Hunt and Kill U–505 and the U–Boat War in the Atlantic By: Theodore P. Savas (290 pages, photos, drawings, maps) Reviewer: Bernie Ditter Overall Rating: Three Stars--Recommended. A solid effort. Hunt and Kill is a collaborative effort by a number of authors assembled by Theodore P. Savas to tell the story of the U-Boat fleet (if that is the right word) in the Atlantic during WW II. Certain chapters are given over to great detail and arcane information about the various submarines in Germany’s Navy and the specific purpose for their many designs, the role of intelligence in tracking and eventually capturing the U-505 and the fight with the bureaucracy to deliver the U-505 to its final resting place at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Some time is spent discussing the overall strategy in the use of the U-Boat to affect the downfall of the Allies through the systematic destruction of their supply line faster than the supply lines could be replenished. Obviously that strategy failed and the sheer numbers of materiel and men ultimately led to the defeat of the Nazi cause. The real story is in the description of the history of U-505, it’s Captain’s and it’s crews and it’s successes and it’s failures. The horrific experience of the crew to the suicide of one of the Captains to the loss of the boat to the enemy is best observed through the eyes of survivors and their stories. In an aside we learn that the crew was held incommunicado in a Texas POW camp until after the war in violation of the Geneva Convention but in the need to retain the secrecy of having, during the capture, recovered the latest code changes being delivered to the fleet. It is sometimes strange to learn after the fact of the kindnesses to one another that occur between combatants. We all too often think that there is no humanity on the battlefield. It is good to be reminded that it exists on both sides and always has. Of course saying that does not suggest that the opposite is not sometimes present. It is not mutually exclusive to sink a ship and then take care of the survivors it is only that we do not often hear about it. For those of you on line Google gives up 5580 links to U-505. If you are like me you will probably spend another couple of hours learning more about this ship and it’s history. Proceeds from the sale of this book benefit the U-505 preservation efforts at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Available from: Savas Beatie PO Box 4527 El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 (916) 941-6896 www.savasbeatie.com