History Extra Podcast Summary

Episode: "How Grim Was Life on Hitler's U-Boats?"

Date: January 26, 2026
Host: Spencer Mizzen
Guest: Roger Morehouse, historian and author of Wolf Pack: Inside Hitler's U-Boat War

Overview

This episode explores the reality of life aboard German U-boats during World War II from the perspective of the submariners themselves. Drawing on recent research and previously underused German sources, Roger Morehouse discusses the motivations behind the U-boat campaign, the harrowing everyday conditions faced by the crews, psychological impacts, discipline, atrocities (or striking lack thereof), and moments of unexpected humanity. The discussion seeks to challenge persistent myths and provide a nuanced, often surprising picture of the "wolf pack" crews.

Main Discussion Points & Key Insights

The U-Boat Fleet’s Strategic Role

• German High Command's Initial Attitude (02:10)
  • The U-boat fleet was not initially seen as Germany’s decisive weapon. Admiral Dönitz, head of the U-boat arm, had to "sell" its value in the face of a resource-hungry army focused on land campaigns.
  • Hitler only became convinced of the U-boat’s strategic potential by late 1941—by which time, the window for maximum impact had closed.
• Continuity from WWI (03:57)
  • Despite the Versailles Treaty’s ban, Germany continued clandestine U-boat development via foreign subsidiaries, giving an advantage when rearmament became possible.

The British Response and U-Boat Effectiveness

• British Precautions (05:33)
  • Convoys and defensive measures were implemented from the outset; major early sinkings (SS Athenia and HMS Royal Oak) reinforced U-boat threat perceptions.
• Churchill’s Nightmares and the True Threat (07:58)
  • Churchill’s memoirs cite the U-boats as “the only thing that really frightened me.”
  • Morehouse challenges this as “overblown” in retrospect: “By 1943 onwards there’s really no threat from the Germans. It’s a turkey shoot, to be honest.” (10:05)

Daily Life Aboard a U-Boat

• Physical Conditions (10:55)
  • Crews of about 50 packed into spaces “about the size of two underground carriages, full of torpedoes, diesel engines, absolutely no space at all.”
  • Missions lasted up to eight weeks with dwindling rations; fresh food quickly ran out, leading to physical deterioration—scurvy, skin diseases, and “the U-boat stink” (a blend of diesel, mold, halitosis, vomit, and unwashed bodies).
  • “They stink. … Their teeth are falling out, they’ve got scabies. … It’s a pretty grim existence.” — Roger Morehouse (12:38)
• Mental Toll and Survival Odds (14:22)
  • Early in war: average lifespan was 7–9 patrols; by 1944, down to one patrol.
  • “Statistically they’re on a suicide mission.” (14:43)
  • Many survivors suffered severe psychological effects; mental breakdowns and long-term institutionalization were not uncommon.

Discipline and Camaraderie

• Command Styles & Morale (18:00)
  • Strict martinet commanders were less effective; camaraderie often maintained discipline and morale.
  • Social activities (crates of beer, sewing “victory pennants”, crossing-the-line ceremonies) formed vital traditions.
  • “The best commanders went out of their way to pull everyone together with social evenings … and the real sense of camaraderie.” (19:24)

Atrocities and U-Boat "Cleanliness"

• The U-852 Incident (23:17)
  • The only well-documented war crime: in 1944, U-852’s commander ordered the shooting of Greek merchant survivors in the water to eliminate evidence.
  • The commander was tried and executed postwar; “as far as we can tell, [this incident is] surprisingly exceptional.” (26:08)
• Contrast with Other Theatres (27:54)
  • Most U-boat crews showed “a duty of care”; for example, sometimes towing lifeboats or providing food/medicine to survivors.
  • “There are many more examples … of U-boat crews … surfacing and actually helping those sailors they just shipwrecked.” (28:47)
  • The 1942 Laconia incident led Hitler to ban aiding survivors altogether.

Comparative Perspective

• “Victor’s Justice” and Myths (32:13)
  • American and Allied submarines in the Pacific often fought as ruthlessly, sometimes machine-gunning survivors.
  • Post-war perception of German U-boats as especially brutal doesn’t hold up: “I would absolutely stipulate this is the cleanest theater of World War II.” (31:27)

Memorable Anecdotes & Humanity

• Otto Kretschmer’s Irish Survivor Story (34:38)
  • Kretschmer rescued a delirious Irish merchant sailor who believed he was on a British submarine. Only after being revived did he realize he was among “the Nazi swine that had just sunk them, now tending his wounds.”
  • “They didn’t have the heart to tell him … it’s kind of indicative … of a more chivalrous mode, certainly than later on.” (36:18)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On conditions aboard:
  • “There is only one space in a Type VII U-boat where two grown men can pass without shuffling in a slightly embarrassed fashion.” (11:15)
• On psychological trauma:
  • "The stresses of the U-boat war on the crews is that much greater. … Crews are really suffering. … There’s a commander who committed suicide in the middle of a depth charge attack.” (14:43–15:57)
• On camaraderie:
  • “The best crews … developed a real sense of camaraderie. … Social evenings and traditions made all the difference.” (19:24)
• On war crimes:
  • "This is the only documented war crime carried out by the U-Boat Arm. … If you look at the U-boat war, it’s remarkable how few atrocities there are." (26:08–31:27)
• On postwar memory:
  • “I think my book will start to knock down the assumption that atrocities were relatively common.” (33:50)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment Topic | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------------|----------------| | German High Command's attitude to U-boats | 02:10–03:48 | | British shock and convoy response | 05:33–07:58 | | Churchill’s "nightmare" - real vs. perceived threat | 07:58–10:36 | | Life aboard a U-boat: physical/mental conditions | 10:55–14:22 | | Probability of survival, psychological impacts | 14:22–17:54 | | Discipline and crew cohesion | 18:00–20:21 | | War crimes: U-852 incident | 23:17–27:41 | | Culture and ethics versus Nazi ideology | 27:54–32:00 | | Comparative submarine warfare in Pacific | 32:00–34:15 | | Anecdotes and stories of U-boat crews | 34:38–36:43 |

Summary Impression

This episode presents a sobering, richly detailed account of the extreme hardships and psychological ordeal endured by Germany’s U-boat crews. Roger Morehouse’s research illuminates their day-to-day existence, the statistical hopelessness of later patrols, and the surprising relative absence of atrocities compared to other WWII theaters. Far from Hitler’s feared invincible “wolf pack,” the U-boat campaign emerges as a desperate, claustrophobic ordeal where moments of humanity and camaraderie stood in stark contrast to the horrors of undersea warfare.

For More:

• Roger Morehouse’s book Wolf Pack: Inside Hitler's U-Boat War explores this topic in greater depth.