The twentieth century witnessed the development and perfection of many new weapons systems, which were pitted against each other in two merciless global conflicts. Commencing with a study of the dramatic impact that submarines had on World War I, in which the British Empire was nearly crippled by German U-boats, U-Boat examines the complacent reaction of the victors and the difficulties this left them with when war broke out again in 1939. It then moves on to address the crisis that afflicted British shipping as the U-boats enjoyed their first ‘Happy Time’ after the fall of France. U-Boat includes accounts of the attacks by U-boat commanders and their consequences, and examines the response made by Britain and the United States in a desperate attempt to overcome the threat posed by submarine warfare, and assesses the ebb and flow of the campaign as both sides gained and lost the advantage. U-Boat explores not only the actual events of various operations, but also the political battles, and the way in which the U-boats fought back. As well as an outstanding collection of photographs depicting all aspects of the U-boat war and the Allied counter-offensive, U-Boat contains superb artworks of the array of military equipment that was used to prosecute one of the key military campaigns in world history.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Chapter One: So near, yet so far: The story of U-Boats in World War I World War I saw the development of the submarine as an effective weapon system. U21, Deutschland, UC74, U9, U151, U140, U139, U160, UB4, Chapter Two: The Second Round: September 1939–May 1940 When World War II broke out, the B-boat was to play a major part in the conflict once again. UC25, Flower, Hunt, Royal Oak, U30, Type II, Type VIIA, Fairey Swordfish, Type VIIC Conning Tower, Avro Anson, HMS Warspite Chapter Three: From ‘Happy Time’ to Gloom: June 1940–March 1941 After the ‘Phoney War’, disaster upon disaster befell the Allies. For the U-boats, this was their ‘Happy Time’: but British defences were beginning to gain in strength. U99, FW 200C Condor, HMS Anchusa, Empress of Britain, Vickers Wellington, U47, HMS Walker, U551, HMS Wolverine, Type IX U106 Chapter Four: A Crisis of Confidence: April–December 1941 After the losses of March 1941, the U-boat arm endured an arduous few months as the British appeared to have done just enough to manage the threat posed by the submarine. U76, USS SIMS, HMS Bulldog, U110, U570, Stranraer, Saro London, Ark Royal Chapter Five: U-boats Against America: January–July 1942 America’s entry into the war provided the U-boats with an unexpected opportunity. After nearly a year of disappointment, the U-boat arm took another heavy toll of Allied shipping. USS Reuben James, U123, Eagle Class, U333, USS Dickerson, River Class, Liberator, HMS Exmoor, Sunderland. Chapter Six: The Beginning of the End: August 1942–May1943 German successes against shipping in American waters declined as effective convoying was introduced. As the defences improved, the battle of the Atlantic entered its final phase. U459 Type XIV, U210 Type VII, Mac Ship, U156 Type IXC, Swordfish, Wellington, U553 Type VII Chapter Seven: The Final Reckoning: June 1943–May 1945 The defeats of May 1943 meant that the U-boat was no longer a war-winning weapon for Germany. Despite this, the threat posed by the submarine remained a cause for concern. Type XXI, Type XVII, Type XXIII, U118, USS Bogue, U461 Type XIV, U320 Index