Osprey Warrior 36 : Grey Wolf : U-Boat Crewman of World War II

The scourge of Allied shipping during World War II, the U-Boot Waffe was one of the most feared components of Hitler's war machine, yet the Kriegsmarine was the least political branch of the Third Reich. Neither the sadistic monsters nor the fanatical Nazis often portrayed in Allied propaganda, the sailors of the U-boat arm were courageous, highly skilled seamen, who fought a war that saw remarkable levels of old-fashioned chivalry. Living in unspeakably cramped conditions, subject to immense tension, while coping with the challenges of the Atlantic, life for a U-boat recruit was far from easy. Gordon Williamson explores the life of a typical U-boat crewman during World War II, from recruitment, through training and service conditions, to combat experience throughout the war. With a selection of carefully chosen images, many previously unpublished, this book offers a fresh insight into the experiences of the men in Dönitz's legendary 'wolf packs'. Text by Gordon Williamson with illustrations by Darko Pavlovic.

Contents

• Introduction
• Chronology
• Recruitment
• Training
• Appearance
• Conditions of Service
• Belief and Belonging
• Combat Action
• Colour Plate Commentary
• Museums
• Collecting
• Further Reading
• Index