WesWorld

Some time ago I bought „Die deutschen Schnellboote im Einsatz – Von den Anfängen bis 1945”, written by author Hans Frank and published by Weltbild Verlag. It is a 200 pages hardcover that had cost me about 15 Euros (reduced price, otherwise 30-35 Euros).

What can you expect?
The author provides a brief history of German Schnellboot (E-Boat) design, from the very beginning with a private project in 1905 to the late-war designs that evolved from the original idea, incorporating all the lessons learnt. He then continues with a review of all German naval operations and the time in-between with all its daily fighting. While doing so, he does not focus on the single action of individual boats, but by providing a general overview on deployment, tasks, and equipment and – most important – a review of the strategic situation and tactical capabilities of the units involved. Hans Frank must also be credited for putting the German situation in relation to the Allied (mainly British) actions and reactions. Over the course of the book he paints a clear picture of the daily difficulties field commanders were facing, but also of what was going on in high ranking staffs. That way the reader must learn that during the time of most intensive fighting in the Channel, two Schnellboot flotillas were sent to Norway, where they spent month after month without being able to run a single operation due to ice and bad weather – simply because some admirals were more interested in prestige than in effective fighting.

But the book holds more than “just” history of the Schnellboot as a weapon and a review of naval operations. There are also chapters dealing with “the silent warfare” (electronics like radar or infrared devices, reconnaissance and of course ULTRA), the training of Schnellboot crews, the Schnellboot and its weapons from a technical point of view (including line drawings) and finally a chapter about the Führer der Schnellboote (FdS), Rudolf Petersen, who remained in service throughout the war and was highly regarded by his men.

Finally an appendix provides data on all Schnellbootsflotillen, torpedoes and mines used etc.

What you cannot expect?
If you are interested in the individual operational history of the Schnellboote this is not your book. Loss or damage of specific units is mentioned when fitting the context but there are no lists you can check to find a specific boat. Therefore you better check Gröner or other books. Also, if you are looking for detailed information on wartime modifications, highly detailed line drawings and deck plans for all Schnellboot classes, you will be disappointed. The book holds drawings, larger in scale than in Gröner for example, but most are side views only. There are also no cut-away drawings or section drawings and in-depth technical information on how the boats were built, what materials were used etc.

First person combat reports are also rarely used, although there are some to illustrate what the author just wrote. But these kind of reports are not what the book focuses on.

Worth the money?
IMHO, absolutely worth the money. Lots of photos, maps and other bits of information add to the text, illustrating context and help to understand. So for 35 Euros or less the reader gets a really good book that does not only cover technical design history and data like many reference books do, but also explains the operational, tactical and strategic needs that led to the development of the Schnellboot as a weapon and its use during last centuries largest war.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in naval warfare of the World War 2 era; simple as that. I am not aware of any other book that provides these information and German perspective in similar manner.