Includes bibliographical references (pages 321-323) and index.
Contents:
Genesis -- War -- The myth of the 'happy time' -- Diverging objectives -- The descent -- Sun and snow -- Drumbeat in the New World -- Losing the race -- Tipping point -- Reinforcing failure -- Total commitment.
Summary:
"The first complete history of the U-boat war in its entirety, a story which began on the very first day of hostilities in 1939 and did not end until the final torpedo sinking on 7 May 1945. It details the Wehrmacht's disastrous decision to despatch Dönitz's U-boats to the Mediterranean; the actions of U-boats at the extremities of the Eastern Front, where, despite the legendary destruction of the PQ17 convoy, they failed to turn the tide of war; and smaller but crucial operations throughout the Indian Ocean and southern Africa. What becomes increasingly clear throughout these dangerous and costly deployments is how U-boat operations were inexorably tied to an increasingly inefficient global naval stategy. This ... book details the U-boats' often direct relationship with land, sea and aerial campaigns of both the Allied and Axis powers, dispels certain accepted mythologies, and reveals how the ultimate failure of the U-boats stemmed as much from chaotic German military and industrial mismanagement as it did from Allied advances in code-breaking and weaponry"--Dust jacket flap.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.