7071 U-Boat War 1939-45
Ian Baxter
This new book from Ian Baxter delves into an important topic
surrounding WWII, one that breaks new ground for Concord
Publications. The focus is U-boats (untersee-boot, or "undersea
boat") and their campaign against Allied shipping during the course
of WWII. Germany constructed an impressive 1171 U-boats in the war
years. Such was the significance of this deadly battle for the seas
that the Allies lost more than 50,000 seamen and 15 million tons of
shipping from 1939-45. Indeed, particularly early on in the war,
German submarines created a stranglehold on the Atlantic that
starved Great Britain of much-needed supplies. However, as the tide
turned, submariners found they had become the hunted, with 319
U-boats sunk between June 1944 and May 1945 alone. Nearly 40,000
German submariners lost their lives in this desperate battle.
This volume traces the development of the U-boat as a strategic
weapon in Germany's arsenal. The book begins with a written
description of the tactics employed and how their effectiveness
ebbed and flowed as the war progressed. However, the backbone of
this work is the many black-and-white photos of U-boats and their
crewmen. These contemporary photos show German Navy submarines in
port and at sea, as well as various details of their construction.
The crewmen are also a focus of the photography, offering readers a
study of their typical uniforms and appearance.
The book's centerpiece comprises color plates showing various
U-boat types, with these illustrations done by Studio Primots. This
volume provides an invaluable insight into this naval aspect of
WWII, and the superb collection of photographs aided by detailed
captions will greatly increase the knowledge of readers.
Format 21 x 29,7 cm, Paperback, 72 Seiten, 172 s/w-Fotos, 9
Farbtafeln, englischer Text, Best.-Nr. Con7071