U-Boot Im Focus

Edition No. 9

Start-Verlag

Reviewed by Rob Baumgartner

U-Boot Im Focus Edition No.9 is available online from Squadron.com

Issue 9 of “U-Boot Im Focus” is upon us and it’s filled with the usual interesting assortment of articles.

There are 54 pages between the soft card covers with the bilingual text being split between the English and German languages. The publication is further divided into a regular series of chapters, with each one concentrating on a specific topic.

Of the 52 photographs presented, 11 are in full colour. As before, we find a selection that are published here for the first time and complimenting these are 3 maps and 5 examples of superb artwork from Juanita Franzi.

The large A4 format works perfectly for this type of publication as it allows both text and images to be presented in a well laid out and uncluttered fashion.

An interesting selection of photographs gets the ball rolling which include images of Type II, Type XXI, Type XXIII, and Type VII C boats. The latter revealing interior shots of the bow compartment.

Now we move on to the structured themes, the highlights being as follows:

• Boats in Focus – In past years, this chapter has concentrated on a wide variety of U-boat types. Now it’s time to examine the exploits of a particular Type VII C in more detail, in this case U-509. It’s also where the aforementioned artwork is found and features the various schemes seen on U-509’s conning tower. The article spans 23 pages which includes a foldout side profile of the entire boat, and various maps that chart the crew’s adventures.

• Colour Photos – This issue examines the dark finish seen on U-593’s conning tower, a scheme usually seen on U-Boats in the spring and summer of 1942, prior to leaving Kiel on their first patrol.

• Pennants – Here we take a look at the actions against PQ-14. It was a heavily escorted convoy travelling from Reykjavik to Murmansk, which came under attack from a wolf pack consisting of 10 U-boats.

• Background – Joachin Schepke was at the pinnacle of his military career in early 1941. Like other successful submarine commanders, he was used by the German propaganda machine as much as possible. This article traces these events as well as the last few weeks of his life.

• Unknown Emblems – The 3rd Submarine Flotilla’s first emblem is discussed next. We also find out about the whys and when of the Flotilla’s later “turtle” insignia.

• Armament – The growing threat from the air in the summer of 1942 meant that armour and anti-aircraft armament had to be greatly improved. These options are discussed with emphasis being placed on the 20mm C/38 Quadruple Flak.

• Scenery – How do you do work on the starboard saddle tank when at sea? Trim the U-boat to list sharply to port of course! That’s the subject of the two photos reproduced in this section.

• Unusual –.This next image reveals that not all emblems were applied to the conning tower via paint, chalk, or screwed metal plates.

• Cap Badges – U-boat crews introduced these in 1939 and generally they were hand-made items. Because they usually lacked finesse, many were mistaken for “toys” and discarded over the decades. This chapter is reserved for readers to share their surviving pieces with others.

There is plenty here to interest the U-Boot fan.

The photos will be new to all but a selected few, and their reproduction is as good as the original image will allow. The artwork is first-class and perfectly complements the related article.

Clearly it is a book compiled by enthusiasts...for enthusiasts.

Thanks to Start-Verlag for the review sample.

U-Boot Im Focus Edition No. 4 is available online from the Start website

Review Copyright © 2013 by Rob Baumgartner
This Page Created on 23 July, 2013
Last updated 23 July, 2013

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