Re: How accurate were the crew depeicted in "DAS BOOT"
Posted by:
Ken Dunn
()
Date: December 30, 2004 09:13PM
Hi Eric,
Gibbs was mistaken about the "political officer". There were no political officers assigned to U-boats at that time. The man in question was probably just a product of the Hitler Youth from an early age.
In the beginning joining the Hitler youth was entirely voluntary. However, as time went by almost all German youth organizations (including the boy scouts and the cub scouts) were incorporated into the Hitler Youth with or without their consent and in the end membership in the Hitler youth was mandatory from age 10.
It is quite telling that the rest of the U-126 men laughed at him behind his back though. The German navy was the least political branch of the German military.
Regards,
Ken Dunn
Gibbs was mistaken about the "political officer". There were no political officers assigned to U-boats at that time. The man in question was probably just a product of the Hitler Youth from an early age.
In the beginning joining the Hitler youth was entirely voluntary. However, as time went by almost all German youth organizations (including the boy scouts and the cub scouts) were incorporated into the Hitler Youth with or without their consent and in the end membership in the Hitler youth was mandatory from age 10.
It is quite telling that the rest of the U-126 men laughed at him behind his back though. The German navy was the least political branch of the German military.
Regards,
Ken Dunn
