Things that bother me about "Iron Coffins"

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by Westbroek

everyone should read "Wahoo: The patrols of America's Most Famous Submarine." It's written by Richard O'Kane, the XO of the ship for 5 patrols (Wahoo was sunk on the 7th) who later captained the Tang, which sank from a circle-runner. He survived...it's an amazing story and he's an amazing captain and man. God rest him.

And features Deadly Dudley, our best skipper up to that time.

[mcarlsonus]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

And features Deadly Dudley, our best skipper up to that time.

a.k.a. "Mushmouth," later shortened to, "Mush." Saw him recently in some US Navy WW2-era footage on...History Channel? Had him at the periscope, crouched down, chomping on cigar sticking out of the starboard side of the mouth, yelling orders...
they don't make 'em like that anymore. The US Navy Submarine forces recently decided the smoking lamp would never again be lit in the Boats!

[Westbroek]

Morton...What a captain. What a character. Seriously the book is so chock full of great stories of the men he served with and peppered with so many subtle observations and recollections that it really requires more than one read through to be fully enjoyed. Highly recommend.

[IanC]

The best part of Iron Coffins is when Werner casually mentions how he single handedly shot down an airplane with a WW1 water cooled machine gun! Who's da man!

Having said that, I still think his book is one of the best out there, errors and all.
Just consider it a novel if you want, the book does what it's suppose to do, and I think it does it well.

[BigBANGtheory]

I'm glad you said that, I got a 2nd hand copy off Amazon the other day and its ready and waiting to be started.

[IanC]

Originally Posted by BigBANGtheory

I'm glad you said that, I got a 2nd hand copy off Amazon the other day and its ready and waiting to be started.

It's not considered a U-boat classic for nothing.

[JamesT73J]

The accuracy failings of 'Iron Coffins' are well documented. However, the book succeeds on it's strengths: Capturing the mood and tone of the whole U-Boat war perfectly; from triumph to disaster and total defeat. It is well written.

There are more objective accounts. Peter Cremer's U-333 is a great read, and diligently researched, but is arguably drier than Werner's work. Any student of the subject matter will read a spread of material and draw his own conclusions.

James

[Laffertytig]

ive also read iron coffins and found it a great read. ok, maybe its not 100% accurate but i still really enjoyed it

[Iron Budokan]

Yes, it's a fictionalized account of a man's life during the war. And it's a damn good book when you view it through that lens. Period.

[Elektranaut]

The post war section is bizarre,is there any truth in that?
Anyhow a great read,fact or fiction.....

[JotDora]

Hmmm strange!

i've red the german original a few weeks ago and cannot remember any distant torpedo explosions on a mission in 1945. Could you please give a page number where you've red this?

Greetings

JotDora

[Bilge_Rat]

I have not read "Iron Coffins", so cannot comment on it, but personal account or memoirs are often very subjective accounts. There are many reasons from this, not all of which are attibutable to outright lying.

1. It is based on fog of war and incomplete info. Many sub skippers on both sides reported hits or sinkings which made sense at the time, based from their viewpoint, but which could not be justified by postwar records;

2. It is based on memory. Unless someone took copious notes or rechecked the records, writing down an event years afterwards, just from memory is rarely accurate. Events get mixed up, certain aspects are forgotten, etc.

3. self-justification. more nebulous concept, but people have a hard time taking an objective look at themselves and will usually try to rationalise, justify or present their actions in a positive light.

I usually stay away from memoirs for those reasons and read thoroughly researched history books, like Blair's books: "Hitler's U-Boat War" and "Silent Victory" on the pacific submarine war.

On the wider concept of the romance of submarine warfare, I have always wondered about that as well. If you look at it objectively, the whole concept of a submarine in WW2 (whether U.S. or German) was to carry out sneak attacks on civilian ships which often resulted in the deaths of men, women and children. That is about as glamorous as being part of a bomber crew bombing enemy cities or snipers/sharpshooters in a land army.

I presume the "romance" comes directly out of WW2 propaganda. The Nazi regime glamourized U-Boat skippers and their exploits, painting them as aces and heroes. i.e:



Even Allied propaganda painted U-Boat skippers as "dangerous" and "pirates" which gave them a glamorous anti-hero image, much like U.S. gangsters in the 20's and 30's. For example:

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by Iron Budokan

Yes, it's a fictionalized account of a man's life during the war. And it's a damn good book when you view it through that lens. Period.

[Zedi]

It's hard for me to follow this, are you guys talking about http://www.uboat.net/boats/u557.htm ?

[mcarlsonus]

Wow! This thread, you people! FANTASTIC! You're all so well read and knowledgeable! Such great repartee, "snappy patter!" I AM ENJOYING THIS IMMENSELY - and frantically taking notes!