****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
There has always been something compelling and fascinating in my mind about the U-Boat arm of the respective German Navies in both World Wars. Perhaps it was the stealth involved in the submarines hunting their quarry--or maybe it was the pulse-pounding terror that often occurred in the aftermath of a successful hunt as the hunters became the hunted? Can any one of us really imagine being trapped hundreds of feet below the surface in these 'iron coffins' with depth charges exploding all around? The U-Boat arm was the most dangerous branch of the German military to serve in--this much is certain. 40,000 men served in U-Boats in the Second World War, and 30,000 of these men never returned to port. I have to say in all sincerity that when I picked up my Kindle and began reading the stories contained in this ebook, it was nearly impossible to put down. I believe it is always enjoyable to hear never before told stories for the first time, and this book delivers by giving readers a glimpse into the intriguing lives of several little-known U-Boat commanders. Contained within these pages are several tales of valor, heroism, triumph, tragedy, sorrow, and controversy. The stories were written by several different authors, collected and edited for this volume by Theodore Savas. 'Silent Hunters' begins with a moving eulogy by U-Boat commander Erich Topp dedicated to his friend, fellow U-Boat commander Engelbert Endrass. Topp and Endrass were the best of friends, and Endrass was reported missing in action on December 21,1941. I have seldom read anything as moving or heart rending as Topps' expression of respect, loss, sorrow, and love for his fallen colleague and fellow U-Boat commander. The best story of the book, in my opinion, was that of Ralph Kapitsky, who arguably put up the best 'last stand' fight of any U-Boat commander in the face of overwhelming odds in the second world war. Kapitsky and his crew astonishingly held off the United States Navy for nearly a day in the Carribean with a bit of luck, courage, and sheer determination before their vessel was finally overwhelmed with seaplane-dropped bombs and depth charges. My least favorite tale was that of the controversial trial of U-Boat commander Heinz-Wilhelm Eck at the end of the Second World War. Eck was found unanimously guilty of war crimes by an all-British military tribunal for machine-gunning the wreckage of a Greek liner he had just torpedoed in an effort to sink evidence of his handiwork. Unfortunately for Eck, a few crewmen of the Greek liner were killed in the strafing process and many survivors bore testimony against him after the war. Although his defense team did an excellent job and could even prove that the British Navy was guilty of comparable crimes on the high seas, it really mattered little for Eck and his fellow crewmen in the immediate aftermath of postwar Europe. His trial was anything but fair and impartial, and was speedily concluded by the British as a matter of political expediency. He was executed along with two of his subordinates in Hamburg, Germany in May of 1945. As was the case in many such trials of German officers at the end of the war, the allied powers seemed more concerned about vindication and retribution than justice. A thoroughly absorbing read, I highly recommend it for any student of history.
