2015
First Published
3.77
Average Rating
80
Number of Pages
Part of Series
Even with Germany in the ascendency at the beginning of World War II, Scapa Flow was supposed to be the safe home base of the British Navy. Nothing and nobody could penetrate the defences of this bastion, which was built up to formidable levels in World War I and symbolized the faith placed by the British in the invulnerability of their navy. So how, in the dead of night on October 13, was Gunther Prien's U-47 able to slip through the line of protective warships undetected to sink the mighty Royal Oak ? This book provides the answer with an account of one of the most daring naval raids of World War II indeed - in all of history. Drawing on the very latest underwater archaeological research, this study explains how Prien and his crew navigated the North Sea, Kirk Sound and some very unlikely odds to land a devastating blow on the British, and became among the very first German heroes of World War II. It reveals the level of disrepair that Scapa Flow had fallen into, and delves into the intriguing conspiracy theories surrounding the event, including an alleged cover-up by the then First Sea Lord, Winston Churchill.
Avg Rating
3.77
Number of Ratings
26
5 STARS
15%
4 STARS
50%
3 STARS
31%
2 STARS
4%
1 STARS
0%
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Author
Angus Konstam
Author · 83 books
Angus Konstam hails from the Orkney islands and is the author of over 80 books. He has written a number of books on the naval campaigns of World War Two, including The Battle of North Cape and Battleship Bismarck as well as The Spanish Armada 1588, Lepanto 1571 and Taranto 1940 in the Osprey Campaign series. A former naval officer and museum professional, he served as the Curator of Weapons at the Royal Armouries in the Tower of London and the Chief Curator of the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West, Florida. He now works as a full time author and historian and lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.
