World War Two at Sea

As soon as war broke out in September 1939, the conflict at sea began. It raged without respite until the unconditional surrender of Germany and Japan just under six years later. World War Two at Sea highlights the key moments in this absorbing story, from the protracted struggles to fight the vital Atlantic, Arctic and Mediterranean convoys through to their destinations and the decisive naval clashes to the great amphibious operations that eventually turned the tide of war decisively in the Allies’ favour. The coverage is arranged chronologically, starting with the sinking of the British passenger liner Athenia by a German U-boat just hours after war was declared and concluding with Operation Ten-Go, the last desperate attempt by the Japanese to defend Okinawa and the sinking of the Yamato, the world’s last and biggest super-battleship. Throughout, decisive battles and engagements are fully covered—clashes like Cape Mataplan, aptly regarded as a Mediterranean Trafalgar in which the British navy scored one of the greatest and most one-sided victories in its history against the Italian battle fleet. Readers will discover how, starting with Midway and continuing at Guadalcanal, the US Pacific Fleet fought the Imperial Japanese Navy to a standstill to establish naval supremacy throughout the Pacific. Fully illustrated throughout with a fascinating mixture of historic photographs, maps, charts and specially-devised diagrams, World War Two at Sea is compelling reading and essential reference. Above all, it demonstrates how vital it was for the war at sea to be won as an essential preliminary to the land and air campaigns that brought about final victory.