U-boten - Kriegsmarine: boeken - U-bootbases en bunkers

Hitler's Naval Bases - Kriegsmarine Bases During the Second World War

The vital contribution of Hitler's naval bases, which constructed, supplied, maintained and protected the German fleet all over the world, is often neglected. Jak Mallmann Showell has spent over 40 years researching the role played by these bases; he has interviewed hundreds of veterans, visited dozens of locations and amassed a vast collection of photographs to form the most comprehensive and illuminating work on the subject to date.

The planning and labour that went into the construction of Germany's network of naval bases and coastal batteries is remarkable, as is the degree of organisation and discipline that induced their efficient operation.
From utterly remote, unmanned positions consisting of little more than a hidden stock of supplies, to the immense naval complexes of Lorient, Kiel and Wilhemshaven, Mallmann Showell describes with fascinating detail the various functions and departments, how they were run and organised, and what it was actually like for the men manning them.
He also details the anatomies of the many coastal artillery batteries and the manifold duties of the men of the naval artillery and infantry.

Beautifully illustrated with over 200 previously unpublished photographs, Hitler's Naval Bases is, without question, the definitive book on this principal branch of the Kriegsmarine.

Geheime deutsche U-Boot-Operationen - Einsätze, Stützpunkte und Bunkeranlagen 1933-1945

Während des Zweiten Weltkriegs landeten deutsche U-Boote aus operativen Gründen vielfach an bedrohlichen Gestaden. So fanden Landungen z.B. aus Spionagegründen an den Küsten von Staaten wie Irland, Spanien und den USA statt, aber auch an der nordafrikanischen Küste zur Unterstützung von Rommels Afrikakorps.

Mallmann-Showell dokumentiert viele dieser schwierigen und speziellen U-Boot-Einsätze. Dabei geht er auf U-Boot-Stützpunkte und Bunkeranlagen ein, die er in Deutschland, Frankreich und Norwegen besucht hat, zeigt deren strategische Bedeutung und erklärt, wie und warum diese Anlagen gebaut wurden.

Hitler's U-Boat Fortresses

During World War II, the French naval bases at St. Nazaire and Lorient were occupied by the Germans in June 1940, who constructed formidable U-boat fortresses using forced labor. Despite relentless bombardment by the Royal Air Force and later American forces, these fortifications endured, inflicting significant damage on surrounding French towns and countryside.

The conflict, spanning land, air, and sea, included notable events such as the British commando raid on St. Nazaire in 1942 to disable the dock housing the Tirpitz battleship. Eisenhower ultimately opted for containment rather than direct assault due to the fortresses' robust defenses. The French resistance, with over 40,000 fighters, suffered brutal German reprisals, yet the bases remained intact.

The book chronicles this enduring battle through personal experiences, detailing key events like the expansion of U-boat bases and the involvement of the United States from 1942 onwards. It covers major milestones such as the turning point in the Atlantic in 1943 and the ground war in 1944, including the sinking of the troopship Leopoldville and the involvement of the 66th Infantry Division. The narrative concludes with the surrender and the establishment of monuments commemorating the conflict.

U-boat Bases and Bunkers 1941-45 (Osprey)

Few of the massive military structures built by Germany during World War II are as impressive as the U-Boat bases and bunkers in Germany, Norway and France.

This title takes a close look at the formidable edifices on the French coast (Brest, Lorient, St Nazaire, La Pallice, Bordeaux) in Norway (Bergen, Trondheim) and Germany (Keil, Hamburg, Helgoland) and also focuses on the huge 'Valentin' factory complex at Bremen, which manufactured the new type XXI electro-boats.
Bunker protective systems, such as camouflage, light and heavy flak installations and nearby air cover, are also examined as well as resident flotillas and the fate of the bases at war's end.

Contents: Introduction - Chronology - Design and Development - Tour of the Sites - The Principles of Defense - The Living Sites - Operational History - Aftermath - The Sites Today - Bibliography and Further Reading - Glossary - Index.

The German U-Boat Base at Lorient, France (Volume 1) : June 1940 - June 1941

This first volume (of a four volume series) on the German U-boats at Lorient, France, covers the period from June 1940 to June 1941, and reveals the evacuation of the port by the French navy and the subsequent takeover by the Kriegsmarine.

Illustrated with over 600 photographs, it detais the installation of the German navy at Lorient and the first year of the presence of the U-Boot arm in this port, as well as the major stages in the Battle of the Atlantic in which they participated.
The U-boats that were docked at Lorient are presented in tabular form by type, flotilla, commander, as well as the date of commissioning.

This book also allows the reader to experience the life of the crews ashore following the return of their boats, and the British naval and aerial actions against the port of Lorient.

The German U-Boat Base at Lorient, France (Volume 2) : July 1941 - July 1942

Volume two (of a four volume series) reveals the story of the seventy-eight German U-boats that passed through the port of Lorient from July 1941 to July 1942. The book explains the major phases in the Battle of the Atlantic in which U-boats were operating and particularly the surprise attacks on merchant traffic along the American coast. It details the Allied actions against the port of Lorient and their system of defense against the German U-boat arm. Also featured are unedited reminiscences of the U-boat crews' life ashore in Lorient during their patrol arrivals and departures.

This work is illustrated with over 500 exceptional war-era photographs as well as maps and plans. A unique color section presents the remains, documents, and memories relating to the presence of the U-boats in Lorient.

The German U-Boat Base at Lorient, France (Volume 3): August 1942-August 1943

Volume three (of a four-volume series) reveals the fate of the 92 German U-boats that passed through Lorient from August 1942 to August 1943. From October 1942, Type IX U-boats left Lorient for distant seas beyond the South African Cape and succeeded in sinking three times as many ships as those that attacked the North Atlantic convoys!

This book also details the terrible effects of the massive Allied bombardments on both the base and town during the following months and discusses Allied progress in anti-U-boat techniques and armaments that forced the U-boats to abandon the North Atlantic at the end of May 1943 and the Allied offensive seeking to destroy German U-boats in transit in the Gulf of Gascony.

This work is illustrated with over 600 exceptional war-era photographs as well as maps and plans. A unique color section presents the remains, documents, and memories relating to the presence of the U-boats in Lorient.