Customer Reviews

The U-Boat War in the Caribbean

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

An easy, interresting read with many small stories of human intrest. A must read for any WWII buff, submarine buff, Caribbean buff or member of the Army or Navy Air Corp. After reading this book, I understand more of the terrible fight that happened in these waters, the courage shown by the Merchant Marine, the bravery of the air crews and even the caginess of the German sub crews. Don't miss the story about the pig swimming around in the Caribbean sea and the sub crew that rescued it and took it back to Germany.

The chapter 2, "Operation Neuland Begins", about the U-156 attack on the Lago Refinery in Aruba has a great deal of inaccuracies in significant details of the attack. There are too many to address in a short review but I would suggest that anyone interested in this particular event obtain a recently re-published book, "German U-Boat 156 Brought War to Aruba February 16, 1942" by William C. Hochstuhl who was employed by Lago Oil & Transport Co. It was well researched and has a good number of historical and unique pictures and personal testimonials of the attack by local residents.
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I enjoyed this book very much. I was glad to see that contributions of the Cuban Navy were mentioned. However, even as the book clearly states the success of the U-boat campaign in the Caribbean was exceptional, it does not mention the role of German spies in Havana, Jamaica and elsewhere... ...the names, nefarious deeds and fate of Otto Ott and Heinz Lüning, and that watcher in Jamaica would add a needed dimension to the work. It is my understanding that a book is in progress on this matter.

When he writes of the initial U-Boat attcks inside the harbors of Aruba and Curacao it was exciting and interesting. The attack and defense of Trinidad was good. But the detail of U-Boat numbers, locations names of captains, names and sizes of ships sunk is challengeing to understand.It becomes an historical record, albeit a very good, detailed one. But for the ordinary reader with a passing interest in U-Boat activity in the Caribbean during WWll it's too much detail. Taking maybe 10 submarines, operating in different areas of the Caribbean and describing in detail their activity would have been more interesting to me.