{"product_id":"franz-kurowski-u-48-the-most-successful-u-boat-of-the-second-world-war-2021-paperback","title":"Franz Kurowski: U-48: The Most Successful U-boat Of The Second World War [2021] paperback","description":"Following the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, Germany was not permitted to build or operate submarines. However, clandestine training took place on Finnish and Spanish submarines and U-boats were still built to German designs in Dutch yards.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt the outset of the Second World War, Admiral Karl Doenitz argued for a 300-strong U-boat fleet, since his force of fifty-seven assorted U-boats could not materially affect British seaborne trade on their own. In August 1939, _U-48_ left Germany, commanded by Kapitanleutnant Herbert 'Vaddi' Schultze, to take up a waiting position around the British coast.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt scored its first success on 5 September, when it torpedoed the British freighter _Royal Sceptre_, followed by _Winkleigh_ on 8 September. On both occasions, the first of many, Schultze showed himself to be a notable humanitarian: he addressed signals to Churchill giving positions of the sinkings so that crews could be saved.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBy 1 August 1941, _U-48_, the most successful U-boat of the Second World War, had sunk fifty-six merchant ships, of 322,478 gross tons, and one corvette. She was then transferred to the Baltic as a training boat. Schultze became commander of operations at 3 U-Flotilla, before being appointed commander of II\/Naval College Schleswig. He died in 1987 at the age of 78\\.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e_U-48_ was scuttled on 3 May 1945.","brand":"Kurowski, Franz","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":49250997993811,"sku":"9781399014311","price":19.5,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0616\/4001\/6057\/files\/kurowski-franz-franz-kurowski-u-48-the-most-successful-u-boat-of-the-second-world-war-2021-paperback-9781399014311-58433359380819.jpg?v=1727363840","url":"https:\/\/chaptersbookstore.com\/products\/franz-kurowski-u-48-the-most-successful-u-boat-of-the-second-world-war-2021-paperback","provider":"Chapters Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}