Went to Chicagos Museum of Science and Industry yesterday and toured the U 505. Very interesting. Does anyone have any recommendations as far as books about the U boats are concerned?

Shadow Divers is pretty interesting, but it is about finding an unknown U boat off of Florida. However they go into the history of U-boats a fair amount.

I'm waiting to read Karl Doenitz's "Ten Years and Twenty Days".

I remember a web site somewhere that showed which uboats sank on "this day in history" and the shipping they sunk as well. it's out there somewhere.

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Originally posted by c1steve:
Shadow Divers is pretty interesting, but it is about finding an unknown U boat off of Florida. However they go into the history of U-boats a fair amount.

Shadow Diver is a great read but not all about U-869. Richie is likely the most knowable person I've ever talked to about U-boats for WWII. Always fun diving with John and Richie. Both can tell a good story on a long boat ride out.



https://www.amazon.com/Wolfpac...id=1420752744&sr=8-3

https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Co...attles/dp/030681160X

There is a website called uboat.net. I highly recommend it. This is the best site and updated as much as possible. They will have book recommendations, updates of newly found sunken uboats and their location, the names of ships sunk, etc.
They also have an officer of the day and give a brief biography of him.

You'll be intrigued the more investigate German Uboats and to how sophisticated some of the designs actually were. The Type XXI featured an evolutionary design that combined several different strands of the U-Boat development program, most notably from the Walter U-boats, the Type XVII, which featured an unsuccessful yet revolutionary hydrogen peroxide air-independent propellant system. Careful or you'll find yourself wanting to visit the former U pens in Saint Nazaire in France!

There's a neat book called "Final Patrol" by Don Keith, about US WW2 subs. The last chapter, though, is on the U505 (if you didn't get a book on it already!) For a neat comparison, now plan to visit the WW2 USS Pampanito in San Francisco, CA, or the USS Bowfin in Honolulu, HI. Both are much more roomy than the U505 (which I think was actually more of a WW1 design.)

Good info here, thanks

Several suggestions -

Torpedo Junction - about German subs along the US east coast, 1940,1941,1942

Iron Coffins, Herbert A. Werner - former U-boat commander. His personal account of German U-boat battles of WW2

Hitler's U-boat War, Clay Blair, copyright 1996. On my shelf, haven't read it yet.

Pigboats - Submarine life, written 1931. Fiction.
On the Bottom - about the sinking and recovery of the S-51, non-fiction.

Both of these books were written by Edward Ellsberg, Commander, USN. Entered the US Naval Academy in 1910. He had a career of deep sea diving. Wrote numerous books on deep sea salvage from first hand experience. Also wrote some fiction, all well researched. Wrote a very good biography on John Paul Jones. Some of his books are now economically available as audio books on CD's. In print books are, for the most part, only available used and often bring a premium price. An exceptional writer. There is a website for Ellsberg - edwardellsberg.com

If you like to visit submarines, the U-1 (I believe) is in the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany. The whole sub is displayed as a cut away hull on the ground floor of the museum. They have a small ship displayed the same way. Incredible museum. I believe there is an American sub in Baltimore Inner Harbor that can be toured as well.

quote:

Originally posted by Captain Morgan:
There is a website called uboat.net. I highly recommend it. This is the best site and updated as much as possible. They will have book recommendations, updates of newly found sunken uboats and their location, the names of ships sunk, etc.
They also have an officer of the day and give a brief biography of him.

Thanks, I just forwarded the uboat.net link to a friend who was in the merchant marine during WWII. He has some great stories to tell.

Merchant marine sailors had a real go of it during the first years of the war. Couldn't imagine being sunk and live on a lifeboat. Brave souls.

I highly recommend that you watch the movie Das Boot (The Boat). A film from the early 80's, with input from actual U-boat crewmen and commanders, so I've heard.

Google Reinhard Hardegan U-123
Just go from that point on and you'll find possibly the most interesting U-Boat information any where.

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Originally posted by JoseyWales2:
I highly recommend that you watch the movie Das Boot (The Boat). A film from the early 80's, with input from actual U-boat crewmen and commanders, so I've heard.

90's IIRC, but yes, a good film.

quote:

Originally posted by KevinCW:

quote:

Originally posted by JoseyWales2:
I highly recommend that you watch the movie Das Boot (The Boat). A film from the early 80's, with input from actual U-boat crewmen and commanders, so I've heard.

90's IIRC, but yes, a good film.

The original came out in 1981. However, the 1997 Director's Cut version is the one to see.

A few of the things that I found interesting during my tour was how hard life on a U boat was. For instance, there were usually 60 men assigned to a U boat. During their patrols which lasted anywhere from 90-110 days, they were not allowd to shower or bathe. Ther were two toilets for those 60 men and they were not allowed to flush them while underwater. They hot bunked in bunks that were right on top of the torpedos. All activity on the sub continued and the only thing that gave the sailors any privacy was a little curtain that they pulled to separate themselves from the rest of the boat but which certainly did not block out any noise or light yet the men were supposed to somehow get some rest in their bunks. It had to be a tough life. I know that some here (me included) are down on Chicago but that one tour all by itself made the price of admission well worth it. If you are near Chicago and have the time I highly suggest you stop in and see the exhibit.

Werner's "Iron Coffins" is very good. He survived the whole war in U-boats, which was extremely rare.

quote:

Originally posted by KevinCW:

quote:

Originally posted by JoseyWales2:
I highly recommend that you watch the movie Das Boot (The Boat). A film from the early 80's, with input from actual U-boat crewmen and commanders, so I've heard.

90's IIRC, but yes, a good film.

I think it was 90's.

I thought it was a very long and drawn out movie. But gave a good idea what it was like in a u boat. If I remember right, it was a German movie.

ETA: Wikipedia says it was made in 81.