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ARCTIC VICTORY; The Story of Convoy PQ18.
H/B(1) 1975 (ISBN 0 7183 0074 2) H/B(2) German Edition 1975. P/B 1977 (ISBN 450 03120 9). H/B (3) 1994 (ISBN 0 947554 44 0). P/B Russian Edition, AST, Moscow, 2004. Czech Edition, Nase Vojsko, Prague 2007.
The supply convoys to Russia during World War II were the most severe of the whole Second World War. Not only did the British, American and Russian merchants ships and their Royal Navy escorts have to cope with the U-boats and mass Luftwaffe attacks mounted from Norway along almost their whole route, but were beset by the ice packs and some of the most atrocious weather conditions in the world. The massacre of convoy PQ 17 has been given almost continuous attention down the years, less well known is the battles fought by its far more successful successor, PQ 18.
Here the whole panorama of the battle is recounted, from the organising and sailing of the convoy, the plans and composition of the escort, and the German counter plans which involved all arms, including two squadrons of their heaviest surface ships and the Luftwaffe's first mass torpedo bomber assault.
Originally published in the UK as a hardback, this book was later published in Germany and then re-published twice more, both as a paperback and a revised hardback edition and yet another paperback edition is currently being contemplated.
The Observer, London, reviewed this book and stated it was: "A masterly analysis of the action, and the verdict that the operation was as gallant and significant as anything in our Naval history."