The Encyclopedia of U-Boats: From 1904 to the Present [Hardcover]

Eberhard Msller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 19, 2006

On the eve of World War I, the art of submarine warfare was barely a dozen years old; no nation had submarine-qualified officers serving at the senior staff level and no nation had developed any method for detecting submarines, or attacking them if found. Ancient prejudice against submarines remained: they did not "fit" in the classic, balanced structure of a navy - where battleships were king. However, by the end of WWI they had changed the face of naval warfare forever. This excellent and comprehensive reference book, translated for the first time in English, traces the remarkable history of the German U-Boat, meticulously recording all the different submarine classes and types developed from the U-1, launched in 1906, through the highly successful 30's series, to the Wolf pack of WWII and beyond. Type sheets provide information on the development, service record, range, crew strength and location for each entry. Special chapters are also devoted to the most successful and colorful German U-Boat commanders including Karl Donitz, Otto Kretschmer and Gunther Prien, and the boats of WWI War and submarine shelters that can be visited in museums today.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Eberhard M(ller has written a number of books about German U-boat development and secret naval projects including Kurs Atlantik: Die deutsche UBoot-Entwicklung bis 1945 (3613016524) and Marine-Geheimprojekte: H. Walter und seine Entwicklungen (3613020750).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Greenhill Books; First edition (February 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1853676233
• ISBN-13: 978-1853676239
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,037,996 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you ever wanted to know about the German U-Boat., January 24, 2005

By 

Ned Middleton (British professional underwater photo-journalist & author) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of U-Boats: From 1904 to the Present (Hardcover)

The 373 U-boats which saw service in WW1 accounted for 6,394 merchant ships with a combined tonnage of over 11 million tonnes. In addition they sank 100 enemy warships - including 10 Battleships. By comparison, the 1,169 U-Boats operating during WW2 sank 2,840 merchant ships with a combined tonnage of over 14 million tonnes and 149 enemy warship including 7 Aircraft Carriers. And those are just the opening comments from this excellent book.

From the earliest German submersible craft built in 1850 to the 12 vessels which are still in service with the modern Bundesmarine, this book will tell you almost everything you ever wanted to know about the German submarine. With plans, drawings and photographs, the U-Boats are listed in alpha-numeric order with all the technical information relevant to the specific vessel. These details are followed by the fate of each craft.

As a junior officer, Dr Möller served briefly on both the Tirpitz and a type XXI U-boat during WW2 and is one of Germany's leading authorities on the subject of the U-Boat. I congratulate him on an excellent work.

NM

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hardcore Reference Book, January 7, 2009

By 

Fred H. (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of U-Boats: From 1904 to the Present (Hardcover)

This is a fascinating book but make sure it's what you're looking for: it's a list of U-Boats, their captains, various stats on them, where they sailed, etc. It's not a book to get a sense of what life was like on them. But if you're clear about what you want, this could be perfect for you.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Gift, January 10, 2011

By 

Jae - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of U-Boats: From 1904 to the Present (Hardcover)

I bought this for my Special Friend who enjoys building Models
He wanted this for reference to correctly paint his model Subs.

Great Gift he really liked it.