The deadly menace of the U-boat nearly brought defeat to the British in the Second World War. But the chances of survival for the U-boat crews were slender at best: some seventy percent of crewman perished at sea. Battle Beneath the Waves is the powerful story of the U-boats at war, recreated from the experiences of the German survivors. It is full of drama and excitement, but more than matched by the numbing terror of those facing death beneath the waves in a trapped submarine under attack. Here are detailed accounts of individual U-boat actions, including extraordinary stories of escape and survival, all set in the context of a constantly changing U-boat strategy. Maritime historian Robert C. Stern's engrossing narrative highlights not just the faults that were to bring that strategy low but the extraordinary bravery of the unassuming men who had to put it into action. Book jacket.