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Subnuts · 08-10-10, 08:26 PM

Anatomy of the Ship: The Type VII U-Boat
David Westwood
1984
The Type VII U-boat, a medium-range ocean-going patrol submarine built in a number of variants between 1936 and 1944, was the ideal vessel for carrying out Karl Donitz's concept of a...

Hey Subnuts. This is Daryl talking. You're not writing this review for Yahoo Answers. This is SUBSIM.COM for God's sakes. Everyone here, with the exception of designer-shoe-selling spambots, is quite aware of what the Type VII U-boat was, and has some idea of the boat's basic specifications and the differences between the different models. Can you get on with this review already?

Well, fine then.

For the third entry in the "Anatomy of the Ship" series, Conway chose to focus on an entire class of ships, rather than just a single vessel. After all, the VII might be the most recognizable submarine design in history, and it's small size guaranteed a smaller, and therefore less expensive book. The Aircraft Carrier Intrepid was only 96 pages long, and did an excellent job depicting that ship's World War II arrangement. Could they capture lightning in a bottle again?

A four page introduction starts us off with a history of the VII design's genesis, while a set of tables includes specifications of the different VII sub-types, and information on torpedoes and gun mounts. 24 photographs are included, including some interesting shots of the captured U-570, a few clear interior photos, and numerous full-boat portraits and conning tower close-ups. As always, the rest of the book is occupied by drawings.

Of the 69 pages of drawings presented here, 41 are devoted entirely to general arrangement plans. Opening with a perspective view of a "Type VIIC as in 1936" (I'm assuming that's a typo), section A then moves on to depict 1/200 scale plan and profile views of each VII type, ranging from the early VIIAs, through the late-war VIIC/41s, to the VIID mine-layer and VIIF torpedo transport. The rest of section A includes profile and perspective views of various Turm configurations, including the basic early-war design, the U-Flak, and U-995's final arrangement.

Section B details the internal arrangements of the different subtypes, with a cross-section and plan views of each deck, again at 1/200 scale. Along with basic internal layouts, this section also includes more detailed plans of the interior arrangements of the VIIB and VIIC, a structural plan showing plating thicknesses, and drawings of the air supply and exhaust trunking fitted in the schnorchel-equipped VIICs. Section C provides 11 1/100 scale transverse sections through a late-war VIIC.

Section D depicts the internal arrangement of the boat from stern to bow, showing each compartment at 1/100 scale, with a longitudinal section and plan views of each level, though the control room and conning tower are only depicted in side view. This section also shows the arrangement of the anchor gear and rather crude perspective views of the captain's cabin and forward torpedo tubes. The final section includes drawings of the 2cm MG C30 AA gun, the 3.7cm SKC30U, the 8.8cm SKC35 deck gun, the different shells used by these guns, the G7e and G7a torpedoes, a torpedo tube and it's loading gear, and a few of the bridge fittings.

The biggest issue I have with The Type VII U-boat is the relative lack of material contained within, and the lack of detail present throughout much of the book. Compared to the two preceding series entries, this book is very much "Anatomy Lite," very rarely exploring the boat's design at a more than superficial level. David Westwood may be a fine historian, but the drawings here lack the passionate attention to detail shown by John Roberts and many of the draftsmen (and one draftswoman) who later produced their own Anatomies. There's definitely a Jekyll and Hyde thing going on here - most of the drawings in Sections A and B are pretty crude and workmanlike, but the later chapters detailing the boat's internal arrangements are crisply executed and filled with details I'd never gleaned before. Compared to John Lambert's entry on the submarine Alliance, which is packed with dozens of elaborately detailed drawings of machinery, propulsion systems, weapons, and inner workings, The Type VII U-boat is child's play.

Would I pay the $29.70 this book currently commands on Amazon right now? Certainly not. I was lucky enough to find a used copy of the 1986 reprint for $18, and I noticed a few used copies starting at $9 available right now. I wouldn't call this one "bad," but it pales compared to the better Anatomies, and I'd really only recommend it unless you have to own every U-boat book in existence.

Ironically, one can view a translated version of Volume M of U-570's Design and Specification book online for free, which includes a ton of detail that isn't included in this book: http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-570DesignBook.htm

Final rating: 6/10

08-10-10, 08:26 PM	#3
Subnuts The Old Man Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,658 Downloads: 14 Uploads: 0	Anatomy of the Ship: The Type VII U-Boat David Westwood 1984 The Type VII U-boat, a medium-range ocean-going patrol submarine built in a number of variants between 1936 and 1944, was the ideal vessel for carrying out Karl Donitz's concept of a... Hey Subnuts. This is Daryl talking. You're not writing this review for Yahoo Answers. This is SUBSIM.COM for God's sakes. Everyone here, with the exception of designer-shoe-selling spambots, is quite aware of what the Type VII U-boat was, and has some idea of the boat's basic specifications and the differences between the different models. Can you get on with this review already? Well, fine then. For the third entry in the "Anatomy of the Ship" series, Conway chose to focus on an entire class of ships, rather than just a single vessel. After all, the VII might be the most recognizable submarine design in history, and it's small size guaranteed a smaller, and therefore less expensive book. The Aircraft Carrier Intrepid was only 96 pages long, and did an excellent job depicting that ship's World War II arrangement. Could they capture lightning in a bottle again? A four page introduction starts us off with a history of the VII design's genesis, while a set of tables includes specifications of the different VII sub-types, and information on torpedoes and gun mounts. 24 photographs are included, including some interesting shots of the captured U-570, a few clear interior photos, and numerous full-boat portraits and conning tower close-ups. As always, the rest of the book is occupied by drawings. Of the 69 pages of drawings presented here, 41 are devoted entirely to general arrangement plans. Opening with a perspective view of a "Type VIIC as in 1936" (I'm assuming that's a typo), section A then moves on to depict 1/200 scale plan and profile views of each VII type, ranging from the early VIIAs, through the late-war VIIC/41s, to the VIID mine-layer and VIIF torpedo transport. The rest of section A includes profile and perspective views of various Turm configurations, including the basic early-war design, the U-Flak, and U-995's final arrangement. Section B details the internal arrangements of the different subtypes, with a cross-section and plan views of each deck, again at 1/200 scale. Along with basic internal layouts, this section also includes more detailed plans of the interior arrangements of the VIIB and VIIC, a structural plan showing plating thicknesses, and drawings of the air supply and exhaust trunking fitted in the schnorchel-equipped VIICs. Section C provides 11 1/100 scale transverse sections through a late-war VIIC. Section D depicts the internal arrangement of the boat from stern to bow, showing each compartment at 1/100 scale, with a longitudinal section and plan views of each level, though the control room and conning tower are only depicted in side view. This section also shows the arrangement of the anchor gear and rather crude perspective views of the captain's cabin and forward torpedo tubes. The final section includes drawings of the 2cm MG C30 AA gun, the 3.7cm SKC30U, the 8.8cm SKC35 deck gun, the different shells used by these guns, the G7e and G7a torpedoes, a torpedo tube and it's loading gear, and a few of the bridge fittings. The biggest issue I have with The Type VII U-boat is the relative lack of material contained within, and the lack of detail present throughout much of the book. Compared to the two preceding series entries, this book is very much "Anatomy Lite," very rarely exploring the boat's design at a more than superficial level. David Westwood may be a fine historian, but the drawings here lack the passionate attention to detail shown by John Roberts and many of the draftsmen (and one draftswoman) who later produced their own Anatomies. There's definitely a Jekyll and Hyde thing going on here - most of the drawings in Sections A and B are pretty crude and workmanlike, but the later chapters detailing the boat's internal arrangements are crisply executed and filled with details I'd never gleaned before. Compared to John Lambert's entry on the submarine Alliance, which is packed with dozens of elaborately detailed drawings of machinery, propulsion systems, weapons, and inner workings, The Type VII U-boat is child's play. Would I pay the $29.70 this book currently commands on Amazon right now? Certainly not. I was lucky enough to find a used copy of the 1986 reprint for $18, and I noticed a few used copies starting at $9 available right now. I wouldn't call this one "bad," but it pales compared to the better Anatomies, and I'd really only recommend it unless you have to own every U-boat book in existence. Ironically, one can view a translated version of Volume M of U-570's Design and Specification book online for free, which includes a ton of detail that isn't included in this book: http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-570DesignBook.htm Final rating: 6/10 __________________ My Amazon.com reviews Last edited by Subnuts; 08-12-10 at 08:47 PM.