In the years 1910 to the 1950s, Midshipman’s journals were compulsory for all trainee regular officers, and were written up day by day, often in a vivid and revealing narrative style, sometimes with evocative illustrations. Thousands were produced, but not many survive. This journal by John Hashim, preserved by his son Simon and introduced by naval historian Brian Lavery, provides a unique and human insight into the most critical period in the Royal Navy’s war in the Mediterranean....

"The hunting down and sinking of the magnificent German battle cruiser Scharnhorst was one of the epic actions of World War II . . . stirring" ( Work Boat).On December 25, 1943, the German battle cruiser Scharnhorst slipped out of Altenfjord in Norway to attack Arctic convoy JW55B which was carrying vital war supplies to the Soviet Union. But British naval intelligence knew of the Scharnhorst's mission before she sailed, and the ...

"The dramatic career of the Queen Elizabeth class super-dreadnought, which fought with such distinction throughout two World Wars . . . a great story." —White Ensign AssociationNo warship name in British naval history has more battle honors than HMS Warspite. While this book looks at the lives of all eight vessels to bear the name (between 1596 and the 1990s), it concentrates on the truly epic story of the seventh vessel, a super-dreadnought battleship, con...

**The definitive biography of the Australian cruiser HMAS Perth, and the brave men who sailed with her.**Of all the Australians who fought in the Second World War, none saw more action nor endured so much of its hardship and horror as the crew of the cruiser HMAS Perth. Most were young - many were still teenagers - from cities and towns, villages and farms across the nation. In three tumultuous years they did battle with the forces of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, the Vich...

When the Second World War broke out in September 1939, the British asked Australia for help. With some misgivings, the Australian government sent five destroyers to beef up the British Royal Navy in the Mediterranean.HMAS Vendetta, Vampire, Voyager, Stuart and Waterhen were old ships, small with worn-out engines. Their crews used to joke they were held together by string and chewing gum; when the Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels ...

The career of the legendary British battlecruiser is vividly recounted from its commissioning to its tragic end in this naval history.The HMS Hood was the glory of the Royal Navy. In The End of Glory, historian Bruce Taylor combines in-depth research and thrilling narrative to tell its story. For twenty years Hood symbolized the Royal Navy during the twilight years of the British Empire. Yet in 1941, it was destroyed in seconds by the batt...

This is the wartime history of the battleship HMS Royal Sovereign, along with the story of her four sister ships HMS Revenge, HMS Resolution, HMS Royal Oak and HMS Ramillies. These ships were built and launched during World War I and although old and slow, and bitterly criticised by Churchill and others as being "Coffin Ships", the Royal Sovereign class battleships in fact played a valiant and doughty role in World War II. The Royal Oak was an early loss, thanks mainly to pre-war Governmen...

A fascinating and lively account of the lives of British warships named London, looking at history from the perspective of the men who were there.There is no current warship in the Royal Navy called HMS London, but vessels carrying the name have featured in some of the most controversial episodes of British naval history.For example, the wooden wall battleship HMS London of the late 18th century could be called "the ship that lost A...

This WWII memoir of a Royal Navy Lieutenant offers a vivid account of maritime combat throughout the European Theater.From first joining the Royal Navy in 1940 until the end of the campaign against Japan, Tony Ditcham was in the front line of the naval war. He served aboard the battlecruiser HMS Renown in the North Sea and Gibraltar. Serving on destroyers in most of the European theatres, he saw action against S-boats and aircraft off Britain's East Coast,...

The cruiser HMAS Australia II and the Pacific War on JapanIn 1924, the grand old battle cruiser HMAS Australia I was sunk off Sydney Heads. Once she had been the pride of the navy and the nation. She had saved Australia from an attack by a German squadron in the Pacific in World War I.But after the war she was obsolete, and a victim in the race to disarm after WWI. It was a day of national mourning when they blew the bottom out of her; she...

Acclaimed historian Max Arthur pays tribute to the Royal Navy from 1914 to 1945 and VE Day, drawing on the personal stories of those who have served during this period, creating a unique narrative history.Lost Voices of the Royal Navy is a memorable and moving testament to the courage, spirit, skill and irrepressible humour of those who served in the Royal Navy during these crucial years.

This WWII history examines how the Royal Navy defended the English Channel from the first Dover Patrols to the liberation of the Channel Islands.The English Channel has always provided Great Britain with a natural defensive barrier, but it was never more vital than in the early days of World War Two. This book relates how the Royal Navy maintained control of that vital seaway throughout the war.Military historian Peter Smith takes readers from the early days ...