Author(s): Jean Hood

Military/War

"Submarine" is almost certainly the first book to bring together eye-witness accounts from almost every navy that deployed submarines in WW2, and it is far more than an account of WW2 missions. With self-deprecating modesty, humour, pride, sadness and sometimes bitterness, submariners from Britain, Germany, the USA, Italy, France, the former USSR and Yugoslavia, Norway, Greece, Poland, the Netherlands and Japan describe every facet of operational submarine life, from firing torpedoes, the illicit distillation of alcohol, going to the toilet in heavy weather, rescuing a cat and how to treat appendicitis, to the terrifying experiences of being depth-charged, disposing of a bomb, escaping a doomed boat and planting charges beneath an enemy warship.It is shown that throughout the war, submarines were tasked with a far greater remit than merely to torpedo enemy vessels. Submariners tell of daring missions to land agents on occupied coasts, run cargo, defend a convoy, gather intelligence, supply other submarines, lay mines and even transport troops. They operated in almost every sea from the Arctic and the Pacific to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Special operations, including those of the human torpedoes and midget submarines are fully represented, and all accounts are placed in historical and strategic context by concise chapter introductions. Footnotes and glossaries explain abbreviations, technical jargon, naval slang and regional slang.The Foreword has been written by a submariner from the present era: the Royal Navy's Rear Admiral D J Cooke MBE, Rear Admiral Submarines, Commander (Operations), Comsubnorth. This title includes accounts of both overt and covert submarine operations of the Second World War. It is balanced with news clippings, official reports and diary entries, and also includes UK, US, Russian, German, Italian and Free French navy accounts. The book is now available in B-format paperback.