This is a fascinating autobiography of a young crewman of one of the famous German U-boats of WWII. It is also a detailed history of the boat U505 and its ill fated missions and ultimate capture by the American Navy.
The book reads much like a good novel. We follow young Hans through his training as a master diesel mechanic and his selection as a crew member for the elite submariner fraternity. The workings of both crew and submarine are very interesting as this story comes from the memories of a crewman and not an officer.
A few aspects of this book that I found particularly engaging are life at sea, life on leave, the philosophy of a young man faced with death every day at sea, and the most intriguing of all, the sabotage that was going on at the dry docks where the submarines were being repaired after their missions. A constant theme running throughout the book is the importance of leadership and the effect it has on the crew and the mission.
Hans Goebeler is a proud man, and to the end, does not renounce his belief in the cause of Germany. He falls just short of not renouncing Nazism. He speaks of Germany's struggle against communism, and rails against the ethnic cleansing that took place immediately after the war, but never admits that the Allies were defending themselves against Hitler, the megalomaniac, or that the ultimate ethnic cleansing had been perpetrated against the Jews.
U505 was the first naval vessel to be captured since 1812 and today sits in a Chicago museum. Hans bemoans the fact that he was the last one out of the sub and his hasty attempt to scuttle the boat failed.
Although the book is a bit self-serving, it is well written, with suspense, action, and good characters, as well as being quite educational.
3 1/2 stars
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