As World War II recedes further into the past, still each year
hundreds of new books are published about some aspect of this
global conflict. Many offer new insights from recently declassified
documents. Other's look to re-interpret what was thought to be well
understood events. This book is no exception. The history of U-402,
a Type VIIC German U-boat, is another tile in the mosaic of the
war, and more specifically the Battle of the Atlantic. U-402's
conning tower was emblazoned with the shield of its sponsoring
German city of Karlsruhe. Upon that shield was the Latin word
Fidelitas' -Fidelity -and Baron Siegfried Freiherr von Forstner,
the U-boat's captain, embodied that word through his deep sense of
loyalty to his profession, country, and crew. Born of an
aristocratic military family, with a tradition of U-boat service,
von Forstner served without the pretentiousness of title, even
after winning the Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross). He fought the war
like a knight of old, with a defined code of chivalry, as he
duelled with escorts, went to the aid of fellow U-boats, and
rescued his enemy from the sea. As the North Atlantic battlefield
grew deadlier with each successive patrol, von Forstner remained
focused on his duty to sink Allied tonnage while keeping his crew
alive. His daring and conduct at sea captured the respect of
Captain, US Coast Guard (Ret) John M Waters, who was a Watch
Officer onboard the escort USCGC _Ingham_ that fought U-402 in
several convoy battles. After the war, he became the unexpected
chronicler of his former enemy, and established an enduring
friendship with von Forstner's family. The story of von Forstner
and U-402 parallels the rise and fall of the Wolfpack, and reflects
the ebb and flow of the Battle of the Atlantic from the early
operations in European waters, to Operation _Paukenschlag_
(Drumbeat) off the US East Coast, to the climatic convoy battles of
the North Atlantic in 1943\. This is a truly gripping account of
the Atlantic conflict, and the large selection of photographs adds
a realism and authenticity found in very few accounts of the U-boat
war.
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