Contrary to American submarine movies, the morale officer is the captain. He is responsible for the welfare of the crew and while the captain may delegate collateral duties to junior officers, he is constrained to retain the responsibility for the crew's morale. In monitoring the welfare of the crew, the captain confers with the executive officer and the chief of the boat. Since boredom is the submariner's enemy, on patrol the chief organizes tournaments, games, skits, and contests. Rituals such as crossing the equator and international time zones give rise to festivity. Birthdays are observed and Christmas demands home-made trees while Thanksgiving day requires turkey. Of course, the boat newspaper is circulated in the crew's mess, movies offer a nightly distraction and the cooks concoct special meals at the whim of the captain (i.e.., Italian night with forbidden wine). When possible, swim parties are assembled with a designated rifleman in the periscope shears to ward off sharks.

The activities are only bound by the imaginations of crew members and the approval of the captain. Those mentioned above are only the tips of the icebergs. Whether one served on Fleet Type boats in World War Two or on Trident Class boats today, participation in crew-inspired activities is key to a submariner's morale.

What about the men who served in U-boats during World War Two? These Germans lived in cramped Type VII and IX boats about half the size of the Fleet Type boats. How could these submariners cope with the boredom of long patrols? In 1943 Kapitaen Wolfgang Lueth lectured prospective commanding officers on the techniques of maintaining crew's morale. He said that morale of the crew depended on discipline, the boat's success in sinking ships, a well organized daily routine, officers who care about the men under their cognizance, and a commander whose leadership embraces all aspects, mental, physical and spiritual of his men's welfare. He said,

"What is reasonable punishment for a submariner's infraction? One cannot put the man ashore or throw him into a brig. I give him instead, three days hard-lying. That means he sleeps on the bare deck without mattress or blanket: It is unpleasant, and it is more effective than cells. Sometimes it is enough to mention the infraction in the boat's newspaper, or post it on the bulletin board. Then when it is finished, it must be forgotten by all. It is not logged and the man continues to deserve the respect of the crew. But in the long run the captain must really have the welfare of the men at heart. Ask them questions of their homes and families. Of most importance give orders they can understand and obey. Nothing kills morale more than ambiguous orders coupled with criticism when the order is incorrectly carried out.

"The captain must be even tempered and approachable at all times. To do otherwise, means that at some critical time a vital piece of information will be withheld by a crew member. Keep the crew in the picture. During an attack tell them what is happening, what is seen through the periscope. Pass the word from compartment to compartment. When being depth charged, describe to the crew the results of the attack and keep them informed of the evasive maneuvers being taken and the evasive devices being used to throw the surface ships off the scent.

"When a sailor is off duty his time is his own. Respect the hours of the men at rest. During supper I keep the lights dimmed and afterwards we have a gramophone concert over the general announcing system. Sometimes crew members are allowed to pick the tunes as reward for work well done. Sundays are special. Spiritual hour brings the men together in the morning. Rewards may include undisturbed time, sleeping late. Song competitions are good with the best voice allowed to sleep through a watch. Tall story contests are favorites, with the best one being typed into our boat's newspaper. We even have poetry contests which are judged by the senior petty officers. Sunday meals are special where hoarded meat is served. In the evening, the 'Abendlied' is often the Regensburg Cathedral choirboys.

"Physical fitness is important. Men should be encouraged to join others in the torpedo room to exercise. It is the only space where exercise is possible. Hygiene is difficult. With only one head, the motto must read, 'Be brief'. Saturdays are reserved for personal clean-up. Salt water soap works well. No one should be allowed to smoke on an empty stomach. I tolerate no photos of naked women.

"Chess and Skat tournaments are easy to organize. The newspaper should include the status of contests. Sometimes I ask the officers to give lectures. Subjects include basic navigation, currents, winds, fish, clouds and weather. Occasionally, I lecture on why our mission is important and the history of Germany and the Third Reich. Each boat must have a library and books should be distributed to each compartment. I encourage you to have your electricians make small lamps for bunks.

"All these techniques and time-absorbing activities are important, but none will have any real positive effect if the captain does not lead his men by example of calm, steady objectivity in difficult times."

U-boat life was far more challenging than it was for American submariners, but the problems of maintaining a crew's morale was addressed in similar terms of leadership. Over the years the basic concept remains the same. It is the captain who sets the tone for the ship's morale.