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Iron Coffins: A Personal Account of the German U-boat Battles of World War II

Herbert A. Werner

4.27 · Rating details · 1,673 Ratings · 100 Reviews

The former German U-boat commander Herbert Werner navigates readers through the waters of World War II, recounting four years of the most significant and savage battles. By war's end, 28,000 out of 39,000 German sailors had disappeared beneath the waves.

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Paperback, 388 pages

Published June 6th 2002 by Da Capo Press (first published November 30th 1968)

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Heroes Beneath the Waves by Mary Nida Smith

Best Submarine Nonfiction Books

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Best Non-fiction War Books

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Sep 25, 2011 Rob rated it really liked it

Shelves: war

This book is an incredible true story about a U-boat captain who survived the entire war, one of about two dozen to do so. I had previously read Das Boot by Lothar-Günther Buchheim many times, which describes the German point of view of the Battle of the Atlantic circa late 1941. Iron Coffins completed the picture, and showed both the early phase of the battle, when the U-boats nearly swept the Allied convoys from the Atlantic, and the end-game phase of the battle when most U-boat crews were sla ...more

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Mar 11, 2015 John Valesano rated it it was amazing

Shelves: world-war-ii

An amazing memoir of Captain Werner's experiences in the German U-boat campaigns of World War II from its early glory days to its near anhilation by wars end. His writing is so vivid and engaging that you feel like you're in the U-boat with him fearing for your life listening to the screws of the Allied destroyers and depth charges that are searching to sink your sub and send you to your grave in an iron coffin. You can almost feel and smell the damp moldy foul air of a sub that has been out at ...more

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Jul 28, 2008 Fire-fish rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The best war story of all times. A story by a man who was a german submarine captain and survived... it is more then a story of the war: it is a story of challenge, accomplishment, love, complete loss, and discovery .. at the setting of an immanent death.

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Aug 02, 2013 John Humber rated it really liked it

Shelves: history-factual, auto-biography

When I was a boy of about 13 a Royal Navy submarine came to the port where I lived. This was unusual as it was a commercial and fishing port rather than a naval port. There was an open day and it was possible to go aboard the submarine. I was fascinated and have remained fascinated by submarines ever since.

Because it was a port my home town was heavily bombed and my generation (post-war baby-boomers) grew up with empty, derelict spaces in the streets where bombs had fallen. Largely because of th ...more

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Jun 09, 2017 Homunculus rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history

Eindrucksvolles Buch über die U-Boot Fahrten und das Leben an Bord eines U-Bootes von Kapitän Werner während des zweiten Weltkrieges.
Leider ist die Schreibe des Autors doch ein wenig trocken, was den Spass am Lesen doch ein wenig trübt. Daher hat es dann doch ein wenig gedauert, bis ich mit dem Buch durch war.
Aber die Geschichte nach seiner Gefangennahme bis zur Flucht nach Deutschland ist sehr spannend geschrieben und der absolute Höhepunkt des Buches in meinen Augen.

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May 05, 2013 Jonathan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: wwii

Absolutely phenomenal, amazingly written and such a page turning story. Truly one of the best memoirs I have ever read. A no holds barred look at the U-Boat war from the happy times to the last desperate gasps. Highly recommended.

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May 05, 2015 Carol Storm rated it it was amazing

Brilliant first-hand account of German submarine warfare in World War II. A must for anyone who has ever seen DAS BOOT!

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May 23, 2009 Tim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was a very well-written and interesting account of the wartime experience of a U-boot officer. Werner starts us out in the "Happy Time," when the U-boots were decimating the lend-lease convoys and the Kriegsmarine had the upper hand. Then in the middle part of the book "Disaster from the air," the tide starts to turn. Not only are the crash dives and tactical back-and-forths amazing, but we also see the mental gymnastics that the U-boot men go through to maintain faith in their cause. Durin ...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Edward rated it really liked it

This is decent read, but take some parts with a grain of salt. For example, he claims to taken part in the attack on Convoy SC122 and says that U239 sunk several ships. But U230 not recorded as having sunk anything in this convoy. In fact, there is no record of U239 actually attacking the convoy, though he peripherally took part in the operation. "Iron Coffins" contains less details about life on U Boats than about his travels on leave through France and Germany. I would have liked to see more ...more

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Jun 28, 2015 Nathan Trachta rated it really liked it

Recently I decided to take the dive into submarine warfare again and in doing so I decided to read this classic; honestly this was my first time reading it though I've known about since I was a kid in the 70s. Of all books on submarine warfare in WWII this is the gold standard. Leutnant ser See Wener's personal account from induction and service as a junior officer through being a captain of his own boat to capture is truly a great book, worthy of 4.5 stars. The honesty he shares with us about h ...more

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Oct 27, 2013 Tomi rated it really liked it

What a hard book to read - not that it isn't eminently readable, because it is. But it also drew me in to the point of hoping the narrator (a U-boat commander in WWII) would be safe...even though he was sinking Allied ships! This book helped me see what it was like for an ordinary German serviceman during the war (although every time he was upset with "the enemy" I muttered, "You guys started it!"). Werner explained how obedience and duty are ingrained in the German people; so when the U-boats w ...more

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Aug 15, 2009 Nevrlost rated it it was amazing

A very complete book of the various stages of the Battle of the Atlantic from the perspective of a U-boat captain that survived. As with many WWII books, various aspects of training, equipment capabilities, and tactics are presented throughout the book. What I was unaware of was how intense the attacks on U-boats by Allied forces were during the last stages of the war. It was a miracle for any U-boat just to make it out to sea and return to base safely.

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Dec 01, 2007 Padraic rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Excellent book following Werner throughout the war from the highs of the German uboat campaign int he eary years of the war to the disaster to the uboat service by eventual Allied air and naval supremacy. Another great read.

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Aug 07, 2017 Adam Wuiske rated it it was amazing

Have read this book four times. It is one of the most amazing tales I have ever read. Cannot recommend this book highly enough.

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May 03, 2014 Matteo Di giovanni rated it really liked it

La prima cosa che viene in mente dopo aver letto questo libro è: "che fortuna!" Werner infatti rende benissimo l'idea di come la vita di un sommergibilista al fronte fosse davvero appesa ad un sottilissimo filo che si sarebbe potuto spezzare da un momento all'altro in situazioni in cui la salvezza, pur essendo fortemente condizionata dall'abilità dell'equipaggio, era determinata il più delle volte dal caso. Infatti, molti camerati di Werner non sono sopravvissuti a eventi che hanno invece fortun La prima cosa che viene in mente dopo aver letto questo libro è: "che fortuna!" Werner infatti rende benissimo l'idea di come la vita di un sommergibilista al fronte fosse davvero appesa ad un sottilissimo filo che si sarebbe potuto spezzare da un momento all'altro in situazioni in cui la salvezza, pur essendo fortemente condizionata dall'abilità dell'equipaggio, era determinata il più delle volte dal caso. Infatti, molti camerati di Werner non sono sopravvissuti a eventi che hanno invece fortunosamente risparmiato l'autore.

Il libro ripercorre tutta la carriera di Werner a bordo dei "lupi di Doenitz" dal 1941 al 1945 e traspare in modo chiaro come i successi dei primi anni di guerra abbiano, in breve tempo, lasciato il posto a missioni in cui l'unica cosa certa era la morte grazie ai progressi continui delle forze armate alleate il cui passo era stato perso dalla formidabile Kriegsmarine sia per la miopia e la mancanza di buonsenso dei vertici militari (manifesta quando le cose cominciarono ad andare male) sia per l'incapacità dell'industria tedesca di reagire prontamente e con elevati volumi di produzione alle necessità del fronte.

Dal libro è altresì evidente come la determinazione e la tenacia con cui i tedeschi hanno combattuto fino alla resa è qualcosa che trascende il nazismo. E' infatti qualcosa che forse ha a che fare con l'essere tedeschi e la cieca fiducia nei superiori e nelle loro promesse di una vittoria finale per riconquistare l'onore che gli alleati gli avevano tolto nel 1918 (per arruolarsi in marina infatti non era necessario essere iscritti al NSDAP e venivano rifiutati gli ufficiali della gioventù hitleriana). E soprattutto l'orgoglio di appartenere a una macchina da guerra apparentemente perfetta e resa infallibile dai fulminei successi dei primi anni di guerra, vanto della Germania. Ma dato che il nazismo ha sempre fatto leva proprio su questi aspetti (germanità e sentimento di rivincita), forse, pur non rendendosene conto (o forse se ne sono resi conto ma non vogliono ammetterlo), anche chi come Werner non è mai stato iscritto al partito è stato vittima della propaganda di regime che in fin dei conti dava al popolo quello che voleva sentirsi dire: "Deutschland uber alles". ...more

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Sep 27, 2016 Tijs rated it liked it

Commander Werner may have been one hell of a submarine captain, but he's not that great of a writer. That's not to blame the man - I don't expect him to be a brilliant novelist as a sidejob - but it makes Iron Coffins a little tough to go through. The book tells an unbelievable story that sticks with you and makes you think about right and wrong in the face of war and evil, and you keep wondering how Werner and his crew get through all the shitstorms and survive them all as one of the very few t ...more

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Nov 14, 2013 Gossymotto rated it it was amazing

Shelves: nautical-disaster, non-fiction, war, human-endurance

This was an incredible book. Hearing the story from someone that was on the loosing side of a war (Is there really a "winning" side?), makes the account much cleaner. There is no posturing, no propaganda, It's simply a soldier's story of how he believed in his country and how he believed he was fighting the good fight and victory would be Germany's because they were the "good guys" just like Britain was convinced that they were right and noble.

As the war drags on though, Werner begins to see thi ...more

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Mar 03, 2014 Nick rated it really liked it

The Authors purpose for writing this book is informative. I was thinking that reading this book would be like reading a text book. It was more like reading a good story that wasn't a real life story. This is about how the people where working on the German U boats and the ridiculous things that the German Generals would tell them to do. The author wrote this book along the lines of historical fiction. The main character was a person who was inside the German U boats. He was on his boat on D-Day ...more

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Jul 20, 2015 Guy rated it it was amazing

This book is 'the' book about life inside a U-boat during the Second World War.

It is written by Herbert A. Werner and documents his rise from cadet to U-boat commander and recollects his experiences in this titanic struggle from the early 'happy years' to the turning of the tables and ultimate demise of the U-boats.

The book captures the grimness of operating in a submarine perfectly and give the insider a great insight to the theatre - ideal for historian yet 100% accessible and enjoyable for th ...more

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Mar 21, 2015 Jen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: autobiography, biography, history, ww-ii, favorites

Regardless of your religious beliefs, it's hard to read this book through and not believe that some higher power was watching over Herbert Werner. If the facts weren't well documented, this tale would be completely unbelievable. Every ten pages I would have to stop and share with someone what had just happened; the man went from one incredible exploit or near-disaster to the next. Not only is his story extremely compelling, but his writing style is easy and enjoyable as well. You get an excellen ...more

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Nov 08, 2013 Cam Nelson rated it it was amazing

Simply amazing. In a league with Remarque and Juenger... probably superior to them both if one actually sits down and reads their works and compares them to Werner. Nevermind what apprehensions one might have about reading a war memoir, especially one entitled "Iron Coffins"; Werner's book is a moving story of survival and heartbreak both at sea, in port, and on the homefront. The number of times Werner cheated death and escaped from the Allies defies belief. The descriptions of life in port in ...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Nadir rated it really liked it

Shelves: military, ww2

This is an excellent personal history of the German U-Boat war during World War II. Much of their operational technique is discussed and in that regard it is very enlightening. Their early successes where they seem to sink Allied shipping at will is matched by their very rapid demise beginning in mid 1943. Their staggering losses after that are such that the reader is amazed their crews continued to leave port.

While the book is entirely about the service of a single German sailor, the book tell ...more

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Jul 19, 2014 Christine rated it really liked it

Engrossing, particularly toward the end when it becomes increasingly clear that the Axis is getting pummeled and the author is being ordered to undertake what amount to suicide missions. And the post-surrender chapter, which deals with prison camp life and his escapes, is fascinating.

I would have preferred less nostalgia about the bordellos and more description of what day-to-day life on the boat was like. (I was expecting the book to be more like Das Boot in this respect.) Thirty to sixty days ...more

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May 23, 2013 Robert Lewter rated it it was amazing

Wow! What a classic. I have read U-boat commanders accounts from WWI, but this is the first from WWII.I knew that the Allies put a beat down on the German Navy, but I had no idea that the German U-boat Fleet was almost totally annihilated. This mans story was truly enthralling. I can see why this book had been read so much that some of the pages had to be taped to stay in. If you are even mildly interested in WWII history, this is a book you should read.

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Aug 18, 2011 Lisa rated it it was amazing

My co-worker, Jay, recommended this book to me and I enjoyed it very much. Herbert Werner was an amazing person, and this book succeeds because of his matter-of-fact voice combined with his experiences as a U-Boat captain and his survival. Mr. Werner doesn't embellish his experiences, but lets them stand on their own merits. One of the best books I've read about the experience of war by those who have fought it.

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Apr 09, 2015 Scott rated it it was amazing

No matter what you think of the Germans during WW II most did not belong to the Nazi party and served as soldiers on both side. This was true of most of German navy. This story from one of the few who survived the entire war serving in submarines is riveting. The story of his life both during mission and between them and the close calls and the sad reality of seeing almost everyone he knew die on subs and in the cities.

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Jan 11, 2009 Jeanna rated it it was amazing

An account of WWII's war of the Atlantic from the perspective of one of the few surviving German U-Boat captains. Filled with evocative descriptions, action sequences, a slice of history I have not seen described anywhere else. This has been a favorite book of mine for 25 years, and it has lost none of its power over time.

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Nov 06, 2007 Mike rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: History folk

Shelves: top-shelf, history

I read this one after reading Shadow Divers.
It made me look at war and the people who fight wars in a whole different way.
By the end of this book I found myself cursing the British and American forces, and had to remind myself which side I was on.
This story could have been written about any sub crew from either side of the war. Wonderfully written and enlightening

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Mar 06, 2012 Pete rated it it was amazing

Iron Coffins is an excellent memoir about being in a German U-boat during WWII. Werner describes the incredible conditions that the U-boat crews underwent and provides an interesting view of France and Germany during WWII.

The books account of how anyone could tolerate the conditions and survive being in a U-boat is well worth reading for anyone interested in WWII.

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Aug 09, 2008 Alex rated it it was amazing

Very interesting book and an amazing story! This guy must have avoided death at least a couple hundred times. Just when you think his story is over, he goes on to discuss his imprisonment after the war. I found this to be even more amazing than the U boat stories.

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About Herbert A. Werner

Herbert A. Werner

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Herbert Werner was a Kriegsmarine naval officer who (by his own reckoning), was one of only about "two dozen captains still alive" at the end of World War II. He served in five U-boats, as an Ensign, Executive Officer and Captain in the Atlantic Ocean, the English Channel, the North Sea, the Baltic, the Norwegian Sea and the Mediterannean.

He survived the sinking of U-612 in the Baltic and the loss ...more

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