[Andreas86]

I am currently in the last half of Herbert Werners "Iron Coffins". Rarely have I read such a well written, accessible, exciting and informative book. The many aspects of Werners life, the travels, family matters, long and exhausting patrols and the dramatic events involved, his path to becoming XO and then captain, the increasing difficulty of operations to the point of the uboat force being basically a suicide squad (especially around the D-day invasion), the terror of being hunted under the sea, his thoughts and fears.. Everything is written in a way that drags you in, a way that makes you visualize and experience the war from his view. I can hardly put it down. Many people write in a fashion that can be tiring and exhaustive, but Werner has a great sense of storytelling, the rhythm, and depth is just right. I won't spoil too much, but I must recommend this book to everyone interested in the war in the atlantic.

What really strikes me is a feeling that Wolfgang Petersen must have read this book quite well before making Das Boot, because so many elements from Iron Coffins are present in that cinematic masterpiece. I have read the book Das Boot, and seen the movie and full series many times since I was a kid and I honestly don't see how they made that cinematic masterpiece from the book by Buchheim. That book, apart from the character descriptions, is very different from the movie and not very well written in my view. Too drawn out and wasting alot of pages on descriptions of the sky and such. I love a good sunset but damn.. The book was a hard read for me, and quite a disappointment after being exposed to the movie first. The movie really did improve the story hugely, also in the character department. Funny thing is that the crescendo of being stuck on the ocean floor with great damages in Das Boot, happened to Werner early on his first uboat practice, as well as later in the war. The way Werner and his crew got loose both times was incredible and gut wrenching. Also the depiction of being in the middle of the atlantic in heavy storms, the huge swells, the cold, the battering weather, everything is told better in Werner's book.

And him nagging his commander for a Schnorkel, even going to the lengths of trying to arrange a lorry himself to go find one elswhere in France.. Very telling of the situation they faced in 44, with the shortages and the sinking morale. One really gets a sense of how the war gradually turned against the germans. I look forward to the last part!