Hi folks,

I'm new to the forum, but I've been a big fan of subs/u-boats for quite a few years. Quite recently I've started to read about the US sub campaign against Japan in Clay Blair's "Silent Victory". The thing that struck me was just how many of the American commanders in the first year of the war (esp. the first months) who were found to be unsuited to command, i.e. very cautious, had nervous breakdowns, asked to be relieved, etc. I'm thinking of guys like Ray Lamb, Larry Freeman, Joseph Callaghan, Morton Mumma, Waldeman Christensen, Roland Pryce, Tyrell Jacobs, etc.

From what I remember about the German commanders, I know that Dönitz scorned for example Bleichrodt for being insufficiently aggressive (although mechanical breakdowns and ASW forces had a major role in that), but how many German commanders were relieved of their commands for being insufficiently aggressive and/or having nervous breakdowns, in the 1939-1940 time period (i.e. the first year of the war)?

Tony