U-Boat Adventures: Firsthand Accounts from World War II

Twenty-two German U-boat veterans tell their chilling stories in a collection of their combat experiences in World War II, recorded by the author during several years of travel throughout Germany, during which she also gained access to personnel records, photos and secret diaries. Original.

In her latest book, Wiggins draws on 22 interviews (with 17 enlisted men and five commanders) that she conducted for her previous book, Torpedoes in the Gulf. She devotes a chapter to each crewman's particular story and provides photographs of the crewman and his submarine. Wiggins then supplements these oral accounts with research from personnel files and archives. Together, these amazing stories show the true horror of submarine combat: well over half of the men who entered the U-boat service never returned. No wonder submarines were called "iron coffins." Surprisingly, most of these German soldiers had no great love of Hitler, and some were even tried for treason. Numerous books have been written about U-boat commanders, but few have featured the enlisted men as Wiggins's has. Recommended for both academic and public libraries.AMark E. Ellis, Albany State Univ., GA
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