Shadow over the Atlantic: The Luftwaffe and the U-boats: 1943–45

by Robert Forsyth, Jim Laurier (Illustrator)

German U-boats were the scourge of Allied merchant and military shipping in the Atlantic during World War II, threatening to isolate and then starve the UK out of the War. As Germany's war against the Allied convoys intensified in late 1943, German Admiral Karl Dönitz called upon the Luftwaffe to provide a long-range spotting and shadowing unit to act as 'eyes' for his U-boats. Equipped with big, four-engined Junkers Ju 290s fitted out with advanced search radar and other maritime 'ELINT' (electronic intelligence) devices, Fernaufklärungsgruppe (FAGr) 5 'Atlantik' undertook a distant, isolated campaign far out into the Atlantic and thousands of miles away from its home base in western France. The information generated and reported back to Dönitz's headquarters was vital to the efforts of the U-boats, and FAGr 5's 'shadowing' missions were assigned priority in terms of skilled crews, supplies and equipment.

This book tells for the first time the fascinating story of the formation and operations of FAGr 5 'Atlantik', drawing on never-before-published historical records of the unit that accounted for the reporting and destruction of thousands of tons of Allied shipping.

Genres: History, World War II, Aviation

477 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 18, 2017

About the author

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Reviews

[William Harris · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I first picked up "Shadows over the Atlantic," I was predisposed to like it. I have a longstanding interest in military history, the Luftwaffe and the Kriegsmarine, but that said, I was somewhat disappointed. The book contains a great deal of densely packed information. Unfortunately, I cannot say that it was easy to unpack that information. Don't get me wrong, it is very well documented, and does "cover" , to some extent, a topic that has been underrepresented in print. For me, what was missing was a master narrative. By this I mean that it was like reading a great deal of information, some of it quite fascinating, but feeling afterwords that it was just information being presented for its own sake. Would it be useful to someone considering creating a master narrative around the raw material? Of course. Is it useful or even particularly interesting to the lay reader looking for an analysis built around the raw data, no. I wanted to like it, but I simply found that the theme, such as it was, could not hold the narrative together in the absence of further analysis. The story is there but not the storytelling. Much of the narrative is taken directly from the documentation, and this also promotes a kind of chaos where an a controlling narrative order might have made it easier to digest. In the end, I found myself intrigued but disappointed.

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free Kindle copy of Shadow Over the Atlantic: The Luftwaffe and the U-Boats: 1943-45 by Robert Forsyth courtesy of Net Galley and Osprey Publishing, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review to Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and my history book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google Plus pages.

I requested this book as I read a great deal about World War II, but not much about U-Boats and their interaction with the Luftwaffe. It is the first book by Robert Forsyth that I have read.

This is a well researched book, but it is not one that will rivet you to your seat and cannot put down. The author presents the facts and story is a well detailed history of the relationship between U-Boats and the Luftwaffe. It lacks the engagement that some of the other authors of the time period have developed that makes for a more enjoyable read.

I recommend this to anyone with an interest in World War II in Europe, the Luftwaffe and U-Boats. But be prepared for a somewhat dry recitation of the facts.

[Alan Carlson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting unit history of the only dedicated aerial long-rnage reconnaissance unit of the Luftwaffe in the War in the Atlantic (1943-1945). Too little, too late.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in awe of these pilots and crews against incredible odds and the ever increasing supremacy of the Allied airforces, these crews continued to fly, observe and navigate out into the Atlantic and return safely to base in France. As Germany gradually collapsed in on its self they stuck together and continued to operate until the final surrender.

I have always been fascinated by the Junkers 290 - being a large four engines aircraft not unlike the Avro Lancaster which was flown so expertly sometimes at just off the sea.

[Karen Lee-Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly informative account of the battle of the Atlantic! The longest battle of ww2, from the German perspective! This area of the war was an area were the Germans came within a whisker of winning! I learned things I never knew and I was gripped the way a WW2 historian only can be, with excellent writing and the display information in a gripping way! Really great stuff!