Black Flag: The Surrender of Germany's U-Boats, 1945, Lawrence Paterson

Black Flag: The Surrender of Germany's U-Boats, 1945, Lawrence Paterson

The surrender of Germany's U-boat force at the Second World War was very different to that of any other service. While the army and air force could surrender where they were, many U-boats were still at sea, and so careful arrangements had to be made at the end of hostilities.

Members of the U-boat service were also to be found in their bases, stretched out from France to Norway, in the Far East, and fighting on land in Germany and in isolated fortresses in the west of France. This means that the book tells a much more varied story than one might expect. Large numbers of U-boats sailed into British, American and Norwegian ports, while others took part in the desperate attempts to evacuate the German population of East Prussia

Peterson had produced a fascinating and well balanced look at a very difficult period for all involved, and one that deserves to be better known. He does a good job of debunking some of the more ridiculous myths that have developed over the years, many as a result of the small number of boats that attempted to find a safe haven in South American rather than surrender after receiving unexpected orders whilst at sea.


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