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Second U-Boat Flotilla Hardcover – March 31, 2003

by Lawrence Paterson (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 11 ratings
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At the forefront of Nazi U-boat attacks in the Atlantic, the large cruiser submarines of the Karl Dönitz's Second U-boat Flotilla--the Saltzwedel--littered the ocean with sunken ships while under the command of such legendary figures as Albrecht Achilles, Reinhard Hardegen, and Werner Hartenstein. Their tumultuous fortunes are fully documented in this book by an acknowledged U-boat expert, who draws on the personal reminiscences of these veteran undersea warriors and their war diaries. A companion volume to the author's First U-Boat Flotilla, the new study describes the flotilla's dramatic nine-year history, from its formation in 1936 to the bitter combat of World War II and the eventual intact capture of two of its boats, complete with Enigma code machines, that ultimately spelled its doom. 224 pages. Hardcover. 6 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches.
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  1. Print length
    224 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Naval Institute Press
  4. Publication date
    March 31, 2003
  5. Dimensions
    6.25 x 1.25 x 9.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0850529174
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0850529173
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Naval Institute Press (March 31, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0850529174
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0850529173
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.32 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.25 x 9.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 11 ratings

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  1. Lawrence Paterson

    Lawrence Paterson

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  2. Lawrence Paterson

    Lawrence Paterson

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    I have been writing non-fiction Second World War Kriegsmarine history books since 2000; my first book published by Pen & Sword in 2002.

    It’s a subject that has always interested me – not just military history but the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS in particular. This probably stems from both my Grandfathers; one of whom fought in the Australian Army during World War One at Gallipoli, the Somme and Paschendale to name but three, the other in the Royal Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy during World War Two in the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Growing up in New Zealand there were many veterans of that conflict that lived nearby and the war still seemed very raw to most New Zealanders even 30 years after its end. However, rather than be part of the ‘black hat/white hat’ approach to Germans and other former enemies, both of my Grandfathers taught me that war is a very complex and personal experience and that most events were ‘shades of grey’. It is rarely a simple ‘good guy versus bad guy’ thing – regardless of whether the cause that soldiers serve is a just one or not. That lesson stays with me today.

    The desire to write about the U-boat service first began when I was living near Brest in Brittany, France. I am a scuba diving instructor and spent a great deal of time diving on wrecks left behind by the Kriegsmarine, all in the shadow of the huge U-boat bunkers created in Brest’s military harbour. Encouraged by authors Jon Gawne and Robert Strauss I submitted the proposal for the ‘First U-Boat Flotilla’…and it went from there.

    It has since been my privilege to write about many aspects of the Wehrmacht and also finish my first book on Allied forces about the remarkable men of Operation Colossus and the birth of the British Airborne service.

    Some of my books have been translated into French, German, Finnish, Spanish, Dutch, Czech, Latvian, Japanese and Polish.

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
11 global ratings

Top review from the United States

Mike O'Connor
5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling Story of 'Grey Wolves' at War!
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2008
The history of Nazi Germany's Second U-boat Flotilla is the subject of this 2003 volume by U-boat expert Lawrence Patterson. The 'Saltzwedel' Flotilla was arguably the Kreigsmarine's most lethal U-boat unit, six of the ten highest scoring U-boats being assigned to it. A follow-up to Patterson's 2002 FIRST U-BOAT FLOTILLA, this volume, as impeccably researched and well-written as its predecessor, will be of great interest to all 'Grey Wolves' fans.

First committed to action in the Spanish Civil War, the Second Flotilla initiated Germany's naval war on 3 September 1939 when Fritz-Julius Lemp's U-30 mistakenly sank the liner SS Athenia, a cause celebre that helped push America to aid the British. Second Flotilla boats launched the 'Paukenschlag' operation against America in 1942, carried out the equally successful assault against Allied shipping in the Caribbean and were the first U-boats to conduct long-distance ops to the Far East. Along with Lemp, the Second Flotilla boasted such aces as Jochen Mohr, Ernst Kals, Wolfgang Luth, Hans Jenisch, Werner Hartenstein and Albrecht Achilles.

I enjoyed Patterson's book immensely. His knowledge of the U-boat service and considerable skills as a writer resulted in a well-written, comprehensive account that holds the reader's interest throughout.

Patterson does a marvelous job of not just recounting the successes and failures of flotilla boats but also of putting a human face on the various personalities. It's interesting, for example, to read about the Second Flotilla skippers who were quite successful but also the CO who committed suicide in mid-cruise, another who was tried and convicted of cowardice in the face of the enemy and several others who just didn't have the right stuff.

One caveat: though I gave SECOND U-BOAT FLOTILLA five stars, I would have chosen 4 1/2 if that was allowed. Given its subject, the book really needed an endpiece that summarized the unit's activities (number of Allied ships/tonnage sunk, highest scoring skippers, number of U-boats and crewmen lost, etc.).

In any case, SECOND U-BOAT FLOTILLA is must reading for all U-boat enthusiasts and anyone interested in World War II naval combat. Pick up a copy of this masterful, knowledgeable account of war at sea; you won't be disappointed.
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Holger Wichern
5.0 out of 5 stars Alles bestens.
Reviewed in Germany on December 9, 2012
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