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Code Name Caesar: The Secret Hunt for U-Boat 864 during World War II
As the Allies pressed forward both in Europe and the Pacific in the waning days of World War II, a little-known battle took place under the frozen seas off the coast of Norway… and changed the course of the war.
By February of 1944, both Germany and Japan were falling back under constant attack from Allied forces. The end would have been inevitable, if not for a desperate, audacious plan by the German High Command.
The Germans would pack a submarine — boat U-864 — with their most advanced rocket and jet aircraft technology, a group of Japanese and German scientists, and tons of mercury for use in missile and torpedo detonation systems. With this, Japan could re-establish air superiority in the Pacific, forcing the Allies to divert troops and material long enough for Germany to re-group and prepare a final defense of the Fatherland.
Unknown to them, British codebreakers, working hand-in-hand with the Norwegian underground, had discovered what the Axis powers were up to. Chasing U-864 and her cargo throughout the North Atlantic, the British bombed German naval bases and hidden installations in an attempt to destroy the submarine and her hidden cargo. But in the end, she was able to head out to sea and attempt to complete her mission.
The British submarine HMS Venturer was waiting for her. In a cat-and-mouse silent battle beneath the waves, they hunted one another, each waiting to strike. The Venturer won the game, sinking U-864 and becoming the only submarine in history to sink another sub in underwater combat.
This is the action-packed, dramatic account of one of the greatest unsung victories in military history, and of a historical moment in the annals of naval warfare.
By February of 1944, both Germany and Japan were falling back under constant attack from Allied forces. The end would have been inevitable, if not for a desperate, audacious plan by the German High Command.
The Germans would pack a submarine — boat U-864 — with their most advanced rocket and jet aircraft technology, a group of Japanese and German scientists, and tons of mercury for use in missile and torpedo detonation systems. With this, Japan could re-establish air superiority in the Pacific, forcing the Allies to divert troops and material long enough for Germany to re-group and prepare a final defense of the Fatherland.
Unknown to them, British codebreakers, working hand-in-hand with the Norwegian underground, had discovered what the Axis powers were up to. Chasing U-864 and her cargo throughout the North Atlantic, the British bombed German naval bases and hidden installations in an attempt to destroy the submarine and her hidden cargo. But in the end, she was able to head out to sea and attempt to complete her mission.
The British submarine HMS Venturer was waiting for her. In a cat-and-mouse silent battle beneath the waves, they hunted one another, each waiting to strike. The Venturer won the game, sinking U-864 and becoming the only submarine in history to sink another sub in underwater combat.
This is the action-packed, dramatic account of one of the greatest unsung victories in military history, and of a historical moment in the annals of naval warfare.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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About the author
Jerome Preisler
60 books106 followersJerome Preisler is the prolific author of almost forty books of fiction and narrative nonfiction, including all eight novels in the New York Times bestselling TOM CLANCY'S POWER PLAYS series.
His latest book is NET FORCE:DARK WEB (November 2019), the first novel in a relaunch of the New York Times bestselling series co-created by Tom Clancy. Forthcoming in May 2020 is the enovella NET FORCE: EYE OF THE DRONE.
Among Jerome's recent works of narrative history are CODE NAME CAESAR: The Secret Hunt for U-boat 864 During World War Two, and FIRST TO JUMP: How the Band of Brothers Was Aided by the Brave Paratroopers of Pathfinders Company. His next book of nonfiction, CIVIL WAR COMMANDO: William Cushing's Daring Raid to Sink the Invincible Ironclad C.S.S. Albemarle,will be published by Regnery Books in October 2020.
Jerome lives in New York City and coastal Maine.
His latest book is NET FORCE:DARK WEB (November 2019), the first novel in a relaunch of the New York Times bestselling series co-created by Tom Clancy. Forthcoming in May 2020 is the enovella NET FORCE: EYE OF THE DRONE.
Among Jerome's recent works of narrative history are CODE NAME CAESAR: The Secret Hunt for U-boat 864 During World War Two, and FIRST TO JUMP: How the Band of Brothers Was Aided by the Brave Paratroopers of Pathfinders Company. His next book of nonfiction, CIVIL WAR COMMANDO: William Cushing's Daring Raid to Sink the Invincible Ironclad C.S.S. Albemarle,will be published by Regnery Books in October 2020.
Jerome lives in New York City and coastal Maine.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 18, 2015
How NOT to Write a War Story.
By Bill Marsano. Here’s the Deal: late in WWII the Nazis plan to send the submarine U-864 to Japan. She is packed with critical war material, personnel and info on Hitler’s ‘wonder weapons.’ The idea is to help the Japanese hold out longer, thus reducing American pressure on Germany. Bletchley Park code-breakers tip off the RAF, whose bombing raid fails, so the Royal Navy positions the submarine HMS Venturer to intercept. So why is this book so dull? One reason is the scrupulous honesty of the authors: they freely admit that Venturer’s commander knows only that he’s being sent where he might find a suitable target. He has absolutely no idea of the importance of his mission, so there is absolutely no suspense involved. There is no ‘hunt’ as such; Venturer is just loitering in the hope a target will happen by, and the whole business occupies a mere two dozen pages. So here is How Not to Write a War Story: 1, if using a title like Code Name Caesar, then Code Name Caesar, or Operation Caesar or even plain old Caesar should appear somewhere at least once in the text, not just on the title page. And you should give its meaning: Was it the Nazi’s name for their exchange program with Japan, or just U-864’s individual sortie? Was it the Allies’ name for their attack? 2. Be accurate. Recognize that Nazi banners were red; only the swastikas were black. The Nazis had no such things as a ‘7.16mm’ torpedo. Schleswig-Holstein is not west of Scandinavia. If range to target is 2500 yards on one page it should not be 2500 FEET on another. U-boats had diesel engines, not steam turbines. D-Day 1944 was June 6th, not 5th. Royal Navy subs did not ‘harangue’ German vessels. Venturer’s deck gun was loaded through the breech, not breach. Lancaster bombers did not mount radial engines or superchargers. Recognize that although it is possible to turn a long magazine article into a short book, it’s not necessarily a good idea. Lists of names irrelevant to the action and of food consumed by crews come under what Elmore Leonard called ‘the parts that readers tend to skip.’ Do not waste pages on an irrelevant and unsuccessful air raid, or the irrelevant but successful raid on Germany’s dams, or the whole history of the Bletchley Park Operation. In short, do not pad the manuscript (even the Chapter Notes are padded with literary excelsior, some of it hilarious). Do not write MUST HAVE or PROBABLY FELT to excuse your speculations about anyon’s unknown emotional state. Aim for more than a pedestrian level of writing, and so spare your reader the snap decisions, the highly coveted shore leave, the long shots, the tempting of fate, and the crack squadrons. Please. And then DO put in the stuff that can put the reader into the picture: diagrams of the attack and of the two submarines involved would be a good place to start. Better photos, too. Otherwise you will have written the dullest war story I can remember.—Bill Marsano is a long-time professional editor and writer, and a World War II buff into the bargain.
By Bill Marsano. Here’s the Deal: late in WWII the Nazis plan to send the submarine U-864 to Japan. She is packed with critical war material, personnel and info on Hitler’s ‘wonder weapons.’ The idea is to help the Japanese hold out longer, thus reducing American pressure on Germany. Bletchley Park code-breakers tip off the RAF, whose bombing raid fails, so the Royal Navy positions the submarine HMS Venturer to intercept. So why is this book so dull? One reason is the scrupulous honesty of the authors: they freely admit that Venturer’s commander knows only that he’s being sent where he might find a suitable target. He has absolutely no idea of the importance of his mission, so there is absolutely no suspense involved. There is no ‘hunt’ as such; Venturer is just loitering in the hope a target will happen by, and the whole business occupies a mere two dozen pages. So here is How Not to Write a War Story: 1, if using a title like Code Name Caesar, then Code Name Caesar, or Operation Caesar or even plain old Caesar should appear somewhere at least once in the text, not just on the title page. And you should give its meaning: Was it the Nazi’s name for their exchange program with Japan, or just U-864’s individual sortie? Was it the Allies’ name for their attack? 2. Be accurate. Recognize that Nazi banners were red; only the swastikas were black. The Nazis had no such things as a ‘7.16mm’ torpedo. Schleswig-Holstein is not west of Scandinavia. If range to target is 2500 yards on one page it should not be 2500 FEET on another. U-boats had diesel engines, not steam turbines. D-Day 1944 was June 6th, not 5th. Royal Navy subs did not ‘harangue’ German vessels. Venturer’s deck gun was loaded through the breech, not breach. Lancaster bombers did not mount radial engines or superchargers. Recognize that although it is possible to turn a long magazine article into a short book, it’s not necessarily a good idea. Lists of names irrelevant to the action and of food consumed by crews come under what Elmore Leonard called ‘the parts that readers tend to skip.’ Do not waste pages on an irrelevant and unsuccessful air raid, or the irrelevant but successful raid on Germany’s dams, or the whole history of the Bletchley Park Operation. In short, do not pad the manuscript (even the Chapter Notes are padded with literary excelsior, some of it hilarious). Do not write MUST HAVE or PROBABLY FELT to excuse your speculations about anyon’s unknown emotional state. Aim for more than a pedestrian level of writing, and so spare your reader the snap decisions, the highly coveted shore leave, the long shots, the tempting of fate, and the crack squadrons. Please. And then DO put in the stuff that can put the reader into the picture: diagrams of the attack and of the two submarines involved would be a good place to start. Better photos, too. Otherwise you will have written the dullest war story I can remember.—Bill Marsano is a long-time professional editor and writer, and a World War II buff into the bargain.
March 12, 2021
Fascinating book about a little topic in World War II naval history: the story of the long range submarines Japan and Germany tried to send back and forth at the end of the war in a last gasp attempt to share technology and resources. The authors did an excellent job with research and tell the story of the sinking of the U-boat and its mission well, but the book does have the feel of being stretched out to make a book. Long pages are spent on air raids on the U-boat pens that could have been summarized quicker I believe. Still, an overall very enjoyable book.
October 23, 2020
A good read but lack sufficient detail on the mercury
An interesting book on submarine war tactics had some detail that was very interesting. Wish they had provided significant detail on the canisters that held the mercury.
An interesting book on submarine war tactics had some detail that was very interesting. Wish they had provided significant detail on the canisters that held the mercury.
August 11, 2017
Military history buffs will appreciate this little known story that took place during World War II.
October 2, 2019
Very well researched story of a little known event during WWII.
October 7, 2020
Nice Read
Nothing special but a well crafted story.
Enjoyable, educational history of U boats and Norway.
So many new stories with good information
JM
Nothing special but a well crafted story.
Enjoyable, educational history of U boats and Norway.
So many new stories with good information
JM
August 22, 2021
Excellent book! Reads like a novel and learned a lot about the close allied connection between Nazi Germany and Japan during WWII.
December 19, 2022
Interesting topic but poorly written. Lacking details in key areas while spending multiple pages on nonessential tangents.
November 15, 2024
Outstanding, highly recommend.
March 4, 2013
Having recently been on a WWII kick, and becoming acquainted with this author on Facebook and Twitter, I had to read his book.
Although I am not an expert on WWII, I thought I had a rather complete knowledge of it. Each book I read about it shows me how much I don’t actually know. For instance, in reading this book I learned that the Germans had a submarine base in Norway, that the Norwegians were pretty pissed about it and did everything they could to help the Allies destroy it and the Germans were really bad at coming up with clever names for their bases.
The main focus of this book however is U-Boat 864 and its “secret cargo”, and the fact that the Allies knew about it, and knew it couldn’t reach Japan. When the bombing of the base didn’t destroy it, the Allies had to fall back and try something different. The British submarine HMS Venturer was sent to destroy the U-Boat. This is the only documented case of a submarine sinking another sub while both were underwater (Spoiler? Does anyone not know how WWII ended?).
Although a true account, free of any dramatization, this is a thrilling account. We learn some of the history of Norway and the occupation by the Germans. A little bit about bombing missions, why it is so dangerous for a sub to sink another sub while both are underwater, and why it had now developed into a controversial issue for the Norwegians.
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it.
Although I am not an expert on WWII, I thought I had a rather complete knowledge of it. Each book I read about it shows me how much I don’t actually know. For instance, in reading this book I learned that the Germans had a submarine base in Norway, that the Norwegians were pretty pissed about it and did everything they could to help the Allies destroy it and the Germans were really bad at coming up with clever names for their bases.
The main focus of this book however is U-Boat 864 and its “secret cargo”, and the fact that the Allies knew about it, and knew it couldn’t reach Japan. When the bombing of the base didn’t destroy it, the Allies had to fall back and try something different. The British submarine HMS Venturer was sent to destroy the U-Boat. This is the only documented case of a submarine sinking another sub while both were underwater (Spoiler? Does anyone not know how WWII ended?).
Although a true account, free of any dramatization, this is a thrilling account. We learn some of the history of Norway and the occupation by the Germans. A little bit about bombing missions, why it is so dangerous for a sub to sink another sub while both are underwater, and why it had now developed into a controversial issue for the Norwegians.
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it.
October 10, 2013
An excellent account of the German program to share advanced technology with the Japanese at the end of World War II. Promised "wunderwaffen" by Hitler, the Japanese were repeatedly stalled by the German officers heading its military bureaucracy until late 1944 when the allies were pressing on the eastern and western fronts. Then, in the chaos of the war, it became difficult to outfit new large German submarines.
But Japanese diplomats pressed on, eager to get supplies of mercury, uranium oxide and designs for jet-powered wooden fighters. This book tells about the hunt for U-864, which the Allies knew from Ultra decryptions was in Norway, bound for Japan. First, an air attack is tried on submarine pen where the submarine is known to be berthed. But it is an observant British captain aboard the submarine HMS Venturer that would spot U-864 and sink it with one of four torpedoes fired at the submerged German ship.
Preisler and Sewell's story is made more vivid with correspondence from the families of several of the seamen aboard the U-864.
But Japanese diplomats pressed on, eager to get supplies of mercury, uranium oxide and designs for jet-powered wooden fighters. This book tells about the hunt for U-864, which the Allies knew from Ultra decryptions was in Norway, bound for Japan. First, an air attack is tried on submarine pen where the submarine is known to be berthed. But it is an observant British captain aboard the submarine HMS Venturer that would spot U-864 and sink it with one of four torpedoes fired at the submerged German ship.
Preisler and Sewell's story is made more vivid with correspondence from the families of several of the seamen aboard the U-864.
January 16, 2016
Thoroughly trackable, understandable and a clear sense of immediate events as well as how it tied into the greater scope of the war. It isn't like reading a real-life version of Hunt For Red October, which I'd thought it might be -- there's a whole lot that happens, is explained, and lays the groundwork for what led up to the submarine battle -- and that battle is actually quite brief. But the whole is engrossing, the players fleshed out to become interesting, sympathetic people, held up against great research and enriching details.
February 19, 2016
I know Clancy popped the charts with The Hunt for Red October but this historical account of submariners fighting it out had me intrigued. Unfortunately, my eyes crossed with the precise military technological name but I know military historians shine over that and that is good. So I may have read it too quickly but I got what I needed from it: a deeper understanding of a complex, complicated war.
April 18, 2016
In 1944 the German u-boat was on a mission to Japan with a secret cargo. It was discovered by the Norwegian underground and sunk by a British submarine in history's only recorded incident of two submarines duking it out while both were submerged. The incident was classified and then forgotten for over fifty years.
July 17, 2013
Excellent story revealing a secret mission, a desperate country, and a brave commander. Good character introductions and situational descriptions. I could visualize the locales. Reminds that in war, one should always keep their head down and remember ones training.
December 31, 2015
Fantastic book, methodically researched with relevant and interesting background information. Anyone who enjoys WWII submarine warfare will enjoy this little known true story. It was hard to put down and gave perspectives from both sides.
July 6, 2014
I think it is great that stories and experiences like these have been written down so they can be preserved for everyone
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews