244. The U-Boat War Was Not a Close Run Thing with Roger Moorhouse

Think the WWII U-Boat War was Britain’s closest brush with defeat? Think again. In this live History Rage special, historian Roger Moorhouse – author of Wolfpack: Inside Hitler’s U-Boat War – joins host Paul Bavill to torpedo one of the Second World War’s most persistent myths.

Drawing on brand-new research from the German perspective, Roger reveals why the Battle of the Atlantic was not the near-disaster Churchill’s famous quote suggests.

He walks us through:

• Why most English-language histories ignore the German side of the U-boat campaign.
• How a brief “happy time” in 1940–41 shaped Britain’s self-image as plucky underdog.
• The statistics showing how Liberty ships and countermeasures reversed the threat.
• Inside the cramped, stressful life aboard a Type VII U-boat — from “tin can rage” to PTSD-like symptoms.
• The propaganda, recruitment and astonishing casualty rates of the Kriegsmarine’s submarine arm.
• Enigma, aerial radar, hedgehog mortars and other Allied innovations that made 1943 the turning point.

It’s WWII history as you’ve never heard it before — directly from the other side of the periscope. If you’re fascinated by Second World War naval history, military myths, or the Battle of the Atlantic, this episode is a must-listen. Roger Moorhouse blends gripping stories with hard data to show how the real U-boat war unfolded — and why understanding it matters.

Roger’s new book Wolfpack: Inside Hitler’s U-Boat War (out 9 October) is the definitive account of Germany’s submarine campaign told from the inside.

🔗 Listen now to bust the “close-run” myth of the U-boat war.

📚 Pre-order Roger Moorhouse’s book: Wolfpack: Inside Hitler’s U-Boat War

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780008644895

💬 Join the History Rage Live community – for £5/month on Patreon you can take part in monthly livestreams, ask your own questions, win prizes and bag the coveted History Rage mug.

👉 Subscribe on your favourite podcast app and leave us a 5-star review to help more history fans find the show.

Connect with Roger Moorhouse:

- Follow Roger on Twitter: @roger_moorhouse

Stay connected with History Rage on social media:

- Twitter: @HistoryRage

- Instagram: @historyrage

- Facebook: HistoryRage

Stay curious, stay passionate, and most importantly, stay angry!

---

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.