Sharks and Little Fish: A Novel of German Submarine Warfare

by Wolfgang Ott, Ralph Manheim (Translator)

This raw, brawling novel, first published in 1957, is a fiercely realistic account of naval combat during World War II--in particular, the hell that was Nazi submarine warfare. "A German counterpart to The Caine Mutiny " (Frederic Morton), SHARKS AND LITTLE FISH is based on the author's own experiences as a young submariner. "It is as uncompromising, vivid, and unfalsified an account of war-time naval life as has appeared." ( Times Literary Supplement )

Genres: History, World War II, War, Military Fiction, German Literature, Germany

432 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1957

Reviews

[Eric_W · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very depressing look at German naval service in World War II written autobiographically by a German sailor. It follows Hans Teichman from his entry into the Navy, training, first experience as a midshipman on mine-sweepers (he was quite the reprobate) and then service on submarines, about the last third of the book. The cover would indicate it was quite controversial in Germany when it was first published. I could find little information as to why, although I could guess it’s primarily for its unvarnished view of German sailors and the Navy.

His captain on the Albatross, a minesweeper/subchaser, was Pauli, a reservist and brassiere maker who is totally clueless and he and Teichman cross swords almost immediately. Everyone can see what a jerk Pauli is, but he’s the captain. It’s during mine sweeping operations they have their first exposure to death and the trials that they were soon to experience in even more graphic detail. One group of men, sent out to disarm a mine, simply disappear when something goes wrong. Another crew is obliterated after their boat is bombed. They all escape into the water only to have the armed depth charges explode under them when the boat sinks.

On another occasion, a different boat hits a mine, most of the men escape into the rafts, but when they are retrieved onto the Albatross, the rescued men won’t stop emitting blood-curdling screaming. Only after cutting off their pant legs did they realize the force of the explosion had drive the men’s legs up into their thighs. Their feet were where their knees should have been.

The description of the bombing of the Albatros and agony suffered by the injured is portrayed using the most frightful metaphors. Teichman, hit in both legs and the stomach, is in agony. Suddenly the tearing pain was back again. It ate into his bowels like a hungry rat. . .The rat was in a metal tube; one end of the tube was above the ground but red hot; the rat couldn't get out by that end and the other end was aimed at his belly button. The rat could get out if it chewed its way through, and that was what he was doing. . .He felt the rat burrowing through his bowels as through a pile of straw. . .He felt its sharp, pointed teeth cutting everything that was in its way. Now I propose that no one who has not been wounded in the stomach could have dreamed up that frightful image.

Describing the book, as the cover does as a novel about German submarine warfare is a bit misleading as Teichman doesn't make it on to the sub until about the last third of the book. But when he does, goodness, talk about heart-pounding reading as the sub is depth-charged and bombed. By the end of the war, U-boats continued to head out into the ocean even though 75% would not make it back. "It was not fear of death--that was bad enough--but the senselessness of dying in this way. There is no country in the world, thought Teichmann as the rain dripped down on him, where men are so docile about dying, and they call it bravery. . .It struck him now as a perverted kind of courage. And what if it were mere stupidity? Or a matter of false pride? . . .Top-ranking generals usually survive; they have the greatest chance of survival. And that too is very important for them, especially when the war is lost: because they've got to write their memoirs. And in their memoirs they'll tell us how clever they were, how brilliantly they led the troops. . .But they weren't to blame. . .they weren't able to do what they wished, and for that a certain corporal was to blame."

I’ll refrain from any more horror stories, of which there are many.

A quote from Time Magazine on the back cover indicates this books makes a powerful case against war. As if such a case needed to be made, but that made me wonder just what makes a solid anti-war book. Is it the gore? the realism? the futility? Conversely, is there such a thing as a pro-war book? One that glorifies the solidarity created among the troops? the heroism? the glorification of fortitude in battle? Is For Whom the Bell Tolls or any other of Hemingway’s books pro-war? And what’s the difference between this book and Catch-22?

I have a pretty good idea, but we’ll save that for another time.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another "off the shelf" book which I finally got around to reading. It adds to the long list of books I've read about WWII. This one is written by Wolfgang Ott from personal experience in the German Navy. It was controversial when published back in 1957 when the atmosphere was still "how could they not have known" what was going on in Nazi Germany. There was little sympathy for anyone German. Not much has changed in today's world where we still think they should have known, but yet those lessons, even when known, don't seem to keep us from making the same mistakes. The book follows Hans Teichmann and two close friends through about four years in the Navy. The writing has a certain rhythm in that time is marked by the celebration of Christmas. We see the characters maturing somewhat from both the passage of time but more importantly, the horrors they've seen on minesweepers and submarines. The young navy men at times do question what their superiors are doing and what they know, but only toward the end of the book do they question what the government is doing. One of the friends, Heyne, turns out to be 1/8th Jewish. This surprised me that he was even able to join the Navy. His mother's family had been sent to concentration camps and she had committed suicide. It's only then that the two friends discuss what the Nazis are really doing. The book added to my perspective and knowledge of WWII especially considering that it was from the German point of view. Having never been in the military, I can't help but wonder if young soldiers always question the ridiculousness of commanders orders and actions. Or is it just those who write books about that? Perhaps I need to read something about truly heroic and inspiring military leaders. The book also made me think about the state of technology in the submarines of that day and how difficult it would have been to serve in them. The accidents of everyday life at sea at the time as well as the horrible aftermath of battles are very detailed and graphic.

[Dick Varga · Rating 4 out of 5]

read a condensed version of the last 1/3 of the book, the submarine period only. Enjoyed it, saddened by the experiences of the sailors and their families,esp the comrade who committed suicide in despair about what germany had become. had no sympathy for those that the french resistence killed, had heard enough from european survivors of german occupation about germany/ww2 to not see the reich as worthwhile or due any sympathy.
Good men in the wrong nation. They fought because it was their people at war and to refuse would have been in their minds to betray the people, their families & friends, ancestors and descendants. Ein Volk. ?

[Corto · Rating 4 out of 5]

For about 2/3 of this book, I wasn't sure I was going to finish it.
I have very low empathy for Germans in WWII, and for a very long time there wasn't much redeeming about the protagonist.

Much of what I dislike about post-War German novels (as was present in Das Boot, Cross of Iron, etc.) is the standard, "we didn't know about the Holocaust, we actually didn't mind the Jews, and we didn't support Hitler" disclaimer that appears relatively quickly in the story. I actually liked "Sharks", because the "Standard German Rationalization Disclaimer" didn't seem to be present. (It was very far along in the story- and if it'd shown up sooner, it would've weighed the "cons" of this book a little more heavily.)

Having said that, there were strong merits:

First off, "Sharks" was unsentimental. The book was written in the late 1950's- an era where few, if any novels about WWII were absent even a small degree of romanticism. This book was very gritty, very raw and very unflinching. Most of the characters- especially the protagonist- is an asshole. That was refreshing. The author obviously didn't retroactively see the experience through rose-colored glasses.

Second, the violence was...intense, and disgusting at times. Much more so than "The Cruel Sea", or actually, any other book about naval warfare I can think of. This, in my opinion, is good. A lot of books pay lip-service to the "War is Hell" sentiment- this novel, really makes you feel it- in fact, I can't imagine anyone would even consider naval service after reading it. It wasn't over the top, or unbelievable, just agonizing. (So much so, that I actually did start to develop a modicum of empathy for these guys...and I'm Jewish (not to mention, I had a relative in the Merchant Marine, who was a torpedoed by the Krauts on a Liberty Ship. He didn't make it off, and his death caused significant emotional reverberations among his family)...so feeling bad for Germans is a new one on me.)

All in all, if you're looking at this abstractly and remove the political content, this was a powerful sea story. With the exception of a small romantic quotient to the book (which was unnecessary, but humanizes the story a little), there was no flowery bullshit here. If you're looking for a submarine book, be warned, only the last 1/3 takes place in U-Boats- but it's worth the read up to that point.

Not the most amazing book I've ever read, but, "Sharks" ended up keeping my attention- and in fact, it became very compelling towards the end. In my opinion...it surpasses Das Boot, because of it's gritty quality. Recommended for those with a general naval, or WWII-naval interest.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

An autobiographical novel. It took until page 264 to get to submarines but Ott wrote some unforgettable scenes. Worth a read but touted as a classic in the form of The Cruel Sea and The Caine Mutiny. I can't say that I agree with that opinion at all (the other two I have reread many times and my copies are well read) but still worth a read for an insight on Ott's experiences in WWII.

[Louis · Rating 5 out of 5]

After my mother passed away, I went through her library and this book caught my eye, it was unknown to me at the time. It is a devastating read, an amazing book. I would place it in the same league as All quiet on the Western Front, the difference being that it describes the Second World War, and then naval warfare at that.

The narrator is a young German drafted into the Navy. The first half or so is about his experience on surface ships, the second when he is trained as midshipman and is posted as junior officer to a submarine, mostly in the Atlantic. The Battle of the North Atlantic basically revolved around the efforts of the German submarines who had to prevent convoys from USA getting through to Britain, and later to the so called "northern run" to Murmansk, from where they supplied the Russian Forces on the Eastern Front. This battle largely determined the war's outcome. Because a war is won or lost on economics the success of transporting goods is crucial. Up to about 1943 the German U-boats ran amok in the North Atlantic. Towards the end of the war the might of the US economy and new counter measures against U-boats were just too much, the U-boats were fighting a losing battle, they and their crews were destroyed in staggering numbers.

This book brilliantly describes the plight of men trapped in a crude metal tube hundreds of metres below the surface while overhead destroyers are constantly hunting them. The knocking of Asdic sound waves on their hull were the cold, probing fingers of death. Caught like rats in a cage they knew that their position was being pinpointed. Then followed the sounds of the depth charges released, and the waiting for the explosions. The pressure these crews operated under reduced brave men (many were boys) to wrecks.

The writing is direct and sparse, there is not much character development, it is rather a succession of events and the reaction of men under extreme pressure. And overall, to some, looms the realization that the war is lost, that they were sacrificed for an alien ideology in a pointless struggle against a superior enemy. The end is futile and bitter.

PS Some years earlier I had the opportunity to visit the German Naval History Museum in Kiel, the old U-boat harbour on the Baltic Sea. There I entered a German U-boat of WW11 that is open to the public. I was surprised by the small size, how cramped the interior was, and how basic the equipment, water tight doors etc. It must have been an ice-cold cage under the freezing water of the North Atlantic. Imagine the loss of electricity, approaching maximum depth in pitch darkness and all the time hearing the probing Asdic and the creaking hull. It must have been a terrifying experience.

[Nickolas H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently discovered that I have an obsession with WWII German U-Boats. I watched all the movies there was to watch, played all the video games there was to play and finally I decided to read all the books I could find. I will say that of the few U-Boat books I have read thus far, Sharks And Little Fish is my second favorite, right behind Iron Coffins by Herbert A. Werner. As others have mentioned, the first 2/3 of Sharks And Little Fish doesn't involve U-Boats and instead focuses on the sailors of a minesweeper flotilla, where he describes the absolute horror that the young men were subjected to throughout the war. A really good book and I can't wait to read it again in a few years.

[Gregg Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first adult novel about WWII and the German side of submarine warfare in the Atlantic. Wolfgang was a German sailor on a German Submarine. I was about 11 yo (1961) when I read this novel and what grabbed my attention was not the history of WWII but the dull side of the navy when at port. Wolfgang talked about sea sickness and wrenching your guts out from drinking and just being on the high sea. "Liberty in port" was something I heard a lot about (my father was a Navy vet) but this was an introduction to the adult world of the Navy and I found it interesting to say the least. "Prostitutes" was a new word and there were so many other new words that I learned about from this novel. Fortunately, my worldly father did help me understand the absurd meanings that would have gone over my head (such as crabs was an infestation and not a feast). Yes, it was not "Pro-NAZI" but at this time in my life, this did not really register until I was an older age and could appreciate the importance of this issue.

It did cover the events of WWII in the Atlantic from the German Naval point of view (we lost and we knew we did not have a chance to win this but we had to try). This is easy for the reader to pick up.

Last, the story teller did tell a good story here. It was entertaining and anyone that likes historical novels will appreciate this one. His strength is combining facts with a good plot. I was amazed how terrifying it could be, 150 meters below sea level, in a submarine is sinking slowly from all the depth charges blowing up outside your submarine. I would recommend this book someone that is starting to learn about WWII and in particular, the War in the Atlantic.

[Nathan Trachta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently got the urge to read about submarine warfare in WWII and I saw this book and was intrigued by what I read in reviews; ok, get it and read it. I want to open by saying that the beginning wasn't what I expected and almost put it down; that said as I waded a little deeper into the book the intrigue grew. Part of this is the writing style (while "fiction" it's obviously the writers memories of war. The other aspect that makes this different is that the writer is German, has a different style than many are use to and the translation factor doesn't always help) another factor is the authors memory/tale is exaggerated at times (I'm certain to him they aren't though). Focus throughout the book is more on the men and their character and interaction rather than on historical accuracy. Throughout it we see how simple and blunt these sailors are and at times desperate. We also get to see their desires and loves though it's through the eyes of a 16-20 year old. While many advertise that the book is about uboots, the bulk of it deals with the authors time on small vessels (he served on a torpedoboot, he also talks about the other auxiliary patrol craft to some extent).

Rating wise this was a tough one because it had to grow on me. Initially I was calling it a weak 3 star book but by the back half I was looking forward to reading it and it was shaping up to a weak 5 star book. Because of the mixture I'll call it 4 stars and tell you read through the first 100 pages and then you'll really enjoy it.

[DoctorM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this a long, long time ago--- there was a Reader's Digest Condensed Books version that I found when I was barely 11 or 12 and knew nothing at all about submarine warfare or the Battle of the Atlantic. But I was stunned by the power of the story and left terrified of ever being underwater in a submarine...or having to sit in darkened silence eating tinned sardines while depth charges explode and hunters' sonar pings around the thin hull... A fine autobiographical account of U-boat warfare, and a book worth tracking down.

[Neme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Odlicna knjiga, stilom izmedju Haseka i Remarquea. U stvari antiratno stivo.
Kad sam prosao prvo poglavlje, sjetio sam se da sam knjigu citao sa nekih 13-14 godina. Dojam koji je tad ostavila na mene je ostao nepromjenjen. Apsolutno antiratni roman.
Preporuke u svakom slucaju.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book details life aboard a German sub during World War II. The author describes the danger while giving an almost futile perspective of why they were even fighting at all.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you liked Das Boot, give this one a shot.

[Tfalcone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this book when I was 14. My opinion of it has not changed. An honest, brutal look at youing German sailors in WW II.

[Nico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Durante la lettura, sentivo costantemente un groppo alla gola.