German S-Boats in Action in the Second World War

German S-Boats in Action in the Second World War PDF Author: Hans Frank
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1783830298
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 342

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Book Description
A detailed narrative of S-boat, or schnellboot, actions during World War II in all the theatres where they were deployed. The author, describes, with the help of a multitude of maps and photographs, all the incidents that these 45-knot fast attack craft were involved in. The German motor torpedo boat (German: S-boot, English: E-boat) was a controversial subject in the pre-war period of German naval rearmament. As late as 1938, the Fleet Commander recommended that S-boot building be terminated on the grounds that the craft was merely a 'weapon of opportunity' without a defined role. This outlook changed dramatically after the first wartime successes. Soon the S-boot was required on all fronts, and the area of operations. In this volume the operational deployment of the S-Boot in these theatres is given comprehensive treatment for the first time, and not purely from the isolated viewpoint of S-Boot warfare, but as an integral part of the overall military objectives of the time. This study of the effectiveness of the S-Boot, its successes and failures, is based on war diary entries and previously unseen original sources. It is a first-class account of this German naval arm in which survived to be the last class of German surface warship still carrying the offensive to the enemy.

German S-Boats in Action in the Second World War

German S-Boats in Action in the Second World War PDF Author: Hans Frank
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1783830298
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 342

Get Book Here

Book Description
A detailed narrative of S-boat, or schnellboot, actions during World War II in all the theatres where they were deployed. The author, describes, with the help of a multitude of maps and photographs, all the incidents that these 45-knot fast attack craft were involved in. The German motor torpedo boat (German: S-boot, English: E-boat) was a controversial subject in the pre-war period of German naval rearmament. As late as 1938, the Fleet Commander recommended that S-boot building be terminated on the grounds that the craft was merely a 'weapon of opportunity' without a defined role. This outlook changed dramatically after the first wartime successes. Soon the S-boot was required on all fronts, and the area of operations. In this volume the operational deployment of the S-Boot in these theatres is given comprehensive treatment for the first time, and not purely from the isolated viewpoint of S-Boot warfare, but as an integral part of the overall military objectives of the time. This study of the effectiveness of the S-Boot, its successes and failures, is based on war diary entries and previously unseen original sources. It is a first-class account of this German naval arm in which survived to be the last class of German surface warship still carrying the offensive to the enemy.

German S-Boats in Action in the Second World War

German S-Boats in Action in the Second World War PDF Author: Hans Frank
Publisher: Seaforth Publishing
ISBN: 1844157164
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
A detailed narrative of S-boat, or schnellboot, actions during World War II in all the theatres where they were deployed. The author, describes, with the help of a multitude of maps and photographs, all the incidents that these 45-knot fast attack craft were involved in. The German motor torpedo boat (German: S-boot, English: E-boat) was a controversial subject in the pre-war period of German naval rearmament. As late as 1938, the Fleet Commander recommended that S-boot building be terminated on the grounds that the craft was merely a 'weapon of opportunity' without a defined role. This outlook changed dramatically after the first wartime successes. Soon the S-boot was required on all fronts, and the area of operations. In this volume the operational deployment of the S-Boot in these theatres is given comprehensive treatment for the first time, and not purely from the isolated viewpoint of S-Boot warfare, but as an integral part of the overall military objectives of the time. This study of the effectiveness of the S-Boot, its successes and failures, is based on war diary entries and previously unseen original sources. It is a first-class account of this German naval arm in which survived to be the last class of German surface warship still carrying the offensive to the enemy.

German E-boats 1939–45

German E-boats 1939–45 PDF Author: Gordon Williamson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1780966164
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 104

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Book Description
By the outbreak of World War II, Germany had done much to replace the Kaiser's High Seas Fleet, which was scuttled following their surrender at the end of World War I. Forced to build anew, the Kriegsmarine possessed some of the most technically advanced warships in existence. Although the heavy units of the fleet were too small in number to pose much of a threat, Germany was particularly well served by her Navy's smaller vessels, in particular the U-Boats and the S-Boats. Known to the allies as the E-Boats ('Enemy'), they performed sterling duties in the Black Sea and English Channel, where they became a particular scourge.

Schnellboot in Action-Op

Schnellboot in Action-Op PDF Author: David Krakow
Publisher: MMD-Squadron Signal
ISBN: 9780897476607
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Larger, faster, and more powerful than Allied counterparts, the Schnellboot was perhaps the best motor torpedo boat of WWII. Unlike mass-produced Allied boats, Germany spared no expense in equipping the Schnellboot with the speed, protection, maneuverability, and firepower to strike and survive in increasingly hostile seas. Operating under the cover of darkness and using cutting-edge technology, the Schnellboot remained a menace until the last days of WWII, long after all other Kriegsmarine surface combatants had been neutralized. This book is an informative and richly-illustrated technical history of these sleek, powerful vessels, from the first to the final variants. It includes detailed information on weapons, electronics, optics, engines, camouflage, and more. This new edition has many new photos, in-depth captions, additional color profiles, and all-new, meticulously detailed scale drawings.

S-Boote

S-Boote PDF Author: Jean-Philippe Dallies-Labourdette
Publisher: Histoire & Collections
ISBN: 9782352500193
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The Schnellbootwaffe was created in the early 1930's, concurrently with the regenerated Kriegsmarine. Following the fist series of S-Boote launched at that time came constantly improved vessels that won resounding victories for the Kriegsmarine at the beginning of the war. For the British they represented a real threat, not only to coastal commercial traffic, but also to the movements of Allied ships later on after D-Day.

U-Boat Ace

U-Boat Ace PDF Author: Jordan Vause
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
ISBN: 1612513808
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
An exceptional figure in the history of the German Navy, Wolfgang Luth was one of only seven men in the Wehrmacht to win Germany's highest combat decoration, the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds. At one time or another he operated in almost every theater of the undersea war, from Norway to the Indian Ocean, and became the second most successful German U-boat ace in World War II, sinking more than 220,000 tons of merchant shipping. A master in the art of military leadership, Luth was the youngest man to be appointed to the rank of captain and the youngest to become commandant of the German Naval Academy. Nevertheless, his accomplishments were overshadowed by those of other great aces, such as Prien, Kretschmer, and Topp. The publication of this book in hardcover in 1990 marked the first comprehensive study of Luth's life. Jordan Vause corrects the long neglect by providing an entertaining and authoritative biography that places the ace in the context of the war at sea. This new paperback edition includes corrections and additional information collected by the author over the past decade.

Silent Hunters

Silent Hunters PDF Author: Theodore P. Savas
Publisher: Savas Publishing
ISBN: 1940669006
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Book Description
The compelling true stories of six little-known U-boat commanders and their dramatic WWII careers. When World War II erupted across Europe in 1939, Germany knew it couldn’t hope to compete with the Royal Navy in a head-to-head naval war. Left with no viable alternatives, the U-Bootwaffe wagered everything on the submarine in a desperate attempt to sink more tonnage than the Allies could construct. Some of these “silent hunters” who slipped out of their shelters along Europe's shores to stalk their prey have enjoyed considerable recognition in the years since. While most aspects of the bitter struggle have been told and retold from both the Axis and Allied points of view, the careers of some highly effective U-boat commanders have languished in undeserved obscurity. The profiles of six such commanders are presented in this collection of essays. They include Englebert Endrass, whose spectacular career before being lost off the coast of Gibraltar is described here by his best friend and fellow ace Enrich Topp, who wrote this while on his fifteenth War Patrol; Karl-Friedrich Merten, who was ranked among the war’s top tonnage aces; Ralph Kapitsky, whose U-615 suicidal surface-to-air battle in the Caribbean allowed many of his fellow submariners to escape into the Atlantic; Fritz Guggenberger, who sank an aircraft carrier and organized the biggest POW escape attempt in American history; Victor Oehrn, a former staff officer of Karl Dönitz's; and Heinz Eck, who was executed by the British. Includes photographs

The Spy Worker

The Spy Worker PDF Author: John M. Makie
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1469115263
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 255

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Book Description
Petty Officer John G. Makie of the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve did not realize what he was getting into in the summer of 1942, when he gave an oath at Camp X under the Canadian Secrets Act of 1939. He was only seventeen years old and determined to defend the freedom of Canada. He did so, in the most extraordinary way. He was special agent number 034, of the secret service group - under water demolition squadron. These secret agents were very highly trained commandos, who came from Canada, Britain, and Australia. These fearless men were scuba divers trained in small arms and hand-to-hand combat. They entered enemy occupied countries by the sea, carried out acts of sabotage and clandestine warfare. Then, they quickly disappeared into the night, back to the sea. These men had no name or rank, just mission after mission in Russia, Norway, Sweden, and France. This brave group of men, personally encouraged by Sir Winston Churchill, Sir William Stephenson, and Lord Louis Mountbatten set out to set Europe ablaze. When the war was over in Europe they set out to mop up Burma and Hong Kong. Yet no record of fallen buddies can be found. The year 1996 marks the end of the fifty-year gag order by oath and with it, the truth is finally set free. The Spy Worker reveals secrets of a time long, long agoall accounted by the lone survivor, now in his eighties which are finally free to share with friends and family. After many therapeutic sessions over the last ten years, events of this forgotten group are starting to surface. Although there are no records of their missions or medals of valor ever rewarded, The Spy Worker pays tribute to the unsung heroes of war in remembering their notable acts of bravery.

Normandy: the Sailors' Story

Normandy: the Sailors' Story PDF Author: Nick Hewitt
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300277385
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 476

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Book Description
The first account of the Allied navies’ vital contribution to the success of the D-Day landings and the Normandy campaign The Allied liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe is one of the most widely recognised events of modern history. The assault phase, Operation Neptune, began with the D-Day landings in Normandy—one of the most complex amphibious operations in history, involving 7,000 ships and nearly 200,000 men. But despite this immense effort, the wider naval campaign has been broadly forgotten. Nick Hewitt draws on fascinating new material to describe the violent sea battle which mirrored the fighting on land, and the complex campaign at sea which enabled the Allied assault. Aboard ships ranging from frail plywood landing craft to sleek destroyers, sailors were active combatants in the operation of June 1944, and had worked tirelessly to secure the Seine Bay in the months preceding it. They fought battles against German submarines, aircraft, and warships, and maintained careful watch to keep control of the English Channel. Hewitt recounts these sailors’ stories for the first time—and shows how, without their efforts, D-Day would have failed.

Normandy '44

Normandy '44 PDF Author: James Holland
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
ISBN: 0802147097
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 646

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Book Description
A history of World War II’s Operation Overlord, from the campaign’s planning to its execution, as Allied forces battled to take France back from Germany. D-Day, June 6, 1944, and the seventy-six days of bitter fighting in Normandy that followed the Allied landing, have become the defining episode of World War II in the west—the object of books, films, television series, and documentaries. Yet as familiar as it is, as James Holland makes clear in his definitive history, many parts of the Overlord campaign, as it was known, are still shrouded in myth and assumed knowledge. Drawing freshly on widespread archives and on the testimonies of eye-witnesses, Holland relates the extraordinary planning that made Allied victory in France possible; indeed, the story of how hundreds of thousands of men, and mountains of materiel, were transported across the English Channel, is as dramatic a human achievement as any battlefield exploit. The brutal landings on the five beaches and subsequent battles across the plains and through the lanes and hedgerows of Normandy—a campaign that, in terms of daily casualties, was worse than any in World War I—come vividly to life in conferences where the strategic decisions of Eisenhower, Rommel, Montgomery, and other commanders were made, and through the memories of paratrooper Lieutenant Dick Winters of Easy Company, British corporal and tanker Reg Spittles, Thunderbolt pilot Archie Maltbie, German ordnance officer Hans Heinze, French resistance leader Robert Leblanc, and many others. For both sides, the challenges were enormous. The Allies confronted a disciplined German army stretched to its limit, which nonetheless caused tactics to be adjusted on the fly. Ultimately ingenuity, determination, and immense materiel strength—delivered with operational brilliance—made the difference. A stirring narrative by a pre-eminent historian, Normandy ‘44 offers important new perspective on one of history’s most dramatic military engagements and is an invaluable addition to the literature of war. Praise for Normandy ‘44 An Amazon Best Book of the Month (History) An Amazon Best History Book of the Year “Detail and scope are the twin strengths of Normandy ’44. . . . Mr. Holland effectively balances human drama with the science of war as the Allies knew it.” —Jonathan W. Jordan, Wall Street Journal “A superb account of the invasions that deserves immense praise. . . . To convey the human drama of Normandy requires great knowledge and sensitivity. Holland has both in spades.” —Times (UK)