U-Boat War Patrol: The Hidden Photographic Diary of U-564 [Hardcover]

Lawrence Paterson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2004

This book is unique in that it charts a complete history of a single patrol and provides a new insight into life aboard through the successes and trials of U-564. Photographed during the summer of 1942 by an onboard war correspondent they show a U-Boat in action in the Atlantic and Caribbean, as the Kriegsmarine teetered on the verge of what turned out to be its ultimate downfall. The crew is shown in virtually every station and several other U-Boats and their commanders feature as they gather to re-supply or to attack. The Three Black Cat motif of Reinhard 'Teddy' Suhren's U-564 is among the most famous in the illustrious history of Germany's U-Boats of World War II. Suhren himself ranks in the top tier of U-Boat commanders along with the likes of Prien and Kretschmer and his name still raises a smile among veterans of the service for his infamously anti-establishment attitude that saw a meteoric rise to U-Boat command and the receipt of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. The photographs were 'liberated' from U-564's concrete pen in Brest in 1945. They have been kept in a shoebox under a bed for the best part of sixty years and now, through the painstaking research of Lawrence Patterson and the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, are to be published for the first time. Patterson has pieced together the stories of Teddy Suhren and U-564 and provides detailed accompanying captions explaining many of the photos and a history of the boat, her crew and their illustrious and much-loved commander.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lawrence Paterson is the author of First U-Boat Flotilla (1557502951) and Second U-Boat Flotilla (0850529174).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 206 pages
• Publisher: Greenhill Books; First edition (2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 185367575X
• ISBN-13: 978-1853675751
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,825,834 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars U-boat War Patrol, February 22, 2005

By 

Gary C. Baker "KALEU" (Melbourne ,FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: U-Boat War Patrol: The Hidden Photographic Diary of U-564 (Hardcover)

A great blend of photographs and the story of one war patrol. If you enjoyed U BOAT WARS by Buchheim then this is a must book.. Out of my 50 books on U Boats I would rank this in the top five...

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb read, January 9, 2007

By 

A. D. Wright (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: U-Boat War Patrol: The Hidden Photographic Diary of U 564 (Paperback)

This is an outstanding book on so many levels. Paterson has taken a set of long-lost photographs and painstakingly researched the details of the long war patrol on which they were taken. What emerges is a compeltely engrossing account of the U-boatman's war, with the daily routine described in as much detail as the terrifying moments of high drama. But this is also a human story, especially of the outstanding leadership qualities of the remarkable commander of U-564 at the time, Reinhard 'Teddy' Suhren. If you have even a passing interest in the 'Grey Wolves', you will enjoy this fantastic book. Very highly recommended.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars U-Boat War Patrol: The hidden photographic Diary of U-564, August 10, 2007

By 

Austin C., Craig "U-Boat enthusiast" (Parkland, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: U-Boat War Patrol: The Hidden Photographic Diary of U 564 (Paperback)

One of the most interesting books on the U-Boat arm and the men who manned the boats. The author does a great job of writting the narrative to go with the huge collection of photo taken by a war photographer. The photos recently turned up and this book gives the reader a good perspective of what life ws like on a Type Vll U-Boat. Captained by Knights Cross winner, Reinhard "Teddy" Suhren, one of the most successful U-Boat commanders of the war, life aboard 564 was hard, but not without fun time. The patrol takes place in the summer of 1942, when U-Boats were still the hunters and not the hunted, so many interesting activities occured when the boat was on the surface. Suhren's greeting to fellow U-Boat Commander,Horst "Hein" Uphoff, of U-84,upon his return to Brest is funny and quite amazing, considering the time and place. A must read for all those interested in the Battle of the Atlantic.