WolfPacks

[Nikademus]

US command doctrine also stressed radio silence in order to help mask their sub's location. A couple early/midwar attempts at forming small wolfpacks (2-4 subs) were made but were not very successful due to lack of practice and ability to communicate properly via radio with each other or through a central command. But ultimately given Japan's neglect of convoy/ASW, it wasn't needed anyway as the Silent service found out in 43 once we[they....da US of A] got our own sub doctrine straightened out and started seriously hitting the merchants and esp. the tankers.

Doneitz and his boys had prepared for wolfpacking early on and the coordination/command control it would take but Blair (ye ol' controversial sub author...R.I.P.) stated that Doneitz was overreliant on radio and underestmated the value of HF/DF (huff/Duff) radio detection equipment of the Allied forces which aided the Allies in tracking down subs. (IIRC, he was mostly unaware of HF/DF as well)

[Terminus]

Blair's dead? Didn't know that...[:(]

[Nikademus]

Yes, a number of years back in fact. The ultimate irony of his books is that they add yet another exclamation point to the simplified argument that always revolves around here....aka the "I have the statistics....i'm right [your wrong]" angle

Blair's book is more chaulk full of statistics than any other source i own....yet his books are among the most controversial published due to the conclusions he made.

[AnGeliCo]

As stated above, the tactical & operational requirements and doctrines
in the Atlantic operations were very different from those applying in the Pacific.
 
For information about the German & Allied problems in the Atlantic
I advise the following reading.
 
These two books from prior to the revelation of Ultra Intelligence, give you most
of the facts about the Battle of the Atlantic as seen "on the shop floor":
 
The Defeat of the Enemy Attack on Shipping (RN view)
http://uboat.net/books/item/493
U-Boat War in the Atlantic 1939-1945 (KM view)
http://uboat.net/books/item/290
 
and this one fills in the gaps about Ultra as it was provided at the time:
The Battle of the Atlantic and Signals Intelligence
http://uboat.net/books/item/860
 
 
One day, I'll know enough about the BotA but by then I'll have no money
 
 
 

[Terminus]

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

Yes, a number of years back in fact. The ultimate irony of his books is that they add yet another exclamation point to the simplified argument that always revolves around here....aka the "I have the statistics....i'm right [your wrong]" angle

Blair's book is more chaulk full of statistics than any other source i own....yet his books are among the most controversial published due to the conclusions he made.

We had a copy of Volume I of Hitler's U-Boat War when I worked at the local library which had been desecrated. Some turd had taken it home and added his little "notes" to over 100 pages. [:@]

[Nikademus]

LoL

Since we have two sources listed one for the UK view, one for the KM view, it should probably be said that Blair's "Hitler's Uboat war" series (two books) can be said to be the "US view"