Forbidden U-Boats: Germany's Illegal Interwar Submarine Programme

[@Fregulus5]

Home from work in a nice, warm house, a wonderful lunch, and a new Mark Felton video... Life is good!

[@jhnshep]

And to that, playing silent hunter 3

[@ArmyJames]

@@jhnshep I can’t bring myself to play SH3 or SH5. Playing on the side of those Hun bastards.

[@markfryer9880]

What was for lunch that made it so wonderful? Mark from Melbourne Australia

[@ArmyJames]

@@jhnshep I can’t bring myself to play SH3 or SH5. Playing for the Hun? Forget it.

[@luhman16afaintstar]

'Life is good' Meanwhile, WW3 is closing in. But hey, stay bliss

[@marvwatkins7029]

What a way to start the New Year: a story from Mark Felton.

[@laetiziacoronet243]

At the island of Suomenlinna off Helsinki, Finland, you can still visit Vesikko. Recommended if you're in town anyway. There is also a small army museum on site.

[@ulfosterberg9116]

@laetiziacoronet243 and in tallinn on the others shore, you can see a similar submarine made by England.

[@torbjornstoor9915]

And in the museum you will find Simo Häyhä’s uniform.

[@perhaglind7142]

When World War II ended in 1945, a German Type XXI submarine appeared near the Swedish coast. It was the latest model Germany had. It had technical problems And the German crew chose to sink it themselves, then the Swedish navy came and raised it to the surface, and took it to the naval base in Karlskrona, ⚓where they dismantled the submarine and began to study German submarine technology, thanks to these studies, Sweden was able to build the best submarines in the world. 🇸🇪

[@joevanseeters2873]

Brilliant presentation Dr. Felton!

[@douglassauvageau7262]

Allies' neglect of torpedo development in the interwar period proved debilitating.

[@berkguraybg]

This channel is my night time routine at this point. Thankful for it

[@spotontheroad1]

Over 1000 U-boats built in 10 years! Amazing. Great video.

[@louisavondart9178]

As the current commander of U266 ( type V11C ) I have to thank you for the history lesson. We put great faith in our Donitz to lead us well, but I always figured Canaris for a wrong'un. Must dash, I'm being depthcharged.....

[@CourtneyKing-ln7kq]

Canards was a bonifide freedom fighter.

[@davidcox3076]

One part of the Battle of the Atlantic that is often missed, is that early on Italian submarines sometimes outnumbered German boats. As Mark points out, the Kriegsmarine was short on ocean-going types. So the Regia Marina pitched in.

[@stevecastro1325]

As always, Dr. Felton delivers an informative and mesmerizing presentation.

[@DrThunder88]

"Hm hm hm. I'm sorry. I can't divulge information about our secret, illegal, U-boat program...Oh crap, I shouldn't have said we have a U-boat program...Oh crap! I shouldn't have said it was a secret...OH CRAP! I certainly shouldn't have said it was illegal! Ah, it's too hot today."

[@EdBarry-l9v]

Nice to see Simpsons/Mark Felton fans on here!

[@maestromecanico597]

D'OH!

[@paulc6471]

Neat Simpson’s quote

[@zachhoward9099]

This comment takes all😂 Great Simpsons reference!

[@gertgilich3508]

Epic contribution! Thanks Mark. Very much appreciated.

[@danielhammond3012]

Another high quality informative video, thank you Doctor.

[@nytnapoli8327]

Excellent! I've been waiting for a video on u boats and I appreciate the mention of Canaris.

[@Minboelf]

Treaty of Versailles: you can't bulid or operate U-Boa- Germany: *Nope, I don't think I will*

[@brealistic3542]

Boy Mark, you certainly out did yourself with this research buddy. Amazing detailed info. All of your videos are well researched but this one is a cut above. How do you do it !

[@dusty7264]

Great video. Germany was rearming and nobody paid attention, just like China spending billions on their military and nobody seems to be paying attention. They have already said they are going to take Taiwan back.

[@JohnWayne22-b6w]

oh well

[@JohnWayne22-b6w]

not my problem

[@FredScuttle456]

Agreed. Also, the western nations were prepared to look the other way as Germany rearmed in the 1930s. Stalin's USSR was seen as the greater threat. Germany was regarded as a future ally. If the Soviets invaded Europe (a real threat in the 1930s) they couldn't reach France without coming through Germany. A bit like the western powers reconstructing and rearming West Germany from the 1950s onwards.

[@JohnWayne22-b6w]

yeah meaning the soviets were the real threat after all.

[@ArmyJames]

But China is not under any treaty restrictions banning them from arming themselves to the teeth.

[@jameseldridge4185]

My mother was a nursing student in St John New Brunswick Canada in 1943. I well recall her story about given for a dance for the men of the scheduled to ship out a few days later. The news came that the shipped had been torpedoed. All 600 hands lost.

[@bartmuller9797]

Great as always, alot of design workers done by a dummy firm in the Netherlands, named Koch and Kintzel sounds like a german vaudeville team , they were Krupp engineers and worked in the Netherlands for years interfacing with the Dutch navy , luckily they never got ahold of the schnokle prewar that is , Again thanks Dr. Felton

[@jamesgiordano6772]

Awesome, as always! Thank you Sir.

[@Bob-qk2zg]

I will never understand why Japan did not use their submarines effectively. The Panama Canal, the Solomon Slot, Subic Bay and the seas south of Pearl Harbor were all vulnerable.

[@bwarre2884]

Drachinifel has a good YT vid about that. The Japanese submarines were to attack the US navy as it would cross the ocean to weaken it for a final battle that the Japanese navy would of course win. They weren't intended to interdict merchant shipping.

[@davidhipperson448]

My great uncle was on a u boat with kreigsmarine. When he died I researched a bit of what he was in and tge kreigsmarine hold details of service personnel and can help with details. If you need ir anyone may find they could help in a search if their own I have full contact details and can pass them on. Another brilliant video, thanks

[@allen_p]

A wonderfully detailed video.

[@Wayoutthere]

Not now babe! Felton has just uploaded

[@sos_legio_primus]

I love the sound filtering, modulations, and the ambience . So you sound like a 1920's radio host

[@dukejulito]

As always.... amazing!

[@glenngosline3303]

Great stuff as always

[@genericpersonx333]

What interests me is what military technologies Germany DIDN'T do significant work on in secret between the wars. For example, Germany had no significant plans in place to create naval guns exceeding 283mm in caliber in 1935 when formally liberated from the naval restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles. Krupp basically had to rush development of 380mm weaponry to arm the Bismarck class five years later. Why didn't the German Navy have more drafting done on battleship weaponry when they knew there would be a day they'd be making battleships again? That is the sort of question that needs more exploration I think.

[@jerryjeromehawkins1712]

That would be an excellent topic. Even Germanys Nebelwerfer systems were developed during the inter-war years... and were labeled as "Smoke Mortars" (Nebelwerfers)as a way to circumvent the Treaty of Versailles.

[@theonlymadmac4771]

They didn’t Plan on Building battleships in the foreseeable future. So they lacked 20 years of research, as is obvious in Bismarck‘s design compared to contemporary designs elsewhere.

[@markfryer9880]

I had never considered the question before? I guess I just assumed that Krupp's had a standing catalogue of big guns of all sorts ready to go, up to and including the Paris Gun? They were certainly quick to produce the large railway guns used in the Dover gun battles. Mark from Melbourne Australia

[@Grimenoughtomaketherobotcry]

It may also have had to do with Hitler's hope from 1933-1939(and even beyond) that Britain would eventually be compelled to support him against the Soviets. Why invest in capital ships when the Royal Navy will eventually be your ally and your main enemy is a land power?

[@blastulae]

Germany shouldn’t have built any BBs at all. The steel, other materiel and manpower should all have gone into more subs and tanks instead. But thank God they didn’t make more subs.

[@ronmoore5827]

Another interesting story. Especially since I can drive 30 minutes from my home and walk through U 505 preserved in Chicagos Museum of Science and Industry.

[@joeycahill4084]

Another Felton classic

[@battlejitney2197]

I toured the Visikko submarine in Finland in 2019. Beautifully maintained exhibit and a fascinating look into a “coastal” size U-Boat. It’s pretty much a one “room” submarine!

[@EdBarry-l9v]

I know British subs operated in covert missions of Cockleshell Heroes and Operation Mincemeat fame but I would be very interested to hear more of their operational history during the war. Doesn't get mentioned much.

[@davidcox3076]

That would be a great topic. They really don't get covered.

[@penfold8498]

Another masterpiece great video

[@motseyjarrod]

Are you familiar with the German U-boat attacks on Bell Island, Newfoundland in 1942? I always wondered were there other attacks in North America and how they made it so far and if the boats made it back.

[@raymondromanos1479]

Love your content. One note: Slevogt is pronounced 'schlay-fōcht, where the v=f and the g takes on a gutteral sound like in Dutch. Cheers!

[@jimmywr32]

great video thank you

[@Yelluz]

Dr Felton cannot make an uninteresting video. It's genuinely impossible.

[@GNMi79]

His "Audio Only" videos come pretty close. 😂

[@johnjacobs1625]

I knew the # of U Boats was High, but not that many. Thx Dr Mark!!

[@Petrowsky14]

See, I always thought all this behind the scenes stuff only happened after 1933, but seems the Weimar Republic was also onside

[@giulianomarco]

I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that if Dönitz had had 300 U-boats ready (presumably ocean going, at the start of the war), he would've won the Battle of the Atlantic. Also, he had problems persuading Hitler to divert resources into building more, as he had no clue about warfare at sea.

[@VersusARCH]

Versailles treaty: "Germany, you can't develop submarines!" Germany [phones incognito its homeboys in the Netherlands and Finland]: "Wanna develop some submarines?"

[@nickgironda8932]

I get so much out of your content! Thank you so much 🫡 🇺🇸 🙏

[@justusstern9125]

Well, the point is : Germany never started WW1 ....

[@Omega30t2RG]

Just the opening music captures the dark times of history. Please dont change it😊

[@morgan97475]

Another informative video. Have you considered a video discussing the Shetland Bus operation?

[@beachboy0505]

Excellent video 📹 This video 📹 illustrates that the British Empire 🇬🇧 could not negotiate a peace in 1940 because, at the rate of Germany, rearmament. The British 🇬🇧 would have been subservient to Germany 🇩🇪 by 1945. A defacto situation. Keep calm and carry on. 👑

[@BasementEngineer]

You have it exactly backward. Germany tried to negotiate arms limitation with France and Britain. Neither would agree.

[@ModernNCRph]

Last time I was this early, IJN still dominates the Pacific

[@embreis2257]

11:26 '...giving Germany a total late 1939 submarine fleet of 129 vessels.' that sounds more than the entire submarine fleet of all European NATO member states combined in 2025. what an absurdly high number of uboats compared to our current navies.

[@Jeffybonbon]

British Inelegance must have been a sleep to miss this

[@JohnWayne22-b6w]

how could they have stopped them anyways?

[@halfsourlizard9319]

Rather like your spell checker?

[@BasementEngineer]

@@JohnWayne22-b6w By agreeing with the German arms limitation proposals???

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Thank you Sir. Old Shoe🇺🇸

[@kennethnielsen3864]

Thanks for sharing.

[@Jack51971]

I do say what happened to the death of Hess in Spandau? So far only part 1?🤔😊

[@jamestaylor7710]

Yes another video.

[@TheChief88]

Babe wake up, new Mark Felton video dropped

[@Hippie.J]

Very much enjoy watching your informative videos, thx DR.Felton

[@Spitfiresammons]

Please do the story of the forgot tank duel between the Churchill and the captured firefly?.

[@starshipchi-rhostudio7097]

Thank you for this awesome video. I am surprised that the Allies did not try to keep better tabs on the Germans in order to ensure continued compliance to the Treaty of Versailles.

[@fredhoupt4078]

excellent summary

[@luismoura477]

Can you please identify the u boat suncked in porto Portugal? Many thanks.

[@davidrivero7943]

Back porch in 60 degrees & Sunny Miami, in the Free State of Florida. ☕☕ ? 👍🏻

[@infolover_68]

Ironic that the most advanced submarines Type XI (oceanic) and XIII (coastal) were deployed until 1945 when the war was utterly lost for Germany.

[@godsowndrunk1118]

Great subject...

[@teddyn240]

Please do a similar video on the Luftwaffle.

[@joeycahill4084]

Never been this early, nobody even finished the video yet.

[@broganmckenzie7633]

Same here, so lucky lol.

[@MxSpikeSpiegelxM]

Yet you still made a post saying it's a classic

[@kilo21swp]

One of the great things about this channel is I can learn new things. Or taught again things forgotten.

[@skypilot7162]

"Illegal" because the victorious Allies said so. Would anyone have blamed France for secretly rebuilding if Germany has won the war and imposed such onerous terms as The Allies did at Versailles? Sure, you can have a country, but you can't defend it. It was the arrogance and greed of a victorious France, in particular, that enabled Hitler to rally a humiliated and resentful Germany.

[@JohnWayne22-b6w]

exactly!

[@rickjensen2717]

Germany was 'taken to account' for losing WW1 and this was one of the causes of WW2.

[@jaredquinney204]

I was really curious about this part of the war

[@a.vanwijk2268]

2:28 IVS was not located in these building. It is The Hague, but these are the government buildings.

[@PanzerdivisionWiking]

I was just checking out your awesome video on “Where Eagles Dare” and this popped up! Thank you Mark for making Sunday even better.

[@Engineer1897]

The school at Murwik was site of the accidental shooting of Wolfgang Luth in 1945, when Wolfgang Luth failed to answer the challenge of a sentry. At that time, the school was under the authority of President Donitz's " interim" government.

[@drmarkintexas-400]

🎖️⭐🙏🏆❤️‍🩹🛐 Thank you for sharing this

[@bigsarge2085]

Interesting.

[@Mikehookie]

Mark could you do some more episodes on some interesting things that Martin Bormann did during wwII?

[@claywest9528]

A treaty formally settling the aftermath of World War II did not come until the War had been over for over four decades. Imagine how much trouble could have been avoided if there was a "cooling off" period of even half that long between the Armistice and the treaty of Versailles.

[@kevinjohnston4923]

Yep, the Allies absolutely exploited Germany after WWI and the greed was bad for everyone.

[@Neal_Schier]

Always an interesting day when that German Rapper Karl "Jelly" Doenitz gets a shout out from the dance floor.

[@sdcoinshooter]

I always wonder if Germany had introduced the Type 21 at the beginning of the war what difference would it have made.

[@djzrobzombie2813]

Non

[@hyrondongle2473]

Why haven’t they call the submarine police?

[@andykaufman7620]

The reason they didn't get the associated diagrams and other paperwork is that would be industrial theft perpetrated by Britain, France, the US and other allied countries. Just because they won the war doesn't give them the right to own intellectual property or private property or company secrets. That is, if the allies are about what they claim which is the Rule of Law, and abiding by treaties like the Geneva Convention. Agreements for the basis for their alliance and they want to place strict restrictions upon warfare, so when someone wins that doesn't mean all restrictions are relaxed and all spoils go to the winner. Instead, if assets were seized by the allied they'd have to be returned to their rightful owner to 'pay the war debt' if nothing else, but it would not remain a possession of the victor.

[@Litauen-yg9ut]

No military will completely stop development on a project, especially if the country in question is good at it. That goes for all militaries in most countries...

[@seralegre]

of those 1100 built, how many survived to the day of capitulation?

[@djmech3871]

I remember reading the Germans lost 785 U-boots in WW2, along with 30,000 young men.

[@BasementEngineer]

@@djmech3871 I seem to recall that the number of lives lost was more than 60,000. Compare this to the number of flight crews lost by Britain and the USA.

[@user-kp1ei7mn3x]

Completely enamored by WWII submarine warfare history.

[@deltahfman]

If you think these machines cruised around underwater you watched too many WW2 movies.

[@thEannoyingE]

This is interesting, they did similar schemes to make tanks and other arms, disguising the factories as schools and other municipal buildings.

[@TraitorVek]

4:15 - Submarine Designers - Good Job if you could get One I should Expect.

[@bigboyblue7181]

You make great videos I watch them all.

[@Mashkoormohsin]

Great midnight in Pakistan because of Mark❤

[@cynthiaalver]

It's the NFL playoffs and I could have waited till later to watch this video...

Sounds like a new mike.

[@dunravin]

Mic too

[@BlakeMerriam]

What is the origin of Mark Felton's introductory music?

[@alhagiesediafofana9131]

Mark the history professor ❤

[@pontuseuxinus6287]

And then 2 British engineers invented magnetron...

[@BasementEngineer]

So what? There are numerous ways to skin a cat. The magnetron is only one way to produce microwaves. germany also had microwave radar.

[@a.vanwijk2268]

2:40 Where were these U-boats contructed? Boldly in Germany?

[@Charles-k9g5y]

My understanding is that the Japanese had the best torpedoes

[@shanewaterman4125]

Blimey! Got within the first one thousand likes!

[@paulpowell4871]

such thin lines separated winning and losing.

[@Little-Dewott-2010]

Germany surely finded sneaky ways to evade the restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles by contracting shipyards in other European countries to submit new U-boat designs.

[@BasementEngineer]

That's because "Versailles" was not a treaty but a diktat. As such it is not binding on the imposed party.

[@jerrywood4508]

I wonder how aware the British were of these operations prior to 1935.

[@JackB733]

I'd love to see a video about the capture/story of Alfred Rosenberg... Not that I don't love every one of your videos