None Of Us Is Coming Back Summary and Analysis

Chapter 12 is a narrative historical account of the weeks leading up to the commissioning of U-869 in Bremen, Germany in January, 1944.

Herbert Guschiewski is a radioman assigned to the crew of U-869. Along with the rest of the crew, Guschiewski undergoes basic submarine training after gathering in Bremen early in January. One of the other crewmen is Martin Horenberg, also a radioman.

After a few weeks of training, the crew finally meets the officers who will command the newly-built U-869. The commander is a twenty-six-year-old former pilot named Helmuth Neuerburg. Neuerburg is a strict commander who rarely shows any sign of emotion. He understands the war is not going well for Germany and that his submarine command is likely to end like many others in failure. He has a strong sense...