Recently finished Iron Coffins by Commander Herbert Werner. One of the few U-boat survivors, Werner details his account of the war from the beginnings when the Germans had a stranglehold on the Atlantic to the end with the Allied victory.

It's interesting to read history from the "other" side. Werner throws a few tidbits in their questioning Hitler and Nazi leadership while also stressing pride in his country and striving to do his part in the war for the love of his family and countrymen.

Skill and a lot of luck come into play for Werner to have survived. One of his main gripes about technological advances within the U-boat fleet is the lack of deployment for a device called the schnorkel, which is pretty much an air scoop attached to the u-boat allowing it to take in fresh air while running submerged, thus negating the need to surface repeatedly to recharge the batteries. This became particularly important after increased Allied air presence.

I enjoyed the book.

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"Nothin' up my sleeve. . ." --Bullwinkle J. Moose