The name “U-boat,” an abbreviation of the German unterseeboot which, literally translated, means “undersea boat,” is a name that has become synonymous with swift and deadly attacks from the depths of the ocean, torpedoed Allied warships sinking into the icy waters of the Atlantic after having been taken by surprise, and the most potent submarine fleet of the Second World War.
While the U-boat fleet’s reputation for ruthless effectiveness is generally well known, a fact that is perhaps not so widely known is that these legendary submarines were, ultimately, almost as deadly to their operators and crews as they were to their foes.
By the time the war ended, of the 40,900 Germans who served on U-boat crews 5,000 were taken prisoner and 28,000 lost their lives.
