{"product_id":"9781399014311","title":"U-48: The Most Successful U-Boat of the Second World War by Franz Kurowski","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.   At 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.   It 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.   By 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\\.   _U-48_ was scuttled on 3 May 1945.\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback \/ softback","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56298694902133,"sku":"9781399014311","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/products\/9781399014311","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}