Hirschfeld

The Story of a U-boat NCO, 1940-1946

By Brooks, Geoffrey told by Wolfgang Hirschfeld
1996, United States Naval Inst.
ISBN 1557503729
253 pages, 32 b&w photos

Descripton: The story of Wolfgang Hirschfeld, whose diaries Geoffrey Brooks has translated. The principal chapters describe his experiences during six war patrols in U-109, in which he served as the senior telegraphist. From the foreword by Jak P. Mallmann-Showell: "This book, based on a secret diary of a U-boat radio operator, ranks as one of the most outstanding documents of the Second World War. It is unique inasmuch as it is probably the only German diary written by a non-commissioned officer as the events unfold. The keeping of private records was so strictly forbidden that discovery would have resulted in a court martial. Wolfgang Hirschfeld witnessed almost the whole period of the Battle of the Atlantic and his position enabled him to be better informed than many officers."

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From the uboat.net review: This is a unique book based on a highly secret diary kept by Wolfgang Hirshfeld during the war. Had these documents been found he would have been court-martialed. We enjoy his risks today in this fine book. Hirschfeld writes about his entry into ...
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