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This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII. 
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RE: U437 - 13 patrols - no score
Posted by: Jay Baker ()
Date: July 20, 2001 07:40AM

<HTML>Agree whole heartedly your assessment that not sinking is lucky. But this boat underscores one of the running themes of the whole u-boat war. Where there some (expected) successes during the so called \"happy times\"? Yes...but not everyone everywhere. Was being on Patrol and Crossing the Bay of Biscay a incredible hazard post May 1942? Yes...but not for everyone. The point of this is as follows...The U-boat is an incredible stealthy weapon if you have limited anti-sub defences and un-organized shipping roaming all corners of the sea. Once you develope strong anti-sub weapons and ship types...create a strong convoy system...put an Air Force up in the air...and on top of that break your enemy\'s Naval Code...It\'s lights out for the subs. then the u-boat platform becomes an unwieldy, hunted weapons system. It would have been hard for most boats to have spotted shipping on Lake Superior in Michigan after the convoys were routed away from them and the air became deadly (day and night). Only a handful of skipper\'s were succesful no matter what the circumstances. Most are on \"Eternal Patrol\"...as you sagely suggested, a few got lucky (survived). Success for the U-boats was alot like Las Vegas without the nice lights. </HTML>

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Subject Written By Posted
U437 - 13 patrols - no score chong 07/19/2001 12:12PM
RE: U437 - 13 patrols - no score walter M 07/19/2001 06:11PM
RE: U437 - 13 patrols - no score Jay Baker 07/20/2001 07:40AM
RE: U437 - 13 patrols - no score walter M 07/21/2001 04:19PM


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