The Conduct of the War at Sea by Doenitz

[Iron Budokan]

I found this essay at uboatarchive.net and thought I would share, assuming you haven't seen it already.

Fascinating insight into this man's mind and his take on the history of the Battle of the Atlantic and the naval war as a whole. I found it very interesting:

Link: http://www.uboatarchive.net/DoenitzEssay.htm

[sublynx]

I can recommend that essay too, it's a very informative read. There certainly is a lot to read about submarines in the internet :)

[Iron Budokan]

I had never seen the essay before. I found it very informative. :salute:

[Fish In The Water]

Fascinating insight into this man's mind and his take on the history of the Battle of the Atlantic and the naval war as a whole.

Appreciate the link, thanks much! :up:

[Iron Budokan]

You are very welcome. :salute:

[VONHARRIS]

A very interesting find.
Thank you for sharing

[Admiral Von Gerlach]

It was a moving experience to read this, Doenitz was a fine man with high integrity and intent, and he views the war from very well informed eyes..yet one cannot but think on the terrible suffering and loss of life caused by the events of that war and under his direct command, of the 20,000 of the 30,000 U boat men who perished at sea often in a terrible way in a sinking boat, yet he views it from the heights of high command. True it was a terrible mistake to go to war with half a navy and then to use it so poorly, and I also grieve for the dedicated service of all of those men as well, often sunk at anchor by bombs as by enemy action far away at sea...it was a bitter war for the Kreigsmarine. But it is fascniating to see it all thru D's eyes, and one can well imagine his feelings as he recounted it all for his captors and conquerors ....and the strangest thing of all is to read that Germany and the high command did not prepare for war with England until the last 1930s....amazing to think on that alone. Raeder was another fascninating man...there were some men of great character in the Navy of that era...and what a strange and tragic heritage they had to rebuild the fleet on the ghosts of Scapa Flow and Jutland ..... Germany put such a huge effort into the Fleet, such a price of steel and energy and men.... and in the end to so little effect. Perhaps if they had risked more, as did the RN time and time again, things would have turned out much differently.

[OnePingOnly]

One of the main reasons for a percentage of German men to want to be in the Uboatwaffe was they help varying political views. Sure some were staunch supports of DER FUHRER but many were at unease with the direction this renewed nationalism was going. With U Crews being tight knit and elite units these were men that wanted to serve but turned a blind eye to the rampant antisemitism. The seeds of discord sown tightly in the treaty of Versailles. MANY Germans wanted to regain and prove the terrible debacle of the Kaiser and his general Staff.

The Kriegsmarine especially after scuttling so many ships right off the Scapa Flow wanted so much to restore their honor. The UBOAT WRECKED HAVOC during the first world war. At the outbreak of the second this was at the foremost of the minds of BOTH sides.

Doenitz Pleaded with Hitlers General Staff to build NOT SO many huge ships with big guns instead proposing a immediate construction of 37 U's. He knew with the English not quite at the level of ASW that would cause them problem the could have effectively STARVED the English Island, in whose Navy was desperately shot at the time.

The U-47 and its sinking of the Royal Oak did assist in Doenitz getting the right ear to listen and yet not enough was done in the way of his strategy nor the numbers he wanted.