[Subnuts]

A third review that I've done for Epinions, hopefully the last for today .

The Typ VII was the most prolific submarine ever built. From 1936 to 1944, German shipyards poured out 709 of these boats. 1,042 had actually been started, and at one point, 1,452 had been planned.

It was an improved derivative of the WWI UBIII class, which entered service just as the allies started convoying their merchant ships. As history tells us, convoying sharply decreased the risk of U-boat attack. But the Germans wouldn't make the same mistakes the next time around, at least in the beginning.

The new boats were built around the concept of Rudeltaktik, or "wolfpack" attacks against Allied convoys. It had to be fast, well armed, long ranged, maneuverable, and quick diving. Thus, a new breed of submarines came to being, one that is still immortalized in modern popular culture.

This compact hardcover book is not so much as operational history, as it is a technical history. It also details the atrocious living conditions aboard, along with the technological thrust-counterthrust between the Kreigsmarine and Allied navies as they fought for survival. Robert C Stern has really done his homework with this book, interviewing a number of U-boat veterans and poring over naval records.

Part One,Design Genesis, introduces us to the WWI boats that were the direct antecedents of the Type VII. It then briefly overviews Germany's secretive outsourcing of submarine development to nations such as Finland and Turkey.

Next up is a section covering the evolution of these boats, from the VIIA to VIIF. Stern describes the various upgrades of each new subtype, such as additional fuel and ballast tanks, improved armament, thicker hulls, and so forth. He then discusses Donitz's reasoning behind producing such large numbers of this type.

Part Two, Physical Characteristics of the System, covers aspects such as the pressure hull, interior, propulsion, and the crew. It begins with a description of the pressure hull, and how it was built and assembled.

The next section is an interior walkthrough of the boat, taking us through each compartment forward to aft. We then move on to the exterior saddle tanks, the deck casing, and conning tower. Further information is provided on the propulsions systems (diesal and electric motors) and their operation, along with a treatise on the snorkel system that came into use late in the war.

The crew is covered next - how they lived, worked, and the various positions on board. Provisioning and sanitation are also described.

Chapter 3 covers Weapons and Targeting Systems. It begins by describing the G7a steam and G7e electric torpedoes that were the U-boat’s primary weapon. This is followed up by a history of the tortuous period of torpedo failures involving the Pi 1 magnetic detonator. Late-war weapons such as the FaT and LuT anti-convoy torpedoes, and the T5 acoustic-homing torpedoes are covered next. Finally, the boat’s fire control systems, and the loading and storage of the torpedoes themselves is detailed.

The next section discusses the various types of mines that could be carried, and their operational use. The 8.8-cm deck gun and it’s use comes next, along with the different anti-aircraft guns and conning tower configurations. The last section is an overview of experimental weapons, such as 60/86-mm rockets and one-man submersibles carried on deck.

Chapter 4 describes the various Sensor Systems. The radio equipment is detailed first, along with the Enigma encoding machine, and the High-Frequency Direction Finder. Later sections describe the various radars and radar detectors, and the different types of underwater hydrophones (sonar).

Chapter 5, Countermeasures, is an overview of the German attempts to impede Allied air and surface attacks. It covers topics such as anti-radar and anti-sonar coatings, the "Aphrodite" and "Thetis" radar decoys, and the "Bold" active sonar decoy.

An Appendix covers the general appearance of the Type VII and the different camouflage patterns that were employed. This is followed up by a photo-heavy examination of the various insignias that were painted on the conning tower (the laughing sawfish, the snowman, the raging bull, etc.). The final section has a brief biography of Admiral Karl Donitz, and a table showing which shipyards produced which boats. There is also a glossary and index.

The illustrations consist primarily of black & white photographs, many I’d never seen before. Also included are a number of cross-sections and deck plans, which have been re-annotated in English.

This is a comprehensive, yet focused, look at a single weapons system. While it is primarily a technical work, it is should not be overly difficult for "greener" submarine enthusiasts to comprehend. It also lays down why Donitz was so enamoured with these boats, and why they were so successful in the first half of the war. While the Type IX may have been bigger, faster, and carried a heavier torpedo armament, it was clumsier and slower to build than the Type VII.

All in all, this is a very interesting look at one of World War II’s most famous vessels. If you’re a submarine fan, you’ll do well adding this one to your personal library.