Author: Martin Middlebrook
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 184468718X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 633

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Book Description
The author of The First Day on the Somme details a naval skirmish that became a turning point for the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II. Winston Churchill wrote, “The only thing that ever really frightened me during the war was the U-boat peril.” Had the convoy link between North America and Britain been broken, the course of World War II would have been different. There was a period during the winter of 1942-43 when the Germans almost cut the North Atlantic lifeline. In the first twenty days of March, 1943, the Germans sank ninety-seven Allied merchant ships—twice the rate of replacement. During the same period, seven U-boats were lost and fourteen put in service. No wonder Churchill was worried. Early in March, 1943, Convoys SC122 and HX229 sailed from New York harbor for England, and Admiral Doenitz deployed forty-two U-boats to entrap them. Twenty-one merchant ships were sunk in the ensuing battle. The Germans called it “the greatest convoy battle of all time.” This book documents the convoys, every maneuver of the merchant ships, their escort vessels, the long-range aircraft cover, and the attacking U-boats in a powerful narrative reminiscent of Nicholas Monsarrat’s bestselling novel The Cruel Sea. In many ways, this book could be the story of any of the hundreds of convoys that sailed the ocean during the war. Middlebrook also elucidates three controversial aspects of the Battle of the Atlantic: why there was an “Air Gap” long after full air cover could have been provided, why the convoys had to sail with dangerously weak naval escorts, and how the Allied outwitted the Germans in the radio decoding war.

Author: Everest Media,
Publisher: Everest Media LLC
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 62

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Book Description
Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The Battle for Merchant Shipping was a campaign of attrition between the British merchant fleet and the German U-boats. If German U-boat captains torpedoed and sank more Allied ships than the British shipyards could replace, the Germans would achieve a tightening stranglehold on Britain’s supplies. #2 The Battle of the Atlantic was the struggle between the German Navy and the Allied navies, and it was extremely close. The Germans had 46 U-boats available for action at the start of the war, and sent as many of them as possible to sea several days before Poland was invaded. They sank 222 merchant ships in March 1940, but most of these sinkings had been of ships sailing alone. #3 The German admirals and the German Naval Staff had always wished and intended to introduce unrestricted warfare as quickly as the political leaders would allow them to. The admirals never ordered the U-boat captains to shoot survivors, but they did not protect them either. #4 The German victories in the spring and early summer of 1940 changed many of the factors affecting the U-boat war. The successful invasion of Norway, followed by their victories in France and the Low Countries, gave the Germans the valuable ports on the coastlines of these countries.

Author: Jurgen Rohwer
Publisher: Stackpole Books
ISBN: 081176267X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 306

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Book Description
The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous campaign of World War II, climaxed in 1943, when Germany came closest to interrupting Allied supply lines and perhaps winning the war. In March of that year, German U-boats scored their last great triumph, destroying nearly 150,000 tons of supplies and fuel.

Author: Ed Offley
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0465031641
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 668

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Book Description
At times, even his admirers seemed unsure of what to do with General Douglas MacArthur. Imperious, headstrong, and vain, MacArthur matched an undeniable military genius with a massive ego and a rebellious streak that often seemed to destine him for the dustbin of history. Yet despite his flaws, MacArthur is remembered as a brilliant commander whose combined-arms operation in the Pacific -- the first in the history of warfare -- secured America's triumph in World War II and changed the course of history. In The Most Dangerous Man in America, celebrated historian Mark Perry examines how this paradox of a man overcame personal and professional challenges to lead his countrymen in their darkest hour. As Perry shows, Franklin Roosevelt and a handful of MacArthur's subordinates made this feat possible, taming MacArthur, making him useful, and finally making him victorious. A gripping, authoritative biography of the Pacific Theater's most celebrated and misunderstood commander, The Most Dangerous Man in America reveals the secrets of Douglas MacArthur's success -- and the incredible efforts of the men who made it possible.

Author: Middlebroo
Publisher: Penguin Uk
ISBN: 9780140166958
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 416

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Book Description
An assured supply of armaments, petrol and foodstuffs from the US was vital to the British war effort, especially in the early days of the Second World War. The route across the north Atlantic, treacherous enough in itself, was made infinitely more so by German U-boats prowling in their wolf packs, ready for the quick kill. Merchant ships, slow and defenceless, were gathered in great convoys and shepherded across the pond by their escort destroyers, frigates and corvettes, offering at least some protection against the unseen enemy. Martin Middlebrook's account of two such convoys encompasses all the danger, drama and sheer awfulness of life - and death - at sea in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Author: Martin Gilbert
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135107882
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 314

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Book Description
In The Routledge Atlas of the Second World War, Martin Gilbert graphically charts the war’s political, military, economic and social history through 257 illuminating maps. The atlas covers all the major events from the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 to the defeat of Japan in August 1945. Focusing on the human – and inhuman – aspects of the war, The Routledge Atlas of the Second World War includes examination of: military, naval and air campaigns on all the war fronts the war on land, at sea and in the air the economic and social aspects of the war the global nature of the war, in armed combat and in suffering the impact of the war on civilians, both under occupation, and as deportees and refugees the aftermath of the war: post-war political and national boundaries; war graves; and the human cost of the war on every continent. This paperback edition includes several updates to existing maps, as well as ten new maps, specially drawn for this edition. The new maps include examinations of Japanese- American and African- American soldiers serving with the United States Army, British women special agents, Belgium at War, and the German occupation of the Channel Islands.

Author: David T. Zabecki
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1598849816
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1938

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Book Description
Written by experts for use by nonexperts, this monumental work probes Germany's "Genius for War" and the unmistakable pattern of tactical and operational innovation and excellence evident throughout the nation's military history. Despite having the best military forces in the world, some of the most advanced weapons available, and unparalleled tactical proficiency, Germany still lost both World Wars. This landmark, four-volume encyclopedia explores how and why that happened, at the same time examining Germany as a military power from the start of the Thirty Years' War in 1618 to the present day. Coverage includes the Federal Republic of Germany, its predecessor states, and the kingdoms and principalities that combined to form Imperial Germany in 1871. The Seven Years' War is discussed, as are the Napoleonic Wars, the Wars of German Unification (including the Franco-Prussian War), World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. In all, more than 1,000 entries illuminate battles, organizations, leaders, armies, weapons, and other aspects of war and military life. The most comprehensive overview of German military history ever to appear in English, this work will enable students and others interested in military history to better understand the sociopolitical history of Germany, the complex role conflict has played in the nation throughout its history, and why Germany continues to be an important player on the European continent.

Author: Peter Padfield
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
ISBN: 0470342803
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 349

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Book Description
Praise for War Beneath the Sea "I am truly filled with awe and admiration...fascinating and a great contribution to the entire lore of submarines.... I wish I had written the book." ?Capt. Edward L. Beach, USN (Ret.) author of Run Silent, Run Deep "Peter Padfield is the best British naval historian of his generation now working. [His] book...will now become the standard work on the subject." ?Daily Telegraph (London) "Peter Padfield has produced by far the best and most complete critical history of the submarine operations of all the combatants in the Second World War, at the same time providing vivid narrative accounts of particular actions and events." ?Lloyd?s List (London) "An excellent account of submarine warfare in 1939?45... [it] recreates the tribulations and horrors of that especially brutal form of warfare within a sturdily analytical and often critical framework." ?The Economist "[A] marvelously complete and detailed study of World War II submarine warfare...an interesting, serious, and timely book." ?Houston Chronicle "A brilliant submarine warfare study." ?Military Review

Author: David T. Zabecki
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1440869189
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 447

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Book Description
This invaluable resource offers students a comprehensive overview of the German war machine that overran much of Europe during World War II, with close to 300 entries on a variety of topics and a number of key primary source documents. This book provides everything the reader needs to know about the German war machine that developed into the potent armed force under Adolf Hitler. This expansive encyclopedia covers the period of the German Third Reich, from January 1933 to the end of World War II in Europe, in May 1945. Dozens of entries on key battles and military campaigns, military and political leaders, military and intelligence organizations, and social and political topics that shaped German military conduct during World War II are followed by an illuminating epilogue that outlines why Germany lost World War II. A documents section includes more than a dozen fascinating primary sources on such significant events as the Tripartite Pact among Germany, Italy, and Japan; the Battle of Stalingrad; the Normandy Invasion; the Ardennes Offensive; and Germany's surrender. In addition, six appendices provide detailed information on a variety of topics such as German aces, military commanders, and military medals and decorations. The book ends with a chronology and a bibliography of print resources.

Author: Spencer C. Tucker
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 159884458X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 970

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Book Description
The war at sea was a key aspect of World War II, one that is too-often under-studied. This comprehensive encyclopedia shares current understandings of the struggle to control the seas during that conflict—and it opens our eyes to the reasons sea power continues to be of critical importance today. Scholarly treatment of World War II is constantly changing as new materials inform new interpretations. At the same time, current military operations lead to reevaluation of the tactics and technologies of the past. Marshalling the latest information and insights into this epic conflict, World War II at Sea: An Encyclopedia will enable students and other interested readers to explore specific naval engagements, while also charting the transformation of naval history through innovations in ordnance. In treating the naval aspects of World War II, this two-volume ready reference enhances the understanding of a part of the war that is often overshadowed by the fighting on land and in the air. The encyclopedia focuses on the events, individuals, organizations, and ideas that shaped the world's navies during World War II, as well as the resultant battles that changed naval history. It also covers the numerous innovations that occurred during the conflict and shows how strategies evolved and were executed.