[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.