Total Undersea War by Aaron Stephan Hamilton
Total Undersea War by Aaron Stephan Hamilton*, with the subtitle The Evolutionary Role of the Snorkel in Donitz’s U-Boat Fleet 1944-1945, is a book about U-boats. At ~350 pages (excluding the appendix and bibliography) this is a very detailed book on U-boats developed in the final year of WW2, covering both technical and military details.
What I liked is the amount of pictures and schematics in the technical section, which gives a more clear perspective on the snorkels at that time. How rapidly the technical changes happened was astonishing. I’m not technically minded and it was nice to see comparative pictures of different models of snorkels and pictures with men, for comparison. Some things mentioned in the book are really intriguing, like the fact they used a covering to absorb radar waves, making it harder to detect. I didn’t imagine such a thing was even possible.
Besides the pictures, there are wartime documents mentioned in the book and quotes from them, which again, give a more wholistic view on this subject. As one can imagine, considering the title and the size of the book, it is not aimed at the general public. But, for historians or people interested in technological advancement in the 20th century, I would recommend it.
Total Undersea War by Aaron Stephan Hamilton
Details about the picture: –
My rating: 5/5 Stars
Would I recommend it: yes
Published by: Pen and Sword
Year it was published: 2020
Format: Hardcover
Genre(s): History
Pages: 416
About the author: Aaron Stephan Hamilton is a historian who has spent the last twenty-five years researching and analysing the final year of military conflict during World War II in Europe.
He published a number of books on WWII, including: The Oder Front 1945: Generaloberst Gotthard Heinrici, Heeresgruppe Weichsel and Germany’s Final Defense in the East; German Submarine U-1105 ‘black Panther’: The Naval Archaeology of a U-Boat; Bloody Streets: The Soviet Assault on Berlin; Panzergrenadiers to the Front!: The Combat History of Panzergrenadier Division ‘brandenburg’ on the Eastern Front 1944-45.
Website & Social Media Links:Pen and Sword
*I was sent a copy of Total Undersea War by Aaron Stephan Hamilton for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.
I admire those who served on U-boats and submarines. Not a place I’d want to be. There was an interactive exhibit at the WWII Museum in New Orleans, re-enacting the last moments of the USS Tang, that more than confirmed my opinion. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Tang_(SS-306)
Kelly recently posted…Above the Clouds
I visited a German U-boat, it’s in a museum near Liverpool and it was so small. I wouldn’t want to be on one either, especially under the sea. Thank you for the link, I will have a look. x