Lone Wolf: Life and Death of U-boat Ace Werner Henke - Softcover

Mulligan, Timothy Patrick

4.23

26 ratings by Goodreads

9780806127804: Lone Wolf: Life and Death of U-boat Ace Werner Henke

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0806127805 ISBN 13: 9780806127804

Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press, 1995

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This book relates the life - and death - of the rebel German seaman who became one of the most successful U-boat commanders of World War II. In this carefully documented study, Timothy P. Mulligan tells the story of Werner Henke and the crew of U-515 in the Battle of the Atlantic, where they engaged in long-range "lone wolf" operations against Allied ships. The story of U-5l5 is closely correlated to the overall conduct of the U-boat war, including assessments of Karl Donitz's strategy, the influence of technological innovations, and the contributions of Allied signal intelligence. Henke sank twenty-four merchant vessels and two warships before U-515 itself was sunk and he and his crew captured by a U.S. task force in 1944. Fearing he would be turned over to the British and tried as a war criminal, Henke became the only U-boat captain killed in North America while trying to escape as a prisoner of war.

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Review:

"This excellent volume uses a comprehensive array of primary and secondary sources to paint a vivid portrait not only of this maverick of the Kriegsmarine but of a whole generation of German naval officers, especially U-boat veterans."-Booklist

"General readers will enjoy this book as will specialists. Highly recommended for all levels."-Choice

"In recounting the twisty path taken by one casualty of a global conflict, Mulligan sheds considerable light on the tactics and technology employed by a loathsome regime's silent service."-Kirkus Reviews

"Lone Wolf is thus a great addition to the history of World War Two and the German navy, whilst at the same time being a must read for anyone interested in the Battle of the Atlantic."-The Journal of Military History

"Offers fresh insights into the Battle of the Atlantic through the story of a U-boat service that would ultimately lose three quarters of its men, and a portrait of one its most successful and controversial commanders."-Publishers Weekly

?General readers will enjoy this book as will specialists. Highly recommended for all levels.?-Choice

?In recounting the twisty path taken by one casualty of a global conflict, Mulligan sheds considerable light on the tactics and technology employed by a loathsome regime's silent service.?-Kirkus Reviews

?Lone Wolf is thus a great addition to the history of World War Two and the German navy, whilst at the same time being a must read for anyone interested in the Battle of the Atlantic.?-The Journal of Military History

?Offers fresh insights into the Battle of the Atlantic through the story of a U-boat service that would ultimately lose three quarters of its men, and a portrait of one its most successful and controversial commanders.?-Publishers Weekly

?This excellent volume uses a comprehensive array of primary and secondary sources to paint a vivid portrait not only of this maverick of the Kriegsmarine but of a whole generation of German naval officers, especially U-boat veterans.?-Booklist

From the Back Cover:

This book relates the life - and death - of the rebel German seaman who became one of the most successful U-Boat commanders of World War II. The story of Werner Henke - and a narrative outlining the history of his boat, U-515, and its crew - forms the basis for a biography of a man who defies the stereotypes of German character, who never fit in as a career officer in the German Navy, but who chose a suicidal death in acceptance of the code of the military service whose rules he continually bent and broke. Though the story Mulligan relates is engrossing and action-packed, it is also a carefully documented study that breaks new ground in uncovering the sociological background of Henke and his crew; in short, it is a study in German history as well as a biography of a U-Boat commander. Examining the backgrounds and attitudes of the crew - including their views on Hitler and the treatment of the Jews - Mulligan sheds new light on the men who constituted an elite in Hitler's Wehrmacht. The story of U-515 is also closely correlated to the overall conduct of the U-Boat war, including assessments of Karl Donitz's strategy, the influence of technological innovations, and the contributions of Allied signal intelligence. Henke's confrontation with the Gestapo and a detailed account of the sinking of the passenger liner Ceramic further add to the story, revealing the complex reality behind an image too long dominated by propaganda stereotypes.

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