General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
RE: Why did the Type XXI not see combat service
Posted by:
Rainer Bruns
()
Date: March 26, 2001 06:19PM
<HTML>Hi Kurt,
Interesting suppose you are offering here. My theory, why it did not happen, is - rational thinking still prevailed at Naval High Command (Doenitz) and UBoat Command (Friedeburg).
I.e., in the summer \'43, when the outcome of the war was still doubtful in their minds, they had no hesitation to throw every available boat into battle (almost regardless of losses) to tie up Allied resources and relieve pressures on all fronts.
In contrast, at the beginning of \'45 even the dumbest ox must have realized the war was irreversably lost and the sacrifice of uboat crews would not accomplish any tactical or strategic goals.
Until the very end German High Command would not believe the western Allieds refusing to push the Sovjets back to their prewar borders with German help. Strategic delusions?? Perhaps not in light of the cold war years.
At any rate, as of late \'44 the entire concentration was to save as many as possible Germans from the onslaught of the Red Army. A cataclysmic last stand (as envisioned by the Japanese Army Command) was far from Doenitz\' mind.
Rgds, RB</HTML>
Interesting suppose you are offering here. My theory, why it did not happen, is - rational thinking still prevailed at Naval High Command (Doenitz) and UBoat Command (Friedeburg).
I.e., in the summer \'43, when the outcome of the war was still doubtful in their minds, they had no hesitation to throw every available boat into battle (almost regardless of losses) to tie up Allied resources and relieve pressures on all fronts.
In contrast, at the beginning of \'45 even the dumbest ox must have realized the war was irreversably lost and the sacrifice of uboat crews would not accomplish any tactical or strategic goals.
Until the very end German High Command would not believe the western Allieds refusing to push the Sovjets back to their prewar borders with German help. Strategic delusions?? Perhaps not in light of the cold war years.
At any rate, as of late \'44 the entire concentration was to save as many as possible Germans from the onslaught of the Red Army. A cataclysmic last stand (as envisioned by the Japanese Army Command) was far from Doenitz\' mind.
Rgds, RB</HTML>
| Subject | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|
Why did the Type XXI not see combat service
|
Kurt | 03/26/2001 04:53PM |
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RE: Why did the Type XXI not see combat service
|
Rainer Bruns | 03/26/2001 06:19PM |
|
RE: Why did the Type XXI not see combat service
|
Joe Brennan | 03/27/2001 07:38AM |
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RE: Why did the Type XXI not see combat service
|
John | 03/27/2001 07:58AM |
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RE: Why did the Type XXI not see combat service
|
Lawrence | 03/27/2001 08:28AM |
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RE: Why did the Type XXI not see combat service
|
kurt | 03/27/2001 04:28PM |
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RE: Why did the Type XXI not see combat service
|
tl | 03/27/2001 04:46PM |
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RE: Why did the Type XXI not see combat service
|
J.T. McDaniel | 04/04/2001 12:51PM |