Codename Nemo: The Hunt for a Nazi U-Boat and The Elusive Enigma Machine

Real Rating: 3.25* of five

The Publisher Says: The white-knuckled war saga of the US Navy task force who achieved the impossible on June 4, 1944, capturing Nazi submarine U-505, its crew, technology, encryption codes, and an Enigma cipher machine—the first seizure of an enemy ship in battle since the War of 1812 and one that undoubtedly shortened the duration of the war.

On June 4, 1944—two days before D-Day—the course of World War II was forever changed. That day, a US Navy task force achieved the impossible—capturing a German U-Boat, its crew, all its technology, Nazi encryption codes, and an Enigma cipher machine. Led by a nine-man boarding party and the maverick Captain Daniel Gallery, US antisubmarine Task Group 22.3’s show more capture of U-505 in what was called Operation Nemo was the first seizure of an enemy ship in battle since the War of 1812, one of the greatest achievements of the US Navy, and a victory that shortened the duration of the war.

Charles Lachman’s white-knuckled war saga and thrilling cat-and-mouse game is told through the eyes of the men on both sides of Operation Nemo—German U-Boaters and American heroes like Lieutenant Albert David (“Mustang”), who led the boarding party that took control of U-505 and became the only sailor to be awarded the Medal of Honor in the Battle of the Atlantic; and Chief Motor Machinist Zenon Lukosius (“Zeke”), a Lithuanian immigrant’s son from Chicago who dropped out of high school to enlist in the Navy and whose quick thinking saved the day when he plugged a hole of gushing water that was threatening to sink U-505.

Three thousand American sailors participated in this extraordinary adventure; nine ordinary American men channeling extraordinary skill and bravery finished the job; and then—like everyone involved—breathed not a word of it until after the war was over. Nothing leaked out. In Berlin, the German Kriegsmarine assumed that U-505 had been blown to bits by depth charges, with all hands lost at sea. They were unaware that the U-Boat and its secrets, to be used in cracking Nazi coded messages, were in now American hands. They were also unaware that the 59 German sailors captured on the high seas were imprisoned in a POW camp in Ruston, Louisiana, until their release in 1946 when they were permitted to return home to family and friends who thought they had perished.

Following Operation Nemo step-by-step, author Charles Lachman has crafted a deeply researched, fast-paced World War II narrative for the ages.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Step-by-step indeed. Ploddingly paced, full of the sort of detail and acronyn-heavy information that professional historians batten on, and that do less for me than sci-fi infodumping does in the reading pleasure metrics, I had to bail just before the halfway point. It really shouldn't surprise me that I couldn't get deeply immersed in the read because submarine stories have to be very fast-paced for me not to fixate on the claustrophobia of their raison d'etre. Underwater! NO FRESH AIR! Lots of bodies all squished up with no personal space! *shudder*

As I mentioned, that needs a fast narrative pace with plenty of action for me to overcome. I didn't get that here. If you're an Erik Larson fan, that is not this writer's style. He's closer to Russell S. Bonds or Stephen Harrigan: Details accumulate, characters emerge in relief or simply can't be recreated, but nowhere is your pulse going to pound.

Diversion Books offers hardcovers for $29.99 from 4 June 2024, should you be deeply fascinated by details of the Battle of the Atlantic. show less

On June 4th, 1944 9 US Navy sailors do the impossible...board U 505, a German Submarine and take over the sub and begin the dangerous task of towing the sub to a us Navy base all the while maintaining secrecy to keep this information out of the hands of the Nazi's. They also captured the crew of U 505, along with technology, encryption codes and more importantly an enigma machine The last time this had happened was in the War of 1812.This is a true story told by German and American participants.