The Type II U-boat (Super Drawings in 3D) Paperback – July 19, 2013

the book is just what I was looking for. Good price, and it came fast. There is no verbiage it is just photo's great for buildinga model from scratch.

The 20th book in the Super Drawings in 3D series (No. 16020) covers a submarine class, the German Type II u-boat of World War II. Like others in the series, it is an 8-1/4" x 11-3/4", stapled card cover with 76 internal pages. As usual for this series the page numbering includes the card covers for unknown reasons. There is also an unbound foldout showing on one side conventional 1/144th scale 4 view (plan, starboard elevation, bow, and stern) line drawings of the the four sub-types and on the other perspective drawings of the four sub-types. As always, make sure this foldout is included if buying secondhand.The introductory text is very brief, the briefest ever I think. Worse, what there is of it is confusing. It states that these boats carried 5 spare torpedoes when actually they carried 5 total. It also states that a second periscope was introduced on the IIC sub-type while the drawings show that it was introduced on the IIB. Service in the Black Sea might also have been mentioned.This series is pretty much all about exterior detail and submarines are not rich in these details. Although the drawings are beautiful they have a barren feel to them with close up after close up focusing on the conning tower and deck guns. Some drawings of the various torpedo and mine types carried would also have been welcome.Detailed captioning has never been a strength of this series and that is particularly evident here. Instruments on the conning tower are never mentioned, fittings on deck ignored, and hatches in the conning tower scream for explanation.Recommended, but best used with other, more comprehensive references.

Knowing the history of boats which help the United States in the World War is amazing

Kagero's minimalist style is not suitable for a Type II U-boat, which is simply does not have enough exterior features to fill so many pages. The result is a proliferation of similar views. Some technical information about the sail, torpedo tubes, and on-deck equipment would help.