A vivid and accurate re-telling of Captain Richard O'Kane's WW II legacy that brings the reader into an ever increasing awareness of the brutalities o...moreA vivid and accurate re-telling of Captain Richard O'Kane's WW II legacy that brings the reader into an ever increasing awareness of the brutalities of both the Submariners life in combat and the after capture existence as a POW by the Japanese. This one should be read by anyone interested in Submarine warfare and tactics. That period in our heritage is one of intense and unimaginable suffering. War is certainly an ugly part of the twentieth century and doesn't seem to be going away. Our awareness of this cannot be overstated. For that it rates my five stars. (less)
I was looking for a book that would tell the story of the German U-boat saga and not be biased or critical. I happened to find it here in “Iron Coffin...moreI was looking for a book that would tell the story of the German U-boat saga and not be biased or critical. I happened to find it here in “Iron Coffins”: A Personal Account of the U-boat Battles of WW.II by Herbert A Werner; one of the last surviving Captains still engaged in the war that could not be won. The enormous giant (United States) that the Japanese had awakened at Pearl Harbor was thrust into action. England was being strangled by the German U-boat “Wolf Packs” and was losing the supremacy of the seas; which it had held for centuries. The combined power of the Allies was phenomenal. Once the Americans entered the conflict, its industrial might and ruffled feathers presented a formidable adversary for a brain-washed Nazi Germany and its fanatical Fuhrer Adolph Hitler. At first the submarines were very successful at sinking the cargo ships that sailed from the U.S., and those first U-boats had little trouble in scoring thousands of tons in total sinking’s. They referred to this as “Happy Times” and were obviously winning the war in the Atlantic. All this was changed with the intervention of the U.S. Navy and its formidable escorts and destroyers that accompanied the convoys and provided unmatched protection. They’re rapid deployment and improved underwater sensors soon turned the tide; with many U-boat kills and the demoralization of many a crew. Ensign turned lieutenant Herbert Werner wasn’t one of them. Upon reading his account, I’m sure you will see something in this man that is nothing short of remarkable. He never doubted the outcome of the war until very near the end; when the insane orders came to “ram the Allied invasion fleet with your boat and sink whatever you can.” A suicidal mission if ever there was one. In vain he waited for the new Type 21 U-boat that promised an exciting and unnerving weapon of immense proportions. Capable of traveling faster underwater than on the surface with six forward torpedo tubes and a Snorkel, they would have changed the war; if for no other reason, than giving Germany a somewhat honorable alternative of surrender rather than utter defeat. Herbert Werner explains it all in this fact-filled and extremely personal accounting of those five years he participated in the war of the “Iron Coffins.” Highly personal in nature, he writes and re-tells his experiences in a European fashion that I found to be very entertaining and insightful. I must tell you that of the 38,000 men who sailed and fought in these contaminated steel canisters, less than 10,000 ever returned; and very few wanted to tell their story. The oceans of the world hold these men and machines in an icy grip that the author was all too well aware of. The smells and sounds of constrained confinement are well told in vivid and colorful phrases and paragraphs that held my interest for hours-(Chapter 11 was awesome). Add to that the true humanity and nature of the author’s own family’s story, and you have one of the greatest testaments ever written about these events and their solemn outcomes. I really enjoyed this book and would have loved to meet the author-Hence 5 stars with no regrets. (less)
Loading...
