U BOAT Movies...

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Oberon

It varied from boat to boat, just like their conduct in war, some would aid survivors from shipping, others would...well...not. Generally speaking though, the uboat arm, by its nature, sporadical contact, hard to keep track of, pretty independent, was one of the least political of the arms. Even in the other arms of the Germany military though, outside of the specialised divisions (SS and such) it was a varied rate of adherence to the political ideals of the regime, but it was harder for it to be openly expressed because of the Gestapo.

You could likely say a similar thing about the Soviets, to be honest.

^ +1

I couldn't add much more if anything to that.

[Rhodes]

Another Place Another Time is a good book to also understand the u-boat sailors and their life. Mainly is the autobiography of a LI, the author joined in 41 or 42 the u-boat arm and only served the finals years, so we have a good vision of that era.
It's a good book and fine reading. He also mentions some movies images of the u-boat arm and the reality that he experienced.

We have also several biography's of u-boat commanders, I only read "Teddy" Suren one and Prien book of the attack to Scapa Flow. It has a little of his biography. When I read it, I didn't appear to me that Prien was a nazi believer.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

Read Jordan Vause's books "U-Boat Ace" and " "Wolf".

He addresses the subject.

Luth was a true believer. I think Prien was too, but I don't remember. It would have been interesting if Luth had survived the War, to hear his thoughts on the subject, sadly he was killed in the last moments of the War by a German sentry.

You can add Reinhard Hardegen to the above.

[Garion]

I could be wrong as it's a long time since I read the book The Enemy Below, but in that tome the captain was a die hard Nazi.

As I say I might be wrong...

Cheers

Gary

[Bubblehead1980]

Originally Posted by Garion

I could be wrong as it's a long time since I read the book The Enemy Below, but in that tome the captain was a die hard Nazi.

As I say I might be wrong...

Cheers

Gary

Not sure about the book but in the movie the U Boat Captain is not a Nazi, he makes fun of the young officer(a nazi) to this first officer after the young officer saltues him(did not use the Nazi salute, I assume it was for PC reasons since film was not made that long after WW II)and later while on "silent routine" when everyone is bored, waiting out the Destroyer, the young officer is reading mein kampf, the Captain rolls his eyes and has an annoyed look on his face, included an "eye convo" with his first officer.Along with comments about being tired of the war etc Obviously, he is not fan of the Nazis

[Wolferz]

The dog doesn't look happy or it's totally disinterested.

[Garion]

Originally Posted by Bubblehead1980

Not sure about the book but in the movie the U Boat Captain is not a Nazi, he makes fun of the young officer(a nazi) to this first officer after the young officer saltues him(did not use the Nazi salute, I assume it was for PC reasons since film was not made that long after WW II)and later while on "silent routine" when everyone is bored, waiting out the Destroyer, the young officer is reading mein kampf, the Captain rolls his eyes and has an annoyed look on his face, included an "eye convo" with his first officer.Along with comments about being tired of the war etc Obviously, he is not fan of the Nazis

I will try and find my copy of the book, it's in my semi-tidy ( it's a total disaster area in there atm) man-cave out in the back garden.

Cheers
Gary

[Kptlt. Neuerburg]

From what I've read most U-Boat commanders didn't care too much for the Nazis. In Iron Coffins by Herbert A. Werner sometime after the failed 20th of July plot to kill Hitler, the Nazi party tried using political indoctrination in much of the German military most of which met with failure simply because the men that were pick to do this political indoctrination knew nothing about U-Boat life and most of the time got in way, so much so that the person aboard Werner's boat was confined to the aft torpedo room for much of the voyage (or ordeal) from France to Norway.
There is also a story from the A Higher Call in which members of the Gestapo called upon a fighter group on the Eastern Front looking for "Jews in the squadron" the commander said there where none and that theses Gestapo men where wasting their time. Before the Gestapo men left, the commander said "To be careful up there." The Gestapo men replied "Is it really that dangerous?" to which the commander said "No, but you've just pissed off a whole squadron of fighter pilots and I believe that that's your transport sitting on my runway." I'll have to get the book again to remember who said it and what squadron it was but I think it was Günther Lützow of JG3.

[Platapus]

I can highly recommend

Neither Sharks nor Wolves: The men of Nazi Germany's U-boat arm, 1939-1945 by Timothy P. Mulligan.

I wrote a review in this forum on this book.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=192592

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by kranz

Can't give you any titles except for Kretschmer's biography by T.Robertson and the part devoted to the imprisonment in camps in Canada. (trials, murders etc)

If he'd written his own autobiography he wouldn't be "Silent Otto"!