Phantom Fleet
The Hunt for Nazi Submarine U-505 and World War II’s Most Daring Heist
Author: Alexander Rose
The thrilling, untold story of one of the greatest heists in history: the clandestine capture of a Nazi U-boat at the climax of World War II, an incredible feat that paved the way for the Allied invasion of Europe.
7th July 2025
Hardcover
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Summary
The thrilling, untold story of one of the greatest heists in history: the clandestine capture of a Nazi U-boat at the climax of World War II, an incredible feat that paved the way for the Allied invasion of Europe.
Description
The thrilling, untold story of one of the greatest heists in history: the clandestine capture of a Nazi U-boat at the climax of World War II, an incredible feat that helped paved the way for the Allied invasion liberation of Europe.
Shortly before noon on June 4, 1944, the sonar operator on a destroyer prowling off the coast of West Africa heard a sharp, metallic ping. The sound could mean only one thing: the German U-boat that their hunter-killer group had long been tracking, U-505, was lurking somewhere in the darkness beneath them. The ensuing fight between exhausted hunter and venomous prey would make history when American sailors boarded an enemy warship at sea for the first time since the War of 1812.That day's victory was the culmination of a tireless campaign against the Nazi submarine threat by "Tenth Fleet"-a mysterious unit possessing the oracular ability to predict the locations and movement of Hitler's U-boats. Run by Commander Kenneth Knowles, Tenth Fleet had guided Captain Dan Gallery to U-505 and to repay the favor Gallery was going to steal an Enigma machine for him. Now all they had to do was to make a U-boat, its crew, and its secrets vanish into thin air . . . In this swashbuckling adventure story, bestselling historian Alexander Rose draws on long-classified encrypted documents and intercepted German transmissions to unravel, for the first time, the astounding tale of a daring heist cooked up by an owlish egghead and a glory-seeking buccaneer to score the richest prize on the high seas.Critic Reviews
"[A] rousing account...Riveting...Readers will relish Rose's blend of fascinating naval lore and nerve-wracking drama."--Publishers Weekly
"Phantom Fleet is a thrilling account of one of the most improbable success stories of World War II. The courage, resourcefulness, brilliance, and determination of the men who defeated the Nazis' submarine threat and captured U-505 is breathtaking. In Rose's able hands, the enthralling story gets the telling it so richly deserves."--Eric Jay Dolin, author of Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution
"Alexander Rose deftly uses a single extraordinary incident--the U.S. Navy's capture of a German U-boat at sea in 1944--to tell the broader story of the U-boat war in World War II. Rose writes in a lively and at times even conversational style, which makes for fast and easy reading, but his intricate knowledge of the strategies, weaponry, and personalities on both sides of the U-boat war shines through on every page. Phantom Fleet is a rare book that will satisfy both casual readers and hardcore military history buffs."--William Geroux, author of The Ghost Ships of Archangel and The Fifteen
"A heart-pounding narrative of the U.S. Navy's clandestine hunt for and ultimate capture of a Nazi U-boat. Using a kaleidoscope of voices and sources, Alexander Rose drops readers into one of the most dramatic stories of World War II. More than just an excellent history, Phantom Fleet is a page-turning thriller."--James M. Scott, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of Black Snow, Rampage, and Target Tokyo
"Alexander Rose tells the fascinating story of a submarine heist that never should have worked, with outstanding detail and a style that draws you into his vivid portraits of both frontline sailors and naval leaders. Phantom Fleet is a book you'll be glad you picked up."--Gregory A. Freeman, author of The Forgotten 500 and Sailors to the End
"Phantom Fleet has as much propulsion and panache as the daring mission it recounts. Alexander Rose tells this cat-and-mouse story with the confidence of a writer in total command of his material. Strap in for an incredible wartime adventure tale."--Mitchell Zuckoff, New York Times bestselling author of Lost in Shangri-La and Frozen in Time
About the Author
Alexander Rose is the author of numerous books, including The Lion & The Fox, Empires of the Sky, Men of War, American Rifle, and the New York Times-bestselling Washington's Spies, which was adapted into the AMC drama series Turn: Washington's Spies, for which he served as a writer/producer. He writes the Spionage Substack and his website is
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7th July 2025
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