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Writer's pictureKirsty Whitlock

U-Boat 931 : Attack on America by Ian T. Gwilliams. Extract


Check out this absolutely fantastic looking and sounding book!!! I am gutted I didn't have time to squeeze it in for a review but keep reading for an extract!


To learn more about this book, read an extract, read more about Ian and get your copy just click below.


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Book Description


March 1944, Nazi Germany needs to turn the tide of the war. Ahron Roth, captain of submarine U931, is ordered by Himmler to transport two SS officers and a new ‘super weapon’ to America.


The Atlantic crossing is full of dangers, from air and sea. Roth, battling both the enemy and the SS, is unwillingly drawn deeper into the plot, whilst questioning the actions of Germany and himself.


Somehow, he must outwit Admiral Sullivan, RN, who has a score to settle, plus the allied intelligence agencies who are tracking the elusive subs’ movements, but are unaware of the secret mission; a mission that could change the course of history.



Extract


The car slowed down as it approached the sentry box and barrier that blocked the entrance to the eastern side of the imposing Reichstag building. A towering wrought iron fence, newly painted gloss black and adorned with gold spear-like tips, ran along the sides of the building and around the corners. As they passed the main entrance of the ‘Neo-Baroque’ building, Roth was impressed by the six Roman ‘Doric’ columns that held up the pediment roof, and by the size and grandeur of the tall windows that stretched from floor to roof along the front. He was a little perplexed, though, as he had believed that after the fire in 1933 that the building wasn’t in use anymore. Roth noticed that there seemed to be SS guards everywhere he looked, all immaculately dressed in their black uniforms and highly polished jack boots, machine pistols in their hands. One of them, a tall soldier who appeared to Roth to be easily over two metres tall, raised his hand to make sure the driver of the car stopped, staring him down as he did so. Another guard to the left raised his Schmeisser pistol and pointed it in the direction of the car. They seemed on edge to Roth – or was it just their normal everyday demeanour? He couldn’t quite gauge it.


The first guard approached the right side of the car and, in a strong authoritative tone, spoke through the open window.

“Papers!”

Weber handed his identity card together with Roth's over to the guard who studied them as Weber spoke.

“We have an appointment with Hauptsturmführer Felix Haas.”


The guard said nothing but turned away and gestured to another soldier to raise the barrier. He handed back the cards and told the driver to park by the two other staff cars just over to his right, and then marched over to the sentry box and picked up a phone. There were now six SS guards staring at them, machine pistols at the ready, as Weber and Roth got out the back of the car.

The click of steel-tipped boots on the cobbled courtyard drew their attention to the arrival of a middle-aged officer coming out of the building to the left. He marched over to them, came to a halt, clicked his heels together, and threw a Nazi salute before introducing himself.

“SS Hauptsturmführer Haas, can I see your identity papers, please, and orders?” Once again, the two captains did as they were told, Roth thinking that security here was at a level he'd never witnessed before. The SS officer read the orders, looked at the cards, and compared the photos on them to Weber and Roth before speaking once again. “Follow me, Hauptman Roth. Hauptman Weber, stay here with the car.” Roth stole a glance at Weber as he moved away and saw him give a slight nod of acknowledgement.


The two of them went through the same door Haas had previously come through and into a high-ceilinged corridor leading to a wide staircase that they started to ascend. The building inside was undergoing a serious renovation; there was evidence of fire damage here and there on the walls and ceiling still, but workmen of all descriptions seemed to be everywhere, busy working away. Ladders, pots of paint, and scaffolding were also evident. At the top of the stairs, the first floor opened into a wide expanse with approximately ten or so oak-panelled doors on either side, each four metres high. The floor was covered in a lush, bright red carpet. The whole expanse was bathed in sunlight, streaming through the huge windows that Roth had seen on the front of the building earlier. At the far end, where the two of them were heading, was a set of double doors and above those was a three by two metre red, black, and white swastika flag. A beam from a floor mounted spotlight was enhancing the colours. The flag was striking in its appearance, a statement on its own. Two SS guards were standing to attention on either side of the doors, once again their Schmeisser pistols at the ready. This time, though, these guards were both immaculately dressed in ceremonial black uniforms. A brightly polished leather lanyard was slung across their chests, and their highly polished jack boots and Stahlhelm helmets caught the sun's rays coming through the windows. Both had a piercing gaze and appeared to have an air of confidence, menace, and arrogance about them. Haas stopped at the foot of the door and knocked twice on the highly polished oak.

“Enter,” a voice barked loudly from inside, and Haas turned the brass handle on the right door and walked into the room followed by the submarine captain.


They entered an outer office in which there was a female secretary who was, presumably, the owner of the voice who had spoken. She was busy typing away furiously; she didn't even look up as they came into the room. Haas now strode over to a second set of doors. Again, he knocked. This time a clear, loud male voice could be heard from the next room.

“Come!”


Roth stepped into a huge office as Haas led the way, but as he got out of his field of view, he couldn’t hide his amazement as he saw the Reichsführer, Heinrich Himmler himself, seated behind a grand, leather-topped walnut desk with two more SS officers standing to one side of the room. Haas clicked his heels together once again, introduced Roth to the innocuous bespectacled man, sat behind the desk, threw a Nazi salute, and, with authority in his voice, he spoke.

“Heil Hitler!” He spun on his heels and marched out quickly through the double set of doors, closing the open one as he did so.


Roth now noticed two other people in the room. The first he recognized as Admiral Karl Witzell of the Kreigsmarine, and the other was a small, bald man in a navy-blue suit and tie who was sitting in the green, high backed leather chair over in the corner of the room when Haas and himself had walked in. As Roth tried to comprehend just what was happening here, one of the SS officers approached him.




Author Bio


Ian Thomas Gwilliams, originally from Liverpool, England, has been married to his wife Jane for 40 years and they have two grown up children. Ian's a retired blue collar worker and served an apprenticeship at Rolls-Royce Motors Crewe, where he was lucky to be involved in building bespoke motor cars for the British Royal family and also armoured limousines for foreign dignitaries. After twenty years service he then went to live and work in Canada for a short while, before returning to England and then on into the aerospace industry, before finally retiring in 2019.


Ians' hobbies include golf, lots of reading, walking, cycling and model making, plus a fascination with all things concerning World War 2 historical facts. His favourite authors include Damien Lewis, Stephen E. Ambrose and James Holland. His influences for writing also include classic WW2 films like The Longest Day, A Bridge Too Far and Saving Private Ryan, plus the Band of Brothers TV series. After visiting the battlefields and cemeteries of the D-Day landings in Normandy and following the route of The Battle of the Bulge through Belgium, Ian was inspired to write his debut novel, 'U-boat 931, Attack on America', which was completed during the lockdown periods of the covid pandemic. All the facts, weapons and timeline contained within the story were painstakingly researched and the actions described, could have actually taken place during the period of the conflict.


The narrative is a good old fashioned action and adventure tale, full of heroes and villains



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Zoe O'Farrell
Zoe O'Farrell
Apr 19, 2023

than you for supporting the tour and sharing this extract x

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