Ep #138 Boats of Death: Inside WWII's most deadliest Submarines
Thu Jan 22 2026
From hand-cranked wooden death traps to steel predators stalking the depths, this episode of the Professor Liberty Podcast dives deep into the deadliest submarines of World War II and the men who dared to serve aboard them. Mr. Palumbo traces the origins of submarine warfare from the American Revolution to the Atlantic and Pacific battlefields, explains why submarines are still called “boats,” and unpacks the brutal reality of life inside a cramped, airless steel tube where one mistake could mean death for everyone aboard. Along the way, we meet legendary vessels like Germany’s U-48 and U-99 and America’s USS Tang, explore the tactics and commanders that made them so lethal, and confront the human cost behind every ton sunk. It’s a story of innovation, strategy, fear, and endurance—where oceans became chessboards, submarines reshaped global warfare, and courage turned even the smallest boat into a legend.
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From hand-cranked wooden death traps to steel predators stalking the depths, this episode of the Professor Liberty Podcast dives deep into the deadliest submarines of World War II and the men who dared to serve aboard them. Mr. Palumbo traces the origins of submarine warfare from the American Revolution to the Atlantic and Pacific battlefields, explains why submarines are still called “boats,” and unpacks the brutal reality of life inside a cramped, airless steel tube where one mistake could mean death for everyone aboard. Along the way, we meet legendary vessels like Germany’s U-48 and U-99 and America’s USS Tang, explore the tactics and commanders that made them so lethal, and confront the human cost behind every ton sunk. It’s a story of innovation, strategy, fear, and endurance—where oceans became chessboards, submarines reshaped global warfare, and courage turned even the smallest boat into a legend.