Neither Sharks Nor Wolves : the Men of Nazi Germany’s U-boat Army, 1939-1945

409 Pages·2013·4.48 MB·English

by  Timothy P. Mulligan

Neither Sharks Nor Wolves
Neither Sharks Nor Wolves
The Men of Nazi Germany’s U-boat Arm, 1939–1945
TIMOTHY P. MULLIGAN
Naval Institute Press Annapolis, Maryland
The latest edition of this book has been brought to publication with the generous
assistance of Marguerite and Gerry Lenfest.
Naval Institute Press 291 Wood Road Annapolis, MD 21402
© 1999 by Timothy P. Mulligan All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
First Naval Institute Press paperback edition published 2011.
ISBN 978-1-61251-080-4
The Library of Congress has catalogued the hardcover edition as follows: Mulligan, Timothy.
Neither sharks nor wolves : the men of Nazi Germany’s U-boat arm, 1939–1945 / Timothy P.
Mulligan.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p.311) and index.
1. World War, 1939–1945—Naval Operations—Submarine. 2. World War, 1939–1945—Naval
operations, German.
I. Title.
D781.M85 1999
940.54’51—dc21
98-53659
19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First printing
To my teachers and mentors, past and present
Contents
List of Tables
Preface
Glossary
Comparative Ranks of World War II Navies
1 A Community Bound by Fate
2 First Generation
3 The Framework of the U-boat War
4 Patterns of the U-boat War, 1939–1945
5 Spirit and Soul: U-boat Officers
6 The Right Man in the Right Place
7 Quality before Quantity: The Making of U-boat Men
8 A Children’s Crusade? Age and Experience of U-boat Crews
9 More One Cannot Be: The Morale of an Involuntary Elite
10 Humanity vs. Necessity: U-boats and Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
11 Disinterested Service: The Navy and National Socialism
12 Endings
Appendix 1. Survey of U-boat Veterans
Appendix 2. Numbers and Losses of the U-boat Service
Appendix 3. Organization of the U-boat Arm, 1 July 1942
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
Tables
1 Profile of a Typical U-boat Crew
2 Daily Watch Routine of a U-boat Crew
3 Comparison of Ms-boats to Type VIIC U-boats
4 Principal U-boat Characteristics
5 The Pattern of U-boat and Crew Losses, 1939–45
6 Varying Success and Loss Rates for U-boats (All Theaters), 1940–44
7 U-boat Commanders by Year of Service Entry (Crew)
8 U-boat Line Officers Surveyed by Date of Entry or Crew
9 Geographic Origins of Seeoffiziere in Sample
10 Continuity and Change in German Seeoffizier Cadets, 1907–42
11 Geographic Distribution of Sample’s Birthplaces (NCOs/Enlisted Men)
12 Religion of Sample Members (NCOs/Enlisted Men)
13 Formal Education Completed among Sample Members (NCOs/Enlisted
Men)
14 Prewar Civilian Occupations (Fathers and U-boat Sons)
15 Distribution of Sample by Naval Career-Track (Laufbahn) and Rank
16 Maschinisten Petty Officers in 1945: Year of Entry into Service
17 Previous Naval Service of 1,152 U-boat Commanders
18 Ages of U-boat Commanders at Time of First Command
19 Ages of Top 32 U-boat Aces at Time of First Sinking