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.
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