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Although Germany had lost her fleet at the end of Word War I, by 1939 she had built up a formidable force of modern vessels. It was the Kriegsmarine’s submarines – the U-boats – that were to prove the most effective and deadly arm of the German navy in World War II. Built to harass Allied shipping, the U-boat ‘wolfpacks’ almost succeeding in bringing Britain to her knees in their campaign to restrict supplies and materiel from crossing the Atlantic. By the end of 1942, their most successful year, U-boats had sunk 1664 vessels – 7.26 million tonnes of shipping. Illustrated with detailed artworks of German U-boats, Kriegsmarine U-Boats 1939–45 is a comprehensive guide to the submarine arm of the German navy in World War II. Divided by flotilla, this book offers a complete organizational breakdown of U-boat units, from the beginning of the war in the North Atlantic through to last days of the Reich. Each chapter includes a compact history of the U-boat flotilla’s role and impact on the course of the conflict, as well as unit markings, orders of battle, lists of commanders and numbers of kills. Every type of German submarine is featured. Each submarine profile is accompanied by specifications, as well as details of unit markings. Packed with profiles of every major type of German U-boat, Kriegsmarine U-Boats 1939–45 is an essential reference guide for modellers, military historians and naval warfare enthusiasts alike.
