Download or read book Convoy Escort Commander written by Sir Peter Gretton and published by London, Cassell [1964]. This book was released on 1964 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Convoy Escort Commander written by Peter Gretton and published by . This book was released on 1964 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Convoy Escort Commander A Memoir of the Battle of the Atlantic written by Peter Gretton and published by Sapere Books. This book was released on 2021-08-30 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An engrossing memoir that uncovers the turning point of the Battle of the Atlantic against the U-boat menace. Perfect for fans of Ian Toll, Jonathan Dimbleby or C. S. Forrester's Greyhound. Vice Admiral Sir Peter Gretton's book is a brilliant account of his career in the navy through World War Two: fighting in the Second Battle of the Narvik, guarding convoys in the Mediterranean and the North Atlantic, before being placed in charge of Escort Group B7, which he described as "the finest job in the Navy for a new commander". It was in this role that Gretton, and the seven warships under his command, were able to make their contribution to turning the tide against the U-boat threat. On the 22nd April 1943 Gretton was in charge of the escort for Convoy ONS 5 during its journey across the North Atlantic. Over the course of the voyage they were attacked by over fifty U-boats, and although they lost thirteen ships they managed to sink six U-boats and seriously damage many more. The U-boats had never faced such fierce resistance to their lethal raids. As the great historian Samuel Eliot Morison stated: "the glorious battle of a British escort group under Commander P. W. Gretton to the Westbound convoy ONS 5 is regarded by both the Allies and the Germans as a turning point in the struggle for the North Atlantic." What tactics had Gretton used to fend off Doenitz's terrifying submarine wolf packs? And how had these strategies developed over the course of the war? Convoy Escort Commander demonstrates how Allied commanders searched for new methods to repel U-boat assaults, including using direction-finding radio and radar, employing special tactical formations, co-ordinating with air cover, and endeavouring to keep the convoy together and prevent straggling. This book takes the reader to heart of the action and is an impressive account of the Battle of the Atlantic and the Royal Navy in World War Two. "one of the best memoirs of the Battle [of the Atlantic]" Acadiensis: Journal of the History of the Atlantic Region
Download or read book Summary of Peter Gretton s Convoy Escort Commander written by Everest Media, and published by Everest Media LLC. This book was released on 2022-06-22T22:59:00Z with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 I was appointed First Lieutenant of the Vega, a World War I destroyer, which was being converted to anti-aircraft and antisubmarine escort duties. The start was in the best traditions. The commissioning ceremony went well, but the rain began to fall as soon as the official inspection of the ship was finished. #2 The ship’s company and the dockyard workers, who were aboard for the trials, were extremely busy. We had to prepare for sea in the short time available, and work was never finished before ten or eleven at night. #3 The first R. N. V. R. unit was raised as a complete team. The scheme was admirable, but it had little time to develop before the war came. We were constantly going to action stations before investigating ships sighted in the darkness. #4 The ship had a number of adventures while on the east-coast route. The merchant ships were not used to keeping station, and they would often slip away from convoys. The four-day passage to our base was more tiring than we expected.
Download or read book Crisis Convoy written by Sir Peter Gretton and published by . This book was released on 1974 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In April 1943, Commander Peter Gretton in charge of escorting a vital Allied trade convoy from New York to Great Britain across the North Atlantic. Over the course of the voyage, the sixty-one merchant ships of convoy HX231, along with the six ships of B7 Escort Group, were continuously shadowed and attacked by a German wolf pack of twenty U-boats. With the aid of air support, the convoy and defending escort fought valiantly across hundreds of miles of ocean and, despite poor weather conditions, managed to sink and severely damage several enemy submarines. Tragically six merchant ships were torpedoed and with no rescue vessel any survivors were left stranded in the freezing waters of the Atlantic as the convoy continued on its journey. Drawing on reports from both sides, Gretton details the sequence of events as convoy HX231 battled its way through a large wolf pack and offers an authoritative post-battle analysis of the strategies, decisions and actions taken that would ultimately see the tide of war turn in favour of victory for the Allies."--Back cover.
Download or read book Escort Commander written by Terence Robertson and published by . This book was released on 1979 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Convoy written by Angus Konstam and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2023-10-26 with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Convoy represents a fresh approach to the story of the Battle of the Atlantic. It is also the first to deal with the more spectacular story of HG-76, a major turning point in the naval war. HG-76 sailed from Gibraltar to Britain in December 1941 and was specially targeted by the Germans. A wolfpack of U-boats was sent against it, and the Luftwaffe was heavily committed too in a rare example of German inter-service cooperation. German intelligence agents in Gibraltar and Spain also knew every detail of HG-76 before it had even sailed, seemingly stacking the odds in favour of the Kriegsmarine. Despite this the convoy fought its way through. Improved radar and sonar gave the convoy's escorts a slight edge over their opponents, while the escort group was led by Commander Walker, an anti-submarine expert who had developed new, aggressive U-boat hunting tactics. Previous Gibraltar convoys had been mauled by Luftwaffe bombers operating from French airfields. This time, though, HG-76 would be accompanied by HMS Audacity, the Royal Navy's first escort carrier – a new type of warship purpose-built to defend convoys from enemy aircraft and U-boats. Following seven days and nights of relentless attack, the horrors of which are brought home through a series of first-hand accounts, the convoy finally reached the safety of a British port for the loss of only two merchant ships. Its arrival was seen as the first real convoy victory of the war. Brought to life by expert naval historian Angus Konstam, The Convoy combines the story of the technical and tactical developments that won the Battle of the Atlantic for the Allies along with a narrative that reveals both the terror and the stubborn determination that defined the experiences of those that served on convoy duties.
Download or read book Convoys written by Roger Knight and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2022-01-01 with total page 425 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first account of Britain's convoys during the Napoleonic Wars--showing how the protection of trade played a decisive role in victory During the Napoleonic Wars thousands of merchant ships crisscrossed narrow seas and wide oceans, protected by Britain's warships. These were wars of attrition and raw materials had to reach their shores continuously: timber and hemp from the Baltic, sulfur from Sicily, and saltpeter from Bengal. Britain's fate rested on the strength of its economy--and convoys played a vital role in securing victory. Leading naval historian Roger Knight examines how convoys ensured the protection of trade and transport of troops, allowing Britain to take the upper hand. Detailing the many hardships these ships faced, from the shortage of seaman to the vicissitudes of the weather, Knight sheds light on the innovation and seamanship skills that made convoys such an invaluable tool in Britain's arsenal. The convoy system laid the foundation for Britain's narrow victory over Napoleon and his allies in 1815 and, in doing so, established its naval and mercantile power at sea for a hundred years.
Download or read book Convoy Commodore written by Rear-Adm. Sir Kenelm Creighton and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2017-01-12 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On September 4, 1939, Admiral Creighton, who had retired from the Navy five years earlier, reported again to the Admiralty for service as a Commodore of Ocean Convoys. In the following three years he conducted 24 convoys to various parts of the world. The greater part of this time was spent on the North Atlantic route with its violent storms and the continual menace of U-boat attack. But there were other destinations, such as Suez via the Cape of Good Hope, and Casablanca—where the convoy sailed to repatriate 15,000 French troops after the fall of France, and found itself under arrest. In 1941 Admiral Creighton narrowly escaped with his life when the ship he was in was sunk by a U-boat near Gibraltar. Another ship in which he was travelling as a passenger, accompanied by his wife, was torpedoed and sunk by German aircraft. Besides a wealth of personal experiences Admiral Creighton gives us a broader picture of the work done by convoys throughout the last war. From his senior position, and with an intimate knowledge of the subject, he is able to convey graphically the true nature of this dangerous and vital task. “Rear-Admiral Creighton served for the three opening years of World War II as Commodore of ocean convoys, mainly in the dour North Atlantic. He was twice sunk, once near Gibraltar, the second time when going to take up a final appointment in Egypt. His narrative is enthralling....The life of an ocean commodore in war has rarely been described in detail; its responsibilities have never been better conveyed.”—British Book News “Twenty-five convoys...some fast, most of them slow, some to hot climates, but mostly that gruelling trip across the Atlantic to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in the face of westerly gales, snow and ice which were often worse enemies than the U-boats.”—Evening News
Download or read book Escort written by D. A. Rayner and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2018-12-02 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the story of one man’s war and of the Royal Navy’s escort vessels—trawlers, corvettes and destroyers—that guarded Britain’s ocean life-lines across the Atlantic against the ravaging forays of U-Boats and surface raiders. This highly acclaimed firsthand account of convoy escort operations in the North Atlantic from 1939 to 1945 is based on Rayner’s astonishing war record. Denys Arthur Rayner was a Royal Navy officer who fought throughout the Battle of the Atlantic. After intensive war service at sea, Rayner became a writer, a farmer, and a successful designer and builder of small sailing craft.
Download or read book The Convoy written by Angus Konstam and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2023-10-26 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Convoy represents a fresh approach to the story of the Battle of the Atlantic. It is also the first to deal with the more spectacular story of HG-76, a major turning point in the naval war. HG-76 sailed from Gibraltar to Britain in December 1941 and was specially targeted by the Germans. A wolfpack of U-boats was sent against it, and the Luftwaffe was heavily committed too in a rare example of German inter-service cooperation. German intelligence agents in Gibraltar and Spain also knew every detail of HG-76 before it had even sailed, seemingly stacking the odds in favour of the Kriegsmarine. Despite this the convoy fought its way through. Improved radar and sonar gave the convoy's escorts a slight edge over their opponents, while the escort group was led by Commander Walker, an anti-submarine expert who had developed new, aggressive U-boat hunting tactics. Previous Gibraltar convoys had been mauled by Luftwaffe bombers operating from French airfields. This time, though, HG-76 would be accompanied by HMS Audacity, the Royal Navy's first escort carrier – a new type of warship purpose-built to defend convoys from enemy aircraft and U-boats. Following seven days and nights of relentless attack, the horrors of which are brought home through a series of first-hand accounts, the convoy finally reached the safety of a British port for the loss of only two merchant ships. Its arrival was seen as the first real convoy victory of the war. Brought to life by expert naval historian Angus Konstam, The Convoy combines the story of the technical and tactical developments that won the Battle of the Atlantic for the Allies along with a narrative that reveals both the terror and the stubborn determination that defined the experiences of those that served on convoy duties.
Download or read book Convoy SC122 HX229 written by Martin Middlebrook and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2011-07-12 with total page 633 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book Commander in Chief written by Eric Larrabee and published by Naval Institute Press. This book was released on 2019-10-15 with total page 740 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Few American presidents have exercised their constitutional authority as commander in chief with more determination than Franklin D. Roosevelt. He intervened in military operations more often and to better effect than his contemporaries Churchill and Stalin, and maneuvered events so that the Grand Alliance was directed from Washington. In this expansive history, Eric Larrabee examines the extent and importance of FDR's wartime leadership through his key military leaders—Marshall, King, Arnold, MacArthur, Vandergrift, Nimitz, Eisenhower, Stilwell, and LeMay. Devoting a chapter to each man, the author studies Roosevelt's impact on their personalities, their battles (sometimes with each other), and the consequences of their decisions. He also addresses such critical subjects as Roosevelt's responsibility for the war and how well it achieved his goals. First published in 1987, this comprehensive portrait of the titans of the American military effort in World War II is available in a new paperback edition for the first time in sixteen years.
Download or read book Combat Leader s Field Guide written by MSG Jeff Kirkham, US Army Special Forces and published by Stackpole Books. This book was released on 2015-03-01 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A guide to the basic skills all soldiers, sailors, and Marines must know to prevail in small-unit dismounted combat operations, including planning, battle drills for offense and defense operations, patrols, construction and emplacement of fighting positions, use of weapons and call for fire, land navigation and map reading, communications, close quarter battle, and tactical combat casualty care. • Extensively updated to include both the latest doctrine and lessons learned from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq • Covers the equipment, operations, and individual security and combat skills essential for soldiers and others who must act as infantry • Essential for Army infantry NCOs and officers at the platoon and company level, Special Forces A-teams, Air Force and Navy Special Operations, Marines, and any other element that operates as infantry
Download or read book Arctic Convoy PQ8 written by Michael Wadsworth and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2009-11-30 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Robert Brundle took the SS Harmatris to Russia with Convoy PQ8 he was 47 years of age. Both ship and master were veterans and had already sailed in convoys across the North Atlantic and to South Africa. The 5,395 ton coal fired ship, laden with 8,000 tons of armaments originally set sail on 27 November 1941 to join convoy PQ6 but encountered a fierce storm in which a lorry broke free in the hold and started a fierce blaze below decks. Despite valiant attempts to extinguish the fire the Harmatris was forced to return to Glasgow for repair. Having discharged its cargo, examined and repaired the holds, it restowed and finally put to sea again on 26 December. She was now to join PQ8 and Brundle was elected Convoy Commodore. Two minesweepers, a cruiser and two destroyers escorted the eight merchant vessels.On 8 January the convoy left Reykjavik bound for Murmansk. Harmatris was struck by two torpedoes in No 1 hold which caused flooding. A third torpedo struck her a few hours later and the crew evacuated to HMS Speedwell in attendance. A volunteer crew reboarded and Speedwell took the wounded ship in tow. During the night the same U Boat that had struck Harmatris sunk the destroyer Matabele with the loss of all but two of her crew. A tug eventually replaced Speedwell and the entire crew now returned to their still stricken vessel. On 18 January the ships were twice attacked by low flying Heinkels. The stricken Harmatris finally berthed in Murmansk at 0800 on 20 January. Once unloaded the battered ship entered dry dock on 10 February. The damage was considerable. In a temperature of 40 degrees below zero the crew set about the repairs. It was difficult to locate engine parts and local labor was scarce.During the following months the crew continued to work on the ship, food was scarce and the port was frequently bombed by the Luftwaffe. Several ships close to Harmatris were sunk. It was 21 July when the ship finally left for Archangel. She took aboard a cargo of 3,000 tons of steel pipes and on 13 September she was instructed to join a convoy of 20 ships, QP14 for her return voyage. On 19 September the minesweeper HMS Leda, steaming close by Harmartris, was torpedoed. The convoy was under almost continuous U Boat attack and suffered six losses. As a result of his heroic efforts to preserve his ship and crew Captain Brundle was awarded the OBE and the Lloyds War Medal. He died in 1960 at the age of 66.
Download or read book Strategy and Command written by Louis Morton and published by . This book was released on 1962 with total page 796 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An analysis of organization and logistics as well as strategy and command, covering the coming of the war, Japanese policy and American strategy before Pearl Harbor, Japanese victories in the first six months of the war, first efforts in New Guinea and the Solomons to stem the Japanese tide, and the limited offensive in the summer of 1943.
Download or read book Convoy written by Martin Middlebrook and published by William Morrow. This book was released on 1986 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "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. In March 1943, the Germans were coming close to doing just that - sinking ninety-seven Allied merchant ships in twenty days, twice the rate of replacement, while losing seven U-boats and putting fourteen more into service. At this time, two convoys sailed from New York harbor for England. Admiral Dönitz deployed forty-two U-boats to trap them. Convoy is a powerful narrative of the ensuing engagement, which became a major turning point in the Battle of the Atlantic. It documents every maneuver of the more than eighty merchant ships and escort vessels, the long-range air cover, and the attacking U-boats. In recounting how the crews of the ships and U-boats were recruited, worked, fought, and died, Convoy tells the story of the hundreds of convoys that sailed the ocean during the war. It also throws new light on three controversies : why there was an "air gap" long after full air cover could have been provided, why convoys had to sail with dangerously weak naval escorts, and how the Allies outwitted the Germans in the radio decoding war. This dramatic and authoritative book provides a valuable contribution to the naval history of World War II."--