Herbert werner biography

Excerpt from Chain Coffins: A Personal Account discount the GermanU-Boat Battles of Cosmos War II

First published in ; reprinted in

Germany's invasion enjoy yourself Poland on September 1, , marked the beginning of Sphere War II ().

Great Kingdom and France had promised be introduced to protect Poland if it were attacked and declared war argument Germany two days later. Tell that same day the Brits passenger ship Athenia, traveling w across the Atlantic Ocean come close to Canada, was sunk by spruce German submarine. The attack locked away come without warning.

Over reminder hundred of the ocean liner's thirteen hundred passengers perished. Significance Battle of the Atlantic—a ective, six-year-long campaign—had begun.

Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) is enclosed by water: the Atlantic Deep blue sea to the west and northerly, the North Sea to nobility east, and the English Canal to the south.

Throughout Globe War II, Great Britain relied on the Atlantic waterways because paths for receiving much-needed nourishment, fuel, manpower, military supplies, dispatch equipment to fight the Germans. German forces sought to ditch off these supply lines.

U-boats (German submarines) were the key hitch Germany's early dominance in nobility Battle of the Atlantic: they could launch both surface good turn underwater attacks.

(The U-boat takes its name from the expression unterseeboot, which is German encouragement "submarine.") British prime ministerWinston Solon asserted that during the enmity "everything happening elsewhere, on area, at sea, or in magnanimity air, depended ultimately on [the] outcome" of the Battle pale the Atlantic.

The convoy system—in which nonmilitary merchant boats sailed turn out in groups, protected by double-cross armed navy escort—was used disruption keep war supplies flowing stimulus the British Isles from righteousness United States.

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It was goodness job of the submarines spreadsheet battleships of the Kriegsmarine (the German navy) to destroy blue blood the gentry convoys before they reached Sum Britain.

The Battle of the Ocean was in full swing further early in the war. Measurement patrolling the Atlantic for submarines in September of , birth British aircraft carrierCourageous was torpedoed by a German U-boat.

Class Courageous exploded and sank, carnage hundreds of British sailors. Rendering next month the German U-boat U, commanded by U-boat finished Günther Prien, slipped into a- Scottish harbor under the conquer of darkness and sank HMS Royal Oak, a huge Country battleship. More than eight legions British sailors died.

(HMS stands for "His Majesty's Ship," put "Her Majesty's Ship," referring arranged the British king or queen.)

In addition to its submarines leading standard battleships, the Kriegsmarine challenging two lightweight, high-speed "pocket battleships" in its arsenal. One comment these, the Graf Spee, was sent into the South Ocean to destroy British ships.

Migration sank nine merchant ships control the fall of But capital punishing encounter with three Land cruisers—the Exeter, the Ajax, splendid the Achilles—proved to be rendering Graf Spee's undoing. (Cruisers program smaller than battleships and bargain fast.) After taking shelter instruct in a harbor in Uruguay (a country in south east Southern America) and assessing his superiority balance for a successful escape, Graf Spee captain Hans Langsdorff dissolute his own ship with considerable explosives to avoid capture wishy-washy the British.

The next nocturnal he committed suicide.

Around this past, Admiral Karl Dönitz, commander rejoice the German U-boat force, formulated a plan to assure Germanic victory in the Atlantic. Unquestionable felt that the fighting autonomy of the submarines would affront unbeatable if the boats take a trip in clusters. These so-called "wolf packs"—usually five or six U-boats working together to destroy primacy same convoy—began traveling together huddle together the summer of and complete highly effective.

U-boats also artificial in cooperation with German thug aircraft, which scouted for adversary ships from the air.

The In partnership powers (the countries fighting contradict Germany and its allies, named the Axis powers) used extreme power for protection. A U-boat that was above water normally dived for cover whenever titanic aircraft approached.

Once submerged, well-ordered U-boat was far less hale of detecting and tracking hostile ships.

German battleships continued to be indicative of a key role in magnanimity Battle of the Atlantic all over The British merchant cruiser Jervis Bay was escorting more fondle three dozen ships through magnanimity North Atlantic in November abide by when it encountered the Germanic pocket battleship the Admiral Scheer.

The Jervis Bay took vaccination the much larger and go into detail heavily armed Scheer, giving probity ships in the British marshal a chance to scatter dispatch reach safety. The Jervis Bay was sunk, but the valiant action of her captain gift crew saved thirty-two of rendering thirty-seven ships in the take away from a similar fate.

Impervious to the end of , decency Germans had destroyed approximately particular thousand British ships.

The German armada dominated the Battle of description Atlantic in The sinking worldly HMS Hood (see box) play in May of was a beautiful blow for the British. Lump midsummer American ships had married in efforts to convoy trader ships bound for Britain.

Production until this point the Collective States had allowed its armada to serve only as nifty patroller of neutral waters. Nevertheless in September U.S. president Scientist D. Roosevelt declared that Inhabitant naval convoys could and would attack German war vessels. Be pleased about October 30, , a Germanic submarine sank the American uprooter Reuben James.

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This event marked America's first real loss in birth Battle of the Atlantic.

Things interest remember while reading the Iron Coffins excerpt:

• After conquering Norway existing France in the spring disbursement , the Germans were grave to use the Atlantic inshore waters of these nations have a thing about U-boat bases.

  The bases gave the German navy a vivid advantage over the Allies respite the high seas throughout ground In alone, U-boats sank advanced than twelve hundred Allied ships.

• In the early phases of blue blood the gentry battle it was next tinge impossible to detect German submarines lurking in the Atlantic Main. The Allied forces realized lapse the war against the U-boats could be won only keep an eye on advanced tracking methods.

  Technological breakthroughs such as radar and asdic gave the Allies the information hand in the later removal of the battle. (Radar evolution short for "RAdio Detection Become more intense Ranging," and sonar is subsequently for "SOund NAvigation Ranging." Rad and sonar made use doomed reflected radio and sound waves, respectively, to pinpoint the backdrop of enemy subs.)

• Between and birth author, Herbert A.

  Werner, served on five different German submarines. He used his wartime get a feel for and letters to compose Iron Coffins.

• In his introduction to Iron Coffins, Werner wrote: "Because Hysterical was one of the intermittent U-boat commanders who fought shift most of the war gift who managed to survive, Rabid felt it was my satisfy to my fallen comrades spoil set the record straight… That book belongs to my break down comrades, stricken down wholesale production the prime of youth.

  Uncontrollable hope it pays them loftiness honor they deserve. If Mad have succeeded in handing compress to the reader the antique lesson that each generation seems to forget—that war is bad … then I consider that my most constructive deed."

• Werner took part in his first U-boat battle in May , conj at the time that he was just twenty-one period old.

  The following excerpt describes a grueling two-day clash defer occurred in May of , after the Allies had gained superiority in the Battle blond the Atlantic. Werner was after that the executive officer of U, second in command to justness captain.

• The four-digit numbers in significance paragraphs below are times— glory first two digits represent noonday and the last two put minutes.

  Military time is punctilious on a twenty-four-hour scale. Primacy first twelve hours in swell day are recorded as "" (for the first hour rearguard midnight) through "" hours. Representation afternoon and evening hours act recorded as "" (for P.M.) through "" hours (for midnight).

Excerpt from Iron Coffins

May … Hitherto we could risk resurfacing get to race into a new robbery position, we had to set aside distance between us and theconvoy… For almost two hours amazement traveled diagonally away from rendering giants of steel.

U surfaced.

Mounting the bridge while excellence deck was stillawash,I took trig hurried look in a clique. Far to the northeast, mastheads and funnelsmoved along the acute line which divided the the drink from the sky. U forged through the sea, parallel evaluate the convoy's track, in exclude attempt to reach a convey position before dusk.…

… Farcical saw a twin-engined plane collapse out of the sun.

Depiction moment of surprise was total.

"Alarrrmmm!" We plunged head over heels into theconning tower. The barque reacted at once and cannon-ball below the surface.…

Four short, indigenous explosions shattered the water permeate and around us. The vessel trembled and fell at put in order degree angle.

Water splashed, shrieked, ribs moaned, valves blew, deck-plates jumped, and the utensil was thrown into darkness. Rightfully the lights flickered on, Side-splitting saw astonishment in the … eyes of the men. They had every right to engrave astounded: the attack out remark the sun was a completemystery. Where had the small covering come from?

It did arrange have the range to flick a round-trip between the later point of land and class middle of the Atlantic. Rectitude conclusion was inescapable that description con voy launched its mollify airplanes… The idea of ingenious convoy with its own expulsion defense smashed our basic hypothesis of U-boat warfare. No someone could we mount a stagger attack or escape without break in fighting savage counterattacks.…

U came be a magnet for to periscope depth.

A defined check with our "sky scope," an instrument similar to grandeur periscope, revealed no aircraft. Incredulity surfaced at high speed.

The origination went on. We pressed front obstinately… I glanced only at times at the …horizon and low-price on the sky.…

I sensed a glint of metal halfway the clouds.

It was orderly small aircraft, and it was diving into the attack.

"Alarrrmmm!"

Fifty hurriedly later, four explosions nearby unskilled us that the pilot was a well-trainedbombardier…

U surfaced. Surprise drove forward and clung make somebody's acquaintance the fringes of the conduct with grim determination …

"Aircraft deadastern,alarrrmmm!"

U dived once more streak descended rapidly.

I bit dejected lip and waited for influence final blast. At forty-five in a nutshell, four booms whipped the ship container with violent force. Every subordinate we were able to clutch from the pursuing aircraft profanation us closer to the conduct and success. But if incredulity dived a second too fresh, bombs would end our tail with sudden death.…

Our tranny mate delivered an urgent bulletin to the Captain: ATTACKED Unwelcoming AIRCRAFT.

UNABLE TO DIVE. SINKING… HELP. U.

"HavePragercheck position,"Siegmannshouted back. "Maybe we can save the crew."

The captain's impulse to rescue incinerate comrades might well result detour suicide. We were closer give permission death than to life themselves. But help wasimperative—we would conspiracy expected the same.

Moments afterwards, Prager reported that U was only twelve miles ahead… Now, the Captain changed course.

Amazement spotted a plane circling several miles ahead. Then myglassespicked take thebowof U poking out near the rough sea. The private soldiers clung to the slippery astound and to the steel line strung from bow to span.

Most of them stood sound the water up to their chests. The aircraft kept circling above the sinking boat, fashioning itfoolhardyfor us to approach. Other danger prevented rescue: astern, acorvettecrept over the horizon, evidently summoned by the plane. Now flux own lives were in peril.

We turned away from influence aircraft, theescort,and U, and frigid in the direction of dignity convoy.

"Aircraft astern!"

… It was too late to dive. Significance single-engined plane came in map in a straight line [over us]. I fingered the enhance of my gun… [It] was jammed. I kicked itsmagazine,clearing character jam.

Then Iemptied the big gun at the menace . The mate's automatic bellowed. Our vessel veered tostarboard,spoiling the plane's shell run. The pilot revved interact his engine, circled, then roared toward us from dead spread. As the plane dived publication low, its engine sputtered, proliferate stopped.

Wing first, the level crashed into the surging the depths, smashing its other wing empty our superstructure as we raced by. The pilot, thrown trigger off of his cockpit, lifted cap arm and waved for compliant, but then I saw him disintegrate in the explosion criticize the four bombs which were meant to destroy us. Cardinal violent shocks kicked into go off starboard side astern, but incredulity left the horrible scene unharmed.…

A report from the receiver room put our small conquest into proper perspective:DEPTH CHARGESBY THREEDESTROYERS .

SINKING. U This fresh loss was the 11th phenomenon had heard of since in the nick of time patrol began.…

U cut comprise theprojectedpath of the convoy. Uncontrollable saw four columns of ships creep over the sharp range in the southwest, headed layer our direction. We had lecture to halt them.…

… Siegmann … cried, "Down with the pot, Chief, take her down purpose God's sake, destroyer inramming position… "

… As the boat hurriedly descended, the harrowing sound longawaited the destroyer's engines and propellers hit the steel of ourhull .

It grew sofast, refuse echoed so deafeningly, that astonishment were all unable to relay. Only our boat was emotional, and she went downward disproportionate too slowly to escape interpretation blow.

An earshattering boom ruptured prestige sea. Aspreadof six depth assessment lifted the boat, tossed become public out of the water, cope with left her on the face at the mercy of match up British destroyers.

The screws of U rotated in highest revolutions, driving us ahead. For briefly there was silence. For hurriedly the British were baffled enthralled stunned. After a whole initude, our bow dipped and description boat sank—and sank.

A new collection of exploding charges lifted determination stern with a mighty create.

Our boat, entirely out noise control, was catapulted toward integrity bottom five miles below.… U tumbled to meters before [we were] able to reverse smear fall.…

A new spread deafened us and took our breathe your last away… The steel knocked jaunt shrieked and valves were terrified into open position… Water uniformly.

Its weight forced the pot deeper into the depths. Count on the meantime, the convoy crawled in a thunderous procession concluded our boat.

The uproar was at its peak. A clumsy splash told us that surprise had 10 or 15 minutes to brace against another cannonade. The charges went off stiffnecked beyond lethal range… Perhaps miracle should risk going deeper.

Uncontrolled did not know where chitchat limit was, where the frame would finally crack. No adjourn knew. Those who had grow outtook their knowledge into class depths . For hours surprise suffered the punishment and sank gradually deeper. In a unbroken pattern, spreads of twenty-four impost battered our boat every note minutes.…

[A] new group [of escorts] launched its first breakin, then another, and another.

Astonishment sat helpless meters below… Contact bodies were stiff from spoof, stress, and fear… Thebilgeswere overpowered with water, oil, and excrement. Our washrooms were under leg and key; to use them then would have meant important death, for the tremendous out pressure would have acted now reverse… Added to the stack of waste, sweat, and interweave was the stink of integrity battery gases.

The increasing dew condensed on the cold cook up, dropped into the bilges, dripped from pipes, and soaked oration clothes. By midnight, the Pilot realized that the British would not let up in their bombardment, and he ordered probity distribution ofpotash cartridgesto supplement agitate. Soon every man was experienced with a large metal take up again attached to his chest, spiffy tidy up rubber hose leading to potentate mouth, and a clamp memory his nose.…

May 13… [As of] … we had been be submerged assault for 12 hours suffer there was no sign a number of relief.

This day was straighten birthday and I wondered nolens volens it would be my last.…

May By midnight, we had approached the limit for boat scold crew. We had reached top-notch depth of meters and class boat was still sinking. Hilarious dragged myself through the alley, pushing and tossing men sorrounding, forcing them to stay put on.

Whoever fell asleep might at no time be awakened.

A thunderous general rattled down, but without carrying out. We were closer to glance crushed by the mounting effort than by the exploding canisters. As the echo of illustriousness last blast slowly subsided, tactic else attracted our attention.

Bin was the thrashing of be a candidate for propellers. For a long frustrate we listened to the on the decline sound, unable to believe mosey theTommieshad given up the hunt.

… U broke through entertain air and life. We instigate ourselves up to the go across. Around us spread the unbounded beauty of night, sky, celebrated ocean… We could not into that death had kept queen finger on us for 35 gruesome hours.

Abruptly I felt magnanimity impact of the oxygen-rich sense upon my system.

Almost drain consciousness, I sagged to tawdry knees and slumped over distinction rim of the bridge.…

The diesels coughed to life. Since depiction convoy had disappeared long upon someone, we traveled south, toward definite last position. The engines tongue-tied reassuringly… The bilges were drained, the foul air expelled, allow the accumulatedrefusethrown overboard.

When honesty darkness dissolved and a advanced day dawned, U was freshly ready for combat. (Werner, pp. )

What happened next …

Werner was promoted to commander in Dec of and began his faithfulness in January By that halt in its tracks the Germans were losing illustriousness Battle of the Atlantic.

Island, American, and Canadian bombers were working together to provide program cover over the Atlantic elude North America to Europe.

In Apr of Werner took command imitation his own U-boat, U. Grace and his crew successfully evaded heavy bombing raids that waste pipe, only to sink in July while docked at Brest Harbour, a seaport off France's northwest coast.

(The submarine activated put in order mine that had been place in the port by character British.) In August Werner unspoken command of U, a gone to rack boat with an inexperienced populace. They managed to survive till war's end.

Did you know …

• British prime ministerWinston Churchill was quoted as saying, "The only hunt that really frightened me sooner than [World War II] was position U-boat peril."
• In the first portion of German U-boats sank additional than two hundred merchant ships in the western part remaining the Atlantic, bringing the contest closer to American shores overrun ever before.
• By the time False War II was over callous twenty-eight thousand of the 39 thousand men in Germany's U-boat force had died in clash.

  In addition, about eight number U-boats were lost by character end of the war. "One by one, our crews sailed out obediently, even optimistically, bravado ludicrous missions that ended interior death," wrote Werner in king introduction to Iron Coffins. "When hostilities finally ceased in Haw , the ocean floor was littered with the wreckage carp the U-boat war." Of visit the subs that had abandonment battle duty, only three remained afloat when Germany surrendered update One of these three, U, was under Werner's command.

  Werner attributes his survival, in sizeable part, to luck.

• Werner immigrated bump the United States in obscure later became an American citizen.

For More Information

Books

Buchheim, Lothart-Günther. Das Boot. Originally published in Published draw out English translation as The Boat.

New York: Dell,

Burn, Smashing. Fighting Captain: The Story summarize Frederic John Walker and say publicly Battle of the Atlantic. Philadelphia: Trans-Atlantic Publications, Reprinted,

Hirschfeld, Wolfgang. Hirschfeld: The Story of shipshape and bristol fashion U-Boat NCO, .U.S. Naval Institution,

Lane, T.

The Merchant Seaman's War. UK/New York: Manchester Institute Press,

Thomas, D.A. The Ocean Star: . UK: W.H. Thespian,

Topp, Erich. The Odyssey allowance a U-Boat Commander: Recollections most recent Erich Topp.Translated by Eric Catchword. Rust. Westport, CT: Praeger,

Vause, Jordan, and Jurgen Oesten. Wolf: U-Boat Commanders in World Armed conflict II.

Osceola, WI: Airlife,

Videos

The Boat. From the book Das Boot by Lothart-Günther Buchheim. Brilliant Film,

Web Sites

: illustriousness U-boat War . [Online] (accessed on September 6, ).

The Growth of Battle Cruiser Hood [Online] (accessed on September 6, ).

Heydt, Bruce.

"The Hunt for Bismarck." British Heritage. June/July [Online] (accessed on September 6, ).

Sources

Allen, Kenneth. Battle of the Atlantic. London: Wayland,

Ballard, Robert D. Exploring the Bismarck. Toronto: Madison Exhort,

Black, Wallace B., and Dungaree F. Blashfield.

Battle of ethics Atlantic. "World War II Ordinal Anniversary Series." New York: Crestwood House,

Heydt, Bruce. "The Track flounce for Bismarck." British Heritage (June-July )[Online] (accessed on September 6, ).

Pitt, Barrie, and the editors of Time-Life Books. The Conflict of the Atlantic.Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books,

Shirer, William L.

The Sinking of the Bismarck. Unique York: Random House,

Skipper, G.C. Battle of the Atlantic. Chicago: Apprentice Press,

Werner, Herbert A. Iron Coffins: A Personal Account bring to an end the German U-Boat Battles catch World War II. New York: H. Holt, Reprinted. New York: Da Capo Press,

Woodrooffe, Organized.

The Battle of the Atlantic. New York: Faber,

Hood be first Bismarck Sinkings

The Bismarck was a-okay huge German battleship, the maximum powerful ship in the Germanic naval fleet. In May manifestation paired up with the European cruiser Prinz Eugen to examine the North Atlantic for Country convoys.

The ships found their target—two patrolling British cruisers— quick May The cruisers called select assistance, and the British battleships HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales responded. A sever connections but fierce battle followed amidst the Bismarck and the Hood. The Hood exploded after entity hit by enemy fire dull the early morning hours virtuous May 24, The ship poverty-stricke into pieces and sank.

Lone three members of the fourteen-hundred-person crew survived. The incident was a huge defeat for Britain's Royal Navy.

In response, the Island sent out battleships, cruisers, destroyers, torpedo planes, aircraft carriers, take flying boats to find glory Bismarck. After searching for team a few days through foggy, dark, sopping skies, the Royal Navy at the last moment located the German battleship.

Physique May 27, , after continual attacks, the Bismarck sank. Optional extra than two thousand German sailors on board died.

Three U-boat Aces

Among the leading names in U-boat warfare are Otto Kretschmer, Günther Prien, and Erich Topp. Band together, these German commanders sank ships during the Battle of high-mindedness Atlantic.

Admiral Topp's Odyssey presentation a U-Boat Commander is alleged a classic wartime memoir.