First hand accounts

Knipper · 01-23-08, 06:55 PM

Hi all,

I've been chatting with the wonderful Ms Penelope Grey about books and she suggested I start a thread hereabouts. Basically, I'm trying to find first-hand accounts of the U-Boat war. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Ms G pointed me to 'Hitler's U-Boat War, the Hunters/Hunted (hurry on Amazon) but I'm thinking along the lines of Saburo Sakai's 'Samurai' and Adolf Galland's autobiog. Ok - they were air aces - but you know what I mean.

My interest was sparked many years ago by my father's reminisences of his time at Biggin Hill (1939 - 1944) and it struck me later on that while the historians might make pronoucements about events on the grander scale, the really interesting stuff that is worth preserving is in the minds of the people who were there at the time. (Have you seen the interviews in World at War?) Unfortunately, too few of them survived and even fewer of them were able to record their memories. I guess this is particularly true of the U-Boat crews.

I did meet an elderly lady a few years ago in Hannover who's husband served in the Kriegsmarine and who never returned. She never did get to find out what happened to him. She showed me his picture and I told her about my uncle who went down with his ship off Archangel. "Maybe they met," she said. I thought that kind of summed the whole thing up.

I digress. Any suggestions will be warmly welcomed and immediately translated into searches on Amazon.

Donner · 01-23-08, 09:21 PM

Iron Coffins by Herbert Werner would probably be the first suggestion by many here. I recommend it as well, but it has been proven (by Dr. Juergen Roewher) that alot of the experiences that Werner calls personal happened to someone else. So take his experiences with a grain of salt...they are true experiences by u-boat crew, but not necessarily his own.

Operation Drumbeat by Michael Gannon is also a good choice. It is a pseudo-biography of Reinhard Hardegen and his time aboard the famous U-123 and its two Paukenschlag patrols off the US East Coast.

A wonderful little book on a vast array of u-boat experiences is U-boat Adventures by Melanie Wiggins. I heartily recommend this one!! I have had the pleasure of corresponding with many of the men featured.

Marcantilan · 01-24-08, 07:53 AM

Some time ago I made the same question and a friend pointed to me to:

The Golden Horseshoe (Otto Kretschmer bio, by T. Robertson)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Golden-Horse.../dp/185367558X

and

The way to Scapa Flow (by Gunther Prien)

(sadly, I couldn´t find it on Amazon)

Knipper · 01-24-08, 08:09 AM

Thanks mates, I'll check them out. It may take a while though cos my copy of Hitler's U-Boat War just arrived 10 minutes ago

@Marcantilan: Did you ever find a copy of The Way to Scapa Flow? If you didn't and I do, I'll let you know.

Donner · 01-24-08, 09:34 AM

Here's a few more suggestions...

Another Place, Another Time: A U-boat Officer's Wartime Album by Werner Hirschmann. Excellent memoir with many personal photos of his wartime experiences.

Shooting the War: Memoirs of a World War II U-boat Officer by Otto Giese. Great narrative of a man who starts as a junior officer aboard the ocean liner SS Columbus and finishes as a POW.

Steel Boats, Iron Hearts: The Wartime Saga of Hans Goebeler and the U-505 by Hans Goebeler. Interesting read.

Hirschfeld: The Story of a U-boat NCO 1940-1946 by Wolfgang Hirschfeld and Geoffrey Brooks. Great memoir written from Hirschfeld's secret diaries written aboard U-109 and U-234.

U-boat Commander: A Periscope View of the Battle of the Atlantic by Peter Cremer.

The Odyssey of a U-boat Commander: Recollections of Erich Topp by Erich Topp. An interesting book written by one of the most famous of U-boat aces. Only about half of the book is devoted to his wartime experiences, but it is fascinating nonetheless.

Marcantilan · 01-24-08, 10:09 AM

Thanks a lot Knipper!

Also, don´t forget U 977, by Heinz Schaeffer (an uboat commander, who travelled to Argentina in his boat)

http://www.amazon.com/U-Boat-977-Esc...1187516&sr=8-4

solitear · 10-21-08, 10:29 AM

about two or so years ago I picked up a book titled "the bravest man" by jeffery munson. I'm not sure if it qualifies as "first hand" but it chronicles the life of captain Richard O'kane. he was one of the most successful(in terms of tonnage) submarine skippers in the war(ww2).

it also has one of the most detailed accounts of a crew escaping from a sinking(on fire) submarine...thats something I'm glad I never had to do.....

its a great ww2 naval book anyway..

Donner · 10-23-08, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by solitear

about two or so years ago I picked up a book titled "the bravest man" by jeffery munson. I'm not sure if it qualifies as "first hand" but it chronicles the life of captain Richard O'kane. he was one of the most successful(in terms of tonnage) submarine skippers in the war(ww2).

it also has one of the most detailed accounts of a crew escaping from a sinking(on fire) submarine...thats something I'm glad I never had to do.....

its a great ww2 naval book anyway..

Find these titles for O'Kane's first-hand accounts:

Wahoo: The Patrols of America's Most Famous World War II Submarine by O'Kane
Clear the Bridge! The War Patrols of the USS Tang by O'Kane

Fine reads!

01-23-08, 06:55 PM	#1
Knipper Machinist's Mate Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bath, SW England Posts: 123 Downloads: 49 Uploads: 0	First hand accounts Hi all, I've been chatting with the wonderful Ms Penelope Grey about books and she suggested I start a thread hereabouts. Basically, I'm trying to find first-hand accounts of the U-Boat war. Does anyone have any suggestions? Ms G pointed me to 'Hitler's U-Boat War, the Hunters/Hunted (hurry on Amazon) but I'm thinking along the lines of Saburo Sakai's 'Samurai' and Adolf Galland's autobiog. Ok - they were air aces - but you know what I mean. My interest was sparked many years ago by my father's reminisences of his time at Biggin Hill (1939 - 1944) and it struck me later on that while the historians might make pronoucements about events on the grander scale, the really interesting stuff that is worth preserving is in the minds of the people who were there at the time. (Have you seen the interviews in World at War?) Unfortunately, too few of them survived and even fewer of them were able to record their memories. I guess this is particularly true of the U-Boat crews. I did meet an elderly lady a few years ago in Hannover who's husband served in the Kriegsmarine and who never returned. She never did get to find out what happened to him. She showed me his picture and I told her about my uncle who went down with his ship off Archangel. "Maybe they met," she said. I thought that kind of summed the whole thing up. I digress. Any suggestions will be warmly welcomed and immediately translated into searches on Amazon. __________________ Only the dead have seen the end of war. - Plato

01-23-08, 09:21 PM	#2
Donner Officer Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: On patrol... Posts: 244 Downloads: 113 Uploads: 0	Iron Coffins by Herbert Werner would probably be the first suggestion by many here. I recommend it as well, but it has been proven (by Dr. Juergen Roewher) that alot of the experiences that Werner calls personal happened to someone else. So take his experiences with a grain of salt...they are true experiences by u-boat crew, but not necessarily his own. Operation Drumbeat by Michael Gannon is also a good choice. It is a pseudo-biography of Reinhard Hardegen and his time aboard the famous U-123 and its two Paukenschlag patrols off the US East Coast. A wonderful little book on a vast array of u-boat experiences is U-boat Adventures by Melanie Wiggins. I heartily recommend this one!! I have had the pleasure of corresponding with many of the men featured. __________________ "Sink 'Em All!"- Uncle Charlie....."Angriff, Ran, Versenken!"- Onkel Karl

01-24-08, 07:53 AM	#3
Marcantilan Weps Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina Posts: 374 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	Some time ago I made the same question and a friend pointed to me to: The Golden Horseshoe (Otto Kretschmer bio, by T. Robertson) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Golden-Horse.../dp/185367558X and The way to Scapa Flow (by Gunther Prien) (sadly, I couldn´t find it on Amazon) __________________ Ultima Ratio Regis

01-24-08, 08:09 AM	#4
Knipper Machinist's Mate Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bath, SW England Posts: 123 Downloads: 49 Uploads: 0	Thanks mates, I'll check them out. It may take a while though cos my copy of Hitler's U-Boat War just arrived 10 minutes ago @Marcantilan: Did you ever find a copy of The Way to Scapa Flow? If you didn't and I do, I'll let you know. __________________ Only the dead have seen the end of war. - Plato

01-24-08, 09:34 AM	#5
Donner Officer Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: On patrol... Posts: 244 Downloads: 113 Uploads: 0	Here's a few more suggestions... Another Place, Another Time: A U-boat Officer's Wartime Album by Werner Hirschmann. Excellent memoir with many personal photos of his wartime experiences. Shooting the War: Memoirs of a World War II U-boat Officer by Otto Giese. Great narrative of a man who starts as a junior officer aboard the ocean liner SS Columbus and finishes as a POW. Steel Boats, Iron Hearts: The Wartime Saga of Hans Goebeler and the U-505 by Hans Goebeler. Interesting read. Hirschfeld: The Story of a U-boat NCO 1940-1946 by Wolfgang Hirschfeld and Geoffrey Brooks. Great memoir written from Hirschfeld's secret diaries written aboard U-109 and U-234. U-boat Commander: A Periscope View of the Battle of the Atlantic by Peter Cremer. The Odyssey of a U-boat Commander: Recollections of Erich Topp by Erich Topp. An interesting book written by one of the most famous of U-boat aces. Only about half of the book is devoted to his wartime experiences, but it is fascinating nonetheless. __________________ "Sink 'Em All!"- Uncle Charlie....."Angriff, Ran, Versenken!"- Onkel Karl

01-24-08, 10:09 AM	#6
Marcantilan Weps Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina Posts: 374 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	Thanks a lot Knipper! Also, don´t forget U 977, by Heinz Schaeffer (an uboat commander, who travelled to Argentina in his boat) http://www.amazon.com/U-Boat-977-Esc...1187516&sr=8-4 __________________ Ultima Ratio Regis

10-21-08, 10:29 AM	#7
solitear Swabbie Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 6 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	about two or so years ago I picked up a book titled "the bravest man" by jeffery munson. I'm not sure if it qualifies as "first hand" but it chronicles the life of captain Richard O'kane. he was one of the most successful(in terms of tonnage) submarine skippers in the war(ww2). it also has one of the most detailed accounts of a crew escaping from a sinking(on fire) submarine...thats something I'm glad I never had to do..... its a great ww2 naval book anyway..