  
U-BOATS
THE U-BOAT ARCHIVE SERIES
Edited by Jak P. Mallmann Showell.
Volumes 1 - 8: THE MONTHLY ANTI-SUBMARINE REPORTS
The Monthly Anti-Submarine Reports, circulated secretly
to officers in the Royal Navy's escort forces throughout
the war, were a major weapon in the all important distribution
of information for the Battle of the Atlantic. Sadly, most
of these reports have vanished into obscurity, leaving hardly
a trace of the original authors. Producing these magazine
style sheets was no mean feat, even if the production team
did have access to classified information. Most of their
German statistical details were surprisingly good and they
were exceedingly quick off the mark to report new introductions
from both sides with astonishing exactness.
In fact, it is this small margin of error which makes the
reproduction of much statistical information somewhat uninteresting.
Obviously it was difficult to get the exact German figures,
but for most of the time the error is too small to be of
any significance. These days, researchers are best advised
to use amended post-war details and therefore much of the
masses of statistical information from the originals has
been left out in this reproduction.
Of special interest are the numerous small inconsistencies
in the narratives. These days one cannot be sure whether
these were injected on purpose to aid propaganda, whether
they were untruths swallowed from the interrogation of prisoners
or whether they were genuine mistakes. However, the numerous
neat little jabs of carefully placed propaganda, belittling
the other side, must have had a significant influence on
the officers who were allowed to read these highly classified
pages. It must be borne in mind that all of this material
was produced during the war under a strict code of secrecy
and much of it was plucked from "unreliable" sources. Therefore
not necessarily everything with in these pages is true.
One of the most astonishing points about the Monthly Anti-Submarine
Reports is that they have hardly ever been listed by major
historians as a research source. The reason for this could
well be that the Reports have remained firmly classified
and it is likely that the majority were re-called for destruction
rather than being left in libraries. However, the Monthly
Anti-Submarine Reports were and still are one of the major
primary resources for anyone studying U-boats and the Battle
of the Atlantic.
Volume I. WHAT BRITAIN KNEW AND WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT
U-BOATS
In this volume we have reproduced one complete month - April
1943 - more or less in its entirety to give some impression
about the contents of the Reports. April 1943 was chosen
because that was the first time that a convoy succeeded
in crossing the Atlantic while throwing off every attacking
U-boat and this has been well documented, especially by
the escort commander Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Gretton in his
classic book Crisis Convoy.
The original was printed on foolscap, marginally larger
than A4, which has created some difficulties with the layout.
The other problem is that the original contained a vast
number of large maps and pull-out illustrations, many of
which are too expensive to reproduce, although the quality
is generally excellent and the content matter more than
interesting. As far as possible, we have tried to preserve
not only the information in the original, but also its rather
unique flavour and its distinct characteristics. The section
dealing with April 1943 has been kept, as far as possible,
with its original punctuation and with the older form of
spelling, but many of the following pages have been slightly
modified to make it easier for readers who do not have English
as their first language.
Some of the original records do not identify U-boats and
additional details have been added to complete the picture.
Apart from the April 943 Report the following extracts from
other Monthly Reports are included in this volume.
Contents
U-boats lost around April 1943, September 2001
Form for Reporting Submarine Attacks on Convoys, July 1939
Secret Standing War Orders for German U-boats, June 1940
Reloading Torpedoes, March 1941
Details of U651, August 1941
Information Obtained from Prisoners of War, August 1941
What Happens in a U-boat, January 1941
Sighting Convoys, January 1941
Boarding a Disabled U-boat, January 1941
The Crew of U70, March 1941
Results of the Escape of German Prisoners of War
Information Obtained from Survivors from U131, U434 & U574
Near Misses by Ramming, January 1942
Questions put to Eight Royal Navy Submarine Commanders
H.M. Submarine Graph (ex-U570), March 1942
Dönitz's Headquarters, March 1942
Visit to the U-boat Harbour, March 1942
The Weather in the North Atlantic, January 1944
U-boat W/T Transmissions during Attacks on Convoys
Watchkeeping in U-boats, May 1942
A German Broadcast, May 1942
Admiral Dönitz's Broadcast, July 1942
Information from Prisoners of War in HMS Duke of York
Information from Prisoners of War, December 1942
Young U-boat Crews in Contact with the Enemy
The Wisdom of Grand Admiral Dönitz, January 1944
The Gnat (Acoustic Homing) Torpedo, February 1944
Apparatus in the Wireless Cabinet, March 1941
Information about U-boats, October 1939
U-boat Radar, February 1944
Radar Decoy Spar-Buoy, February 1944
What a U-boat Ace Thinks of Hitler, April 1944
Trials with a Fast Submarine, December 1944
Handbook for German U-boat Captains, May 1944
The Last Cruise of U99, April 1941
The Sinking of U110, June 1941
210 x 295 mm, 108 Pages.
ISBN 978-0-85420-042-9 Hardback Edition £27.99
ISBN 978-0-85420-047-4 Softback Edition £17.99
Volume 2. WEAPONS USED AGAINST U-BOATS
Contents.
Effect of the convoy system on the reduction of shipping
British counter measures
Protection of merchant shippin
Administration of convoys
Anti-submarine trawlers
Convoys
Administration of convoys B some difficulties
Signalling
Station B keeping
Visibility in convoys
The effect of the convoy system
Defence of unconvoyed ships
Remarks on main convoys
Research, experimental and design work in progress since
April 1940
Hydrophones
Sonic versus asdic hydrophones
Present day use of hydrophones
Use of loudspeakers
Headphone reception of hydrophone effect
Training and practice
Whales
Progress at Fairlie (Anti-Submarine Experimental Establishment)
Self defence in cruisers
Listening for hydrophone effect
Experimental facilities
Asdic sets in “Town” class destroyers
HM Anti-submarine school in Australia
RD/F (Radio Direction Finder B radar) as an anti-submarine
device
Performance
Operational use
Training
Maintenance
Defects
Future development at Fairlie (Anti-Submarine Experimental
Establishment)
Revision of asdic operating procedure for surface craft
Iceland routing
A destroyer misses a magnificent opportunity
Accuracy of firing depth charge patterns
Remarks on anti-submarine weapons
The multi-spigot mortar (The Hedgehog)
The use of the ram
Illuminants
“Nimrod” anti-submarine hunting game
RDF (Radio Direction Finder B radar) and asdic detection
of U-boats
Counter attack competition
New asdic set
Hedgehog fitting programme
RDF (Radio Direction Finder B radar)
Near misses by ramming
Practical experience of H/F D/F in HMS “Brocke” (High Frequency
Direction Finder)
M/F D/F bearings of shadowing U-boats from merchant ships
in Convoy HX175
A visit to the Russian anti-submarine school at Polyarnoe
Night attack by a Wellington aircraft fitted with a searchlight
The Mousetrap projector
Development in depth charges
Further developments with the Mousetrap projector
Asdic set, Type 144
Aircraft depth bombs
An appreciation of the work of base anti-submarine maintenance
staffs
Detection of mines by asdic
Minol-filled, Mark IV, depth charges
Hedgehog ammunition
Anti-submarine bombs
SUEs, (Signals, underwater exploring)
Coastal Command activities
The Squid
Fitting asdics in merchant ships
Explosion of Hedgehog projectiles in HMS “Escapade”
Modern trends with anti-submarine attack instruments
The “Standard” night escort training device
The “Shark” anti-submarine projectile
Anti-submarine section of the naval forces of the Union
of South Africa
Radio sono buoys
MAD (Magnetic Airborne Detector) and retro-bombs
Expansion of anti-submarine training
Illumination for night attacks on U-boats by aircraft
The British section of the US Navy sound school at Key West
(Florida)
Successful all-radar attack by a British submarine
Training in the use and maintenance of weapons and equipment
A practical anti-U-boar exercise in the Indian Ocean
Anti-submarine training in New Zealand
Anti-submarine weapons in use by Fleet Air Arm and Coastal
Command aircraft
Net Defence in moving merchant ships
Operational experience with sono buoys
Anti-submarine warfare B some general principles
United States Navy Killer Group instructions
Air escort of large, fast task forces
The radio war
H/F D/F (High Frequency Direction Finders)
Radar and GSR
Centimetric radar
Appreciations, June and July 1943
The great radiation scare
“Naxos”
The effects on morale
Radar decoys
A new approach
Jammers and decoys
GSR
The problem of invisibility
U-boat radar
H/F security
“Y”
The chase of a submerged U-boat capable of 25 knots submerged
A brief survey of anti-submarine weapons used throughout
the war
210 x 295 mm, 100 pages.
ISBN 978-0-85420-076-4 Hardback edition £27.99
ISBN 978-0-85420-077-1 Softback edition £17.99
Volume 3: THE BRITISH MONTHLY COUNTER MEASURES REVIEWS
Throughout the war the British Anti-Submarine Warfare Division
of the Naval Staff distributed the latest essential news
for combating the U-boat threat as Monthly Reviews. These
were so secret at the time that only officers engaged in
anti-submarine duties were provided copies and the vast
majority of the men fighting the war at sea did not even
know these documents existed. Volume 3 of the U-boat Archive
Series contains re-prints of these remarkable Counter Measures
Reviews. The original text has been annotated with post-war
information to provide a fascinating glimpse into a most
important aspect of the U-boat war. Accounts include ASW
Striking Forces; Instructions of Convoy Escort; commanders.;
intercomm-unications between escort vessels; ASV in escort
ships; Coastal Command operations; Convoy SC6; HX 112; the
Newfoundland Escort Force; Depth Charges, attacks on U-Boats;
Gibralter Convoys; "ace" u-boat commanders; aircraft
in Western Approaches; Merchant aircraft carries; rescuing
survivors from sinking U-Boats; "Curley" torpedoes;
Escort Carriers; experiences on the Russian & Mediterranean;
convoys. U-Boats in the South Atlantic; Support Groups;
activities of Second Support Group; Toulon raid; the longest
hunt on record; MAD near Gibralter; use of flares by Coastal
Command; H/F D/F; the first "Squid" kill; the
role of the Squid; D-Day operations &c &c Index.
210 x 290 mm, 134 pages.
ISBN 978-0-85420-091-7 Hardback Edition £27.99
ISBN 978-0-85420-301-7 Softback Edition £17.99
Volume 4: THE BRITISH MONTHLY U-BOAT OFFENSIVE REVIEWS
A follow-on from volume 3, this book contains annotated
reprints of the Monthly U-boat Offensive Reviews. Produced
by the British Anti-Submarine Warfare Division of the Naval
Staff, these accounts provided a clear insight into how
Britain perceived the threat of the massive U-boat campaign.
Once again the text has been annotated with post-war information
to make it easier to identify individual actions Includes
Sinking of the City of Banares with children on board; December
1940 situation; U-Boat tactics - day - night; occupation
of the French bases; U-boat tactics, First cruise of U35;
Neutral shipping which could be attacked; Operation Paukenschlag
- the attack against the United States; Four wheel Enigma
machine introduced; Acoustic torpedoes; Far Eastern operations;
Air Gap in Mid-Atlantic; Caribbean operations; Dramatic
U-boat sinkings; PRU - Photo Reconnaissance Unit of the
RAF; Review of the U-boat war; Heyday of the aces; Development
of Coastal Command of RAF; Convoys attacked; Convoy routes;
Types XXI and XXIII; Comparison of 1945 and 1943; Operations
outside UK coastal waters towards the end of the war; Allied
air offensive; Essential wartime statistics &c &c
. Index.
210 x 290 mm, 95 pages.
ISBN 978-0-85420-036-8 Hardback Edition £27.99
ISBN 978-0-85420-282-9 Softback Edition £17.99
Volume 5 : EXTRACTS FROM THE STRATEGIC BOMBING SURVEY
OF THE GERMAN U–BOAT INDUSTRY
Contents: Raw Materials, U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey of
Bremen:- Deutsche Schiff und Maschinenbau AG (Deschimag
AG Weser), The Plant and its function in enemy economy,
Products of the Plant, Physical description of the plant,
Ownership and management, Organisation, Employees, Attacks
, Effects of Bombing, Physical damage, Effects of Bombing
on cranes and docks, Effects of the Bombing on Submarines,
Effects of Bombing on buildings and dockyard plant Damage
created by the bombing campaign , Effects of bombing on
machine tools , Effects of bombing on air alarms, Effects
of bombing on production targets, Welding difficulties created
by the bombing damage, Causes for loss of production, Effects
of bombing on the recuperability cycle, Intelligence check,
Data relevant to other studies, Evaluations and impressions.
U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey of Concrete Submarine Bunkers,
Submarine Pens (Fink II) at Deutsche Werft in Hamburg:-
Object of study, Summary, General information, Description
of target, Design and construction of the target, Summary
of construction, Reinforcement, Walls, Foundations, Roof,
Steel, Walls, Foundations, Description of the attack, Analysis
of the damage, Recommendations and conclusions.
U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey of Hamburg : Blohm und Voss
Shipyard:- The yard and its function in enemy economy, Products
of the plant, Physical description of plant, Features of
design and construction of buildings, Facilities, transportation,
utilities, Ownership and management, Personnel interviewed
and employees Blohm und Voss and submarine building, Prefabricated
or section program of Type XXI, Attacks, Attack data , Effects
of bombing, Damage to buildings, structures and utilities,
Fire damage, Damage to machinery and equipment, Protection
of machine tools, Weapon effectiveness, Production loss
due to bombing, Type VIIC submarines, Type XXI submarines,
Docks and other yard facilities, Diversion of productive
workers, Shortages and bottlenecks, Recuperability, Vulnerability,
Intelligence check, Evaluations and impressions.
U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey of Kiel Krupp Germania Werft
:- The plant and its function in enemy economy, Products
of plant and physical description of plant, Facilities,
transportation, utilities. Ownership and management, Personnel
interviewed and employees, Development of Type VIIC submarine,
Talent supplied to design new submarines, Submarine building
record of Germania Werft, Germania Werft as laboratory for
submarine development, Attacks, Effects of bombing, Damage
to buildings and structures, Damage to utilities and machine
tools, Protection of machinery and tools, Weapon effectiveness
, Production loss due to bombing Type VIIC submarines, Type
XXIII submarines, Midget submarines, Other types of submarines,
Diversion of yard activities, Recuperability, Vulnerability,
Intelligence check, Evaluations and impressions.
210 x 295 mm, 84 pages, index.
ISBN 978-0-85420-960-6 Hardback edition £27.99
ISBN 978-0-85420-965-1 Softback edition £17.99
Volume 6:- FROM THE EARLY U-BOAT ARCHIVE JOURNALS
Contents:- First Published in October 1998.
News from the Archive; U129’s second war cruise and the
fate of the Submarine Supply Ship Kota Pinang; U192 Oblt.z.S.
Werner Happe (Preparing for Action); Definition of Words;
The naval author Jochen Brennecke (U34 and the sinking of
HMS Whirlwind and Spearfish); U566’s successful fight against
Allied aircraft; Flotillenadmiral Otto Kretschmer; A patrol
of SM U22 in the eastern Baltic.
210 x 295 mm, 116 pages.
ISBN 978-0-85420-950-7 Hardback Edition £27.99
ISBN 978-0-85420-955-2 Softback Edition £17.99
First Published in April 1999
The circulation of a lie; In Memory of Otto Kretschmer;
Report for 1998; Printing ships’ names; New Books; Extracts
from old war diaries - U188 fending off an aircraft attack
in the Bay of Biscay; The Austro-Hungarian U-boat Ace Rudolf
Singule and SM U-IV1; Oblt.z.S. Wolfgang Leu – The U-boat
commander who sacrificed himself to save his crew.
First Published in November 1999
U47 in Scapa Flow and the sinking of the battleship Royal
Oak; Royal Navy.
First Published in November 1999
News; From old war diaries - The sinking of the Fanad Head
by Fritz-Julius Lemp (U30); How did it work? – Alarm bells
and the flashing light facility; Food on board U-boats;
Knight’s Cross during the 13th Voyage – Kptlt. Claus Korth
(U93); The fight for the Confined Space Supplement; The
last Knight Supplement – Rudolf Singule; Operational Training
with the Agru-Front; Basic principles for the relaying of
orders; Seehund wreck discovered in the Baltic; Submarines
on postage stamps; Man overboard; Practical experience and
warning radio signals; New books.
First Published May 2000
Newsletter; U-boot-Archiv report for the year 1999; The
International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg; From old logbooks
– The 7th voyage of U96 (Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock).
First Published December 2000
News and comments; Professor Hellmuth Walter; From old war
diaries – The first U-boat group attack against a convoy;
Operational trials during peacetime – U26’s voyage to Spain;
Historic Warships at Birkenhead; Man overboard; Books. [Publication
Spring 2004]
ISBN 0-85420-950-6 Hardback edition £27.99
ISBN 0-85420-955-7 Softback edition £17.99
Volume 7 :- U-570 - H.M.S. GRAPH : THE TECHNICAL REPORT
H.M.S. GRAPH, ex "U-570" was in August 1941, the
first enemy submarine to surrender intact to the Allies.
There were only two such occurrences during World War II.
The Americans captured U-505 in June 1944, off the west
coast of Africa. She never went to sea again and found a
last resting place in front of the Museum of Science and
Industry in Chicago. U-570 on the other hand did go to sea
again-under the White Ensign. The U-boat was a priceless
asset in the business of war. In August 1941 the British
Admiralty could not believe their luck when a report from
a lone Hudson Aircraft radioed in that she had captured
a U-boat.
The report includes an account of the condition of the boat
on its capture, and is critical of the German crew's maintenance
of the boat as well as their poor attempts to make the boat
unseaworthy. This Technical Report was compiled for the
Admiralty in January 1943 whilst H.M.S. GRAPH was in dry-dock
undergoing a refit. It is a thorough examination of the
boat and its equipment. The torpedoes, guns, the firing
trials, and comments on German Navy practice as against
British Navy practice &c.
In addition there is a copy of the report on exercises carried
out for the US Navy. It is a study on the performance of
the boat, underwater endurance, diving and surfacing characteristics,
the recharging of the batteries and air supply. The boats
behaviour. Simulated exercises and exercise summaries.
Included are a number of illustrations on "resilient
mountings", the periscope - its optical arrangement
and diagrammatic arrangements, two fold-outs illustrating
the docking plan & watertight compartments.
115 pages, 210 x 295 mm.
ISBN 978-0-85420-940-8 Hardback Edition £27.99
ISBN 978-0-85420-945-3 Softback Edition £17.99
Volume 8 :- OPERATION CABAL : THE TRANSFER OF U-BOAT
TO FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM TO RUSSIA 1945-6
This study as originally researched and compiled
from the Admiralty Records by Mr D J Lees of the Royal Navy's
Historical Branch, and edited by J P Mallmann Showell This
study is based on contemporary reports. The Royal Navy's
vessels returned to the UK arriving at different times and
at different ports which prevented the Senior Officer being
able to correlate these accounts into a single report. This
is the first time that this study has been published. The
U-Boats were escorted by 8 Escorts Vessels from Lisahally
to Libau in the Baltic. The group faced considerable problems
such as numerous uncharted wrecks . The weather conditions
in December 1945-January 1946 made the voyage particularly
difficult. The reception by the Russian Navy was far from
warm, the crews were only allowed ashore in large well escorted
groups.
210 x 295 mm, Includes copies of letters,
reports etc., 77 pages, 2 maps.
ISBN 978-0-85420-683-4 Hardback Edition £27.99
ISBN 978-0-85420-684-1 Softback Edition £17.99
Volume 9 :- U-BOAT PORTS
This volume is only available to members
of the U-Boat Archive. If a copy of this is required, we
suggest you contact the U-Boat Archive direct.
210 x 295 mm, Includes copies of letters,
reports etc., 77 pages, 2 maps.
ISBN 978-0-85420-683-4 Hardback Edition £27.99
ISBN 978-0-85420-684-1 Softback Edition £17.99
BURY THE WOLVES DEEP - OPERATION
DEADLIGHT
By T. Andrews.
The record of the destruction of the German
U-Boat fleet at the end of World War II.
Volume 1
Includes the surrender agreement, the post
hostilites planning by the Royal Navy, the surrender of
the U-Boats. The activities of the Tripartite Naval Commission
[the Royal, US & Russian Navies]. Operation Regenbogen.
The fate of the U-Boats at sea at the time of the surrender.
The tour of U-776 to the ports of the United Kigndom. The
War Crimes trials as a result of Operation Regenbogen.
210 x 295 mm, 125 pages
[summer 2007]
Volume 2
Includes Diary of events at Loch Ryan May-December 1945,
Report by C-in-C Rosyth. Comprehensive list of U-Boats sunk,
list of U-Boats that survived Operation Deadlight. Prize
Crew's account of duty on U-2513. Destruction of U-Boats
at Wihelmshaven. Also list of scuttled U-Boats by location
with dates of sinkings, type of Boat etc. U-Boats transferred
to the Allied Navies and their fate. List of surrendered
U-Boats - by port of surrender date and commanders' names
are included.
210 x 295mm, 170 pages
[summer 2007]
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