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U-Boat Ace: The Story of Wolfgang Luth (Bluejacket Books) Paperback – November 2, 2001

by Jordan Vause (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 321 ratings
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An exceptional figure in the history of the German Navy, Wolfgang Luth was one of only seven men in the Wehrmacht to win Germany's highest combat decoration, the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds. At one time or another he operated in almost every theater of the undersea war, from Norway to the Indian Ocean, and became the second most successful German U-boat ace in World War II, sinking more than 220,000 tons of merchant shipping. A master in the art of military leadership, Luth was the youngest man to be appointed to the rank of captain and the youngest to become commandant of the German Naval Academy. Nevertheless, his accomplishments were overshadowed by those of other great aces, such as Prien, Kretschmer, and Topp. The publication of this book in hardcover in 1990 marked the first comprehensive study of Luth's life. Jordan Vause corrects the long neglect by providing an entertaining and authoritative biography that places the ace in the context of the war at sea. This new paperback edition includes corrections and additional information collected by the author over the past decade.
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  1. Part of series
    Bluejacket Books
  2. Print length
    236 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Naval Institute Press
  5. Publication date
    November 2, 2001
  6. Dimensions
    6 x 0.75 x 9 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    9781557508638
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1557508638
  9. See all details
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About the Author

Jordan Vause, a 1978 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, currently works for an aerospace corporation in Gaithersburg, Maryland. He is also the author of Wolf: U-Boat Commanders in World War II.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1557508631
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Naval Institute Press; First Edition (November 2, 2001)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 236 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781557508638
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1557508638
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.75 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 321 ratings

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Jordan Vause

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
321 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Cole
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2014
Verified Purchase
I am a veteran of the US infantry and usually stick to books dealing with ground warfare, but I decided to give this book a try. I am so glad I did. It centered around the boat captain and his crew and how they dealt with the rigors of the war at sea. It spanned the entire war. One thing I found great is that this book dealt very little with the politics of the Nazi party. It seems that most books group all Germans serving during WWII into that group. It isn't true, as most any historian will tell you. There are many books out there that deal with Nazism and if that is what you are looking to read about, don't get this book. But if you want to see into the hearts and minds of the young men of the subsurface fleet this is the book for you.
4 people found this helpful
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4.0 out of 5 stars Accurate or a "hatchet job"
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2011
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What I initially wanted to buy was Luth's diary, which is available free in PDF format. Instead, I purchsed this book about Luth. I'd have to say it's accurate, although much of this book focuses on Luth's admiration for the Nazi's at the expense of time on his Uboat exploits.

Also, Luth made some glaring mistakes, leaving port without orders, missed shots, and long bombardments with deck guns of helpless ships that will leave the reader wondering: just how effective was this guy anyway? Overall, it gives a more accurate picture of what Uboat warfare was like than you might have imagined from "Das Boot".
7 people found this helpful
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Geraldtonjjeeper
5.0 out of 5 stars What a guy!
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2013
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Growing up in Australia not long after WWII, I heard and read a lot of stories from the Allied perspective. I thought it was time to redress my ignorance of those who fought on the Axis side. This little book follows the career of one of the German Navy's Submarine Aces and what a story it is! It tells of Luth's exploits in a number of submarines as he advances in seniority and rank during his patrols fom the N. Atlantic to the western Indian Ocean. His lack of compassion for the sailors on the vessels he sank astounded me and is at complete odds to the way he managed the men in his crews! Life on board a fighting ship is described in detail and seems quite authentic, with the crowding and resultant problems with space and hygiene. The ending is in fact quite sad and surprising after all he survived! Great read!
4 people found this helpful
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Acrosonic
3.0 out of 5 stars The other side of the coin.
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2020
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Interesting story, but the writing was pedestrian and could have used some competent editing.
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Huck
5.0 out of 5 stars A leader of men
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2020
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At the start of his U Boat career, Wolfgang made a few mistakes but learnt lessons from these and went on to be one the top aces of WWII. He was an innovative commander and had many successful ideas to keep the morale of his crew high on the long voyages. Luth was also extremely respected and well liked by his men. His tragic death after the end of the war meant Germany lost a leader who would have been a would have been a wonderful asset during reconstruction.
3 people found this helpful
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Bev Thompson
4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2013
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Unlike so many U-boat commanders, this guy was a Nazi. To a great extent, he was not likable -- of course. But, it in the end, I think he started realizing the errors of his past beliefs. Above all, he was an excellent U-boat commander who thought first of his crew. I could not help respecting the man; my hubby had to keep reminding me, "he was a NAZI!" -- especially at the end when I bawled my eyes out.
One person found this helpful
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Dennis Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Sea Warrior
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2015
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This is a great book that describes in great detail submarine warfare. What I find most remarkable is the fact that if you were aboard a German submarine your chances of survival would be 25 percent! Captain Luth was a great warrior and fought bravely for what he truly believed in. Yes he was a a dedicated Man faithful to the Nazi political ideology but one can not dwell on that when the reader considers how great a submarine captain he was. I know of no other submarine captain that even came close to his skills and great numbers of sinking ships, even when being bombed, machine gunned, depth charged, and generally hunted. I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in submarine warfare.
One person found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read about a man many are unfamiliar with
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2018
Verified Purchase
A solid read for any WWI history buff. This is a story of a man many at unfamiliar with. The work covers the range of emotions as he is a father figure to his crew and the dichotomy of him being a Nazi. A recommended read for any true WWII history lover.
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Paulo César de Sousa junior
5.0 out of 5 stars Um belo relato da vida submarina num U-boat
Reviewed in Brazil on December 1, 2019
Verified Purchase
Livro excelente. Uma história mais pessoal e humanizada de comandante de U-boat. O livro é bem direto nas informações, ao contrário de muitos que rodeiam em outras questões da guerra ou de outros u-boats. Recomendo.
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ian
5.0 out of 5 stars Good balanced review of a difficult subject
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 6, 2019
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I bought this book because Wolfgang Luth killed my grandad, the captain of SS Empire Lake, in 1943. I'm not sure what I was expecting; perhaps more details of the sinking of my grandad's ship, perhaps a feeling of vengeance when Luth died at the hands of one of his own men. It didn't turn out like that at all.
This book illustrates that wars are fought by decent people on both sides, all just trying to do their best. Luth was clearly a family man, had very strong moral principles and was a natural leader who both respected the people who worked for him and in turn received their total respect. OK he was a Nazi sympathiser, but reading this book you suspect he would have changed after the war and been a powerful supporter of reconstructing a new and more tolerant Germany.
There is very little detail in the book about most of the ships that were sunk because they were simply targets to the military men in these submarines. It wasn't about killing people, it was about disabling transport infrastructure and that is a legitimate objective in war. The men in submarines certainly didn't have it easy and quickly changed from hunters to hunted as this book illustrates.
I suspect I may have felt differently if I had been around during the war, but now I don't feel any enmity towards Luth and his men. Thank you to Jordan Vause for writing this book, which illustrates in a balanced way the wartime exploits of a hero on the losing side.
If anyone wants to know what it was like to be on the receiving end of one of Luth's torpedo attacks, you can find a good survivor's account at empirelake.org.uk.
13 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Page tuner
Reviewed in Australia on February 28, 2021
Verified Purchase
I have read several U-boat books recently and this one is the best - great story and an easy read.
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Munno
4.0 out of 5 stars An accurate and detailed harrowing account of life in a U Boat
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 25, 2020
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Riveting Read about life in a ‘U’ boat from the ‘Happy Times’ to an almost certain death in an Iron Coffin hunted from above with your every radio message position known.
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D.C. Edwards
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 13, 2023
Verified Purchase
Would recommend this book to anyone interested submarine warfare during the Second World War. A very interesting read. Will read again sometime.
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