1st Edition
The Defeat of the Enemy Attack upon Shipping, 1939–1945 A Revised Edition of the Naval Staff History
This book was originally published in 1957. During the First World War, German use of unrestricted submarine warfare, supported by extensive mining and surface raids, very nearly forced Britain out of the war in 1917. The island’s heavy dependence on seaborne supplies was gravely threatened again in 1939, supplemented this time by air attacks on shipping. After the war, Commanders Waters and Barley wrote a Naval Staff History which has long been recognised as an authoritative study of the impact of the German campaign and its ultimate defeat by Britain and her allies. It remains an indispensable basis for any serious study of the Battle of the Atlantic and has here been updated and revised by Dr Grove, who also contributes a perceptive introduction outlining its significance.
Biography
Eric J. Grove
'...this Navy Records Society edition makes what is undoubtedly an important study widely available for the first time...The naval staff histories generally reflect tactical doctrines current when they were written. Most are straightforward narratives that attempt to present engagements and campaigns in a factual manner. The Defeat of the Enemy Attack on Shipping , as Eric Grove explains, is a naval staff history with a difference. Indeed, in today’s jargon this is a staff history with an attitude...The Defeat of the Enemy Attack on Shipping makes its case clearly, contains many insights and is based on rigorous analyses.' Northern Mariner '...these two volumes provide historians of the Battle of the Atlantic with a vast amount of source materials and well analyzed statistics.' International Journal of Maritime History
