Search - U-Boat War Collection Set on DVD

COMPREHENSIVE, INFORMATIVE, AND WELL-PRESENTED

menkey | Raleigh, NC United States | 07/18/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a set of 3 documentaries covering the U-boat's impact in WWII, from beginning to end. It is well-written, and supplemented with interviews with American, British, and German survivors (and also historians) as well as a good amount of archival footage. It is really interesting to hear the story from those who were there -- including a number of German U-boat commanders. The breadth of coverage is good, including both German and Allied tactics (and how these tactics changed during the war), as well as technical advances on both sides. Coverage also includes developments in the Allies' ability to read the German naval code. I think the most valuable thing it does is provide the human story without demonizing the German sailors.DVD quality is generally good to satisfactory. In short, this is a very informative and comprehensive set of documentaries. Very highly recommended."

Intelligent, informative, and at times moving.

menkey | 09/22/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"U-Boat War is a great example of how to do a military history documentary the right way. Each of the three approximately 50-minute episodes smoothly blends archival footage, present-day footage of key locales and ships (including U-boat interiors), and intelligent, thought-prooking commentary by historians and participants in the war. Interview segments with famed U-boat captains like Kretschmer, Topp, and Werner (author of the gripping memoir Iron Coffins) are a particular highlight.

The episodes cover the major events, key players, and significant economic, political, tactical, and moral elements of the U-Boat war. The documentary understandably doesn't go into great technical detail--books will serve you better there--but it does discuss major devices and tactics in layman's terms: ASDIC, radar, HF/DF, depth charge and torpedo firing patterns, the Wolf Pack system, Enigma, schnorchels, and so forth."