I loved the days when the history channel actually made good historical documentaries. During the 90s many veterans were still alive which makes them even more special. Thank you for uploading these documentaries.
@@pauljohnson9542 It’s that old joke again: “We’re about 1 mile from ground.” “For real? There’s literally nothing but water-horizon all over.” “I didn’t say DRY ground.”
In 1944 some Uboots were fitted with rubber mats glued to the hull. These were drilled with little holes that trapped the asdic. Those boats were truely the first Stealth subs. They could not be detected when submerged if they moved at slow speed. A second point to mention is that most ASW ships were Corvettes, not destroyers. The Allies simply flooded the oceans with these small, cheap to build boats and they did most of the convoy escort duty. Lastly, the Type XX1 " Electroboot " was used by the Soviet navy for many years after WW2. They had captured intact and partially built examples in Danzig and liked them so much, they completed them and put them into service. Likewise, the Americans liked the design so much it became the basis for the first nuclear powered US submarines. One still exists in it's original form as a museum ship, the Wilhelm Bauer. All the others were scrapped but three are buried under the remains of the Uboot pens in Wilhelmshaven. 6 other examples were scuttled, either by their crews or by the Allies as part of Operation Deadlight and remain, in good condition, on the sea floor. Post war evaluations rated these boats poorly due to construction faults due to poor quality control, over complicated plumbing, which was mostly outside of the pressure hull and vulnerable to depth charge damage. They also had poor quality schnorkels which were complicated and difficult to use. It would have taken years of development to render these Uboots suitable for war service. Only four type XX1 Uboots went on active war patrols but sank no ships.
U-Boat Pen in Hamburg as far as i know and the Bundesmarine had two Typ XXIII in service in the 60s U-Hai and U-Hecht borth raised from sea, one of them sunk twice 1st in Kriegsmarine Service and later 2nd time in Bundesmarine service (only the Smut survived) and was again raised , later scrapped like the sisterboat
Fun Facts About “The Boat” AKA DAS B00T The bulk of the film's $15 million budget was spent on constructing U-boats. Specifications for the original Type VIl-CU-boat were found at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. The plans were taken to the original builder of the subs, who was commissioned to build a full-sized, sea-going replica, their first such assignment since the war ended. A second full-sized model was built for interior filming. The cast was deliberately kept indoors continually during the shooting period in order to look as pale as a real submarine crew would on a mission at sea. Originally filmed in German, all of the major actors could speak English. When the movie was dubbed into English for USA and UK distribution, all of the principal actors - with the exception of Martin Semmelrogge actually dubbed their own voices into English. Semmelrogge however caught up in 1997 by dubbing himself for the director's cut. The submarine models were also used in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Scenes were shot in sequence so that the growth of beards would be entirely natural, although a few shots had to be redone later on with false hair.
U 505 is at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. I have seen it many times, its an absolutely amazing thing to see and learn about. Take a vacation to Chicago and see this, this exhibit and the museum alone is worth the trip. Fortunately I grew up just south of Chicago so we went there quite a few times over the years.
It was a TV series first of episodes lasting 45mins approx from Germany with subtitles, had about 8-10eps. Then they cut it into a film losing so much of it. Only the series is worth watching for the real deal. I was ill & watched it in bed. It helped.
@2000Cowboys I saw "Das Boot" in a theatre when it came out, 1981(?). During 1975-1978, I served on a fast attack sub in the US Navy, so it was fresh in my memory. I thought it was a great movie. We had a few close calls with fires and hydraulic leaks, but nothing as scary as war. I think "hero" is overused, but I appreciate the courage and resolve of my parents generation, and not just of those who served in the military.
Fun Facts About “The Boat” AKA DAS B00T The bulk of the film's $15 million budget was spent on constructing U-boats. Specifications for the original Type VIl-CU-boat were found at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. The plans were taken to the original builder of the subs, who was commissioned to build a full-sized, sea-going replica, their first such assignment since the war ended. A second full-sized model was built for interior filming. The cast was deliberately kept indoors continually during the shooting period in order to look as pale as a real submarine crew would on a mission at sea. Originally filmed in German, all of the major actor’s could speak English. When the movie was dubbed into English for USA and UK distribution, all of the principal actors - with the exception of Martin Semmelrogge actually dubbed their own voices into English. Semmelrogge however caught up in 1997 by dubbing himself for the director's cut. The submarine models were also used in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Scenes were shot in sequence so that the growth of beards would be entirely natural, although a few shots had to be redone later on with false hair.
And how the allies hijacked the technology after the war, but then again all u have to remember is the battle by scappa flow where the brittish once again got thier ass handed to them
A very good friend of mine was a Merchant Marine sailor. Tom was torpedoed three times by U-boats; survived all three. He said that the last was the worst - he and 5 others were in a small life raft for two weeks. February in the North Atlantic gets mighty cold!
Being a collector, the KM items are by far my favorite! The World At War documentary has interviews with Grand Admiral Doneitz that are really cool to see!
Yes!!! World At War is arguably the best WWII documentary EVER produced, due in large part to the many of the main actors of the war still being around and participating in the series. You can buy the entire series on DVD. There are interviews with Admiral Doenitz, U-boat ace Otto Kretchmer, WWII German flying ace Adolph Galland, Albert Speer and many, many more! A must see!
Several years before Adm Topp's death, most of his highly respected medals were stolen from his home. I am almost sure that this theft had something to do with his death. Obviously the thieves had no idea of the magnitude of the crime, or maybe they did. Either way it is tragic that this happened to one of the best uboat skippers of WW2. RIP Adm Topp.
Yes sir, more than likely it did, just look at the field marshals baton, how many were either stolen in a 50's style smash & grab or were stolen outright, with a cover story of robbery
Only dog's that wouldn't have one Ball let alone two balls and balls having them and this is how you get a iron cross the scrum I hope his family get revenge
Maybe, but the way this doco is presented - to someone who knew nothing of the Battle of the Atlantic - it would seen that the US Navy knew all, was the most experienced Navy, AND saved the bungling British!! But against the historical record, the OPPOSITE of this belief is in fact, the truth!! The US Navy didn't make an impact inthe BotA until 1943 - long after the outcome of the BotA had already been decided. 👍
Dontiz told Hitler to give him 150 u boats at the beginning of the war, and he'll give him England. In September of 1939, Dontiz had 26. If he had the 150, England would have likely sued for peace at the very least.
@JZ's Best Friend, I have stated that several times but I am NOT a anal born politician but just an average Vietnam era veteran who believes that Hitler lost the war due to his constant meddling and by putting that pompous gas bag, Goering, in charge of the Luftwaffe.!
A resounding Y ES. Germany began the wat with enormous advantages mismanaged bythe invincible Fuhrer. Refer to Armageddon by Max Hastings and Battle of the Atlantic by Jonathan Dimbleby.@@richardcline1337
@@aussiedownunder4186 England was within weeks of starvation with just what Donitz had at his disposa prior to the u.s. entering the warl. Dontiz was a brilliant strategist, not a rabid ideologue that curried favor with Hitler. His numbers were on point.
War is needed no matter how many are lost . peace comes at a heavy price.born to live love and understand.trained, to hate kill , and get the job done.1984 - 1989. I'm 55. USMC!
Sincs Das Boot the attitude of the tommies to the u boat men changed. Both sides were good and bad but both were good at what they did. Total respect to both sides but also to the merchants sailors. What a loss and waste. This battle was mainly between the Tommies and the Germans. The code breakers, the radars, the Leigh lights, Hud Duff, Hedgehog, Sonar, convoy tactics and hunter killer destroyer coopeation groups. The Americans learned very quickly and their planes were very important. And they manufactured everything so much quicker than the British. They needed and helped each other. But the real star of this battle on the Allies was a British commander called Walker. Very interesting man. His methods changed the situation very much. Like Kretschmer he was the best kind of Leader.
@@Otswartz I read a description of successful attack techniques used by one U-boat Commander. He would not attack unless he was exploiting some kind of error made by the enemy. Too only have 2 knots of "get away" speed after torp launch,a bit of a death sentence if you yourself aren't clever.
7 to 8 knots was the top speed, but it would empty the batteries very quickly (in an hour or so). Also going at that speed was extremely noisy and could be detected by enemy hydrophones from miles away.
Effective tactics do not change. The blitz krieg is still the most effective conventional tactics and U-drons are still the most prioritised Hi-tech naval weapons of today...
@@waynegrobler7432 my dad was an engineer on British tankers during the war. I asked him about it and the fact he was on a tanker. He told me it would have been worse on one of the ore carriers because when they were torpedoed they sank in seconds. This was because iron ore is so heavy it hardly fills the hold of the ship. When it get torpedoed there is no resistance to flooding and the ship sinks very quickly. My dad should have been on the tanker British Premier when it was sunk but he had built up some extra leave and took it at Christmas. It saved his life
@@vectravi2008Hi John I'm actually an ambulance helicopter pilot so I cannot say I know anything at all about what it was like 5 stories under the water line in hostile waters. I have an avid interest in the second world war and funnily enough for an aviator I'm mostly interested in those vital and terrible convoys of the Atlantic and North sea...so huge respect to your father and all those brave and too often unsung heroes. Many perished without even being able to shoot back at the enemy and rarely were they acknowledged for their unfathomable courage. They were all incredibly brave and dedicated amd we all owe them and their families so much. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🇿🇦👍
Had Germany had enough U-Boats with well trained crews in 1940/41 Britain would have been forced out of the war. Fortunately fifty U-boats weren’t enough
@@manilajohn0182 ….an Armistice. Given that Hitler was an Anglophile probably not a German occupation. A treaty on advantageous terms to Germany. Reparations paid to Germany similar to the Versailles treaty imposed on the defeated.
@@Idahoguy10157 But the British are defeated, broke and reliant on a merchant fleet which has been demolished- so that they can barely provide for themselves. Wouldn't the Kriegsmarine be forced to be maintained at strength in order to ensure continued British neutrality? My point here is that the Germans stood to gain all but nothing from a neutral Britain, while the manpower and resources to provide for the additional submarines required could only come at the expense of the German army and air force. It's then an open question whether the Germans could have overrun France or driven the BEF off of the Continent. Failing to conquer France means that the Germans wouldn't be using French Atlantic ports as submarine bases.
What? Screw them. They attempted to starve Britain out of the war. If that had happened, the US couldn’t have entered the war. Europe would have been either Nazi or Soviet.
God bless Alan Turing of Bletchley Park who decoded the u boat Nazi Enigma machine codes. A valuable contribution to the battle of the Alantic which is overlooked by some people.
Agreed, but for all the work he did for England during WW2 to break the Enigma machine code. The English government, and the royal joke of a family. Had him arrested, and chemically castrated. Nice way to treat a war hero, who's work most likely ended the war early, and saved a countless number of lives.
Alan Turing's code breaking was largely responsible for single handedly turning the tide against the U-Boats. Prior to his breakthrough work on cracking Engima, the U-Boats were winning, after the codes were broken the U-Boats became the hunted.
41:57 'he had fought it cleanly' is not why Doenitz got a light sentence. Unrestricted submarine warfare (i.e. firing on merchant ships without warning) was defined as a war crime at the time (as well as today) and as its architect for the Kriegsmarine in WWII he faced the hangman's noose for it. His lawyers however successfully argued that the allies engaged in identical tactics throughout the war. In fact the US Navy was very proud of its record of greatly shortening the Pacific War by obliterating merchant vessels supplying Japan through the use of unrestricted submarine warfare.
We must talk about Laconia. There is the reason for the unrestricted uboat warfare. In ww1, every item sendt to Germany was contraband. So. You want a debate about the glorious allied forces? I'm ready.
@@lagresomadsl Yes, the Laconia was filled with women and children and should never have been torpedoed. There were also a large number of prisoners of war. The U Boat captain could quite easily have boarded the Laconia and seized any war materials - if there were any. Instead he chose to murder the innocents. I am not going to engage in a conversation about the 'wrongs' of the allies; two wrongs do not make it right. If the Allies did wrong it does not give license to the Axis to do wrong. But while we are on the subject of wrongs - the invasion of Poland was wrong, the treatment of the Jews was wrong, the massacre at Malmedy, the 1000s of German citizens who were murdered in concentration camps for no reason other than that they disagreed with the Nazi policies, was wrong . . . WWII was about removing a terrible cancer from the world. About the only _right_ to come out of this war was the destruction of the Nazi regime.
@@violinoscar if the germans killed most of the people on Laconia, why where all this people in the lifeboats and why did the germans use the red Cross symbols asking for help to save all this people?
@@lagresomadsl There were 1200 Italian prisoners on the Laconia. The Germans saved 200 people. 100s more died. They should not have sunk the Laconia to begin with. I suggest you read some of the accounts of the sinking instead of basing your knowledge on the movie.
Yeah Heroes every one of them and My Father fought against America Russia. People who don't appreciate giving there lives for what Thay believe that they were ready to die for their Country
I know that they were ' the enemy' but they were truly young men of great courage, and just like the British R.A.F. All were volunteers who knew very well that their chances of survival were slim..may they rest in peace their duty done.
Just love how every war-winning development is noted as "Allied" when in fact, 99% of such developments in this doco were devised by the British: ships using convoy system, development of deep sinking depth-charges, the invention and use of radar (Huff-Duff in escorts), the "Hedgehog". But mention of the anti-submarine B-24 Liberator is clearly noted as American. It seems the Americans are always at pains not to give any credit, unless it's specifically American - then they jump on the band wagon about it ad nauseum. 🙄 *Don't ever forget the British invented and gifted the cavity magnetron to the Americans. This gift has been described as: "the greatest treasure to ever enter our [US] shores". Today, your microwave oven is a legacy of that technology.
Thankfully Hitler wasted resources building the Bismarck and Tirpitz. The 82,000 tons of steal could have built over a 100 Type VII U-Boats. That could have been enough to bring the UK to its knees in 1940-41
The situation could have been worse when the Germans would have used the Graf Zeppelin aircraft carrier together with the Bismarck and the Tirpitz. Combine them with a wolfpack of several U-Boats it would have been a very deadly combination.
i find it very helpful when these documentaries start with an american voiceover and dramatic music - lets me know it's shite and i don't have to waste any more time watching
Be lucky that the TypeXXI came too late, one survived the War and is displayed in Bremen it was raised from the Sea after the Germans joined the NATO and stayed a few Years in service with the Bundesmarine. It was a fine Boat the first real U-Boat
@@johncochrane1203 never heard that anywhere, i'm not saying it isn't true but you'd think a plan like that would've been well documented?...maybe it has been and i've just never heard!
Even on modern submarines, majority of Captains know they have to take great care of their crew, so usually try to make concessions that don't compromise either the effectives or their mission.
It always amazes me with many of the Documentaries regarding the Battle of Atlantic how many American experts voice their opinion. Here are the facts . of the 650 German Uboats sunk in the Atlantic ,no less then 500 were sunk by British ( Commonwealth )forces . Another truth , in 1944 till VE Day 95 % of cargo ships crossing the Atlantic arrived unmolested.
1944 the good times of the german U-boats was long over. Nothing new. The English without the Americans and other puppets of the All lies would have been nothing.
@@davecopp9356 The Battle of the Atlantic was overwhelmingly conducted by the Royal & Royal Canadian navies. The US Navy was a valued junior partner, but was overwhelmingly dominant in the Pacific.
My grandad was on two royal navy ships that got torpedoed one earlier in the war and later on convoy escort of qp14 on the hms somali he survived the war,, my other grandfather was a merchant sailor both came home from the war ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️from Northern Ireland at the end of the war they surrender of the coast of our country
Kids in high school should be shown this.. Most don't even know what a U Boat is. Only if it was in a game they might know lol.... The history in schools is a joke now..
Our kids are educated by union women! Women that can't earn a living wage unless given the right to extort money from the general public!! HOW DEPLORABLE!!!!
I agree with you 100%. May I also point out that with a lifetime of reading and learning about stuff that hold our interests I've come to the conclusion that our history classes weren't that good either. I sure cannot remember if the Hittites invaded the Sumerians or the Egyptians but by gosh, I can fire off a few stats about subs because I have spent a considerable amount of time leaning about them on my own. I'm sure you can speak more intelligently about subjects of your' own interests now vs. what you were force fed at "101" high school level. Just something to think about. Cheers fellow RUclipsr.
I just Posted Th1s....I agree with you and gary bulwinkle also...In today's schools the education....real education has taken a hike. Thanks to the uneducated urban teachers of today. Years ago I went to Catholic schools in the NYC area. One had no time to dilly dally. You either learned or you were gone. I always looked forward to the History/Geography and math classes...The history classes is where we learned about WW1,2, and the Korean war. We were fortunate enough to have Navy veteran teachers.
Schepke and Kretschmer were both lost within an hour of each other when attacking the same convoy. Schepke was killed when HMS Vanoc rammed his U-boats' conning tower. There were no survivors. Kretschmer survived the sinking of his U-Boat, and as he got onto the deck of HMS Walker, Captain McIntyre took his binoculars as a war trophy an used them in a number of successful U-Boat sinkings later in the war. Post-war McIntyre and Kretschmer became friends, with McIntyre returning the binoculars to Kretschmer in the 1980s. Please note, US involvement in the Battle of the Atlantic only had an effect AFTER the RN and RCN had already turned the outcome of the battle in the allies favour.
Imagine having no say in the matter.... conscripted, and then assigned to u-boats. Ignore all the "they were all volunteers" nonsense, while it was true pre and early war, from the middle war years onwards the horrible reality of serving on U-boats was common knowledge and the rush to "volunteer" evapourated. MANY crew were assigned to them without any regard for their personal wishes. Indeed there were various cases of suicides onboard from "combat fatigue" and also probably as a result of irresolvable personal problems due to the cramped living conditions.
They were until sonar became effective and surface radar could pin point a pariscope, and the invention of the hedgehog depth charge system. There was no where a uboat could hide.
Did this doc just say the the underwater speed was just 2-3 knots? uh!! Type 7s and 9s were slow underwater, but they could do 8 knots - or so I have read.
In diesel-electric submarines, you trade underwater endurance for speed. A battery charge at full speed lasts only a few hours, while creeping along would allow for two or three days underwater. Since most escorts on the surface could make fourteen to thirty knots, trying to run at full speed was less than ideal. Better to either go all stop, or just near silent at two knots and hide.
I see. So they could, technically run at 7-8 knots, but were more likely stalking convoys at 2-3. Interesting that the later type u-boats (Elektraboots) traveled faster underwater than at the surface.
Yeah, usually the idea was to race ahead of the convoy on the surface with diesels, then submerge, wait for them to come to you, then sneak away, and repeat. As air patrols and radar became more common, spending any amount of time on the surface became more and more dangerous. So a boat that could transit the entire English Channel or chase a convoy while still underwater became ideal.
At the very end when the German armies have collapsed and Doenitz was Hitler’s successor , he ( Doenitz ) went on the air and made a series of silly statements . In one assertion by Doenitz , the German people were now fighting against the spread of Bolshevism and it was the Anglo-American armies that were impeding this by forcing the Germans to fight against them as well . At the Nuremberg trials , Doenitz in his store suit looked like a shoe clerk . He escaped the death penalty . I believe that Doenitz could have remade himself by opening a donut shop . He could have called it “ Doenitz’s Donuts “ .😄
People forget that U-Booten, like the rest of the Wehrmacht, attacked those who were unprepared. Their preferred targets were unarmed defenceless merchant vessels. As the war that their leaders started progressed they, like the rest of the Wehrmacht, got what they deserved.
The correct pronunciation for a Submariner is SUB MARINER, (as in the the two words) and it might surprise you to learn that the boats we of the original submarine service (the Royal Navy) manned right up until the 1980's were of a modified WWII design. and had little improvement condition wise - Except we had refrigeration and air conditioning, which only became standard in the late 1960's. Mind you they were just as deadly, as we proved continuously.
I loved the days when the history channel actually made good historical documentaries. During the 90s many veterans were still alive which makes them even more special. Thank you for uploading these documentaries.
L HBH hi jppi
Now we have storage wars , court cam and a bunch of other crap
Ah, c’mon…..don’t you enjoy UFO Stories and Hoarding Wars?😂
Ya me too I learned a lot from the History chanal too bad they changed their format
@@rekuntano
40,000 men served on U Boats, over 30,000 never returned.
May those sailors RIP in their iron coffins.
A similar number of British & Commonwealth merchant seamen also died.
@@dovetonsturdee7033 many of my semen died in battle going down the shower drain.
"They realised they were closer to the ocean floor than they from their own port" i think that applies to pretty much every thing on the water
Yep. That was a truly meaningless phrase. Given the average depth of the Atlantic is about 2.3 miles.
@@pauljohnson9542 It’s that old joke again: “We’re about 1 mile from ground.” “For real? There’s literally nothing but water-horizon all over.” “I didn’t say DRY ground.”
In 1944 some Uboots were fitted with rubber mats glued to the hull. These were drilled with little holes that trapped the asdic. Those boats were truely the first Stealth subs. They could not be detected when submerged if they moved at slow speed. A second point to mention is that most ASW ships were Corvettes, not destroyers. The Allies simply flooded the oceans with these small, cheap to build boats and they did most of the convoy escort duty. Lastly, the Type XX1 " Electroboot " was used by the Soviet navy for many years after WW2. They had captured intact and partially built examples in Danzig and liked them so much, they completed them and put them into service. Likewise, the Americans liked the design so much it became the basis for the first nuclear powered US submarines. One still exists in it's original form as a museum ship, the Wilhelm Bauer. All the others were scrapped but three are buried under the remains of the Uboot pens in Wilhelmshaven. 6 other examples were scuttled, either by their crews or by the Allies as part of Operation Deadlight and remain, in good condition, on the sea floor. Post war evaluations rated these boats poorly due to construction faults due to poor quality control, over complicated plumbing, which was mostly outside of the pressure hull and vulnerable to depth charge damage. They also had poor quality schnorkels which were complicated and difficult to use. It would have taken years of development to render these Uboots suitable for war service. Only four type XX1 Uboots went on active war patrols but sank no ships.
U-Boat Pen in Hamburg as far as i know and the Bundesmarine had two Typ XXIII in service in the 60s U-Hai and U-Hecht borth raised from sea, one of them sunk twice 1st in Kriegsmarine Service and later 2nd time in Bundesmarine service (only the Smut survived) and was again raised , later scrapped like the sisterboat
in 2010 i worked on British nuclear subs with rubber coating on the entire hull, they had problems fixing the rubber to the steel hulls
Fun Facts About “The Boat” AKA DAS B00T
The bulk of the film's $15 million budget was spent on
constructing U-boats. Specifications for the original
Type VIl-CU-boat were found at the Chicago Museum
of Science and Industry. The plans were taken to the
original builder of the subs, who was commissioned to
build a full-sized, sea-going replica, their first such
assignment since the war ended. A second full-sized
model was built for interior filming.
The cast was deliberately kept indoors continually
during the shooting period in order to look as pale as a
real submarine crew would on a mission at sea.
Originally filmed in German, all of the major actors
could speak English. When the movie was dubbed into
English for USA and UK distribution, all of the principal
actors - with the exception of Martin Semmelrogge
actually dubbed their own voices into English.
Semmelrogge however caught up in 1997 by dubbing
himself for the director's cut.
The submarine models were also used in Raiders of
the Lost Ark (1981).
Scenes were shot in sequence so that the growth of
beards would be entirely natural, although a few shots
had to be redone later on with false hair.
Nice.
U-Boat men some of the greatest heroes of all time.
Well, they were on the wrong side but I somewhat get you.
Saliors from all countries were brave....and lots died in those underwater boats god bless
The U-Boat was not obsolete the Allies were just really good at finding them using the broken Enigma codes
U 505 is at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. I have seen it many times, its an absolutely amazing thing to see and learn about. Take a vacation to Chicago and see this, this exhibit and the museum alone is worth the trip. Fortunately I grew up just south of Chicago so we went there quite a few times over the years.
JessicaTG2008 thanks for the info 👌
Right
Rohail Ahmed ur Muslim right?
I got to tour the U-505 in 1973. It was very interesting. I was 13 then
@@johnnykelly3063 what makes you think that Kel?
Run Silent; Run Deep is a Clark Gable version of submarine warfare... probably the best version.
The 5 hour movie Das Boot with subtitles and this documentary 👌
It was a TV series first of episodes lasting 45mins approx from Germany with subtitles, had about 8-10eps. Then they cut it into a film losing so much of it. Only the series is worth watching for the real deal. I was ill & watched it in bed. It helped.
Every submarine is classified as a boat during WW2.
Yeah the series is the best in German with subtitles. I seen an English dubbed version..... It was total sh1t.
@2000Cowboys I saw "Das Boot" in a theatre when it came out, 1981(?). During 1975-1978, I served on a fast attack sub in the US Navy, so it was fresh in my memory. I thought it was a great movie. We had a few close calls with fires and hydraulic leaks, but nothing as scary as war. I think "hero" is overused, but I appreciate the courage and resolve of my parents generation, and not just of those who served in the military.
Fun Facts About “The Boat” AKA DAS B00T
The bulk of the film's $15 million budget was spent on constructing U-boats. Specifications for the original Type VIl-CU-boat were found at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. The plans were taken to the original builder of the subs, who was commissioned to build a full-sized, sea-going replica, their first such assignment since the war ended. A second full-sized model was built for interior filming.
The cast was deliberately kept indoors continually during the shooting period in order to look as pale as a real submarine crew would on a mission at sea.
Originally filmed in German, all of the major actor’s could speak English. When the movie was dubbed into English for USA and UK distribution, all of the principal actors - with the exception of Martin Semmelrogge actually dubbed their own voices into English.
Semmelrogge however caught up in 1997 by dubbing himself for the director's cut.
The submarine models were also used in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).
Scenes were shot in sequence so that the growth of beards would be entirely natural, although a few shots had to be redone later on with false hair.
Best video on u boats I have ever seen.
Scary machines in ww2 and during the cold war but also amazing machines
Amazing documentary
it has always fascinated me how u boats work and were used
And how the allies hijacked the technology after the war, but then again all u have to remember is the battle by scappa flow where the brittish once again got thier ass handed to them
Your comment about Scapa Flow makes no sense
I love the memories of being on that sub , many a field trip to that spectacular museum !!
A very good friend of mine was a Merchant Marine sailor. Tom was torpedoed three times by U-boats; survived all three. He said that the last was the worst - he and 5 others were in a small life raft for two weeks. February in the North Atlantic gets mighty cold!
Respect for U boats
What respect. For what, killing people im a war of aggression.
@@juusohamalainen7507 well,uboats mission was to destroy the supply and destroyer ships,its a war...unless they massacre people in camps
Being a collector, the KM items are by far my favorite! The World At War documentary has interviews with Grand Admiral Doneitz that are really cool to see!
Yes!!! World At War is arguably the best WWII documentary EVER produced, due in large part to the many of the main actors of the war still being around and participating in the series. You can buy the entire series on DVD. There are interviews with Admiral Doenitz, U-boat ace Otto Kretchmer, WWII German flying ace Adolph Galland, Albert Speer and many, many more! A must see!
Excellent documentary. Yes, I too agree those volunteers had guts & bravery to go to sea knowing full well the odds against returning.
Several years before Adm Topp's death, most of his highly respected medals were stolen from his home. I am almost sure that this theft had something to do with his death. Obviously the thieves had no idea of the magnitude of the crime, or maybe they did. Either way it is tragic that this happened to one of the best uboat skippers of WW2. RIP Adm Topp.
Yes sir, more than likely it did, just look at the field marshals baton, how many were either stolen in a 50's style smash & grab or were stolen outright, with a cover story of robbery
" Steel killers" " Pig boats". These guys had a short life if not successful .
Who cares. He was a criminal.
Only dog's that wouldn't have one Ball let alone two balls and balls having them and this is how you get a iron cross the scrum I hope his family get revenge
@@juusohamalainen7507 He's only criminal because he was the enemy on the losing side,If they had won he would be a hero
Прекрасный фильм. Спасибо, отличная работа...
Thank you for a very interesting documentary and a quality upload.
Heart of gold,clear horizon
This was a very informative and well produced documentary.
Maybe, but the way this doco is presented - to someone who knew nothing of the Battle of the Atlantic - it would seen that the US Navy knew all, was the most experienced Navy, AND saved the bungling British!! But against the historical record, the OPPOSITE of this belief is in fact, the truth!!
The US Navy didn't make an impact inthe BotA until 1943 - long after the outcome of the BotA had already been decided. 👍
Dontiz told Hitler to give him 150 u boats at the beginning of the war, and he'll give him England. In September of 1939, Dontiz had 26. If he had the 150, England would have likely sued for peace at the very least.
@JZ's Best Friend, I have stated that several times but I am NOT a anal born politician but just an average Vietnam era veteran who believes that Hitler lost the war due to his constant meddling and by putting that pompous gas bag, Goering, in charge of the Luftwaffe.!
A resounding Y ES. Germany began the wat with enormous advantages mismanaged bythe invincible Fuhrer. Refer to Armageddon by Max Hastings and Battle of the Atlantic by Jonathan Dimbleby.@@richardcline1337
No they wouldn’t!! What reasons do you have with that conclusion??? 🥴
@@aussiedownunder4186 England was within weeks of starvation with just what Donitz had at his disposa prior to the u.s. entering the warl. Dontiz was a brilliant strategist, not a rabid ideologue that curried favor with Hitler. His numbers were on point.
Nope
They would have found a way
The USA would have entered the war before England fell.
Was excellent.....thank you
War is needed no matter how many are lost . peace comes at a heavy price.born to live love and understand.trained, to hate kill , and get the job done.1984 - 1989. I'm 55. USMC!
Well produced film...👍
Said it for decades now, bless the Merchant Seamen.
Sincs Das Boot the attitude of the tommies to the u boat men changed.
Both sides were good and bad but both were good at what they did. Total respect to both sides but also to the merchants sailors. What a loss and waste.
This battle was mainly between the Tommies and the Germans. The code breakers, the radars, the Leigh lights, Hud Duff, Hedgehog, Sonar, convoy tactics and hunter killer destroyer coopeation groups.
The Americans learned very quickly and their planes were very important. And they manufactured everything so much quicker than the British. They needed and helped each other.
But the real star of this battle on the Allies was a British commander called Walker. Very interesting man. His methods changed the situation very much. Like Kretschmer he was the best kind of Leader.
EXCELENTE DOCUMENTÁRIO HISTORICO
Submerged speed for the Type 7 and 7A subs was between 7 and 8 knots. not the 2-3 knots as stated in the video.
True, but the faster they went the less time they had before they had to surface and charge battery's .
@@Otswartz I read a description of successful attack techniques used by one U-boat Commander. He would not attack unless he was exploiting some kind of error made by the enemy. Too only have 2 knots of "get away" speed after torp launch,a bit of a death sentence if you yourself aren't clever.
I am glad someone else noticed this ridiculous mistake.
7 to 8 knots was the top speed, but it would empty the batteries very quickly (in an hour or so). Also going at that speed was extremely noisy and could be detected by enemy hydrophones from miles away.
#documentaryfilms #history #battleship
U-BOATS: The Most Feared Fighting Ships Of The War - World Documentary Films HD
World Documentary Films HD
World Documentary Films HD 0
World Documentary Films HD
This was the best documentary I have seen on the U-boats. Thank you!
Good Video , America lost 3'506 men on submarines in the Pacific during WW2 , it is true it's the silent service indeed .
Effective tactics do not change. The blitz krieg is still the most effective conventional tactics and U-drons are still the most prioritised Hi-tech naval weapons of today...
Germany show how the modern wars should be fighted
Respect for all in this harsh Atlantic war!!😎🐓🐓🇬🇧
Absolute respect. All of them heroes. Especially those in the lower decks of the tankers. 🙏🙏🙏
@@waynegrobler7432 bless them all!!
@@waynegrobler7432 my dad was an engineer on British tankers during the war. I asked him about it and the fact he was on a tanker. He told me it would have been worse on one of the ore carriers because when they were torpedoed they sank in seconds. This was because iron ore is so heavy it hardly fills the hold of the ship. When it get torpedoed there is no resistance to flooding and the ship sinks very quickly. My dad should have been on the tanker British Premier when it was sunk but he had built up some extra leave and took it at Christmas. It saved his life
@@vectravi2008Hi John I'm actually an ambulance helicopter pilot so I cannot say I know anything at all about what it was like 5 stories under the water line in hostile waters. I have an avid interest in the second world war and funnily enough for an aviator I'm mostly interested in those vital and terrible convoys of the Atlantic and North sea...so huge respect to your father and all those brave and too often unsung heroes. Many perished without even being able to shoot back at the enemy and rarely were they acknowledged for their unfathomable courage. They were all incredibly brave and dedicated amd we all owe them and their families so much. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🇿🇦👍
Had Germany had enough U-Boats with well trained crews in 1940/41 Britain would have been forced out of the war. Fortunately fifty U-boats weren’t enough
What do you mean by "...forced out of the war"?
@@manilajohn0182 …. As in starved of fuel and food
@@Idahoguy10157 Yes- but then what would happen?
@@manilajohn0182 ….an Armistice. Given that Hitler was an Anglophile probably not a German occupation. A treaty on advantageous terms to Germany. Reparations paid to Germany similar to the Versailles treaty imposed on the defeated.
@@Idahoguy10157 But the British are defeated, broke and reliant on a merchant fleet which has been demolished- so that they can barely provide for themselves. Wouldn't the Kriegsmarine be forced to be maintained at strength in order to ensure continued British neutrality? My point here is that the Germans stood to gain all but nothing from a neutral Britain, while the manpower and resources to provide for the additional submarines required could only come at the expense of the German army and air force. It's then an open question whether the Germans could have overrun France or driven the BEF off of the Continent. Failing to conquer France means that the Germans wouldn't be using French Atlantic ports as submarine bases.
VERY good documentary enjoyed it. Hands off to all those who composer it. Very informative.
RIP to all those 30 000 Germans who caught so bravely for their Vaderland. Salute and Respect
What? Screw them.
They attempted to starve Britain out of the war. If that had happened, the US couldn’t have entered the war. Europe would have been either Nazi or Soviet.
God bless Alan Turing of Bletchley Park who decoded the u boat Nazi Enigma machine codes. A valuable contribution to the battle of the Alantic which is overlooked by some people.
Agreed, but for all the work he did for England during WW2 to break the Enigma machine code. The English government, and the royal joke of a family. Had him arrested, and chemically castrated. Nice way to treat a war hero, who's work most likely ended the war early, and saved a countless number of lives.
Major Robert Phelan he was gay that’s what happened in the past
@@NEW_Stuff_for_RVs I didn't know that what did he do for them to take that action?
Alan Turing's code breaking was largely responsible for single handedly turning the tide against the U-Boats. Prior to his breakthrough work on cracking Engima, the U-Boats were winning, after the codes were broken the U-Boats became the hunted.
After WWII in Germany the English language became a almost a mandatory language.
rubbish, the ordinary german citizen could barely speak english
Thank you. A German ww11 doc without nazi nazi nazi......
sacrement courageux ces gars
These sub captain sure really miss their baby😍😍
41:57 'he had fought it cleanly' is not why Doenitz got a light sentence. Unrestricted submarine warfare (i.e. firing on merchant ships without warning) was defined as a war crime at the time (as well as today) and as its architect for the Kriegsmarine in WWII he faced the hangman's noose for it. His lawyers however successfully argued that the allies engaged in identical tactics throughout the war. In fact the US Navy was very proud of its record of greatly shortening the Pacific War by obliterating merchant vessels supplying Japan through the use of unrestricted submarine warfare.
I believe that Admiral Nimitz was almost subpoenaed as a defence witness.
We must talk about Laconia. There is the reason for the unrestricted uboat warfare.
In ww1, every item sendt to Germany was contraband.
So. You want a debate about the glorious allied forces? I'm ready.
@@lagresomadsl Yes, the Laconia was filled with women and children and should never have been torpedoed. There were also a large number of prisoners of war.
The U Boat captain could quite easily have boarded the Laconia and seized any war materials - if there were any. Instead he chose to murder the innocents.
I am not going to engage in a conversation about the 'wrongs' of the allies; two wrongs do not make it right. If the Allies did wrong it does not give license to the Axis to do wrong.
But while we are on the subject of wrongs - the invasion of Poland was wrong, the treatment of the Jews was wrong, the massacre at Malmedy, the 1000s of German citizens who were murdered in concentration camps for no reason other than that they disagreed with the Nazi policies, was wrong . . .
WWII was about removing a terrible cancer from the world. About the only _right_ to come out of this war was the destruction of the Nazi regime.
@@violinoscar if the germans killed most of the people on Laconia, why where all this people in the lifeboats and why did the germans use the red Cross symbols asking for help to save all this people?
@@lagresomadsl There were 1200 Italian prisoners on the Laconia. The Germans saved 200 people. 100s more died.
They should not have sunk the Laconia to begin with.
I suggest you read some of the accounts of the sinking instead of basing your knowledge on the movie.
great!
"It's not personal; it's strictly business"
After german U-Boats , brits night Bomber Command had the 2nd highest loss rate in %
Brave men fighting for the wrong side.
Think about what you said, reaaaaaaally carefully.
@Steve Kristmann your damn right and look they just so happen to rule the world now lol deff agree with you brother
Agree I think that the u boat crew in another life probably are best friend with their enemies the Royal Navy they were extremely similar
Sie Bist Helden!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No matter which side they were on they were all brave men, wouldn’t get me in one of those coffins for love nor Money.
These boys are heroes in my book. How can anyone say that thay wouldn't be scared
Yeah Heroes every one of them and My Father fought against America Russia. People who don't appreciate giving there lives for what Thay believe that they were ready to die for their Country
If you have not seen the movie THE BOAT watch it it's really good to I think it is a great world war 2 movie and a strange ending to the movie
+mrt57rn I watched rated. R
+mrt57rn the mini series running at about 5 or 6 hours is version to watch.incredible.
Import it and play it on a multi region.you are missing out as it has great extra scenes not on standard editions.
Awesome movie indeed!👍
Excellent movie I felt like if I was part of the crew at the end I actually cry I felt I’d like they kill some important friends
I know that they were ' the enemy' but they were truly young men of great courage, and just like the British R.A.F. All were volunteers who knew very well that their chances of survival were slim..may they rest in peace their duty done.
Not forgetting membership of the NAZI party was mandatory for U Boot service👍
yeah sure they were young but they were cold blooded killers as well
@@karelvandam7274 its a war ffs
What is crazy to think about is that German Uboats sunk American ships in the Gulf of Mexico
they are those heroes
Wonderful men.
Just love how every war-winning development is noted as "Allied" when in fact, 99% of such developments in this doco were devised by the British: ships using convoy system, development of deep sinking depth-charges, the invention and use of radar (Huff-Duff in escorts), the "Hedgehog". But mention of the anti-submarine B-24 Liberator is clearly noted as American. It seems the Americans are always at pains not to give any credit, unless it's specifically American - then they jump on the band wagon about it ad nauseum. 🙄
*Don't ever forget the British invented and gifted the cavity magnetron to the Americans. This gift has been described as: "the greatest treasure to ever enter our [US] shores". Today, your microwave oven is a legacy of that technology.
They were so close to total victoria!
You sound disappointed that they didn't win.
Thankfully Hitler wasted resources building the Bismarck and Tirpitz. The 82,000 tons of steal could have built over a 100 Type VII U-Boats. That could have been enough to bring the UK to its knees in 1940-41
The situation could have been worse when the Germans would have used the Graf Zeppelin aircraft carrier together with the Bismarck and the Tirpitz. Combine them with a wolfpack of several U-Boats it would have been a very deadly combination.
They would have still loss. The allied numbers were too great. It was like ants killing an elephant.
@@bowelrupture The RN was just too large for German surface ships to beat them.
There was a piece of the Svent Istvan inthere.That was WW1 and sunk by fast attack boats.
To this day I still can't fathom why Doenitz kept up all the radio chatter? Was he that thick?
PQ 17 felt U Boat's wraith.
Luftwaffe would have made a difference especially the big Condors air planes.
i find it very helpful when these documentaries start with an american voiceover and dramatic music - lets me know it's shite and i don't have to waste any more time watching
Though regarded as the enemy the Germans were not afraid to sacrifice their lives.
Be lucky that the TypeXXI came too late, one survived the War and is displayed in Bremen it was raised from the Sea after the Germans joined the NATO and stayed a few Years in service with the Bundesmarine.
It was a fine Boat the first real U-Boat
Yes, and the allies had at least 2 examples of them after the war
Russians copied them. Whiskey class.
be lucky the allies A-bomb came too late, the original plan was to drop an A-bomb on Germany but they surrendered before it was ready
@@johncochrane1203 never heard that anywhere, i'm not saying it isn't true but you'd think a plan like that would've been well documented?...maybe it has been and i've just never heard!
be lucky that the atomic bombs were only fully developed after Germany surrendered, Roosevelt would have dropped them on Germany
Even on modern submarines, majority of Captains know they have to take great care of their crew, so usually try to make concessions that don't compromise either the effectives or their mission.
RESPECT
It always amazes me with many of the Documentaries regarding the Battle of Atlantic how many American experts voice their opinion. Here are the facts . of the 650 German Uboats sunk in the Atlantic ,no less then 500 were sunk by British ( Commonwealth )forces . Another truth , in 1944 till VE Day 95 % of cargo ships crossing the Atlantic arrived unmolested.
1944 the good times of the german U-boats was long over. Nothing new. The English without the Americans and other puppets of the All lies would have been nothing.
The most feared vessel of the battle was the Essex class fast carrier.
@@robertburke1486 Rubbish
@@robertburke1486 Essex class carriers had nothing to do with the Battle of the Atlantic.
@@davecopp9356 The Battle of the Atlantic was overwhelmingly conducted by the Royal & Royal Canadian navies. The US Navy was a valued junior partner, but was overwhelmingly dominant in the Pacific.
No music please! Not necessary. Would make a perfect documentary without it!
Solution: U-boat type XX1 (21)
My grandad was on two royal navy ships that got torpedoed one earlier in the war and later on convoy escort of qp14 on the hms somali he survived the war,, my other grandfather was a merchant sailor both came home from the war ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️from Northern Ireland at the end of the war they surrender of the coast of our country
Kids in high school should be shown this.. Most don't even know what a U Boat is. Only if it was in a game they might know lol.... The history in schools is a joke now..
Our kids are educated by union women! Women that can't earn a living wage unless given the right to extort money from the general public!! HOW DEPLORABLE!!!!
I agree with you 100%. May I also point out that with a lifetime of reading and learning about stuff that hold our interests I've come to the conclusion that our history classes weren't that good either. I sure cannot remember if the Hittites invaded the Sumerians or the Egyptians but by gosh, I can fire off a few stats about subs because I have spent a considerable amount of time leaning about them on my own. I'm sure you can speak more intelligently about subjects of your' own interests now vs. what you were force fed at "101" high school level. Just something to think about. Cheers fellow RUclipsr.
I just Posted Th1s....I agree with you and gary bulwinkle also...In today's schools the education....real education has taken a hike. Thanks to the uneducated urban teachers of today. Years ago I went to Catholic schools in the NYC area. One had no time to dilly dally. You either learned or you were gone. I always looked forward to the History/Geography and math classes...The history classes is where we learned about WW1,2, and the Korean war. We were fortunate enough to have Navy veteran teachers.
Schepke and Kretschmer were both lost within an hour of each other when attacking the same convoy. Schepke was killed when HMS Vanoc rammed his U-boats' conning tower. There were no survivors.
Kretschmer survived the sinking of his U-Boat, and as he got onto the deck of HMS Walker, Captain McIntyre took his binoculars as a war trophy an used them in a number of successful U-Boat sinkings later in the war.
Post-war McIntyre and Kretschmer became friends, with McIntyre returning the binoculars to Kretschmer in the 1980s.
Please note, US involvement in the Battle of the Atlantic only had an effect AFTER the RN and RCN had already turned the outcome of the battle in the allies favour.
We left 700 odd scattered around the Atlantic and elsewhere.. Battle of Atlantic won in.May 43. 41 U boats sunk that month.
30:15 Expert falsely flaunts B-24 Liberator sub-hunters had sonar.
Gerhard Thater of U466 had five patrols,(182 days at sea) and no boats sunk or damadged!
That captain who said it’s cramped and it’s has the hum of the machines and the radio and it’s comfortable is just like me in that sence
I could not live like these guys. Nope , im weak of mental strength. I just couldnt
Imagine having no say in the matter.... conscripted, and then assigned to u-boats. Ignore all the "they were all volunteers" nonsense, while it was true pre and early war, from the middle war years onwards the horrible reality of serving on U-boats was common knowledge and the rush to "volunteer" evapourated. MANY crew were assigned to them without any regard for their personal wishes. Indeed there were various cases of suicides onboard from "combat fatigue" and also probably as a result of irresolvable personal problems due to the cramped living conditions.
I want to see gato submarines the main submarine of American navy during pacific war
They were until sonar became effective and surface radar could pin point a pariscope, and the invention of the hedgehog depth charge system. There was no where a uboat could hide.
Did this doc just say the the underwater speed was just 2-3 knots? uh!! Type 7s and 9s were slow underwater, but they could do 8 knots - or so I have read.
In diesel-electric submarines, you trade underwater endurance for speed. A battery charge at full speed lasts only a few hours, while creeping along would allow for two or three days underwater. Since most escorts on the surface could make fourteen to thirty knots, trying to run at full speed was less than ideal. Better to either go all stop, or just near silent at two knots and hide.
I see. So they could, technically run at 7-8 knots, but were more likely stalking convoys at 2-3. Interesting that the later type u-boats (Elektraboots) traveled faster underwater than at the surface.
Yeah, usually the idea was to race ahead of the convoy on the surface with diesels, then submerge, wait for them to come to you, then sneak away, and repeat. As air patrols and radar became more common, spending any amount of time on the surface became more and more dangerous. So a boat that could transit the entire English Channel or chase a convoy while still underwater became ideal.
Subs battery wouldn't last long at 8 knots.
There’s NO WAY I could be on a U-boat!
intresting scene...
War is Hell
Yes u boats did do 7 or 8 knots while submerged but only did 2 or 3 knots to conserve the batteries and stay submerged longer
At the very end when the German armies have collapsed and Doenitz was Hitler’s successor , he ( Doenitz ) went on the air and made a series of silly statements . In one assertion by Doenitz , the German people were now fighting against the spread of Bolshevism and it was the Anglo-American armies that were impeding this by forcing the Germans to fight against them as well . At the Nuremberg trials , Doenitz in his store suit looked like a shoe clerk . He escaped the death penalty . I believe that Doenitz could have remade himself by opening a donut shop . He could have called it “ Doenitz’s Donuts “ .😄
Gorbatshev served as a u boat captain 😀
Did the Germans ever develop a torpedo that would lock onto a destroyer or corvette and thus destroy them?
WJack97224: They had acoustic torpedoes which locked on to the sound of the target's propellers (but not until later in the war).
People forget that U-Booten, like the rest of the Wehrmacht, attacked those who were unprepared. Their preferred targets were unarmed defenceless merchant vessels. As the war that their leaders started progressed they, like the rest of the Wehrmacht, got what they deserved.
That is true however sinking the merchant ships was the best way to try to win the war. Look what the USN did to Japan.
And you British got with Meghan Markle and Bojo the Clown what you deserve hahaha
Human rights would exist Today had ww2 not gone the evil way .
The correct pronunciation for a Submariner is SUB MARINER, (as in the the two words) and it might surprise you to learn that the boats we of the original submarine service (the Royal Navy) manned right up until the 1980's were of a modified WWII design. and had little improvement condition wise - Except we had refrigeration and air conditioning, which only became standard in the late 1960's. Mind you they were just as deadly, as we proved continuously.
👍👊😎
in large groups called Convoys...Really, I think we all know what a Convoy is.
Remember allied sub-mariners.
To sail in a "tin pig" is an honour.
I think Id rather be on a ship on the surface of the water than 200 feet down under the water. On a ship you can swim away. Not on a sub 200 ft down!