What Life on a U-Boat Was Like

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#ww2 #uboat #submarine #kriegsmarine #wwii #worldwar2

[simplyamazing]

The crew was an afterthought on those boats. Ours were a lot better but not that much. We still hot bunked, didn't shower or wash clothe and had no atmosphere control equipment I served on one of the last of the WW2 vintage boats and it was taken out of service in 1972.
It was an honor to have been able to be part of this piece of history. A real honor.

[anth]

I grand grand father served in U-boats. As i remember, he Was sunk (or damaged need to talk to my father)four times, the last time he stood for hours in the sea. Then was taken by americans and was sent to light recovery due to the long time in the sea. And then he had to work in a farm in the south of France. He told my father when they were close to the surface, and there were mosquitos around, when they were hearing a splash of torpedo, they always counted like 4-5 second waiting for the impact. After this time if nothing happened the torpedo missed them.

At the end of the war he made back next to the border of Germany, and here i am as a french. It is Really special in my family having in both ww my grand grand fathers fighting each other, in U-boats, or in the french free air force in africa, etc...

[jasonmckay]

Life onboard a Canadian submarine 15 years ago as I experienced it: I did not shower...ever. 3 weeks between port visits was managed with bird baths. Gold bond was gold for the bits. Febreeze was shower and washing machine in a bottle. Ziplok bag with a change of socks and a fresh t-shirt every 2 days. Pirate rig at sea - didn't shave until the morning of the next port. Captain's cabin is a curtain separating the control room and his bunk - the old man hears everything. Food was amazing - I would put on 20 lbs in a 3 month patrol. No one says no to a Magnum ice cream bar 2 weeks into a patrol. 6 hours on watch in the control room followed by 6 hours off - 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Never more than 4-5 hours sleep straight. Dolphin 38.

[Lightgoldbridge]

My grand father was on a u boat in 2 world war…..he came home as an alcoholic as that’s what they gave them to do there jobs as no human could handle that shit…he deserted on the New Year’s Eve of 44/45 …..as he had missed his boat because he was drunk he and 2 others deserted as my grandfather had said the u boats where not coming back …his boat sunk …it took him 3 month to come back home on his dangerous trip as a desert..the war only ended in may 45 his life was in danger many times over …his alcoholism continued a few years before he became clean …he was a violent man after the war …i was always scared of him as a grand daughter….but he did care …the war makes beast out of beautiful young man …it still does …wars are terrible and will stop when people become peaceful inside of them

[rickintexas]

I knew life had to be tough on a U Boat, but this video really brought it home as to how tough it was.

[SausageFingers-qcmk]

My father served in the Royal Navy throughout WW2. He always told me the U Boat men were, in his opinion, the bravest men in the war.

[rottenanimal]

I'm 66 years old. When I was 19 I worked as a waiter on a train from Toronto to Winnipeg. Round trip was 4 days. One time we had a German tourist on board and he told everyone, he was a U boat commander. He talked about the ships he sunk. I can tell his wife was embarrassed about it. The joke we talked about was. I better lock my door tonight so the U boat commander doesn't get me. I was too young to appreciate his stories of WW2.

[timjohnun]

Being captured and sent to a POW camp would probably be an attractive proposition, for a U boat crew

[StanleyHeinzelman]

Great to hear these stories of life on a U boat, cherish them ! Most crews did not return!

[acidbot]

And still U-Boats have being the most formidable submarine force ever and wrecked havok on vast quantities of allies shipping.
Understanding how difficult was their life while on duty just makes then even more heroic!

[chrisozzy]

My father did two war patrols in 1943 on U - Boats before getting injured and transferring to a training facility . He said that is what saved him, as he had made peace with the fact he probably wouldn’t survive the war . He said submarine life was 90% boredom, and 10% a mixture of excitement and fear . He came to America in 1956, and often said the USA is the greatest country in the world .

[joepatriot]

Back in the 70's i had the occasion to read the book "RE BOAT", DAS BOOT as the film is titled. Let me be honest, it described life on a German U boat so vividly there were times when I almost felt SE SICK. It also explained in detail many of the think of, such as when the submarine was close to the surface and fired a torpedo, they had to take on water to compensate for the loss of the weight or they would if slowly rise.

[henningwittmann]

My dad Was crewmember of u 96 das Boot. He told me that the Kameradschaft, means the tight bond between the Crew was the main reason he could managed this unhumanity time in the u boat. He did 11 feindfahrten on u 96. After the war He visited many marine and u boat Meetings from countrys He was fighting against.

[claiborneeastjr]

I think all U-boat crews were volunteers. Patrolling as far as the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Mexico had to be miserable. the book Das Boot is a great, true account of this life. I think Germany built over 900 U=Boats of various types, and over 700 were destroyed. It took real men of great courage and endurance to serve on these boats.

[iraeaglemind]

Just a day ago I watched a U.S.A Navy ship do a vlog on having a Starbucks station aboard ship(deserved comforts).My how times have changed.

[greggwolffis]

Also, the war was only supposed to last a few months, a year at most, so U-Boats were built at a rapid rate to make up for the shortage of boats, with no time to effectively design entire new boats with crew comforts. The Type XXI and Type XXIII boats were vastly superior in crew comforts and fighting capabilities. They were on the drawing boards, but not built until much too late, and Germany's fate was already sealed

[Itriedtakennames]

Being on early sub crews was a hard and important job, with subs and their effectiveness often being a large part of which way the war’s tide flowed. And having toured old subs….you wouldn’t want to be a big guy, as it was cramped enough….so it was often the shorter guys in this brutal role. You don’t have to be huge bodybuilder to fight.

[peterabram]

In the navy I knew plenty of submariners, some of the older ones from WWII. Some of my friends have only paid off in recent years. They're the kind of people who enjoy it. It's like playing for the best football team in the world. Always injured, on the pitch you're filthy and cold, getting tackled, dealing with the media and all the untrustworthy people, but it's worth it because it's thrilling and you're part of the best team. That's how they see themselves. Warriors on the cutting edge.

[stuartr]

There’s a story on youtube about a British ‘special operation’ where a powerful laxative was added to the canned food that was packed and loaded onto German U boats based in Italy… the image of what must have happened onboard these one-toilet vessels is really quite hellish!😳

[brianwells]

These guy's were a different breed! Thanks is an insult to their service? ❤