This is an account of one convoy escort commander’s experience leading one convoy to Britain at a stage in the Battle of the Atlantic when the balance was on the edge of turning in the Allies’ favour. It was written in 1973, s9me thirty years after the events described took place, and benefits from drawing on both British and German historical records. What these cold descriptions of mine cannot convey, however, is the desperate struggle that the Battle of the Atlantic was for all those involved. Those of us who have enjoyed almost eighty years of, mainly, peaceful existence in the West will struggle to conceive of the sudden explosion that marks a torpedo finding its target and the dreadful experiences of the sailors who had to be left behind after their ships were sunk if, as was all too often the case, there was no dedicated rescue trawler. Nor is it easy to imagine the choices and spur of the moment decisions required of the captains of the escorting warships - too few in number and struggling to make sense of the information from Asdic, radar and radio intercepts. The author helps to fill in the gaps that our imaginations struggle with. His experience shines through the narrative, which also recognises and pays tribute to the crews of the German submarines - the service that endured the highest casualty rate of all. Highly recommended.

A very detailed and well told story about how the war against the German submarines occurred starting with one convoy. The story explains the details in great easily understood manner and the first hand accounts add to the story. This is a great book for the history buff.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.