What are the best five U-Boat books?

Konovalov · 07-20-07, 03:11 PM

I've been an avid subsim fan for many years now and love playing SHIII in particular having prior to this only really played nuke sims such as Fast Attack, Janes 688i, and finally Sub Command.

However it is the Atlantic campaign of WW2 which grabs my interest over any other. Sadly I have very little literature on my bookshelf relating to the U-Boat war and the battle in the Atlantic during the Second World War. In fact the only book that I own on the subject is 'Wolf Pack: The Story of the U-Boat in World War II' by Gordon Williamson. I bought this when last in Australia at a budget book store closing down sale for just AUD £12. It made for good reading on the 22 hour flight back to the UK.

Now I wish to expand my reading on the subject. The only book that I have on my list to get so far is 'Iron Coffins' by Herbet A Werner.

So what would be in your top five must read books on U-Boats and the Battle of the Atlantic?

torpedochief · 07-20-07, 09:17 PM

My picks for non-fiction are:

U-boats Under the Swastika

WOLFPACK (Osprey)

Wolf Pack (Naval Institute Press)

The U-boat (Rossler)

Zu Tode Gesiegt (Buchheim)

Die U-Boot Fahrer (Buchheim)

For Fiction:

The Sea Wolves (Steve Wilson)

Das Boot (Buchheim)

Of Ice and Steel (Me)

Hope this helps,

Don

Chock · 07-20-07, 10:20 PM

I'd recommend the following (both fiction and non-fiction), in no particular order:

Das Boot, Buchheim - Simply because it is a good read, and deservedly a classic.

Iron Coffins, Werner - Although it does contain the occasional bit of b*llsh*t, generally speaking it's rated by most people (with good reason) and it covers a broad spectrum, from new recruit, progressing through training, to lower ranking officer on a boat, right up to personal command of a U-Boat. And of course, it is already on your list!

Type VII U-Boats, Stern - Should be in everyone's library if they are interested in WW2 Atlantic U-Boats, as it contains a wealth of information on variants, tactics, weaponry, systems and just about everything else too, and has a great many cool pictures as well.

Donitz and the Wolfpacks, Edwards - This has a slightly misleading title, as it concentrates less on 'Donitz the man' than the title would seem to suggest. Nevertheless, as an overview of the U-Boat war with a great deal of emphasis on operations against convoys, it is a good choice, being that it covers in quite some detail many of the big actions by wolfpacks against the Atlantic convoys, including route maps, with sinking location marks on them and stuff like that. It also covers a lot about various orders issued to U-Boat men throughout the war by Donitz, including plenty of background detail on some of the more infamous ones, such as the order to attack 'rescue ships'. It's a bit of a hard read, but it does contain a wealth of info that rarely appears elsewhere.

Squadron/Signal publications Warships Number 1: 'U-Boats in Action' - Although aimed at modellers, this book is akin to a crash course in U-Boat development, covering all the major U-Boat types in considerable detail, with plenty of pictures and information on the major systems and variants.

Classic Warships Publishing, Warship Pictorial No 27: 'Kriegsmarine Type VII U-Boats' - Again primarily aimed at modellers, this is nevertheless a real gem. Anyone into U-Boats could hardly fail to be impressed with this book, as it is a comprehensive pictorial guide to the Type VII. It also features some really rare pictures which you simply will not find anywhere else (some of these in colour too), plus many very interesting technical diagrams which go a long way to improving ones understanding of where everything is on a Type VII U-Boat. Definitely one of the best books you can find on the subject.

Osprey Publishing, Warrior Series: 'Grey Wolf, U-Boat Crewman of WW2', Williamson/Pavlovic - If you want to know about stuff like uniforms, badges, rank insignia, personal escape equipment, ID cards and all that sort of thing, this is the one for you.

Osprey Publishing, Elite series: 'U-Boat Crews 1914-45', Williamson/Pavlovic - Sort of similar to the above title, but encompassing WW1 too, this is a brief but reasonably comprehensive overview of crews and equipment.

Anyway, there's a few to go at.

Chock

nikimcbee · 07-20-07, 11:52 PM

My favorites (I have A LOT of u-boat books)

1. The U-Boat by Eberhard Rossler (technical history).
2. U-Boat War by Buchheim (the actual photos from his patrols)
3. Hitler's U-boats by Clay Blair (Both volumes) General history
4. Wolf by Jordan Vause (I love his chapter about Buchheim)
5. Torpedo Juction by Hickman
6. U-boat commander, by P Cremer or Track of the Grey Wolf by (I forget) U-124 Mohr/Schultz

This just scratches the surface of my submarine library

nikimcbee · 07-20-07, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chock

I'd recommend the following (both fiction and non-fiction), in no particular order:

Das Boot, Buchheim - Simply because it is a good read, and deservedly a classic.

Iron Coffins, Werner - Although it does contain the occasional bit of b*llsh*t, generally speaking it's rated by most people (with good reason) and it covers a broad spectrum, from new recruit, progressing through training, to lower ranking officer on a boat, right up to personal command of a U-Boat. And of course, it is already on your list!

Type VII U-Boats, Stern - Should be in everyone's library if they are interested in WW2 Atlantic U-Boats, as it contains a wealth of information on variants, tactics, weaponry, systems and just about everything else too, and has a great many cool pictures as well.

Donitz and the Wolfpacks, Edwards - This has a slightly misleading title, as it concentrates less on 'Donitz the man' than the title would seem to suggest. Nevertheless, as an overview of the U-Boat war with a great deal of emphasis on operations against convoys, it is a good choice, being that it covers in quite some detail many of the big actions by wolfpacks against the Atlantic convoys, including route maps, with sinking location marks on them and stuff like that. It also covers a lot about various orders issued to U-Boat men throughout the war by Donitz, including plenty of background detail on some of the more infamous ones, such as the order to attack 'rescue ships'. It's a bit of a hard read, but it does contain a wealth of info that rarely appears elsewhere.

Squadron/Signal publications Warships Number 1: 'U-Boats in Action' - Although aimed at modellers, this book is akin to a crash course in U-Boat development, covering all the major U-Boat types in considerable detail, with plenty of pictures and information on the major systems and variants.

Classic Warships Publishing, Warship Pictorial No 27: 'Kriegsmarine Type VII U-Boats' - Again primarily aimed at modellers, this is nevertheless a real gem. Anyone into U-Boats could hardly fail to be impressed with this book, as it is a comprehensive pictorial guide to the Type VII. It also features some really rare pictures which you simply will not find anywhere else (some of these in colour too), plus many very interesting technical diagrams which go a long way to improving ones understanding of where everything is on a Type VII U-Boat. Definitely one of the best books you can find on the subject.

Osprey Publishing, Warrior Series: 'Grey Wolf, U-Boat Crewman of WW2', Williamson/Pavlovic - If you want to know about stuff like uniforms, badges, rank insignia, personal escape equipment, ID cards and all that sort of thing, this is the one for you.

Osprey Publishing, Elite series: 'U-Boat Crews 1914-45', Williamson/Pavlovic - Sort of similar to the above title, but encompassing WW1 too, this is a brief but reasonably comprehensive overview of crews and equipment.

Anyway, there's a few to go at.

Chock

Plus

all of these

Konovalov · 07-21-07, 06:38 AM

Ok, thanks guys for pointing me in the right direction with your recommendations.

Heibges · 07-21-07, 10:24 AM

"10 Years and 11 Days", by Karl Doenitz
"The Uboat Commander" by Erich Topp
"The Uboat Commander" by Peter Kremer
"The Uboat Commander" by Gunter Prien
"The Uboat Commander's Handbook" BDU Staff

STEED · 07-22-07, 07:07 AM

Iron Coffins
A U-Boat Commander's War
By Herbert A. Werner
ISBN 0304353302

Donitz and the Wolf Pacts
The U-Boats at war
By Bernarn Edwards
ISBN 0304352039

Donitz
The Last Fuhrer
By Peter Padfield
ISBN 0304358703

Memoirs
By Karl Doenitz
ISBN 0304356867

Type VII U-Boat
By Robert C. Stern
ISBN 1860198554

The Battle of the Atlantic
By Andrew Williams
ISBN 056353429X

The Last Year of the Kriegmarine
May 1944 - May 1945
By V. E. Tarrant
ISBN 1557505101

XLjedi · 07-30-07, 09:18 AM

Not sure about the other 4, but I gotta include Operation Drumbeat in the top 5 just because it inspired me to play a Hardigan career in a Type IX.

...and it justified sinking a few merchies on the return voyages just using the deck gun.

I liked Torpedo Junction mainly cuz I live in Florida (near Jupiter Light) and it explained why there's still a lotta tar on our beaches... practically every page is an attack in that book, it's exciting but comes across a bit dry at times. I wouldn't put it in the top 5.

ReallyDedPoet · 07-30-07, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STEED

Iron Coffins
A U-Boat Commander's War
By Herbert A. Werner
ISBN 0304353302

A great one for sure ^^^, I have read it a few times

I enjoyed this one, great from a Crewman's perspective. Yes I know it is just one reccommendation.

When he was alive, the author would visit his old boat U 505 quite a bit, even gave inpromptu tours I guess. That would have been something

RDP

Bill Nichols · 08-01-07, 09:03 AM

Many great recommendations above. I just want to add one more:

U-Boat Commander, A Periscope View of the Battle of the Atlantic, by Peter Cremer

For fiction, how could one not include:

The Boat, by Lothar-Gunther Buchheim (The movie Das Boot is based on this novel)

Phaedrus · 04-17-08, 02:06 AM

All good suggestions... I've read quite a few, but picked up quite a few suggestions as well!

I will say one thing...

Avoid this one:

Submarine Conflict 1939-1945 - War Beneath the Sea
(Peter Padfield)

It is a very promising looking book, but full of foolishness.... and I've only made it to chapter 3 so far.

It opens with a description of the sinking of the S.S. Athenia.
While most reports attest that the Athenia was sailing as a darkened ship and zig zagging in the twilight hours, Padfield asserts that the u-boats periscope "broke the surface into the sunlight"... and Lemp then ordered the attack.
He goes on to further claim that after the initial torpedo shots, Lemp then surfaced and attacked the ship with his deck gun in an attempt to "target the radio room".

Statements in the first chapter about U-boat crews differ completely from the statistics in Timothy Mulligan's excellently researched and referenced "Neither Sharks, Nor Wolves".... and Padfield makes several claims about Donitz's plans and dispositions that are the opposite of Donitz's own remarks in his memoirs - which I had just finished reading previously.

The straw that broke the camel's back was a reference to the use of plastics in 1935 on Italian 'human torpedoes' by a pair of engineers who "scrounged parts from the submarine dockyard" in Italy.

News to me.... who would have thought plastic would be so widely available in 1935?

Long story short: It comes in a nice package, but so far totally unimpressive in every regard.

Save your money!

Murr44 · 04-28-08, 02:13 PM

Another Place, Another Time: A U-Boat Officer's Wartime Album
Werner Hirschmann with Donald E. Graves
ISBN 1-896941-38-9

I'd reccomend this title. It's written by the LI of U-190. The book is illustrated with dozens of photos from the author's personal album and it's a very interesting read. There's an appendix: Appendix 1: The Type IXC/40 U-boats U-190 and U-889: A pictorial tour which is filled with unreleased RCN photos of these boats & has a great deal of technical data on this type.

Onkel Neal · 03-19-14, 05:06 AM

Time for a classic thread to resurface. We have a lot of new captains aboard, feel free to leave your feedback- what are your favorite u-boat books?

STEED · 03-19-14, 07:57 AM

Zombie thread watch out!

I will add one more...

The U-Boat Offensive 1914-1945

V.E. Tarrant

07-20-07, 03:11 PM	#1
Konovalov Ocean Warrior Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: High Wycombe, Bucks, UK Posts: 2,811 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	What are the best five U-Boat books? I've been an avid subsim fan for many years now and love playing SHIII in particular having prior to this only really played nuke sims such as Fast Attack, Janes 688i, and finally Sub Command. However it is the Atlantic campaign of WW2 which grabs my interest over any other. Sadly I have very little literature on my bookshelf relating to the U-Boat war and the battle in the Atlantic during the Second World War. In fact the only book that I own on the subject is 'Wolf Pack: The Story of the U-Boat in World War II' by Gordon Williamson. I bought this when last in Australia at a budget book store closing down sale for just AUD £12. It made for good reading on the 22 hour flight back to the UK. Now I wish to expand my reading on the subject. The only book that I have on my list to get so far is 'Iron Coffins' by Herbet A Werner. So what would be in your top five must read books on U-Boats and the Battle of the Atlantic? __________________ "In a Christian context, sexuality is traditionally seen as a consequence of the Fall, but for Muslims, it is an anticipation of paradise. So I can say, I think, that I was validly converted to Islam by a teenage French Jewish nudist." Sheikh Abdul-Hakim Murad (Timothy Winter)

07-20-07, 09:17 PM	#2
torpedochief Seaman Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Charleston SC Posts: 31 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	U-boat Books My picks for non-fiction are: U-boats Under the Swastika WOLFPACK (Osprey) Wolf Pack (Naval Institute Press) The U-boat (Rossler) Zu Tode Gesiegt (Buchheim) Die U-Boot Fahrer (Buchheim) For Fiction: The Sea Wolves (Steve Wilson) Das Boot (Buchheim) Of Ice and Steel (Me) Hope this helps, Don __________________ Author of OF ICE AND STEEL

07-20-07, 10:20 PM	#3
Chock Sea Lord Join Date: May 2005 Location: Under a thermal layer in chilly Olde England Posts: 1,842 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I'd recommend the following (both fiction and non-fiction), in no particular order: Das Boot, Buchheim - Simply because it is a good read, and deservedly a classic. Iron Coffins, Werner - Although it does contain the occasional bit of bllsht, generally speaking it's rated by most people (with good reason) and it covers a broad spectrum, from new recruit, progressing through training, to lower ranking officer on a boat, right up to personal command of a U-Boat. And of course, it is already on your list! Type VII U-Boats, Stern - Should be in everyone's library if they are interested in WW2 Atlantic U-Boats, as it contains a wealth of information on variants, tactics, weaponry, systems and just about everything else too, and has a great many cool pictures as well. Donitz and the Wolfpacks, Edwards - This has a slightly misleading title, as it concentrates less on 'Donitz the man' than the title would seem to suggest. Nevertheless, as an overview of the U-Boat war with a great deal of emphasis on operations against convoys, it is a good choice, being that it covers in quite some detail many of the big actions by wolfpacks against the Atlantic convoys, including route maps, with sinking location marks on them and stuff like that. It also covers a lot about various orders issued to U-Boat men throughout the war by Donitz, including plenty of background detail on some of the more infamous ones, such as the order to attack 'rescue ships'. It's a bit of a hard read, but it does contain a wealth of info that rarely appears elsewhere. Squadron/Signal publications Warships Number 1: 'U-Boats in Action' - Although aimed at modellers, this book is akin to a crash course in U-Boat development, covering all the major U-Boat types in considerable detail, with plenty of pictures and information on the major systems and variants. Classic Warships Publishing, Warship Pictorial No 27: 'Kriegsmarine Type VII U-Boats' - Again primarily aimed at modellers, this is nevertheless a real gem. Anyone into U-Boats could hardly fail to be impressed with this book, as it is a comprehensive pictorial guide to the Type VII. It also features some really rare pictures which you simply will not find anywhere else (some of these in colour too), plus many very interesting technical diagrams which go a long way to improving ones understanding of where everything is on a Type VII U-Boat. Definitely one of the best books you can find on the subject. Osprey Publishing, Warrior Series: 'Grey Wolf, U-Boat Crewman of WW2', Williamson/Pavlovic - If you want to know about stuff like uniforms, badges, rank insignia, personal escape equipment, ID cards and all that sort of thing, this is the one for you. Osprey Publishing, Elite series: 'U-Boat Crews 1914-45', Williamson/Pavlovic - Sort of similar to the above title, but encompassing WW1 too, this is a brief but reasonably comprehensive overview of crews and equipment. Anyway, there's a few to go at. Chock __________________

07-20-07, 11:52 PM	#4
nikimcbee Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Patroling the Slot. Posts: 17,924 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	My favorites (I have A LOT of u-boat books) 1. The U-Boat by Eberhard Rossler (technical history). 2. U-Boat War by Buchheim (the actual photos from his patrols) 3. Hitler's U-boats by Clay Blair (Both volumes) General history 4. Wolf by Jordan Vause (I love his chapter about Buchheim) 5. Torpedo Juction by Hickman 6. U-boat commander, by P Cremer or Track of the Grey Wolf by (I forget) U-124 Mohr/Schultz This just scratches the surface of my submarine library __________________

07-21-07, 06:38 AM	#6
Konovalov Ocean Warrior Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: High Wycombe, Bucks, UK Posts: 2,811 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	Ok, thanks guys for pointing me in the right direction with your recommendations. __________________ "In a Christian context, sexuality is traditionally seen as a consequence of the Fall, but for Muslims, it is an anticipation of paradise. So I can say, I think, that I was validly converted to Islam by a teenage French Jewish nudist." Sheikh Abdul-Hakim Murad (Timothy Winter)

07-21-07, 10:24 AM	#7
Heibges Sea Lord Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: San Francisco, California Posts: 1,633 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	"10 Years and 11 Days", by Karl Doenitz "The Uboat Commander" by Erich Topp "The Uboat Commander" by Peter Kremer "The Uboat Commander" by Gunter Prien "The Uboat Commander's Handbook" BDU Staff __________________ U.Kdt.Hdb B. I. 28) This possibility of using the hydrophone to help in detecting surface ships should, however, be restricted to those cases where the submarine is unavoidably compelled to stay below the surface. http://www.hackworth.com/

07-22-07, 07:07 AM	#8
STEED Lucky Jack Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Down Town UK Posts: 27,695 Downloads: 89 Uploads: 48	Iron Coffins A U-Boat Commander's War By Herbert A. Werner ISBN 0304353302 Donitz and the Wolf Pacts The U-Boats at war By Bernarn Edwards ISBN 0304352039 Donitz The Last Fuhrer By Peter Padfield ISBN 0304358703 Memoirs By Karl Doenitz ISBN 0304356867 Type VII U-Boat By Robert C. Stern ISBN 1860198554 The Battle of the Atlantic By Andrew Williams ISBN 056353429X The Last Year of the Kriegmarine May 1944 - May 1945 By V. E. Tarrant ISBN 1557505101 __________________ Dr Who rest in peace 1963-2017. To borrow Davros saying...I NAME YOU CHIBNALL THE DESTROYER OF DR WHO YOU KILLED IT!

07-30-07, 09:18 AM	#9
XLjedi Ace of the Deep Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Palm Beach, Florida Posts: 1,200 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 8	Not sure about the other 4, but I gotta include Operation Drumbeat in the top 5 just because it inspired me to play a Hardigan career in a Type IX. ...and it justified sinking a few merchies on the return voyages just using the deck gun. I liked Torpedo Junction mainly cuz I live in Florida (near Jupiter Light) and it explained why there's still a lotta tar on our beaches... practically every page is an attack in that book, it's exciting but comes across a bit dry at times. I wouldn't put it in the top 5. __________________

08-01-07, 09:03 AM	#11
Bill Nichols Master of Defense Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 1,502 Downloads: 125 Uploads: 0	Many great recommendations above. I just want to add one more: U-Boat Commander, A Periscope View of the Battle of the Atlantic, by Peter Cremer For fiction, how could one not include: The Boat, by Lothar-Gunther Buchheim (The movie Das Boot is based on this novel) __________________ My Dangerous Waters website:

04-17-08, 02:06 AM	#12
Phaedrus A-ganger Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 79 Downloads: 45 Uploads: 0	All good suggestions... I've read quite a few, but picked up quite a few suggestions as well! I will say one thing... Avoid this one: Submarine Conflict 1939-1945 - War Beneath the Sea (Peter Padfield) It is a very promising looking book, but full of foolishness.... and I've only made it to chapter 3 so far. It opens with a description of the sinking of the S.S. Athenia. While most reports attest that the Athenia was sailing as a darkened ship and zig zagging in the twilight hours, Padfield asserts that the u-boats periscope "broke the surface into the sunlight"... and Lemp then ordered the attack. He goes on to further claim that after the initial torpedo shots, Lemp then surfaced and attacked the ship with his deck gun in an attempt to "target the radio room". Statements in the first chapter about U-boat crews differ completely from the statistics in Timothy Mulligan's excellently researched and referenced "Neither Sharks, Nor Wolves".... and Padfield makes several claims about Donitz's plans and dispositions that are the opposite of Donitz's own remarks in his memoirs - which I had just finished reading previously. The straw that broke the camel's back was a reference to the use of plastics in 1935 on Italian 'human torpedoes' by a pair of engineers who "scrounged parts from the submarine dockyard" in Italy. News to me.... who would have thought plastic would be so widely available in 1935? Long story short: It comes in a nice package, but so far totally unimpressive in every regard. Save your money!

04-28-08, 02:13 PM	#13
Murr44 Grey Wolf Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 913 Downloads: 16 Uploads: 0	Another Place, Another Time: A U-Boat Officer's Wartime Album Werner Hirschmann with Donald E. Graves ISBN 1-896941-38-9 I'd reccomend this title. It's written by the LI of U-190. The book is illustrated with dozens of photos from the author's personal album and it's a very interesting read. There's an appendix: Appendix 1: The Type IXC/40 U-boats U-190 and U-889: A pictorial tour which is filled with unreleased RCN photos of these boats & has a great deal of technical data on this type.

03-19-14, 05:06 AM	#14
Onkel Neal Born to Run Silent Join Date: Jan 1997 Location: Cougar Trap, Texas Posts: 21,284 Downloads: 534 Uploads: 224	Time for a classic thread to resurface. We have a lot of new captains aboard, feel free to leave your feedback- what are your favorite u-boat books? __________________ SUBSIM - 26 Years on the Web

03-19-14, 07:57 AM	#15
STEED Lucky Jack Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Down Town UK Posts: 27,695 Downloads: 89 Uploads: 48	Zombie thread watch out! I will add one more... The U-Boat Offensive 1914-1945 V.E. Tarrant __________________ Dr Who rest in peace 1963-2017. To borrow Davros saying...I NAME YOU CHIBNALL THE DESTROYER OF DR WHO YOU KILLED IT!