U-Boat Novels - Page 2

John Pancoast · 09-30-06, 10:03 PM

Don't know if you'd call them novels (but then, some of the other suggestions aren't either

), but the two volumes by Clay Blair are outstanding.

Best in class.

Platapus · 10-20-06, 11:43 AM

Final Harbor and Wake of the Yahoo are also nice books.

Final Harbor is a fiction book but the author made it pretty realistic

AVGWarhawk · 10-20-06, 11:54 AM

"War Beneath the Sea" I do not have the author. I can get it if you need it. This book covers all U-boat/Submarines starting with WWI and through WWII. It is an excellent read with great insight on Donitz and his war diary. Tonnage War, etc. I highly recommend it. It also highlights all the authors noted above and the best parts of there books on the subject. It explains Berkley Park and decoding enigma. Problems with the convoy coverage and the air gap problem. What Donitz was facing. After reading this book I found that Donitz was a fairly decent guy and he did give a damn about his crews. It was pretty clear in his diary. It is 500 pages long and chock full of great stories and facts.

gord96 · 10-20-06, 11:58 AM

i just finished Battle of the Atlantic. Great read. One chapeter would be on the Germans, then the next would be on the Allies and it would switch on and off like that. I really recommend it.

Frenssen · 10-20-06, 12:59 PM

All my favourites have been mentioned by others, but here is my list:
Hirschfeld: Secret Diary of a U-boat. Very interesting to read an account from a non officer point of view. It is exciting, funny and sad.
L.G. Buchheim: Das Boot. Actually unlike most other people I read the book before I saw the movie. I remember my dad watching it in the 80s, but he didn`t let me watch war movies then.
Theodore Savas: Silent Hunters. Not a novel, but short biographies of different commanders, a very interesting read.
Herbert Werner: Iron Coffins. Some critics have pointed out inaccuracies in this book, but nevertheless it`s a great read. His romantic adventures on shore I find not so interesting though.

CptGrayWolf · 10-20-06, 04:29 PM

C'mon guys, Werner's 'Iron Coffin' is not a novel!
Can't an old man make a couple historical inaccuracies here and there...Poor guy went through alot of depth charging, not good for memory.

MobyGrape · 10-21-06, 12:39 AM

Read Iron coffins, and Das Boot..I had odd feelings about Iron coffins..think its maybe more fiction than fact.
Not a Novel but a Great read is , Convoy by Martin MIddlebrook..just saw a movie named Enigma that sheds further info about that book, it seems that The Benchley park stuff was still Top secret when he wrote book.
This was the Last great raid by German uboots against Atlantic convoys..It turns out this is when Benchley park reacquired the base of the enigma code,,from weather reports that uboots broad-casted..

John Pancoast · 10-21-06, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MobyGrape

Read Iron coffins, and Das Boot..I had odd feelings about Iron coffins..think its maybe more fiction than fact.
Not a Novel but a Great read is , Convoy by Martin MIddlebrook..just saw a movie named Enigma that sheds further info about that book, it seems that The Benchley park stuff was still Top secret when he wrote book.
This was the Last great raid by German uboots against Atlantic convoys..It turns out this is when Benchley park reacquired the base of the enigma code,,from weather reports that uboots broad-casted..

Yeah, I felt the same way about Iron Coffins. For that matter, I prefer to stay away from most memoirs for that reason, plus the writer usually tends to paint themselves in a positive light, while everyone else is the opposite.

JScones · 10-21-06, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Along with the others mentioned above, one of my favorites is "Steel boat, Iron hearts" by Hans gruebler, a crewman who was onboard U505 for most of its service in the kreigsmarine and was with the boat when it was captured. Tells quite a story from patrols in south africa, to the caribean.

This is perhaps my favourite.

MobyGrape · 10-21-06, 12:30 PM

Thanks JS..put that one on my Wish list.

ReallyDedPoet · 10-21-06, 03:33 PM

Steel Boat, Iron Hearts. It is written by a crewmember of U-505. Hans Goebler

10-22-06, 10:04 AM

I have Das Boot and Iron Coffins and they are both great books but the following are my personal favorites and I recommend them for anyone interested in the subject;

Teddy Suhren - Ace of Aces Memoirs of a U Boat Rebel

Shooting the War - The Memoir and Photographs of a U-Boat Officer in WWII by Otto Giese and J E Wise Jr

U-Boat Ace - The story of Wolfgang Luth by Jordan (Biography)

johnm · 10-23-06, 08:21 AM

I've read Iron Coffins & Uboat 977. Both good.

Can I recommend a fictional story? The Enemy Below by D.A.Rayner.

This is destroyer v U-boat, one on one.

Rayner served in destroyers in WWII and was first RNVR officer to command a destroyer.

He also says given a one on one, the odds are with the Uboat!

I usually find that they get me first!

Captain Nemo · 10-23-06, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Pancoast

Don't know if you'd call them novels (but then, some of the other suggestions aren't either

), but the two volumes by Clay Blair are outstanding.

Best in class.

I'm reading the first of the Clay Blair volumes at the moment. Very factual and detailed and Clay Blair does a good job separating the facts from the propaganda. From what I have read so far I would also recommend these books.

Nemo

09-30-06, 10:03 PM	#16
John Pancoast Ocean Warrior Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Minnysoda Posts: 3,211 Downloads: 501 Uploads: 4	Don't know if you'd call them novels (but then, some of the other suggestions aren't either ), but the two volumes by Clay Blair are outstanding. Best in class. __________________ "Realistic" is not always GAME-GOOD." - Wave Skipper

10-20-06, 11:54 AM	#18
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,266 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	"War Beneath the Sea" I do not have the author. I can get it if you need it. This book covers all U-boat/Submarines starting with WWI and through WWII. It is an excellent read with great insight on Donitz and his war diary. Tonnage War, etc. I highly recommend it. It also highlights all the authors noted above and the best parts of there books on the subject. It explains Berkley Park and decoding enigma. Problems with the convoy coverage and the air gap problem. What Donitz was facing. After reading this book I found that Donitz was a fairly decent guy and he did give a damn about his crews. It was pretty clear in his diary. It is 500 pages long and chock full of great stories and facts. __________________ “You're painfully alive in a drugged and dying culture.” ― Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road

10-20-06, 04:29 PM	#21
CptGrayWolf Commander Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Saint Lawrence Seaway Posts: 459 Downloads: 11 Uploads: 0	C'mon guys, Werner's 'Iron Coffin' is not a novel! Can't an old man make a couple historical inaccuracies here and there...Poor guy went through alot of depth charging, not good for memory. __________________ Thomas Voltz, U-93 VIIc, Aug 1940, at sea patrol 1 GWX3 Gold, 100%

10-23-06, 08:21 AM	#28
johnm Navy Dude Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: North of England Posts: 173 Downloads: 68 Uploads: 0	U-Boat Novels I've read Iron Coffins & Uboat 977. Both good. Can I recommend a fictional story? The Enemy Below by D.A.Rayner. This is destroyer v U-boat, one on one. Rayner served in destroyers in WWII and was first RNVR officer to command a destroyer. He also says given a one on one, the odds are with the Uboat! I usually find that they get me first!

10-20-06, 11:43 AM	#17
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,375 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	Final Harbor and Wake of the Yahoo are also nice books. Final Harbor is a fiction book but the author made it pretty realistic

10-20-06, 11:58 AM	#19
gord96 Commodore Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 627 Downloads: 57 Uploads: 0	i just finished Battle of the Atlantic. Great read. One chapeter would be on the Germans, then the next would be on the Allies and it would switch on and off like that. I really recommend it.

10-20-06, 12:59 PM	#20
Frenssen Sparky Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Norway Posts: 155 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	All my favourites have been mentioned by others, but here is my list: Hirschfeld: Secret Diary of a U-boat. Very interesting to read an account from a non officer point of view. It is exciting, funny and sad. L.G. Buchheim: Das Boot. Actually unlike most other people I read the book before I saw the movie. I remember my dad watching it in the 80s, but he didn`t let me watch war movies then. Theodore Savas: Silent Hunters. Not a novel, but short biographies of different commanders, a very interesting read. Herbert Werner: Iron Coffins. Some critics have pointed out inaccuracies in this book, but nevertheless it`s a great read. His romantic adventures on shore I find not so interesting though.

10-21-06, 12:39 AM	#22
MobyGrape Frogman Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Mid Pacific Posts: 292 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Read Iron coffins, and Das Boot..I had odd feelings about Iron coffins..think its maybe more fiction than fact. Not a Novel but a Great read is , Convoy by Martin MIddlebrook..just saw a movie named Enigma that sheds further info about that book, it seems that The Benchley park stuff was still Top secret when he wrote book. This was the Last great raid by German uboots against Atlantic convoys..It turns out this is when Benchley park reacquired the base of the enigma code,,from weather reports that uboots broad-casted..

10-21-06, 12:30 PM	#25
MobyGrape Frogman Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Mid Pacific Posts: 292 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Thanks JS..put that one on my Wish list.

10-21-06, 03:33 PM	#26
ReallyDedPoet Canadian Wolf Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Canada. The one and only, East Coast Posts: 10,886 Downloads: 946 Uploads: 5	Steel Boat, Iron Hearts. It is written by a crewmember of U-505. Hans Goebler

10-22-06, 10:04 AM	#27
Goose_green Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	I have Das Boot and Iron Coffins and they are both great books but the following are my personal favorites and I recommend them for anyone interested in the subject; Teddy Suhren - Ace of Aces Memoirs of a U Boat Rebel Shooting the War - The Memoir and Photographs of a U-Boat Officer in WWII by Otto Giese and J E Wise Jr U-Boat Ace - The story of Wolfgang Luth by Jordan (Biography)