U-Boat Novels

[gord96]

Hello,

Just wondering if you guys know of or could recommend and U-Boat or any other WW2 naval novels. I think I heard of one or two about U-Boat but I can not remember them for the life of me.

Thanks :)

[CaptainNemo12]

Hi,

The best and one of my favourite novels about the U-boat War was the autobiography of Heinz Schaeffer, entitled "U-boat 977". It talks about the commander's life and his boat's journey in making an underwater voyage to Argentina at the end of the war. Frankly, I consider it probably one of the best U-boat novels/sources out there.

[WilhelmSchulz.]

Ehem...

Iron Coffins by Herbert Werner
Torpedo Ally by Homer Hickam
Grey Wolves Grey Sea by E.B Gasaway
Donitz and the Wolf Packs by Bernard Edwards
Battle of the Atlantic by Andrew Willams
WolfPack by Gordon Wilamson
Das Boot(the book) by???
:up:

[von Zelda]

I'd recommend you start with Iron Coffins by Herbert Werner then Operation Drumbeat by Michael Gannon. Both books are well written, are real interesting and will give you a lot of insight into u-boat operations from the commander's point of view.

[Sailor Steve]

Das Boot(the book) by???
Lothar-Günther Buchheim

From the other side:
U-Boat Killer, by Donald MacIntyre

[gord96]

WOW! Thanks guys. Lots of options! Can anyone name their favorite. I don't know where to start! LOL.

Thanks

[Dowly]

Just ordered my copy of Das Boot for only 10€. Tho, it was that cheap because it´s in english instead of finnish. Cant wait to get my hands on it!

[Sailor Steve]

Dowly you haven't read Das Boot? Then you don't even know why, even though an officer NEVER calls his enlisted men by their first names, they call the diesel chiefs Franz and Johann?

I won't spoil it for you, but it's one of my favorite parts. Also you'll see how close the long version of the movie follows the book, but still how many parts are changed.

Oh, and gord96, my favorite is probably U-Boat 977. It's a hoot.

[Warmonger]

I have a book called "Feindfahrten" at home, written by Wolfgang Hirschfeld. He was radioman on U-109 under Kaleuns Fischer and Bleichrodt during 1941+'42 and later on U-234 on its infamous attempt to deliver radioactive material to Japan in April '45. Got this as a present from my parents, prolly the best book they ever chosen.

[Deep-Six]

I just got done reading Miracle on the Water, dont have the authors name at the moment.

The view is from the other side. It is very chilling. Litterally.

Quick synopsis, The City of Benares is torpedoed by U-48.

The passenger ship was carrying 400+ men, women and children.

Only 197 or so survived.

The book is very good. I recommend very highly.

[Ducimus]

Along with the others mentioned above, one of my favorites is "Steel boat, Iron hearts" by Hans gruebler, a crewman who was onboard U505 for most of its service in the kreigsmarine and was with the boat when it was captured. Tells quite a story from patrols in south africa, to the caribean.

[SubConscious]

I'd have to say that Operation Drumbeat by Michael Gannon is my favorite sub book thus far, though I have yet to read Iron Coffins. I recently re-read "U-boat Ace: The Story of Wolfgang Luth", which was pretty good, but not nearly of the caliber of Gannon's work.

[CaptainNemo12]

You're right, Gannon's book is amazing. I've just started it myself, about 1/4 of the way finished.

[Achtung Englander]

Ehem...

Iron Coffins by Herbert Werner
Torpedo Ally by Homer Hickam
Grey Wolves Grey Sea by E.B Gasaway
Donitz and the Wolf Packs by Bernard Edwards
Battle of the Atlantic by Andrew Willams
WolfPack by Gordon Wilamson
Das Boot(the book) by???
:up:

superb list - thanks for that as I added 2 of those books to my "to read" list

[spork542]

Iron Coffins, Das Boot/The Boat are the two ones I've read. Iron Coffins was excellent, Das Boot is excellent so far (I haven't finished it.).

PS. Das Boot is by Lothar-Gunter Buchheim (sp)!

PPS. Bleh, Sailor Steve beat me to it!

[John Pancoast]

Don't know if you'd call them novels (but then, some of the other suggestions aren't either :) ), but the two volumes by Clay Blair are outstanding.

Best in class.

[Platapus]

Final Harbor and Wake of the Yahoo are also nice books.

Final Harbor is a fiction book but the author made it pretty realistic

[AVGWarhawk]

"War Beneath the Sea" I do not have the author. I can get it if you need it. This book covers all U-boat/Submarines starting with WWI and through WWII. It is an excellent read with great insight on Donitz and his war diary. Tonnage War, etc. I highly recommend it. It also highlights all the authors noted above and the best parts of there books on the subject. It explains Berkley Park and decoding enigma. Problems with the convoy coverage and the air gap problem. What Donitz was facing. After reading this book I found that Donitz was a fairly decent guy and he did give a damn about his crews. It was pretty clear in his diary. It is 500 pages long and chock full of great stories and facts.:rock:

[gord96]

i just finished Battle of the Atlantic. Great read. One chapeter would be on the Germans, then the next would be on the Allies and it would switch on and off like that. I really recommend it.

[Frenssen]

All my favourites have been mentioned by others, but here is my list:
Hirschfeld: Secret Diary of a U-boat. Very interesting to read an account from a non officer point of view. It is exciting, funny and sad.
L.G. Buchheim: Das Boot. Actually unlike most other people I read the book before I saw the movie. I remember my dad watching it in the 80s, but he didn`t let me watch war movies then.
Theodore Savas: Silent Hunters. Not a novel, but short biographies of different commanders, a very interesting read.
Herbert Werner: Iron Coffins. Some critics have pointed out inaccuracies in this book, but nevertheless it`s a great read. His romantic adventures on shore I find not so interesting though.

[CptGrayWolf]

C'mon guys, Werner's 'Iron Coffin' is not a novel!
Can't an old man make a couple historical inaccuracies here and there...Poor guy went through alot of depth charging, not good for memory. :doh:

[MobyGrape]

Read Iron coffins, and Das Boot..I had odd feelings about Iron coffins..think its maybe more fiction than fact.
Not a Novel but a Great read is , Convoy by Martin MIddlebrook..just saw a movie named Enigma that sheds further info about that book, it seems that The Benchley park stuff was still Top secret when he wrote book.
This was the Last great raid by German uboots against Atlantic convoys..It turns out this is when Benchley park reacquired the base of the enigma code,,from weather reports that uboots broad-casted..

[John Pancoast]

Read Iron coffins, and Das Boot..I had odd feelings about Iron coffins..think its maybe more fiction than fact.
Not a Novel but a Great read is , Convoy by Martin MIddlebrook..just saw a movie named Enigma that sheds further info about that book, it seems that The Benchley park stuff was still Top secret when he wrote book.
This was the Last great raid by German uboots against Atlantic convoys..It turns out this is when Benchley park reacquired the base of the enigma code,,from weather reports that uboots broad-casted..

Yeah, I felt the same way about Iron Coffins. For that matter, I prefer to stay away from most memoirs for that reason, plus the writer usually tends to paint themselves in a positive light, while everyone else is the opposite.

[JScones]

Along with the others mentioned above, one of my favorites is "Steel boat, Iron hearts" by Hans gruebler, a crewman who was onboard U505 for most of its service in the kreigsmarine and was with the boat when it was captured. Tells quite a story from patrols in south africa, to the caribean.
This is perhaps my favourite. :yep:

[MobyGrape]

Thanks JS..put that one on my Wish list.:up:

[ReallyDedPoet]

Steel Boat, Iron Hearts. It is written by a crewmember of U-505. Hans Goebler

[Goose_green]

I have Das Boot and Iron Coffins and they are both great books but the following are my personal favorites and I recommend them for anyone interested in the subject;

Teddy Suhren - Ace of Aces Memoirs of a U Boat Rebel

Shooting the War - The Memoir and Photographs of a U-Boat Officer in WWII by Otto Giese and J E Wise Jr

U-Boat Ace - The story of Wolfgang Luth by Jordan (Biography)

[johnm]

I've read Iron Coffins & Uboat 977. Both good.

Can I recommend a fictional story? The Enemy Below by D.A.Rayner.

This is destroyer v U-boat, one on one.

Rayner served in destroyers in WWII and was first RNVR officer to command a destroyer.

He also says given a one on one, the odds are with the Uboat!

I usually find that they get me first!

[Captain Nemo]

Don't know if you'd call them novels (but then, some of the other suggestions aren't either :) ), but the two volumes by Clay Blair are outstanding.

Best in class.

I'm reading the first of the Clay Blair volumes at the moment. Very factual and detailed and Clay Blair does a good job separating the facts from the propaganda. From what I have read so far I would also recommend these books.

Nemo