Advertisement
the last u boat: Where Divers Dare Randall Peffer, 2016-04-05 In the tradition of Shadow Divers, this is the gripping true account of the search for German U-boat U-550, the last unfound, diveable wreck of a U-boat off the United States coast, and the battle in which it was sunk. On April 16, 1944, the SS Pan Pennsylvania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-550 off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. In return the sub was driven to the surface with depth charges, and then sent to the bottom of the ocean by three destroyer escorts that were guarding the naval convoy. For more than sixty years the location of the U-boat’s wreck eluded divers. In 2012, a team found it—the last undiscovered U-boat in dive-able waters off the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, more than three hundred feet below the surface. This is the story of their twenty-year quest to find this Holy Grail of deep-sea diving and their tenacious efforts to dive on this treacherous wreck—and of the stunning clash at sea that sealed its doom and brought the Battle of the Atlantic to America’s doorstep. |
the last u boat: Germany's Last Mission to Japan Joseph M Scalia, 2009-03-01 When U-234 slipped out of a Norwegian harbor in March 1945 destined for Japan, it was loaded with some of the most technically advanced weaponry and electronic detection devices of the era, along with a select group of officials. En route, word came that Germany had surrendered, and the boat's commander suddenly found himself with a rogue submarine, a precious assortment of cargo, and two Japanese naval officers still at war. This dramatic account of the voyage offers an intriguing look at the individuals involved. One of these individuals was Luftwaffe General Ulrich Kessler, who was a member of Von Stauffeberg's Valkyrie conspiracy to assassinate of Hitler. Kessler was aboard U-234 to escape the wrath of Hitler, because he had been tabbed by Von Stauffeberg to replace Hermann Goering as the commander of the Luftwaffe. Scalia draws on U.S. Navy interrogation records, European and Japanese archives, and interviews with former U-234 crew members and other principals to develop a full portrait of the group. He also evaluates the technology of the armament on board, which included 560 kg. of uranium oxide, whose presence continues to provoke questions about a Nazi plan to build an atom bomb in Japan. |
the last u boat: U-Boat 977 Heinz Schaeffer, 1957 |
the last u boat: To the Last Salute Georg von Trapp, 2009-01-01 The Sound of Music endeared Georg von Trapp (1880?1947) and his singing family to the world, and it also showed how desperately the Nazis wanted Captain von Trapp for their navy. In To the Last Salute we learn why. Trapp?s own story of his exploits as a submarine commander during the First World War is as exciting as it is instructive, bringing to stirring life a little-known chapter in the naval history of that war. In his many guises, Trapp describes life as captain of Austro-Hungarian U-boats in the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas, emerging by turn as the Imperial Austrian naval officer, the witty observer of international politics, and the indefatigable and ultimately heartbroken patriot opposing the Allied enemy. He relates deadly duels with submarine sweepers, narrow escapes and excruciatingly close calls, and the spectacular sinking of cargo and war ships?all while maintaining a keen sense of the camaraderie of seamen from every corner of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Trapp?s story, in English for the first time, offers a rare combination of human interest, historical insight, and true life-and-death adventure. |
the last u boat: The Sinking of the Laconia and the U-Boat War James P. Duffy, 2013-04-01 Originally published: Santa Barbara, California: Praeger/ABC-CLIO, 2009. |
the last u boat: The Burning Shore Ed Offley, 2014-03-25 On June 15, 1942, as thousands of vacationers lounged in the sun at Virginia Beach, two massive fireballs erupted just offshore from a convoy of oil tankers steaming into Chesapeake Bay. While men, women, and children gaped from the shore, two damaged oil tankers fell out of line and began to sink. Then a small escort warship blew apart in a violent explosion. Navy warships and aircraft peppered the water with depth charges, but to no avail. Within the next twenty-four hours, a fourth ship lay at the bottom of the channel— all victims of twenty-nine-year-old Kapitänleutnant Horst Degen and his crew aboard the German U-boat U-701. In The Burning Shore, acclaimed military reporter Ed Offley presents a thrilling account of the bloody U-boat offensive along America’s east coast during the first half of 1942, using the story of Degen’s three war patrols as a lens through which to view this forgotten chapter of World War II. For six months, German U-boats prowled the waters off the eastern seaboard, sinking merchant ships with impunity, and threatening to sever the lifeline of supplies flowing from America to Great Britain. Degen’s successful infiltration of the Chesapeake Bay in mid-June drove home the U-boats’ success, and his spectacular attack terrified the American public as never before. But Degen’s cruise was interrupted less than a month later, when U.S. Army Air Forces Lieutenant Harry J. Kane and his aircrew spotted the silhouette of U-701 offshore. The ensuing clash signaled a critical turning point in the Battle of the Atlantic—and set the stage for an unlikely friendship between two of the episode’s survivors. A gripping tale of heroism and sacrifice, The Burning Shore leads readers into a little-known theater of World War II, where Hitler’s U-boats came close to winning the Battle of the Atlantic before American sailors and airmen could finally drive them away. |
the last u boat: U-Boats in the Mediterranean Paterson Lawrence, 2019-03-05 “Comprehensive and readable.”—The Naval Review Between September 1941 and May 1944, the Germans sent sixty-two U-boats into the Mediterranean. To get there, the boats had to pass through the Strait of Gibraltar, the British-held entry point, where nearly a third of them were sunk or forced to turn back. Of the submarines that made it into the clear, calm waters of the Mediterranean, not one of them ever made it back into the Atlantic: They were all either sunk in battle or scuttled by their own crews. In U-Boats in the Mediterranean, Lawrence Paterson puts the campaign into its strategic context, showing how it coordinated with Rommel's Afrika Korps in the Western Desert and the U-boat battle in the Atlantic. He describes the weapons and tactics the commanders used to try to overcome the difficulties of operating in the shallow waters and how increasing Allied dominance of the air took its heavy toll. Paterson details the U-boat triumphs such as the sinking of HMS Ark Royal, and the torpedoing of the battleship HMS Barham, which provided one of the best-known images of the Second World War at sea. Making full use of firsthand accounts by veterans, official German records, and Allied archives, the book puts a spotlight on a neglected aspect of the U-boat war and shows the courage and fortitude of the men on both sides of this savage conflict. |
the last u boat: The Heart Mender Andy Andrews, 2011-04-12 A unique blend of historical fact and engaging fiction showing the power of forgiveness. While digging up a withering wax myrtle tree beside his waterfront home on the Gulf coast, author Andy Andrews unearths a rusted metal container filled with Nazi artifacts and begins an intriguing investigation that unlocks an unspoken past that took place in his backyard . . . literally. In 1942, as the country gears up for a full-scale commitment to WWII, German subs are dispatched to the Gulf of Mexico to sink U.S. vessels carrying goods and fuel. While taking a late-night walk, Helen Mason-widowed by war-discovers the near-lifeless body of a German sailor. Enraged at the site of Josef Landermann's uniform, Helen is prepared to leave him to die when an unusual phrase, faintly uttered, changes her mind. Set in a period simmering with anger and suspicion The Heart Mender offers the very real chronicle of a small town preparing itself for the worst the world has to offer. As cargo from torpedoed ships begins to wash up on the beach, Josef and Helen must reconcile their pasts to create a future. Blending his unique style of historical accuracy with unparalleled storytelling, New York Times best-selling author Andy Andrews offers a tale of war, faith, and forgiveness illuminating the one principle that frees the human spirit. Previously released as Island of Saints, this new edition includes a reader's guide and a Where Are They Now? update on the real-life characters. |
the last u boat: America's U-Boats Chris Dubbs, 2014-11-01 The submarine was one of the most revolutionary weapons of World War I, inciting both terror and fascination for militaries and civilians alike. During the war, after U-boats sank the Lusitania and began daring attacks on shipping vessels off the East Coast, the American press dubbed these weapons “Hun Devil Boats,” “Sea Thugs,” and “Baby Killers.” But at the conflict’s conclusion, the U.S. Navy acquired six U-boats to study and to serve as war souvenirs. Until their destruction under armistice terms in 1921, these six U-boats served as U.S. Navy ships, manned by American crews. The ships visited eighty American cities to promote the sale of victory bonds and to recruit sailors, allowing hundreds of thousands of Americans to see up close the weapon that had so captured the public’s imagination. In America’s U-Boats Chris Dubbs examines the legacy of submarine warfare in the American imagination. Combining nautical adventure, military history, and underwater archaeology, Dubbs shares the previously untold story of German submarines and their impact on American culture and reveals their legacy and Americans’ attitudes toward this new wonder weapon. |
the last u boat: Type VII Marek Krzysztalowicz, 2012-05-02 “Describ[es] the Type VII and its place in the history of warfare . . . probably the finest book on German submarines of WWII available in print.”—Firetrench First conceived in the mid–1930s, the Type VII was still in production in the closing stages of the Second World War a decade later. Subject to continuous improvement through six major variants and with around 650 completed, it was built in larger numbers than any other submarine design in history. It formed the backbone of the Kriegsmarine’s campaign against merchant shipping for the whole of the war, and in terms of tonnage sunk was by far the most successful U-boat type. This encyclopedic work combines a technical description of the type in all its variations with a history of its development and an overview of its most significant operations—especially those convoy battles that were to have a crucial impact on the evolution of the design and its equipment. A particular attraction of the book is the comprehensive visual coverage—photographs of virtually every aspect of design, construction, fittings and shipboard life; highly detailed general arrangement plans and close-up scale drawings; and, with modelmakers in mind, a stunning collection of full-color three-dimensional illustrations of every external feature and variant of the boats. There have been many books on U-boats reflecting an enduring public interest so any new offering has to be special. With its unique concentration of information and illustrative reference, Type VII is unrivalled. “A comprehensive history of the Kriegsmarine’s most potent weapon . . . includes detailed modelmakers’ plans together with over 320 photographs.”—Maritime Advisor |
the last u boat: Teddy Suhren, Ace of Aces Teddy Shuren, 2011-04-20 Reinhard ‘Teddy’ Suhren fired more successful torpedo shots than any other man during the war, many before he even became a U-boat commander. He was also the U-boat service’s most irreverent and rebellious commander; his lack of a military bearing was a constant source of friction with higher authority. Valued for his good humour and ability to lead, his nickname was acquired because he marched like a teddy-bear. Despite his refusal to conform to the rigid thought-patterns of National Socialism, his operational successes protected him, and he found himself accepted in the highest circles of power in Germany. He was one of the lucky third of all U-boat crewmen who survived the war, largely because his abilities led to a senior land-based command. He was also one of the first to publish his reminiscences, his account being typically forthright – its German title, Nasses Eichenlaub, suggesting that although he was decorated with the Oak Leaves, he was always in hot water. He died in 1984 but interest in his career was revitalized by the discovery of photographs documenting one of his operations in U 564, published with great success in 2004 as U-Boat War Patrol by Lawrence Patterson. |
the last u boat: U-Boat 977 Heinz Schaeffer, 2017-11-30 When it was first published in 1953, opinions were sharply divided between those who deplored the apparent extolling of a vicious form of warfare, and this who found in Heinz Schaeffer’s account a revealing picture of the German Navy’s training and methods. U-Boat 977 was the German submarine that escaped to Argentina at the end of World War Two. This epic journey started from Bergen in Norway, where in April 1945 it was temporarily based, and took three and a half months to complete. Because of the continuing Allied naval activity the commander decided to make the first part of the journey underwater. Before surfacing near the west coast of Africa U-977 had spent a remarkable sixty-six days submerged. Heinz Schaeffer, the commander of U-977 wrote a full account of his career that culminated in this last command. It depicts the grueling aspects of a submariner’s life aboard a vessel that was subjected to harsh conditions of the sea and oceans. As an experienced commander Schaeffer took part in many of the decisive U-boat operations in the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean. In the final months of the war, and in common with most surviving U-boat commanders, Schaeffer and his crew came under constant attacks from Allied aircraft and surface ships. The final part of U-Boat 977 is Schaeffer’s account of the journey to Argentina and lays to rest some of the more fanciful sorties that followed its arrival. |
the last u boat: German U-Boat Losses During World War II Axel Niestlé, 2014-06-30 A deep dive into the fate of German submarines lost during the Second World War. “This has to be the best reference you can find on the subject.”—Military Modelling No other publication on this subject comes even close to including the amount of detail provided in this book. An introduction both summarizes previous works on the subject and describes the difficulties of obtaining and verifying information from either the Germans or the Allies on U-boat losses. The main part of the book lists by hull number each U-boat’s date of commissioning, its commanding officer, and the date and port of departure for its last patrol. It also gives the date, position, and cause of loss of each submarine, with complete details on Allied units involved in the sinking, the names and ranks of their commanding officers and pilots, and the number of crew killed or rescued. An appendix neatly summarizes data on the disposition of surviving U-boats at the end of the war and provides valuable statistical data on German U-boat losses. “Highly recommended for every serious scholar of the Atlantic war, and every library in naval history and the history of the Second World War.”—The Mariner’s Mirror “The level of detail is quite impressive and this edition is the result of 16 years of further research since the first edition . . . If you are seeking data on the fate of U-Boats then this book should be your ‘first place of call’—no other book has such detailed data.”—Military Archive Research |
the last u boat: The Last Battle of the Atlantic Bill Palmer, 2012-12-30 Out in the cold Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Rhode Island, lies the remains of what was once a feared and mighty hunter. Its's not a fish or shark, for that matter its not even a marine creature. It's what men feared the most when they went to sea aboard their vessel back in the World War II years. It's a German Submarine called a U-Boat. The U-853 was the last German submarine sunk in World War II. She was sunk with all hands just minutes before World War II ended. The once mighty hunter feared by all who put to sea, now lies in 130 feet of water off the coast of Block Island, Rhode Island, her grave marked only by a circle on the nautical charts, DANGER Unexploded Depth Charges, May 1945. |
the last u boat: Hitler's U-Boat War Clay Blair, 2010-07-21 Clay Blair's best-selling naval classic Silent Victory: The U.S. Submarine War Against Japan, is regarded as the definitive account of that decisive phase of the war in the Pacific. Nine years in the making, Hitler's U-boat War is destined to become the definitive account of the German submarine war against the Allies, or The Battle of the Atlantic. It is an epic sea story, the most arduous and prolonged naval battle in all history. For a period of nearly six years, the German U-boat force attempted to blockade and isolate the British Isles, in hopes of forcing the British out of the war, thereby thwarting the Allied strategic air assault on German cities as well as Overlord, the Allied invasion of Occupied France. Fortunately for the Allies, the U-boat force failed to achieve either of these objectives, but in the attempt they sank 2,800 Allied merchant ships, while the Allies sank nearly 800 U-boats. On both sides, tens of thousands of sailors perished. The top secret Allied penetration of German naval codes, and, conversely, the top secret German penetration of Allied naval codes played important roles in the Atlantic naval battle. In order to safeguard the secrets of codebreaking in the postwar years, London and Washington agreed to withhold all official codebreaking and U-boat records. Thus for decade upon decade an authoritative and definitive history of the Battle of the Atlantic could not be attempted. The accounts that did appear were incomplete and full of errors of fact and false interpretations and conclusions, often leaving the entirely wrong impression that the German U-boats came within a whisker of defeating the Allies, a myth that persists. When London and Washington finally began to release the official records in the 1980s, Clay Blair and his wife, Joan, commenced work on this history in Washington, London, and Germany. They relied on the official records as well as the work of German, British, American, and Canadian naval scholars who published studies of bits and pieces of the story. The end result is this magnificent and monumental work, crammed with vivid and dramatic scenes of naval actions and dispassionate but startling new revelations and interpretations and conclusions about all aspects of the Battle of the Atlantic. The Blair history will be published in two volumes. This first volume, The Hunters, covers the first three years of the war, August 1939 to August 1942. Told chronologically, it is subdivided into two major sections, the War Against the British Empire, and the War Against the Americas. Volume II, The Hunted, to follow a year later, will cover the last years of the naval war in Europe, August 1942 to May 1945, when the Allies finally overcame the U-boat threat. Never before has Hitler's U-boat war been chronicled with such authority, fidelity, objectivity, and detail. Nothing is omitted. Even those who fought the Battle of the Atlantic will find no end of surprises. Later generations will benefit by having at hand an account of this important phase of World War II, free of bias and mythology. |
the last u boat: U-Boat Hunter Bryan Perrett, 2014-01-02 U-Boat Hunter is the story of a young naval officer assigned to protecting Atlantic convoys from German submarines. Sixteen-year-old Peter Rogers joins an escort fleet in the North Atlantic where British convoys are suffering horrific losses from enemy U-boats. In this exciting tale, readers share in the trials and tribulations of his duties, the constant tension, the bitter cold, mountainous seas - and the moment when he and his father's captor come face to face. Vividly imagined and historically accurate, readers are taken on a first-hand journey of danger and peril. |
the last u boat: The U-boat Century Jak P. Mallmann Showell, 2006 The U-boat was one of the most potent weapons of the twentieth century, and in this book one of the world's leading U-boat historians explains how the German submarine was developed and designed and then deployed to wreak havoc in European waters and further afield in the Atlantic and Far East. This is not a dry technical study but a work that looks behind the scenes at the men who built and fought in them. While the boats themselves are described, Mallmann Showell paints a broader picture of life in the U-boat arm. Weapons systems, operational areas, bases, builders and fleet organization are covered, and as well as dealing with the world wars, the author covers today's German navy and brings the story up to date with a full description of the third, latest generation of U-boats. The text is augmented by some 400 photographs, many never before published. The book's publication coincides with the centenary of the launch of Germany's first U-boat in August 1906. It is an essential addition to the library of every modern naval historian and enthusiast. |
the last u boat: The Kaiser's U-Boat Assault on America Hans Joachim Koerver, 2020-09-30 A deeply researched and engaging account of the use of U-Boats in the First World War. The focus touches on both diplomatic and economic aspects as well as the tactical and strategic use of the U-boats. The book also examines the role played by US president Woodrow Wilson and his response to American shipping being sunk by U-boats and how that ultimately forced his hand to declare war on Germany. |
the last u boat: Wolf Pack Gordon Williamson, 2012-01-20 Germany's World War II U-Boat fleet represented the elite of their naval personnel. In terms of technology, training, tactics and combat successes, the U-Boat Waffe was far superior to that of any other combatant nation. In this comprehensive book, the wartime development of the U-Boat is traced along with the experiences of typical U-Boat crewmen, from recruitment to combat. The author examines the operational tactics of the U-Boat fleet, as well as describing the massive bunkers that housed them. 'Wolf Pack' contains material taken from Fortress 3: 'U-Boat Bases and Bunkers 1941-45', Warrior 36: 'Grey Wolf: U-Boat Crewman of World War II' and New Vanguards 51 and 55: 'Kriegsmarine U-Boat 1939-45 (1) and (2)', with the addition of a new section on wartime tactics. |
the last u boat: Defeating the U-boat Jan S. Breemer, 2010 In Defeating the U-boat: Inventing Antisubmarine Warfare, Newport Paper 36, Jan. S. Breemer tells the story of the British response to the German submarine threat. His account of Germany's 'asymmetric' challenge (to use the contemporary term) to Britain's naval mastery holds important lessons for the United States today, the U.S. Navy in particular. The Royal Navy's obstinate refusal to consider seriously the option of convoying merchant vessels, which turned out to be key to the solution of the U-boat problem, demonstrates the extent to which professional military cultures can thwart technical and operational innovation even in circumstances of existential threat. Although historical controversy continues to cloud this issue, ... Breemer ends his lively and informative study with some general reflections on military innovation and the requirements for fostering it. --Foreword. |
the last u boat: Torpedo Junction Homer H. Hickam, 1996 Recounts the deadly U-boat action off the North Carolina coast in the early days of World War II. |
the last u boat: Hitler's U-boat War Clay Blair, 2000-04 The second volume in Clay Blair's history of Hitler's U-boat war, covering years 1942 to 1945. Told chronologically, it is divided into two sections: the war against Britain and her empire, and the war against the Americas. Clay Blair served in World War II in the submarines. He chronicles dramatic scenes of naval actions and makes interpretations and conclusions about all aspects of the Battle of the Atlantic. |
the last u boat: Steel Boat, Iron Hearts Hans Jacob Goebeler, 2005 |
the last u boat: German U-boat Commanders of World War II Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll, 1999 Details the service records of some 1,400 officers of the German Kriegsmarine known to have commanded a U-boat between the commissioning of U-1 in June 1935, and the final surrender of U-977 to Argentina in August 1945. |
the last u boat: Dead Wake Erik Larson, 2015-03-12 On 1 May 1915, a luxury ocean liner as richly appointed as an English country house sailed out of New York, bound for Liverpool. The passengers - including a record number of children and infants - were anxious. Germany had declared the seas around Britain to be a war zone. For months, its submarines had brought terror to the North Atlantic. But the Lusitania's captain, William Thomas Turner, had faith in the gentlemanly terms of warfare that had, for a century, kept civilian ships safe from attack. He also knew that his ship - the fastest then in service - could outrun any threat. But Germany was intent on changing the rules, and Walther Schwieger, the captain of Unterseeboot-20, was happy to oblige. Meanwhile, an ultra-secret British intelligence unit were tracking Schwieger's U-boat...but told no one. As U-20 and the Lusitania made their way towards Liverpool, forces both grand and achingly small - hubris, a chance fog, a closely-guarded secret and more - converged to produce one of the great disasters of 20th century history. It is a story that many of us think we know but don't, and Erik Larson tells it thrillingly, switching between hunter and hunted. Full of glamour, mystery, and real-life suspense, Dead Wake brings to life a cast of evocative characters, including the US President Wilson, a man lost to grief, dreading the widening war but also captivated by the prospect of new love. Gripping and important, Dead Wake captures the sheer drama and emotional power of a disaster that helped place America on the road to war. |
the last u boat: The U-boat War in the Caribbean Gaylord Kelshall, 1994 Reprint of the account of WWII submarine operations in the Caribbean, originally published by Paria Pub. Co., Trinidad in 1988, with a new (one page) foreword. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR |
the last u boat: Type VII U-boats Robert Cecil Stern, 1991 The Type VII U-boat was the quintessential U-boat, the one that comes to mind whenever the subject of the Battle of the Atlantic in World War Two is raised. This book describes in detail the technological war fought by and against the Type VII U-boat and is illustrated with a marvellous selection of photographs and line drawings. Interviews with U-boat veterans and access to plentiful naval records have given the author the means to provide a fascinating insight into both life aboard a cramped vessel and the practical methods used both to track and destroy the enemy and to avoid his often fatal searches. As the war turned against Germany, this led to experimentation with technical systems that were often years ahead of their time. With its appendixes on paint schemes, boats built and a profile of Donitz, this is a valuable contribution to the study of the U-boat arm, which will be warmly welcomed by naval enthusiasts. |
the last u boat: The Last U-Boat Jack O'Brien, 2024-05-03 As WWII engulfs Europe, Nazi saboteurs prepare to strike at America's heartland from beneath the waters of the Great Lakes. Their weapon - a U-boat - has been smuggled piece-by-piece, reassembled, and abandoned in a secret underground factory. Eight decades later, 16-year-old Charlie LeClair discovers the Last U-boat-deep beneath his backyard on the shores of Lake Erie. He and his friends explore the perfectly preserved boat and the adventure begins. Can Charlie and his friends bring the sub to life? Can they solve the mystery of how it got there? Can he do it without getting caught? The answer depends on whether his parents, his friends, a budding romance, the US Navy, an army of terrorists, and a pair of criminal thugs can stop him. |
the last u boat: The Longest Patrol Gregory L. Owen, 2009 Karl Baumann was born in the Ruhr Valley of Germany during the desperate and tumultuous years of the Great Depression. His pursuit of an occupation is hindered by an abbreviated formal education, unenthusiastic participation in the Hitler youth movement, and the whims of Nazi officials. Baumann's decision to become a sailor at the age of fourteen is both fortuitous and fateful. Baumann comes of age at sea with the German fishing and merchant fleets. He becomes a member of the Kriegsmarine's legendary U-boat force and participates in the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II. He also takes part in the underwater German counteroffensive that attempts to breach the English Channel and attack the Allied armada delivering troops and supplies onto the D-Day landing beaches. Baumann is one of only ten thousand U-boat crewmen who survives the war--and the even smaller fraternity of captured submariners. His personal struggle as a prisoner of war reaches across the Atlantic to a small POW camp located in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. His unusual experiences at Camp Lyndhurst in Augusta County produce life-transforming consequences he never could have contemplated before his capture and imprisonment in the land of his sworn enemy. Fully researched and footnoted, with fifty illustrations. The Longest Patrol is the captivating story of Karl Baumann's wartime odyssey. |
the last u boat: The Last U-Boats H. Coffman, 2017-12-03 This story is a fictional account of the last two German submarines to surrender after World War II. U-Boat U-530, commanded by Kapitän - Oberleutnant zur See Otto Wermuth, arrived in Argentina two months after Germany had surrendered, while U-Boat U-977, under the command of Kapitain - Oberleutnant sur See Heinz Schaffer, arrived a month later, three months after the end of the war. No rational account was given on their whereabouts from the commanders of these Unterseebootes. Ship logs and personal identifications were thrown overboard. Were they defiant or were they following orders to the end? How did two submarine commanders, thousands of miles away from each other, pick the same country, the same port in which to surrender? There have been many legends, rumors, and speculations about these submarines. To date, none have been proven. |
the last u boat: Iron Coffins Herbert A. WERNER, 1990 |
the last u boat: The Kaiser's U-Boat Assault on America Hans Joachim Koerver, 2020-09-30 “An absorbing work for those interested in both the Great War and early submarine-based strategic theory.” —Naval History This deeply researched and engaging account of the use of U-Boats in the First World War focuses on both diplomatic and economic aspects as well as the tactical and strategic use of the U-boats. The book also examines the role played by US president Woodrow Wilson and his response to American shipping being sunk by U-boats—and how that ultimately forced his hand to declare war on Germany. Includes photos and illustrations “An excellent illumination of a multiclass, militaristic, and diplomatically inept state trying to adapt to the realities of modern war and the exploitation of new technology—and catastrophically failing.” —Naval History “Highly recommended.” —The Northern Mariner |
the last u boat: The U-boat War, 1939-1945 Ian Baxter, 2008 The U-Boat war is a unique visual record of Hitler`s infamous submarine fleet and a grim account of those that lived, worked and risked their lives stalking the depths of the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas. The book analyses the development of the U-boat, the recruitment and training, and reveals how the crews tried to destroy essential Allied supplies across the Atlantic and bring Britain to its knees. Using some 250 rare and unpublished photographs together with detailed captions and accompanying text, the book provides an outstanding insight into the various operations and the claustrophobic existence of the crew, where they lived in cramped and often deplorable conditions. It depicts how this potent force became one of the most dominant German fighting units during World War Two, and became such a worry to Allied shipping that even Winston Churchill himself claimed that the `U-boat peril` was the only thing that ever really frightened him during the war. On their defeat hung the outcome of the war, and through courageous and determined resistance against overwhelming odds the Allies eventually inflicted such catastrophic damage on the U-boats that its losses were too great to continue. Of the 38,000 men that went to sea onboard these deadly vessels, only 8,000 were to survive to tell the tale. |
the last u boat: Where Divers Dare Randall Peffer, 2016-04-05 On April 16, 1944, the tanker SS Pan Pennsylvania was torpedoed and sunk by the U-550. In return the sub was sent to the bottom by three destroyer escorts which were guarding the convoy. For more than 60 years the location of the U-boat's wreck eluded divers. In 2012, a team found it. This was the last undiscovered U-boat in diveable waters, more than three hundred feet below the surface. This is the story of their 20 year quest to find the 'Holy Grail' of deep sea diving and the tenacious efforts to dive on this treacherous wreck. |
the last u boat: The Last Century of Sea Power, Volume 2 H. P. Willmott, 2010-03-22 “An important contribution . . . a thoughtful account of the years preceding the Second World War and, at much greater length, of the war itself.” —History In this second volume of his history of naval power in the 20th century, H. P. Willmott follows the fortunes of the established seafaring nations of Europe along with two upstarts—the United States and Japan. Emerging from World War I in command of the seas, Great Britain saw its supremacy weakened through neglect and in the face of more committed rivals. Britain’s grand Coronation Review of 1937 marked the apotheosis of a sea power slipping into decline. Meanwhile, Britain’s rivals and soon-to-be enemies were embarking on significant naval building programs that would soon change the nature of war at sea in ways that neither they nor their rivals anticipated. By the end of a new world war, the United States had taken command of two oceans, having placed its industrial might behind technologies that further defined the arena of naval power above and below the waves, where stealth and the ability to strike at great distance would soon rewrite the rules of war and of peace. This splendid volume further enhances Willmott’s stature as the dean of naval historians. Praise for The Last Century of Sea Power series “The author, dean of naval historians, provides a sweeping look at, and analysis of, the transformation of naval power . . . Wilmott is fearless in his judgments.” —Seapower “H. P. Willmott is the finest naval historian and among the finest historians of any discipline writing today.” —Bernard D. Cole, author of The Great Wall at Sea |
the last u boat: Battle of the Atlantic 1942–45 Mark Lardas, 2021-02-18 This illustrated study explores, in detail, the climactic events of the Battle of the Atlantic, and how air power proved to be the Allies' most important submarine-killer in one of the most bitterly fought naval campaigns of World War II. As 1942 opened, both Nazi Germany and the Allies were ready for the climactic battles of the Atlantic to begin. Germany had 91 operational U-boats, and over 150 in training or trials. Production for 1942–44 was planned to exceed 200 boats annually. Karl Dönitz, running the Kriegsmarine's U-boat arm, would finally have the numbers needed to run the tonnage war he wanted against the Allies. Meanwhile, the British had, at last, assembled the solution to the U-boat peril. Its weapons and detection systems had improved to the stage that maritime patrol aircraft could launch deadly attacks on U-boats day and night. Airborne radar, Leigh lights, Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD) and the Fido homing torpedo all turned the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft into a submarine-killer, while shore and ship-based technologies such as high-frequency direction finding and signals intelligence could now help aircraft find enemy U-boats. Following its entry into the war in 1941, the United States had also thrown its industrial muscle behind the campaign, supplying VLR Liberator bombers to the RAF and escort carriers to the Royal Navy. The US Navy also operated anti-submarine patrol blimps and VLR aircraft in the southern and western Atlantic, and sent its own escort carriers to guard convoys. This book, the second of two volumes, explores the climactic events of the Battle of the Atlantic, and reveals how air power – both maritime patrol aircraft and carrier aircraft – ultimately proved to be the Allies' most important weapon in one of the most bitterly fought naval campaigns of World War II. |
the last u boat: The Defeat of the Enemy Attack upon Shipping, 1939–1945 Eric J. Grove, 2019-08-21 This book was originally published in 1957. During the First World War, German use of unrestricted submarine warfare, supported by extensive mining and surface raids, very nearly forced Britain out of the war in 1917. The island’s heavy dependence on seaborne supplies was gravely threatened again in 1939, supplemented this time by air attacks on shipping. After the war, Commanders Waters and Barley wrote a Naval Staff History which has long been recognised as an authoritative study of the impact of the German campaign and its ultimate defeat by Britain and her allies. It remains an indispensable basis for any serious study of the Battle of the Atlantic and has here been updated and revised by Dr Grove, who also contributes a perceptive introduction outlining its significance. |
the last u boat: Commandant's Bulletin , 1993 |
the last u boat: U-Boats in New England Eric Wiberg, 2019-11-03 Starting weeks after Hitler declared war on the United States in mid-December 1941 and lasting until the war with Germany was all but over, 73 German U-Boats sustainably attacked New England waters, from Montauk New York to the tip of Nova Scotia at Cape Sable. Fifteen percent of these boats were sunk by Allied counter-attacks, five surrendered in the region, and three were sunk off New England--Block Island, Massachusetts Bay, and off Nantucket. These have proven appealing to divers, with a result that at least three German naval officers or ratings are buried in New England, one having killed himself in the Boston jail cell. There were 34 Allied merchant or naval ships sunk by these subs, one of them, the 'Eagle', was not admitted to have been sunk by the Germans until decades later. Over 1,100 men were thrown in the water and 545 of them made it ashore in New England ports; 428 were killed. Importantly, saboteurs were landed three places: Long Island, Frenchman's Bay Maine and New Brunswick Canada, and Boston was mined. Very little was known about this. |
the last u boat: The War at Sea, 1939-1945 Stephen Wentworth Roskill, 1961 |
Last.fm | Play music, find songs, and discover artists
The world's largest online music service. Listen online, find out more about your favourite artists, and get music …
GODISMYWITNESS’s Music Profile | Last.fm
Dec 15, 2024 · Get your own music profile at Last.fm, the world’s largest social music platform. Listen to music from …
mawzbow’s Music Profile | Last.fm
Apr 11, 2025 · Get your own music profile at Last.fm, the world’s largest social music platform. Listen to music from mawzbow’s …
Last.fm | Ouça músicas, encontre canções e descubra artistas
O maior serviço musical on-line do mundo. Ouça on-line, descubra mais sobre seus artistas preferidos e receba …
mamegee’s Music Profile | Last.fm
May 29, 2025 · Get your own music profile at Last.fm, the world’s largest social music platform. Listen to music from mamegee’s …
Last.fm | Play music, find songs, and discover artists
The world's largest online music service. Listen online, find out more about your favourite artists, and get music recommendations, only at Last.fm
GODISMYWITNESS’s Music Profile | Last.fm
Dec 15, 2024 · Get your own music profile at Last.fm, the world’s largest social music platform. Listen to music from GODISMYWITNESS’s library (2,150 tracks played). …
mawzbow’s Music Profile | Last.fm
Apr 11, 2025 · Get your own music profile at Last.fm, the world’s largest social music platform. Listen to music from mawzbow’s library (2,954 tracks played). mawzbow’s top artists: Bladee, …
Last.fm | Ouça músicas, encontre canções e descubra artistas
O maior serviço musical on-line do mundo. Ouça on-line, descubra mais sobre seus artistas preferidos e receba recomendações de músicas, somente na Last.fm
mamegee’s Music Profile | Last.fm
May 29, 2025 · Get your own music profile at Last.fm, the world’s largest social music platform. Listen to music from mamegee’s library (53 tracks played). mamegee’s top artists: Pat's …
radha90mn’s Music Profile - Last.fm
Mar 28, 2025 · Listen to music from radha90mn’s library (810 tracks played). radha90mn’s top artist: Jin. Get your own music profile at Last.fm, the world’s largest social music platform.
Shoutbox for loachy16 - Last.fm
Listen to music from loachy16’s library (147,182 tracks played). Get your own music profile at Last.fm, the world’s largest social music platform.
Search - Last.fm
The world's largest online music service. Listen online, find out more about your favourite artists, and get music recommendations, only at Last.fm
zoyzoe’s Music Profile | Last.fm
Jan 19, 2025 · Listen to music from zoyzoe’s library (466 tracks played). zoyzoe’s top artists: KAROL G, Camila, Emily montes. Get your own music profile at Last.fm, the world’s largest …
aelyn_kim’s Music Profile - Last.fm
May 30, 2025 · Get your own music profile at Last.fm, the world’s largest social music platform. Listen to music from aelyn_kim’s library (94 tracks played). aelyn_kim’s top artists: ENHYPEN, …