Donitz And The Wolf Packs

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Donitz and the Wolf Packs

Author : Bernard Edwards
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1473822939
Total Pages : 250 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (738 download)

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Book Synopsis Donitz and the Wolf Packs by : Bernard Edwards

Download or read book Donitz and the Wolf Packs written by Bernard Edwards and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2014-07-30 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On 17 September 1942 Admiral Karl Donitz, C-in-C U-boats, issued the following directive:??To all Commanders - 'All attempts to rescue members of ships sunk, therefore also fishing out swimmers and putting them into lifeboats, righting capsized lifeboats, handing out provisions and water, have to cease. Rescue contradicts the most fundamental demands of war for the annihilation of enemy ships and crews'.??This order ended what had hitherto been a war in which the opposing factions treated each other with a certain respect, seaman to seaman, showing mercy where mercy was due. It also marked the point at which the Battle of the Atlantic became a dirty war of attrition, with the U-boats hunting in packs snarling and snapping at the heels of the hard-pressed convoys. Ships began to go down like corn before the reaper, men were dying in their hundreds in the cold grey waters of the great ocean. This was a battle without quarter. A battle the U-boats would have won had it not been for the grit and determination of the convoy escorts and the unflagging resilience of the men who manned the vulnerable merchant ships.??This book faithfully records the progress of the Battle of the Atlantic, which began within hours of the declaration of war on 3 September 1939 and continued without let-up until the last torpedo was fired on the night of 7 May 1945, just one hour before Germany surrendered. The story is told from both sides of the periscope.

Dönitz and the Wolf Packs

Author : Bernard Edwards
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1473840759
Total Pages : 358 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (738 download)

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Book Synopsis Dönitz and the Wolf Packs by : Bernard Edwards

Download or read book Dönitz and the Wolf Packs written by Bernard Edwards and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2014-07-30 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On 17 September 1942 Admiral Karl Donitz, C-in-C U-boats, issued the following directive:To all Commanders - 'All attempts to rescue members of ships sunk, therefore also fishing out swimmers and putting them into lifeboats, righting capsized lifeboats, handing out provisions and water, have to cease. Rescue contradicts the most fundamental demands of war for the annihilation of enemy ships and crews'.This order ended what had hitherto been a war in which the opposing factions treated each other with a certain respect, seaman to seaman, showing mercy where mercy was due. It also marked the point at which the Battle of the Atlantic became a dirty war of attrition, with the U-boats hunting in packs snarling and snapping at the heels of the hard-pressed convoys. Ships began to go down like corn before the reaper, men were dying in their hundreds in the cold grey waters of the great ocean. This was a battle without quarter. A battle the U-boats would have won had it not been for the grit and determination of the convoy escorts and the unflagging resilience of the men who manned the vulnerable merchant ships.This book faithfully records the progress of the Battle of the Atlantic, which began within hours of the declaration of war on 3 September 1939 and continued without let-up until the last torpedo was fired on the night of 7 May 1945, just one hour before Germany surrendered. The story is told from both sides of the periscope.

Wolf Pack

Author : Gordon Williamson
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1780963327
Total Pages : 360 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (89 download)

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Book Synopsis Wolf Pack by : Gordon Williamson

Download or read book Wolf Pack written by Gordon Williamson and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-01-20 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this comprehensive book, the wartime development of the U-Boat is traced along with the experiences of typical U-Boat crewmen, from recruitment to combat. Germany's World War II U-Boat fleet represented the elite of their naval personnel. In terms of technology, training, tactics and combat successes, the U-Boat Waffe was far superior to that of any other combatant nation. Gordon Williamson examines the operational tactics of the U-Boat fleet, as well as describing the massive bunkers that housed them. Wolf Pack contains material taken from Fortress 3: 'U-Boat Bases and Bunkers 1941-45', Warrior 36: 'Grey Wolf: U-Boat Crewman of World War II' and New Vanguards 51 and 55: 'Kriegsmarine U-Boat 1939-45 (1) and (2)', with the addition of a new section on wartime tactics.

Neither Sharks Nor Wolves

Author : Timothy P Mulligan
Publisher : Naval Institute Press
ISBN 13 : 1612510809
Total Pages : 386 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (125 download)

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Book Synopsis Neither Sharks Nor Wolves by : Timothy P Mulligan

Download or read book Neither Sharks Nor Wolves written by Timothy P Mulligan and published by Naval Institute Press. This book was released on 2011-08-15 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although countless books have been written about the U-boat war in the Atlantic, precious few facts have come to light about the men who served in the submarines that wrought such havoc on Allied ships. Eager to get beyond the stereotypes perpetuated in movies and novels and find out who these elusive sailors really were, archivist Timothy Mulligan started searching official records. Eventually he went straight to the source, conducting a survey of more than a thousand U-boat officers and enlisted men and interviewing a number of them personally. The result is this character study of the German submarine force that challenges traditional and revisionist views of the service. Mulligan found striking similarities in the men's geographic and social origins, education, and previous occupations, particularly within the specialized engineering and radio branches of the submarine force. The information he gathered establishes quantifiable patterns in age, length of service, and experience, as well as the organization's overall recruitment policies and training standards. The numbers and losses of U-boat personnel are also fully examined. Beyond these objective characteristics, this study lists such subjective factors as morale, treatment of enemy ship survivors, and the relationship of the submariners to the Nazi regime, and it confirms a serious crisis in morale in late 1943. The roles played by the head of the U-boat arm, Grand Admiral Karl Donitz, and its organizational chief, Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg, are thoroughly addressed. Mulligan concludes that the U-boat arm quickly evolved from a handpicked elite to a more representative sample of the German navy at large but continued to be treated as an elite force. The only comprehensive investigation yet published, this book also draws on POW interrogations of U-boat survivors and documentation of Kriegsmarine personnel policy obtained from German archives.

World War II [5 volumes]

Author : Spencer C. Tucker
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 4723 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (161 download)

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Book Synopsis World War II [5 volumes] by : Spencer C. Tucker

Download or read book World War II [5 volumes] written by Spencer C. Tucker and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2016-09-06 with total page 4723 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With more than 1,700 cross-referenced entries covering every aspect of World War II, the events and developments of the era, and myriad related subjects as well as a documents volume, this is the most comprehensive reference work available on the war. This encyclopedia represents a single source of authoritative information on World War II that provides accessible coverage of the causes, course, and consequences of the war. Its introductory overview essays and cross-referenced A–Z entries explain how various sources of friction culminated in a second worldwide conflict, document the events of the war and why individual battles were won and lost, and identify numerous ways the war has permanently changed the world. The coverage addresses the individuals, campaigns, battles, key weapons systems, strategic decisions, and technological developments of the conflict, as well as the diplomatic, economic, and cultural aspects of World War II. The five-volume set provides comprehensive information that gives readers insight into the reasons for the war's direction and outcome. Readers will understand the motivations behind Japan's decision to attack the United States, appreciate how the concentration of German military resources on the Eastern Front affected the war's outcome, understand the major strategic decisions of the war and the factors behind them, grasp how the Second Sino-Japanese War contributed to the start of World War II, and see the direct impact of new military technology on the outcomes of the battles during the conflict. The lengthy documents volume represents a valuable repository of additional information for student research.

The German War Machine in World War II

Author : David T. Zabecki
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 : 1440869189
Total Pages : 447 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (48 download)

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Book Synopsis The German War Machine in World War II by : David T. Zabecki

Download or read book The German War Machine in World War II written by David T. Zabecki and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2019-12-02 with total page 447 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This invaluable resource offers students a comprehensive overview of the German war machine that overran much of Europe during World War II, with close to 300 entries on a variety of topics and a number of key primary source documents. This book provides everything the reader needs to know about the German war machine that developed into the potent armed force under Adolf Hitler. This expansive encyclopedia covers the period of the German Third Reich, from January 1933 to the end of World War II in Europe, in May 1945. Dozens of entries on key battles and military campaigns, military and political leaders, military and intelligence organizations, and social and political topics that shaped German military conduct during World War II are followed by an illuminating epilogue that outlines why Germany lost World War II. A documents section includes more than a dozen fascinating primary sources on such significant events as the Tripartite Pact among Germany, Italy, and Japan; the Battle of Stalingrad; the Normandy Invasion; the Ardennes Offensive; and Germany's surrender. In addition, six appendices provide detailed information on a variety of topics such as German aces, military commanders, and military medals and decorations. The book ends with a chronology and a bibliography of print resources.

The Wolf Packs Gather

Author : Bernard Edwards
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1844689778
Total Pages : 229 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (446 download)

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Book Synopsis The Wolf Packs Gather by : Bernard Edwards

Download or read book The Wolf Packs Gather written by Bernard Edwards and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2012-07-19 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The capture by the German surface raider Atlantis of the British steamer City of Baghdads secret code books in July 1940 enabled the Nazis to de-cypher Admiralty convoy plans with deadly effect. This book describes the resulting appalling Allied losses suffered by four convoys during the Autumn of 1940. Admiral Donetz, aware of the movements of the Allied convoys, marshaled as many of his U-boats as possible. The first convoy, SC2, consisting of 53 merchant men was attacked in early September by four U-boats. Due to poor weather only five ships were lost. Shortly after HX72, with 41 ships, sailing from Nova Scotia, lost eleven ships to five Type VIIC U-boats. Top Aces Otto Kretschremer and Joachim Schepke, who penetrated inside the columns, accounted for nine. No less than nine U-boats attacked SC7 in October 1940. Of 35 merchant men a staggering 20 were lost. HX79 also fared terribly despite being a fast convoy with ten escorts, losing twelve ships. In total forty-eight merchant men were sunk and seven more damaged without any U-boat losses at all. The Wolf Packs Gather is an authoritative account of the darkest hours of the War in the Atlantic. It describes not only the German tactics but the inadequacies of what few escorts there were and the heartbreaking loss of defenseless life.

Wolf Pack

Author : Bob Carruthers
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1781591571
Total Pages : 128 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (815 download)

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Book Synopsis Wolf Pack by : Bob Carruthers

Download or read book Wolf Pack written by Bob Carruthers and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2013-01-21 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Once you heard that pinging sound you knew they had got to you, then the depth charges came. Terrible, just terrible." Kurt Wehling, u-boat survivor The steel coffins was the name given to the U-boats of the Kriegsmarine by their own crews. Their fatalistic view of the war was certainly justified; it is estimated that seventy-five per cent of the 39,000 men who sailed in the U-boat fleet paid the ultimate price as the tide of war turned inexorably against Hitler's Germany. This is the illustrated history of the U-boat war from the perspective of the men who sailed into battle in the service of the Third Reich. Drawing heavily on the accounts of the last remaining survivors, 'The U-boat War' traces the grim story of the rise and fall of the grey wolves. The memories of the brief days of the "happy times" of superiority and success were soon replaced by the stark terror of the enfolding nightmare as the realisation dawned that the hunters had become the hunted. Written by Emmy award winning author Bob Carruthers, this powerful account of the U-boat war features extensive personal recollections, rare photographs and extracts from contemporary propaganda magazines producing a vivid picture of what it meant to fight beneath the waves.

Naval Warfare 1919-45

Author : Malcolm H. Murfett
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1134048130
Total Pages : 648 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (34 download)

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Book Synopsis Naval Warfare 1919-45 by : Malcolm H. Murfett

Download or read book Naval Warfare 1919-45 written by Malcolm H. Murfett and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2008-11-04 with total page 648 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Naval Warfare 1919–45 is a comprehensive history of the war at sea from the end of the Great War to the end of World War Two. Showing the bewildering nature and complexity of the war facing those charged with fighting it around the world, this book ranges far and wide: sweeping across all naval theatres and those powers performing major, as well as minor, roles within them. Armed with the latest material from an extensive set of sources, Malcolm H. Murfett has written an absorbing as well as a comprehensive reference work. He demonstrates that superior equipment and the best intelligence, ominous power and systematic planning, vast finance and suitable training are often simply not enough in themselves to guarantee the successful outcome of a particular encounter at sea. Sometimes the narrow difference between victory and defeat hinges on those infinite variables: the individual’s performance under acute pressure and sheer luck. Naval Warfare 1919–45 is an analytical and interpretive study which is an accessible and fascinating read both for students and for interested members of the general public.

Germany at War [4 volumes]

Author : David T. Zabecki
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 3312 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (16 download)

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Book Synopsis Germany at War [4 volumes] by : David T. Zabecki

Download or read book Germany at War [4 volumes] written by David T. Zabecki and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2014-10-28 with total page 3312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by experts for use by nonexperts, this monumental work probes Germany's "Genius for War" and the unmistakable pattern of tactical and operational innovation and excellence evident throughout the nation's military history. Despite having the best military forces in the world, some of the most advanced weapons available, and unparalleled tactical proficiency, Germany still lost both World Wars. This landmark, four-volume encyclopedia explores how and why that happened, at the same time examining Germany as a military power from the start of the Thirty Years' War in 1618 to the present day. Coverage includes the Federal Republic of Germany, its predecessor states, and the kingdoms and principalities that combined to form Imperial Germany in 1871. The Seven Years' War is discussed, as are the Napoleonic Wars, the Wars of German Unification (including the Franco-Prussian War), World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. In all, more than 1,000 entries illuminate battles, organizations, leaders, armies, weapons, and other aspects of war and military life. The most comprehensive overview of German military history ever to appear in English, this work will enable students and others interested in military history to better understand the sociopolitical history of Germany, the complex role conflict has played in the nation throughout its history, and why Germany continues to be an important player on the European continent.

Wolf Pack

Author : Steven Trent Smith
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 398 pages
Book Rating : 4.F/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Wolf Pack by : Steven Trent Smith

Download or read book Wolf Pack written by Steven Trent Smith and published by . This book was released on 2003-08-04 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Bristling with undersea action, compelling human drama, and nerve-jangling suspense, this powerful account of the war beneath the Pacific includes unforgettable portraits of the commanders, officers, and crewmen who carried out these extremely hazardous and complex operations. You'll meet Blair's Blasters, Parks' Pirates, Whitaker's Wolves, and many others as they stalk the "Convoy College" in search of prey, sink hundreds of enemy vessels, and test new tactics and technologies in the constant drive to perfect their deadly skills."

VIOLET LIGHTNING

Author : John Eric Vining
Publisher : Page Publishing, Inc
ISBN 13 : 1646286596
Total Pages : 400 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (462 download)

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Book Synopsis VIOLET LIGHTNING by : John Eric Vining

Download or read book VIOLET LIGHTNING written by John Eric Vining and published by Page Publishing, Inc. This book was released on 2020-11-13 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An epic achievement over one hundred years in the making... In December 1941, Japan had perhaps the greatest combination of land, sea, and air forces the world had ever seen, and she used these to conquer a huge empire in the Western Pacific and East Asia. Yet by August 1945, Japan had been beaten to her knees by the combined power of China, Great Britain, and the United States. Was this destruction inevitable? Did Japan have no chance to defeat America and her allies? Why would she think she could successfully battle the two greatest industrial powers the world had ever known—Great Britain and the United States—at the same time? Violet Lightning: A Blueprint for Japanese Victory in the Pacific, 1941–1942 is a sweeping narrative over a century in the making. From the first confrontation in 1895 between the United States and Japan over Hawaii; to the massive Japanese defeats at Midway and Guadalcanal in 1942; to author John Eric Vining’s first interest in the Japanese-American conflict in the fall of 1967 by reading Carrier War in the Pacific; to the fall of 1995 when Vining first put pen to paper on this project; and finally, to 2020’s finished product by Page Publishing, Vining reviews a history of the acrimony between Japan and the United States in the first half of the Twentieth Century. He then builds what one reviewer calls a “chillingly believable” scenario for a Japanese victory in the greatest of all wars. Violet Lightning poses and answers the question: “Could Japan really have pulled it off?” You just might find yourself coming around to a point of view you didn’t believe was possible.

Dönitz, U-boats, Convoys

Author : Jak P. Mallmann Showell
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1473829704
Total Pages : 245 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (738 download)

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Book Synopsis Dönitz, U-boats, Convoys by : Jak P. Mallmann Showell

Download or read book Dönitz, U-boats, Convoys written by Jak P. Mallmann Showell and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2013-08-21 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique WWII history combines the memoirs of a Nazi Admiral with secret British naval reports for a comprehensive view of the U-Boat war. The memoirs of Admiral Karl Dönitz, Ten Years and Twenty Days, are a fascinating first-hand account of the Battle of the Atlantic as seen from the headquarters of the U-boat fleet. Now, noted naval historian Jak P. Mallmann Showell has combined Dönitz's memoirs in a parallel text with the British Admiralty's secret Monthly Anti-Submarine Reports to produce a unique view of the U-boat war as it was perceived at the time by both sides. The British Monthly Anti-Submarine Reports were classified documents issued only to senior officers hunting U-boats. They were supposed to have been returned to the Admiralty and destroyed at the end of the War, but by chance a set survived in the archives of the Royal Navy's Submarine Museum in Gosport. They offer significant and hitherto unavailable insight into the British view of the Battle of the Atlantic as it was being fought. With expert analysis of these firsthand sources from opposing sides of the conflict, Jak P. Mallmann Showell presents what may be the most complete contemporary account of the desperate struggle in the North Atlantic during the Second World War.

Grey Wolves

Author : Philip Kaplan
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 178159242X
Total Pages : 240 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (815 download)

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Book Synopsis Grey Wolves by : Philip Kaplan

Download or read book Grey Wolves written by Philip Kaplan and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2013-08-05 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the early years of the Second World War, the elite force of German submariners known as the Ubootwaffe came perilously close to perfecting the underwater tactics of the First World War and successfully cutting Britain's transatlantic lifeline. To the Allies, these enemy sailors were embarking on a mission that was unequivocally evil.??It was popularly believed that the U-boat men were all volunteers; this was not the case. However, once committed to the Ubootwaffe, each man soon understood that he must take pride in being part of a unique brotherhood. He had to do so because he was setting out, in claustrophobic, unsanitary, stench-filled and ultimately hellish conditions, on a journey that would test his mental and physical endurance to the very limits, and one that he had little chance of surviving. Those that did return soon ceased to take comfort in friends or family, dwelling only on the knowledge that another patrol awaited them. The men of the Ubootwaffe were bound together by an intense camaraderie forged in an environment of ever-present danger, and a unity of purpose more powerful than any known to other sailors.??As the U-boat memorial near Kiel records, by the end of the war, of the 39,000 men who went to sea in the U-boats, 27,491 died in action and a further 5,000 were made prisoners of war. Of the 863 U-boats that sailed on operational patrols, 754 were lost.??Grey Wolves captures life on board a U-boat, in text, letters, diaries, journals, memoirs, prose and poetry, relaying tales of the mundane and the routine, dramatic and heroic; the fear and resilience of every crew member, from Kapitainleutnant to Mechaniker. It is a vivid, brutally realistic portrait of the men who fought and died beneath the surface of the Atlantic in what was, perhaps, the most critical battle of the war.

Sea Power

Author : E. B Potter
Publisher : Naval Institute Press
ISBN 13 : 1612517676
Total Pages : 440 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (125 download)

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Book Synopsis Sea Power by : E. B Potter

Download or read book Sea Power written by E. B Potter and published by Naval Institute Press. This book was released on 2014-06-15 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A classic work covering over 2,000 years of naval history, from Greek and Roman galley warfare to Vietnam.

Wolf Pack

Author : Gordon Williamson
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1780963319
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (89 download)

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Book Synopsis Wolf Pack by : Gordon Williamson

Download or read book Wolf Pack written by Gordon Williamson and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-01-20 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this comprehensive book, the wartime development of the U-Boat is traced along with the experiences of typical U-Boat crewmen, from recruitment to combat. Germany's World War II U-Boat fleet represented the elite of their naval personnel. In terms of technology, training, tactics and combat successes, the U-Boat Waffe was far superior to that of any other combatant nation. Gordon Williamson examines the operational tactics of the U-Boat fleet, as well as describing the massive bunkers that housed them. Wolf Pack contains material taken from Fortress 3: 'U-Boat Bases and Bunkers 1941-45', Warrior 36: 'Grey Wolf: U-Boat Crewman of World War II' and New Vanguards 51 and 55: 'Kriegsmarine U-Boat 1939-45 (1) and (2)', with the addition of a new section on wartime tactics.

Hitler's Navy

Author : Jak Mallmann Showell
Publisher : Seaforth Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1848320205
Total Pages : 226 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (483 download)

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Book Synopsis Hitler's Navy by : Jak Mallmann Showell

Download or read book Hitler's Navy written by Jak Mallmann Showell and published by Seaforth Publishing. This book was released on 2009-03-19 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The German Navy, both before the War and throughout the years of fighting, was heavily outnumbered by the navies of Great Britain and the United States; nonetheless, it proved to be serious thorn in the sides of its adversaries. The U-boat war in the North Atlantic threatened the very liberation of Europe, while the major warships posed a constant threat to the Allied shipping lanes. This important reference book is an indispensable guide to the ships, organisation, command and rank structure, and leaders of the Kriegsmarine, and helps explain why it was such a potent force. A detailed text, augmented by photos, maps and diagrams, studies the German Navy from the Treaty of Versailles to the collapse of the U-boat offensive and the demise of the Third Reich. After covering the background organisation and naval bases, the author gives detailed descriptions of all the classes of ship from the battleships to motor torpedo boats and minesweepers. The officers and sailors are covered along with their uniforms and awards and insignia. Biographies of notable personalities and a chronology of the main naval events are included, as well as appendices and a select bibliography. Based on the author's 1979 title The German Navy in World War Two, this is a classic work of reference for a new generation of readers.