A good read... for every captain wannabe...

[smolfri]

really nice, i just finished reading the handbook. you can really see the deportation in the writing. this clearly illustrates the German high command was worried about there u boat skippers backing out of suicide missions to save there boat and crew. i wonder how dramatic the difference in tactics and crew/boat safety would be between this handbook and on from 1939 - 1940.

[Hinrich Schwab]

Originally Posted by smolfri

you can really see the deportation in the writing. this clearly illustrates the German high command was worried about there u boat skippers backing out of suicide missions to save there boat and crew.

That is actually a pretty presumptuous conclusion. The actual "suicide" orders did not come down until the time of the D-Day invasions and afterward. What the manual was stating was maintaining an extreme amount of aggression in attacks. Compared to the speed of some convoys, the U-boot was so pokey submerged that without aggressive maneuvering and generally hardcore strategies and attitudes, that there would be no chance of an attack at all. I have the reprint of this text and given that its dates are 1942 and "New Edition 1943", I can hypothesize that both the original publication and revision occurred before the disaster of May 1943. I would have to research the publication further to prove this out. The manual emphasizes accepting risks in an effort to prevent timidity upon the part of the captain. I never received the impression of insisting upon suicidal tactics. In fact, there are several places that authorize strategic withdrawal in the face of stern opposition.