
A young naval officer recounts his first assignment as commander of a sleek torpedo boat, describing the stark contrast between life on the sea and the routine of the army. He explains the rigorous training, the camaraderie among crews, and the unique challenge of mastering a vessel that can both hunt and hide beneath the waves. The narrative invites listeners into the tight world of early‑war submarine operations, from the hum of the engines to the tense moments of preparing a torpedo launch.
The memoir then moves to the initial patrols off England’s coast, where the commander experiences his first encounters with enemy steamers. He details the tactics of silent diving, the calculation of depth and currents, and the exhilaration of a successful strike. Through vivid observations of daily life aboard the U‑boat, listeners gain a rare glimpse into the courage, uncertainty, and relentless determination that defined the early days of Germany’s underwater campaign.
Language
de
Duration
~4 hours (259K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Peter Becker and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2015-01-11
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1882–1940
A German submarine commander whose World War I diary was published for English-speaking readers, he left behind a firsthand account of life beneath the sea during one of history's most dangerous naval campaigns.
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