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Re: Life aboard a U-boat

Posted by: Ken Dunn ()

Date: August 28, 2020 01:30PM

Hi COYS1882,

Try watching the movie Das Boot for a start. That should generate some specific questions. It is just a movie but it is the most accurate movie about life on a U-boat you are likely to encounter.

It can't convey the smells (which the crew got somewhat used to) or the temperature in the boat under different conditions or what the food tasted like once it absorbed the diesel fuel smell or even what it was like to climb into your bunk after the other guy that also slept in it got out for weeks on end or what the wet, smelly sheets smelled like after a while etc. but it is a start.

There are very few alive today that experienced life in a U-boat so you have to use your imagination for some of it. Each man had his own experiences though but there were similarities too. You will need to read a lot of U-boat books to get a reasonable picture of what it was like. Most books touch on the living conditions but I don't know of one that dwells on it written by anyone that experienced it for himself over a long time. There is also a lot of misinformation out there. Let us know if you find a good one.

Regards,

Ken Dunn

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Subject	Written By	Posted
Life aboard a U-boat	COYS1882	08/28/2020 09:23AM
Re: Life aboard a U-boat	Ken Dunn	08/28/2020 01:30PM
Re: Life aboard a U-boat	Denis Martin FTU	08/29/2020 02:37PM
Re: Life aboard a U-boat	Richard Martin	08/31/2020 02:44PM
Re: Life aboard a U-boat	COYS1882	09/03/2020 07:50PM
Re: Life aboard a U-boat	COYS1882	09/03/2020 07:46PM
Re: Life aboard a U-boat	COYS1882	09/03/2020 07:25PM
Re: Life aboard a U-boat	Urs Heßling	09/04/2020 05:29PM

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Ken Dunn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi COYS1882,
> 
> Try watching the movie Das Boot for a start.  That
> should generate some specific questions. It is
> just a movie but it is the most accurate movie
> about life on a U-boat you are likely to
> encounter.
> 
> It can't convey the smells (which the crew got
> somewhat used to) or the temperature  in the boat
> under different conditions or what the food tasted
> like once it absorbed the diesel fuel smell or
> even what it was like to climb into your bunk
> after the other guy that also slept in it got out
> for weeks on end or what the wet, smelly sheets
> smelled like after a while etc. but it is a start.
> 
> There are very few alive today that experienced
> life in a U-boat so you have to use your
> imagination for some of it.  Each man had his own
> experiences though but there were similarities
> too.  You will need to read a lot of U-boat books
> to get a reasonable picture of what it was like.
> Most books touch on the living conditions but I
> don't know of one that dwells on it written by
> anyone that experienced it for himself over a long
> time.  There is also a lot of misinformation out
> there.  Let us know if you find a good one.