Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe S
One more comment, a great many books on the subject state that U-boat crews who were captured and interrogated were almost always described as fanatical Nazis. I dont know that I believe that they all were fanatical Nazis, but that is how the British apparently viewed them. Joe S
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That's a bit ambiguous, saying that a great many books say that U-boat crews were described as Nazis... that doesn't really mean a lot, as it could be that a great many books, all used the same source that described U-boat crews as Nazis, instead of a lot of independant sources described U-boat crews as Nazis - see the difference? From what I have read, the propoganda of the day was that most U-boat crews were expected to be dyed-in-the-wool Nazis, but in practice this was different. If you read U-Boat Killer, you will read a frank account of the behaviour of the captured crews and how much respect they had for their captains, whether for the better or not. Some crews were completely loyal to their commander and highly efficient, other crews had distain for their commander, who they viewed as cowards, which was bourne out as they were the first to abandon ship when their U-boat was sinking. There are good and bad seaman on each side. Those fast tracked to command by virtue of being a fanatical Nazi party member were probably not good command material from the start.