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DESTROYER an Anthology of First-Hand Accounts of the War at Sea 1939-1945

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DESTROYER An anthology of first-hand accounts of the war at sea 1939-1945 Edited by Ian Hawkins Foreword by Len Deighton Introduction by Rear Admiral John Hervey, CB, OBE, RN, Retd. CONWAY MARITIME PRESS DESTROYER 16 Introduction by Rear Admiral John Hervey, RN, Retd. fi§3§ 20 Prologue to 1939 by Rear Admiral John Hervey, RN, Retd. 21 Early Days • Iain Nethercott, DSM, Gunner, HMS Keith 35 The Sinking of the SS Huntsman and the Demise of the Admiral GrafSpee • Norman Watson 37 A Personal Reminiscence • Lieutenant Commander Derek House, RN, Retd., HMS Boadicea 39 HMS Boadicea -The Early Days • Lieutenant Commander Hubert C. Fox, RN, Retd., HMS Boadicea 41 The Sinking of HMS Blanche • Signalman Noel Thome, HMS Blanche 42 Magnetic Mine Menace • Excerpt from The Battle of the East Coast 1939-45 by Julian P. Foynes 46 Prologue to 1940 by Rear Admiral John Hervey, RN, Retd. 47 Channel Patrol • Lieutenant Commander Hubert C. Fox, RN, Retd., HMS Boadicea 49 Anthologist's Note: Invasion of the Low Countries 50 A Trip to Sea • Petty Officer Roland Butler, Engine Room Artificer, HMS Beagle 55 Anthologist's Note: A Rating's Experience of Narvik 57 Excerpt from Blood, Tears and Folly by Len Deighton 57 Anthologist's Note: Ramifications of Defeat 57 Anthologist's Note: Evacuation from France 58 'An Incredible Achievement' • Excerpt from Hold the Narrow Sea by Peter C. Smith 59 Events Leading to the Evacuation of Boulogne • Iain Nethercott, HMS Keith • Captain Sam Lombard-Hobson, RN, Retd., HMS Whitshed 67 Boulogne: First Full Story of Evacuation • From the Cambridge Evening News, Tuesday, 28 May 1940 71 Message to all Commanding Officers of Royal Navy Destroyers • Admiral Bertram Ramsay, RN 72 HMS Keith at Dunkirk • Iain Nethercott, HMS Keith 74 Events Leading to the Sinking of HMS Basilisk • By G. P. 'Phil' Merryweather 75 The Loss of HMS Keith • Telegraphist John Beeley, Stoker John Cranston, DSM, and Gunner Iain Nethercott, HMS Keith 90 A Prayer Answered • Able Seaman Ron Blacker, HMS Boadicea • Lieutenant F. J. G. Hewitt, RN, HMS Bulldog • Lieutenant Hubert C. Fox, RN, HMS Boadicea 97 Disaster at St. Nazaire: SS Lancastria • Corporal Sidney Gaze, British Army Contents 99 Anthologist's Note: 'The Battle of France is Over' 100 HMS Beagle on the West Coast of France • Petty Officer R. V. Butler, Engine Room Artificer, HMS Beagle 101 Mission to the River Gironde, 22-23 June 1940 • Able Seaman Michael Back, HMS Boadicea 103 Anthologist's Note: Action at Oran 103 Brazen Goes Down Fighting • Excerpt from Hold The Narrow Sea by Peter C. Smith 105 More British Destroyers • Article from the Daily Telegraph, 23 July 1940 105 Excerpt from British Destroyers by E. J. March 106 A View from the German Side • Excerpt from Sea Warfare 1939-1945: A German Viewpoint by Admiral Friedrich Ruge 108 Anthologist's Note: On Patrol with Boreas and Brilliant 109 A View from the Merchant Navy 1939-41 • Sidney Davies 112 Excerpt from Blood, Tears and Folly by Len Deighton 113 Anthologist's Note: The Loss of the Arandora Star 114 Winter Diary of HMS Brilliant • By Stanley Jones, HMS Brilliant 118 Prologue to 1941 by Rear Admiral John Hervey, RN, Retd. 119 The Admiral of Tobermory • Iain Nethercott, ex-HMS Keith 119 The Hunters • Excerpt from Blood, Tears and Folly by Len Deighton 122 'A Brilliant Orange Flash...' • Excerpt from The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat 123 The Sinking of the Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS Comorin • Iain Nethercott, HMS Keith, and Tristan Jones, HMS Comorin 127 OB 318 - The Exploits of a Second World War Convoy • By F. T. Grover 132 Gott Mit Whom? The Capture of U-l 10 • Lieutenant Commander David Balme, RN, Retd., as told to John McCormick, Military History Magazine (incorporating excerpts from 'Memories of the Boarding of U-l 10' by Lieutenant Commander David Balme, RN, Retd.) • Official Report by Commander A. J. Baker-Cresswell, RN, 10 May 1941 • Official Report by Sub-Lieutenant David Balme, RN, 11 May 1941 143 Excerpt from Ultra Goes to War by Ronald Lewin 144 'No Mean Accomplishment' • Poem by John Baker, Telegraphist, HMS Bulldog 147 Anthologist's Note: Breathing Space • Letter from Commander Baker-Cresswell, RN, Retd. to Lieutenant Commander Balme, RN, Retd., Christmas 1998. 147 Before Pearl Harbor • Able Seaman Michael Back, HMS Boadicea 149 A Tribute to HM Submarines • Iain Nethercott, ex-HMS Keith 152 On Patrol with HMS Boreas • Able Seaman Albert Halls, Gunner, HMS Boreas BliJUOTB'® 8 DESTROYER if 42 154 Prologue to 1942 by Rear Admiral John Hervey, RN, Retd. 155 Random Notes by an Anonymous Watchkeeper • On board HMS Boadicea 159 Home and Away • Ron Blacker, ex-HMS Boadicea 162 The History of U-581 • Via the HMS Westcott Association 166 Engaging Scharnhorst, Gneisenau & Prinz Eugen • John Beeley, Telegraphist, ex-HMS Keith 169 Destroyer Action in Defence of Russian Convoy QP 11 • Article from the Daily Express, 31 July 1942 171 The Tragedy of PQ 17 • By R. F. 'Dick' Fearnside, Chief Radio Operator, SS Hartlebury 174 Convoy PQ 17 • Excerpt from Convoys to Russia by Bob Ruegg and Arnold Hague 176 'Sheer Bloody Murder' • Excerpt from Arctic Convoys by Richard Woodman 178 Convoy Duty in the Med. • Ron Blacker, HMS Boadicea • Article from The Gibraltar Chronicle, 9 July 1942 179 A View from a Signalman • Signalman David Walker, HMS Bulldog 182 Anthologist's Note: The Queen Mary 183 Anti-Submarine Patrols over the Gulf of Mexico • Tommy Loftin, Pilot, USAAC/USAAF 185 HMS Petard and U-559 • Mark Baldwin 187 Don's Diary • Signalman J. D. 'Don' Gooch, HMS Boadicea 194 A 'Sort Out* in Gib. • Iain Nethercott, ex-HMS Keith 195 A Christmas Miracle • Lieutenant Jack Keir, RN, HMS Boadicea 197 Arctic Convoys • Excerpt from British Destroyers by E. J. March 198 A Wartime Battle Against the Elements • Alfred Carpenter, HMS Caldwell if 43 204 Prologue to 1943 by Rear Admiral John Hervey, RN, Retd. 205 A View from the Engine Room (Part I) • Angus Currie, Engine Room Artificer, HMS Brilliant 210 A'Happy Threesome' Go out Hunting Together • Gordon Holman, the Evening Standard, 12 March 1943 211 Closing the Gap Over the North Atlantic •Jack Adams, B-25 & B-24 Navigator, USN/USAAF 214 2,000 Mile Liberators Help Beat U-Boats in Mid-Atlantic •Article from Stars And Stripes, 10 June 1943 214 Excerpt from Convoy by Martin Middlebrook 216 Anthologist's Note: 'Who Was Right?' Contents • Excerpts from a 1977 speech by Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris 217 Anthologist's Note: U-Boat Bunker 218 Crossing The Line 226 A View from the Merchant Navy 1941 -1943 (cont'd) • Sidney Davies, Merchant Navy 228 A Royal Salute • Iain Nethercott, ex-HMS Keith 232 'Underneath the Surface' • Poem 233 A Learning Process • Len Perry, HMS Beagle 234 Doctor at Sea • Surgeon Captain R. S. McDonald, RN, Retd., HMS Beagle 239 Anthologist's Note: Nadir 239 'The Burning Tanker' • Excerpt from The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat 241 Anthologist's Note: American Gasoline to the Germans flfkM Ll I' u if 244 Prologue to 1944 by Rear Admiral John Hervey, RN, Retd. 246 All in a Day's Work • Lieutenant Deryk Wakem, RN Writer, HMS Verdun 250 Big Convoy to Russia Gets Through • From the East Anglian Daily Times, 20 May 1944 253 'U-boat Germans' • Excerpt from The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat 255 A Spelling Problem • Len Perry, Stoker, HMS Beagle 256 A Kiss from Betty Hutton • Iain Nethercott, ex-HMS Keith 258 Exercise 'Tiger' - A View from the German Side • Arno Abendroth 260 Russian Convoy RA 59 - April/May 1944 • Able Seaman Michael Back, HMS Boadicea 260 Anthologist's Note: RA 59: Allied Success 262 Annals of War and Peace (Part I) • E. J. Kahn, Jr. (via 'Jack' Adams, USN/USAAF) 266 USS Guadalcanal Task Group and U-505: The events of 4 June 1944 and their significance • By Captain R. J. Schlaff, USN, Ret'd 269 Anthologist's Note: 'A Thousand Miles From Salt Water...' • Excerpt from We Captured A U-Boat by Rear Admiral David Gallery, USN, Ret'd 269 Overlord - Order of Battle • Excerpt from Chronology of the War At Sea 1939- 1945 by J. Rohwer and G. Hummelchen 275 Destroyer Diary of D-Day • Desmond Tighe (Reuters) on HMS Beagle 277 Men Who Got their Tanks Through • From the Yorkshire Post, 8 June 1944 by Desmond Tighe on HMS Beagle 278 A Vision of Hell • Len Perry, Stoker, HMS Beagle 280 Channel Convoy • Surgeon Captain R. S. McDonald, RN, Retd., HMS Beagle 282 'No Greater Heroism...' • William V. McDermott, USN, LST314 ]0 DESTROYER 285 'A Beam of Light...' • Albert Duncan, USN, LST376 288 Anthologist's Note: HMS Beagle: Commendation 288 Memories of HMS Beagle • George W. Miller, Gunner, HMS Beagle 290 The Sinking of HMS Boadicea, 13 June 1944 • Excerpt from Hold The Narrow Sea by Peter C. Smith • Lieutenant Harry Howting, Able Seaman John Randall, HMS Boadicea • Sidney Davies, SS Freeman Hatch; Jack Yeatman and George Hattesley, HMS Pearl 294 Glider Bomb is No 'Toy' • Article from the Milwaukee Sentinel, 24 January 1944 294 Anthologist's Note: Fritz-X and HS 293 Missiles 296 The Sinking of HMS Swift • Official report by Captain J. R. Gower, DSC, RN, Retd. 298 Returning Home • Iain Nethercott, ex-HMS Keith 301 Russian Convoy JW 61 • Len Perry, Stoker, HMS Beagle 305 Convoys JW 62/RA 62, November/December 1944 • Michael Back 307 A View from the Engine Room (Part II) • Angus Currie, Engine Room Artificer, HMS Brilliant 308 A Survivor's Story • Morton Wood, Jr., 66th Infantry Division, US Army 312 A View from an Infantryman • Richard L.
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