Michael L. Hadley, 1995 Basing his study on literature and film, the author presents the exploits and images of U-boats and their intrepid crews. |
Saint Peter - Wikipedia
Saint Peter [note 1] (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), [1] also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus …
Who Was the Apostle Peter? The Beginner’s Guide
Apr 2, 2019 · The Apostle Peter (also known as Saint Peter, Simon Peter, and Cephas) was one of the 12 main disciples of Jesus Christ, and along with James and John, he was one of Jesus’ …
Saint Peter the Apostle | History, Facts, & Feast Day | Britannica
Jun 7, 2025 · Saint Peter the Apostle, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ and, according to Roman Catholic tradition, the first pope. Peter, a Jewish fisherman, was called to be a disciple …
Who was Peter in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org
Feb 6, 2024 · Simon Peter, also known as Cephas (John 1:42), was one of the first followers of Jesus Christ. He was an outspoken and ardent disciple, one of Jesus’ closest friends, an …
Apostle Peter Biography: Timeline, Life, and Death
The Apostle Peter is one of the great stories of a changed life in the Bible. Check out this timeline and biography of the life of Peter.
Peter in the Bible - Scripture Quotes and Summary
Oct 19, 2020 · Who is Peter in the Bible? Saint Peter was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ and the first leader of the early Church. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke list …
Peter in the Bible - His Life and Story in the New Testament
Jan 29, 2025 · Peter, also known as Simon, Simon Peter, Simeon, or Cephas, was a fisherman by trade and one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He's known for walking on water briefly before …
Life of Apostle Peter Timeline - Bible Study
Learn about the events in the Apostle Peter's life from his calling until Jesus' last Passover!
Saint Peter - World History Encyclopedia
Mar 12, 2021 · Saint Peter the Apostle was a well-known figure in early Christianity. Although there is no information on the life of Peter outside the Bible, in the Christian tradition, he is …
Who Was Peter in the Bible? Why Was He So Important?
May 30, 2018 · Peter, also known as Simon Peter, is one of the most prominent figures in the Bible's New Testament. He was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ and is often …
Saint Peter - Wikipedia
Saint Peter [note 1] (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), [1] also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus …
Who Was the Apostle Peter? The Beginner’s Guide
Apr 2, 2019 · The Apostle Peter (also known as Saint Peter, Simon Peter, and Cephas) was one of the 12 main disciples of Jesus Christ, and along with James and John, he was one of Jesus’ …
Saint Peter the Apostle | History, Facts, & Feast Day | Britannica
Jun 7, 2025 · Saint Peter the Apostle, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ and, according to Roman Catholic tradition, the first pope. Peter, a Jewish fisherman, was called to be a disciple …
Who was Peter in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org
Feb 6, 2024 · Simon Peter, also known as Cephas (John 1:42), was one of the first followers of Jesus Christ. He was an outspoken and ardent disciple, one of Jesus’ closest friends, an …
Apostle Peter Biography: Timeline, Life, and Death
The Apostle Peter is one of the great stories of a changed life in the Bible. Check out this timeline and biography of the life of Peter.
Peter in the Bible - Scripture Quotes and Summary
Oct 19, 2020 · Who is Peter in the Bible? Saint Peter was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ and the first leader of the early Church. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke list …
Peter in the Bible - His Life and Story in the New Testament
Jan 29, 2025 · Peter, also known as Simon, Simon Peter, Simeon, or Cephas, was a fisherman by trade and one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He's known for walking on water briefly before …
Life of Apostle Peter Timeline - Bible Study
Learn about the events in the Apostle Peter's life from his calling until Jesus' last Passover!
Saint Peter - World History Encyclopedia
Mar 12, 2021 · Saint Peter the Apostle was a well-known figure in early Christianity. Although there is no information on the life of Peter outside the Bible, in the Christian tradition, he is …
Who Was Peter in the Bible? Why Was He So Important?
May 30, 2018 · Peter, also known as Simon Peter, is one of the most prominent figures in the Bible's New Testament. He was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ and is often …
