Customer Reviews

The U Boat Commanders Handbook

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This book is for u-boat nuts and submariners. It is a "direct wartime translation by the U.S. Navy" from the 1943 SECRET edition issued to U-Boat commander by the Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine. Oddly, it is dedicated to Kapitaenleutnant Werner Henke, bearer of the Knight's Cross to The Iron Cross With Oak Leaves.He was the C.O. of U 515. He was killed while attempting to escape from the interrogation center at Fort Hunt and is buried at Fort Meade. There are photos of the inside of U-505, now up on blocks near the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.[I well remember when a fellow naval officer whispered to me, outside a P.O.W. cage near Brest, France , "they got the 505."] It was a great maritime triumph.
The book is paragraph after paragraph of such instructions as "Carrying Out the Night Surface Attack", and "How To Deal With Convoys." The photographs which have been added to the edition at hand (1989) add significantly to what could be an interesting but pretty dry instruction, manual.

For anyone seriously interested in WWII German U-Boats this is a must have book. Perhaps a little dry and technical to the light reader, it contains a wealth of information about the capabilities and tactics employed by German U-Boats from the best possible source - the BDU itself. The scholar will make many connections after a thorough study of this work, and it is well worth the cost for the layman as well. I also recommend that the serious student visit uboat.net for the single best source of information to complement the reading of this book that I have found.

This is reported to be an exact english translation of the Handbook carried by U-Boat commanders. It is very interesting to see what the German Navy had learned during the war, as the book was updated several times during the war, and what the experienced u-boat commanders recommended as procedures for attack and defense to all new u-boat commanders.

I highly recommend it as background reading for those interested in all aspects of the U-boat war during WWII. Cant beat the price!

This handbook is a wartime translation of the official handbook of German U-boat commanders: it explain tactics and reveals a lot of technical details about submarine war in WWII, but some passages apears difficult to understand without a specific background (also because the translation is not up-to-date with current terminolgy). I think that some footnotes could resolve the problem.
The edition quality is poor (for example a page is duplicated) and it seems that original illustrations have been omitted, but the book contains some nice photos of a Type VII interiors and some action shots of Atlantic war episodes.
I think it would be very interesting for "Silent Hunter III" players, even if there are not so many concepts suitable for a simulation.

This is the 1943 edition of a German u-boat commanders manual. It outlines all the different battle drills which a submarine may have to execute. All tactical situations are covered, with no-nonsense advice.

Whether you like submarine simulations or just like wwii naval history, this is hands down the best $9.00 you will ever spend.

The U-Boat Commander's Handbook is a HANDBOOK. Don't expect a historical narrative here, but as long as you understand that this is a technical manual about every tactic to be used in almost every situation conceivable for a U-Boat commander in 1943, and thats what you are looking to read, it is AMAZING.

Pictures have been added, as well as a forward and a dedication, however other than that, the book is a complete diplication of the 1943 Handbook.

I highly recommend this very rare purchase for all enthusiasts of the U-Boat war and the Battle for the Atlantic.

Who knows, it may even improve you game in Silent Hunter 3 if you are into that.

Speical thanks to Amazon for carrying this particular item as I couln't find it elsewhere.

It's a real interesting historic document about u-boot tactics (navigation, attack, escape).
This book is a summa of all the rules employed by u-boot captains that guaranteed them many successes in their oceanic patrols, developed by German Navy on the experiences in WWI and in the beginnings of WWII.
It has been used by italian navy too (see "Uomini sul fondo" by Giorgio Giorgerini).

If you are planning to play the computer game Silent Hunter 2 (whenever it finally comes out...), you will find this little book most helpful in hunting convoys of English merchant ships... It gives a brief shakedown on the tactics used by U-Boat Captains during the Battle of the Atlantic.

-Tom

This was a Xmas gift for my nephew. He is an avid submarine enthusiast and WWII German U-boats in particular. The book presents very informative and interesting facts about the war theater of WWII naval submarines. He was thrilled with the gift.

I do have many German WW2 translated manuals in my collection but this one is something totally different.I like how they teach you to be a more successful U-Boat commander with tips that can save your crew and yourself from becoming fish food.I also use this as a training manual for my gaming example Silent Hunter III and soon V and it works pretty good.For example when destroyer come after me I dive down to 21 meters and 1/3 ahead on silent run usually the destroyer and corvettes just go over me and pass.Phew that was close.Well worth the few bucks.I enjoy it immensely.

Abel da Silva