Red Star Under The Baltic / Victor Korzh / Russian submarine World War II / SubmarineBooks.com

"Red Star Under The Baltic" is the graphic memoir of a Soviet submariner during his years at sea in the Baltic during World War II. Not only is this a superb record of the appalling conditions endured on these basic craft, but a very human account detailing the comradeship and tensions among the crew as they operated in the most life-threatening conditions. Written in the first person, the author vividly describes the many actions that he and his comrades were involved in. Many of these were successful and Korzh witnessed numerous engagements and sinkings of German shipping. However, it was by no means a one-sided contest and there were some horrifyingly close calls. The comparatively shallow waters of the Baltic were less than ideal for submarine warfare. Perhaps the most dangerous and dramatic moment came when his submarine became entangled in netting. After frantic efforts, they just managed to extricate themselves before being depth-charged. Another constant threat was of mechanical malfunction. This book will have strong appeal to all those with an interest in the naval history of the Second World War. It is extremely rare to have a totally authentic Russian account, which has been superbly translated into English. There are strong echoes in this thrilling memoir of the classic German U-boat story Das Boot with its non-stop action and constant underwater danger. The author was born in 1912 a small Russian village, graduated from the Naval Training College in 1938 as a submariner engineer. His wartime experiences are the subject of this book which was first published as Reserve of Strength in 1966. After the War he remained involved with the Submarine Service as a researcher and instructor, retiring in 1960 as a Captain First Rank. Married with two children, Viktor Korzh died in St Petersburg in 1993.

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BOOK REVIEWS

"Although this book was first published in Russia some 40 years ago, this the first English translation. Written by a distinguished former Soviet submariner, it is a moving, vivid and first-hand account of life in the submarine service of the USSR during the bleak years of WW2. The author died in 1993. Greatly feared by the Germans, I found it fascinating to learn how they employed extensive counter-measures to ensure the entire Soviet Fleet was kept bottled up. In this way German U-Boats were then able to strike at Allied and even neutral shipping with impunity. Then we learn how, in 1943, all that began to change as the Allies learned how to strike back at their, hitherto unseen, enemy. For those with an interest in the war at sea, it is very easy to become so preoccupied with U-Boats and the North Atlantic campaign that the struggles undergone by our Soviet Allies (as they were at that time) are completely overlooked. The involvement of Finnish Forces on the side of Germany (Finland eventually withdrew from the War in 1944) was an additional threat of which I previously knew very little. Altogether a fascinating, well written and worthwhile book which, for me at least, has opened up a whole new area of interest in the war at sea during 1939-1945." Ned Middleton / British professional underwater photo-journalist & author

"The vast majority of books on WWII submarines focus on German U-boats and Battle of the Atlantic. "Red Star under the Baltic: A Firsthand Account of Life on board a Soviet Submarine in World War 2," by Viktor Korzh offers a completely fresh examination into a virtually unknown aspect of WWII submarine warfare: life inside a soviet combat boat. "Red Star" was written in the early 1960s, when the events portrayed were still reasonably fresh in the author's mind, and published in Russian in 1966 under the title "Reserve of Strength." Korzh was the chief engineer on three Soviet boats operating on the exceedingly treacherous Baltic Sea. The narrow and shallow body of water was a deathtrap for submarines. Korzh's superb memoir details the abysmal life and death conditions Soviet sailors endured on their primitive but stoutly constructed boats. Some of the events Korzh was exceedingly lucky. Two boats he left were each sunk on their next patrol. "Red Star" will interest everyone who enjoys reading about WWII naval matters in general, and U-boats in particular. Authentic Russian accounts of naval service are very rare, and memoirs in a frontline submarine exceedingly so. Everyone familiar with "Das Boot" and life aboard German U-boats will appreciate and see obvious similarities between that account and Korzh's recollections: hardship, terror, comradeship, and death. Korzh died in St Petersburg in 1993. Recommended." Advanced Book Reviews