This first volume (of a four volume series) on the German U-boats at Lorient, France, covers the period from June 1940 to June 1941, and reveals the evacuation of the port by the French navy and the subsequent takeover by the Kriegsmarine. Illustrated with over 600 photographs, it details the installation of the German navy at Lorient and the first year of the presence of the U-Boot arm in this port, as well as the major stages in the Battle of the Atlantic in which they participated. The U-boats that were docked at Lorient are presented in tabular form by type, flotilla, commander, as well...

This is the amazing story of legendary WWII U-boat commander, and Knight's Cross recipient, Peter Cremer. Cremer was appointed commander of U-333, a type VIIC submarine with a close-knit crew. During his first North Atlantic patrol the U-333 sank three ships; unfortunately, his third victim was actually a German blockade-runner. Cremer was acquitted before a court martial. During his second patrol, the U-333 was rammed by an Allied tanker before reaching American shores. His later patrols were equally amazing. In April 1945, Cremer was ordered to take command of a panzer unit,...

When U-172, commanded by Carl Emmermann left Kiel on 22 April 1942, the second lucky period for German submarines was ending with the Americans setting up convoys along their coast. From the beginning of the conflict, the means of fighting submarines brought in to play by the Allies, had increased considerably : development of on-board radar, increased numbers of escorts and planes, decrypting submarine radio messages, etc. As a result, combat conditions had seriously deteriorated on the German side. However, from May 1942 to September 1943, Carl Emmermann's U-172 sank 26 ships during...

After spending four years in the Merchant Navy discovering the world and its pleasures, Werner Henke entered the Reichsmarine as an officer cadet in 1934. However, his need for freedom to go and resume his feminine conquests, his brawling, his love of jazz and dancing, excluded him from the active service of the officer corps of the Kriegsmarine in February 1941. He was aboard U-124 at the time as third officer, out on patrol. Picked out by Admiral Doenitz who was looking for strong personalities to command his U-Boats, he continued the patrol as an "officer on availability". The admiral...