Submarine: An Anthology of Firsthand Accounts of the War Under the Sea 1939-45

There is no more vivid and poignant account than one at first hand, and this new volume draws together numerous stories from those men who served in the submarines of the Second World War, weaving them seamlessly together using excerpts from books and news articles. Accounts are arranged in chronological order and cover the mundanity of patrol, the strain of operating in confined spaces both at sea and inside the boat, the heat of battle and loss of ships and lives. Covering, as it does, all the navies involved, it looks at the reality of submarine life both from the point of view of the hunter and the hunted. Claustrophobia, humour, courage, fear, excitement are all to be found in the stories that are related. The accounts cover all the theatres of the naval war, from the 'Happy Time' of the German U-boat offensive, to operations in Mediterranean waters and the Allied disruption of Japanese communications in the Pacific. The result is a solid work that not only fills a gap in the recorded history of the war but can also be used as an overall view of it. Important technical developments, single submarines and analysis of whole classes, notable actions and important individuals are dealt with in the engrossing text. Introductory essays introduce each year of the war and outline the significant developments in the submarine war.