In this dramatic story, Lawrence Paterson draws on the original war diary entries of Germany's premier submarine unit, the 1st U-boat Flotilla, to describe events of the war at sea from 1939 to 1944. Compiled by the flotilla commander, the war diary was a formal record that included combat results. From laying mines along Britain's eastern seaboard to the desperate final battles, the roller-coaster fortunes of Karl Doenitz's "Grey Wolves" are recorded in detail. War diary entries include the commencement of hostilities, the first clashes, the Battle of the Atlantic, and much more. Appendixes detail the U-boat types of the first flotilla and German submarine development between the wars. Both U-boat enthusiasts and those with a taste for adventure will be engrossed by the skilled narrative that captures the immediacy of the day-to-day high-risk operations.