If we had a time machine

[Penelope_Grey]

Originally Posted by CaptainAsh

I m gonna change the question... if you were german and living in the time of WWII would you join the uboat forces?
No way. I know they did a useful job for germany, and I m not calling them coward, we all know the statistic about going back home, but still... they were hunting merchant, trying to avoid warship. I was not the most honorable way to serve their country. Maybe, sometimes I will dream I was serving on Bismarck or Tirpitz, or in a Me109 or FW190 or even in a mighty Tiger. I will always respect submariner of german uboat, they were marching to their death, and they did it knowing about it. I do respect that. Still, they were doing one of the more nasty soldier job... even SS had a better civilian/military killed ratio...

You can't really slam the U-boats too hard for what they were shooting at. Hitler never really wanted war with the UK, and the main tactic of the U-boat forces was to try and starve the UK into complete submission, by cutting off its supply line which was the sea.

I think of it like this - the Uboats were like a hand around Britain's neck trying to choke us into unconsciousness. Rather than the fist slamming into our faces over and over till we were beat into an unconscious bloody pulp. Of course that changed with the bombing of the cities. Mind you, Churchill goaded Hitler to bomb cities rather than the airfields.

The whole idea of defeating Britain was very haphazard in my opinion. The U-boats were trying to cut off the supply lines and they very nearly succeeded.

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Penelope_Grey

Hitler never really wanted war with the UK, and the main tactic of the U-boat forces was to try and starve the UK into complete submission, by cutting off its supply line which was the sea.

I think of it like this - the Uboats were like a hand around Britain's neck trying to choke us into unconsciousness. Rather than the fist slamming into our faces over and over till we were beat into an unconscious bloody pulp. Of course that changed with the bombing of the cities. Mind you, Churchill goaded Hitler to bomb cities rather than the airfields.

The whole idea of defeating Britain was very haphazard in my opinion. The U-boats were trying to cut off the supply lines and they very nearly succeeded.

No chance what so ever, two things the basic design of the U-Boats had hardly changed from WW1 and the second thing, Hitler ordered a massive cut back in the area of scientific research due the fact Germany was ahead of everyone else and mainland Europe was under Nazi control.

The cut back in research allowed the British to catch up and then over take Germany. It's true to say the U-Boats did indeed inflict major damage but they just could not win. When Hitler attacked Russia he sealed his fate as he bled his army white in Russia and not forgetting his other big blunder by declaring war on America.


As for the poll, some of you captains need a holiday.

[Spray]

Originally Posted by STEED

No chance what so ever, two things the basic design of the U-Boats had hardly changed from WW1 and the second thing, Hitler ordered a massive cut back in the area of scientific research due the fact Germany was ahead of everyone else and mainland Europe was under Nazi control.

The cut back in research allowed the British to catch up and then over take Germany. It's true to say the U-Boats did indeed inflict major damage but they just could not win. When Hitler attacked Russia he sealed his fate as he bled his army white in Russia and not forgetting his other big blunder by declaring war on America.


As for the poll, some of you captains need a holiday.

I agree on that 80% of hitlers army was fighting on the Eastern front, the German U-Boats were succesful and over exceeded their expectations by a fair margin (im just adding on to what you said). Somewhere in SH3 at the end of the war you get the message from donitz telling that you have succeded in your mission however the fatherland has fallen or something along the lines. I dont know if this is what he said in reality but heck it sure sounded like it.

[mookiemookie]

When talking about blunders, don't forget that they put off the production of the Type XXI until it was too late as they thought they'd have the war won and there would be no need for it.

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Spray

Somewhere in SH3 at the end of the war you get the message from donitz telling that you have succeded in your mission however the fatherland has fallen or something along the lines. I dont know if this is what he said in reality but heck it sure sounded like it.

Here you go.

[Spray]

Originally Posted by STEED

Here you go.

Thats it, thanks mate.

[AJ!]

If i had a time machine?!

Buddy i would make history if i had a time machine.... not simply repeat it

First i would steal a german u boat then warp it back to my garden, then i would hijack Yamato and sell it to the highest bidder :p

Sooo many possibilitys, soo little time

I would probably go back though just to see what its like. experience can change views greatly

Also its quite easy to see some of the people on this board havnt had much contact with a girl in a loooong time :rotfl:

[Jimbuna]

Also its quite easy to see some of the people on this board havnt had much contact with a girl in a loooong time :rotfl:

:hmm:

[Biggles]

Originally Posted by AJ!

Also its quite easy to see some of the people on this board havnt had much contact with a girl in a loooong time :rotfl:

what's a girl?

[Penelope_Grey]

Originally Posted by STEED

No chance what so ever, two things the basic design of the U-Boats had hardly changed from WW1 and the second thing, Hitler ordered a massive cut back in the area of scientific research due the fact Germany was ahead of everyone else and mainland Europe was under Nazi control.

The cut back in research allowed the British to catch up and then over take Germany. It's true to say the U-Boats did indeed inflict major damage but they just could not win. When Hitler attacked Russia he sealed his fate as he bled his army white in Russia and not forgetting his other big blunder by declaring war on America.


As for the poll, some of you captains need a holiday.

Britain came within 4 weeks of total collapse due to the supply lines being cut so drastically. The government could only have stayed in the war another 4 weeks, before they would have had to bow out. The U-boat men came close.

[ParaB]

To the original question:

Hell, no!

[Jimbuna]

Britain came within 4 weeks of total collapse due to the supply lines being cut so drastically. The government could only have stayed in the war another 4 weeks, before they would have had to bow out. The U-boat men came close.

I'd like to know the source of this because one of my sources 'Clay Blair-Hitler's U -boat War' states that the Germans seldom ever had more than 20 subs on station in the Atlantic at any given time....and NEVER sank any more than 3% of the merchant shipping available to the Allies. :hmm:

[STEED]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

I'd like to know the source of this because one of my sources 'Clay Blair-Hitler's U -boat War' states that the Germans seldom ever had more than 20 subs on station in the Atlantic at any given time....and NEVER sank any more than 3% of the merchant shipping available to the Allies. :hmm:

Are you stole my thunder.

Yep that's the point I was going to raise.

PS: Just as a side line the R.A.F during the Battle of Britain was not about too be knocked out. This is another historical error.

[Sailor Steve]

The book I refered to earlier, The Battle Of The Atlantic, says something similar; that the rationing was so bad in 1940 that Churchill was begging Roosevelt for any help at all that the Americans could give. Also they show that at one point in 1943 there were as many as 90 u-boats on station.

As to which is right, I have no idea.

[STEED]

One thing we must remember a lot of German records were destroyed.