Book Description
‘U-boat War Patrol’ captures the daily events of life aboard U564 on war patrol between 9 July and 18 September 1942, at a time when the battle between Germany’s U-boats and the Allied navies had reached its zenith. In the face of increasing Allied naval and aerial strength Kapitänleutnant Reinhard ‘Teddy’ Suhren took his veteran boat and crew from France to the distant battlefield of the Caribbean, sinking five ships in total before successfully returning to Brest after the longest period that U564 had ever spent at sea. During the most eventful patrol of its career U564 carried a War Correspondent of the Naval Propaganda Service to record events for use in magazines and cinema newsreels. Through his lens was captured the essence of existence aboard one of Karl Dönitz’s ‘Grey Wolves’, documenting the personal lives of the captain and crew in both relaxed settings as well as during the frantic moments of artillery and torpedo attacks. Refuelling at sea, convoy chases, continual maintenance of their boat and torpedo resupply from another U-boat returning to France were all captured on film in a way never so thoroughly documented before. Teddy Suhren is perhaps one of the best remembered U-boat Aces within Germany. As First Watch Officer of U48 and Captain of U564 he fired more successful torpedo shots than any other U-boat officer. However, his military achievements are dwarfed by his near legendary reputation for humour, alcoholic consumption and an inability to blindly accept any form of authority, not the easiest mixture of personality traits in wartime Nazi Germany. Despite his constant bursts of rebelliousness Suhren was promoted to Korvettenkapitän and awarded the Swords to his Oak Leaves and Knight’s Cross during this, his last combat patrol before taking command of U-boats stationed in Norway. The photographs contained in this book are virtually all previously unpublished and, combined with the written story of the boat, its!
crew and their time at sea during the summer of 1942 provide a unique insight into the human side of Germany’s wartime U-boat service.
From the Author
The finding of these photographs in Yorkshire some 60 years after the end of World War Two has been a great event for historians and those with an interest in the Kriegsmarine. I would also like to say on a more personal note that researching Reinhard 'Teddy' Suhren was a fascinating period. His wonderful family made me more than welcome as did Han-Rudolf Roesing (his ex-commander) Juergen Oesten, Erich Topp and many other U-boat veterans who knew him both personally and by reputation. It has been a pleasure to learn more about this remarkable man.
