U-48: The Most Successful U-Boat of the Second World War

by Franz Kurowsk

Following the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, Germany was not permitted to build or operate submarines. However clandestine training onboard Finnish and Spanish submarines took place and U-boats were still built to German designs in Dutch yards.

At the outset of the Second World War, Dönitz argued for a 300-strong U-boat fleet, since his force of 57 U-boats ‘could only inflict pin-pricks against British seaborne trade’. In August 1939, U-48 left Germany, commanded by ‘Vaddi’ Schultze, to take up a waiting position around England.

It scored its first success on 5 September, when it torpedoed the British freighter Royal Sceptre, then the Winkleigh on 8 September. On both occasions – the first of many – Schultze showed himself to be a notable he addressed signals to Churchill giving positions of the sinkings so that crews could be saved.

By 1 August 1941, U-48, the most successful boat of the Second World War, had sunk 56 merchant ships of 322,478 gross tons and one corvette. She was then transferred to the Baltic as a training boat. Schultze became commander of operation 3 U-Flotilla and later was appointed commander, II/Naval College Schleswig. He died in 1987 at the age of 78. U-48 was scuttled on 3 May 1945.

Genres: History, World War II, Nonfiction

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 21, 2011

Reviews

[Steven Godin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always become a little worried when approaching a WW2 piece of non-fiction that focuses solely on things like planes, tanks, weopons, etc... or, like here, a U-Boat, in the fact that a lot of the time we get too much unnecessary details that just bore the reader. Thankfully here, while detailed it is, it never goes over the top. Franz Kurowski; who has apparently over 100 WW2 books to his name, fought with the Afrika korps as a luftwaffe paratrooper after being called up in 1942, and had been working as a journalist from the late 50s. Split up over 15 chapters, which go from the early development of U-48, to the battle of the Atlantic and the Biscay Front, through to the loss of the Bismarck, I came away thinking that Kurowski did more than enough to satisfy my general interest. It's worth noting of course, that even though this U-Boat did a hell of a lot of damage to allied efforts, it was only possible by having a top-notch crew and three of the best skippers - including one Herbert Schultze, commander on eight war patrols - to succeed in the way that it did. The book also comes with various b&w photos from above and below deck, as well as the action, like the sinking of torpedoed ships. 3.5 rounded up to 4.