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Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not
used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad
quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are
images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to
keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the
original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain
imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made
available for future generations to enjoy.
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At a Winter's Fire
Bernard Edward J. Capes
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R828
Discovery Miles 8 280
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Ships in 12 - 17 working days
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This book follows the changing pattern of man's fortunes at sea,
from the golden age of sail, through the proud years when steam
reigned supreme, to the present day, when the flag of convenience
rules the waves. It tells of triumphs and disasters, some recent,
some long forgotten, and illustrates how, contrary to all
expectations, the fine art of seamanship has withered and died with
the advent of advanced technology.
On 16 March 1807, the British Parliament passed The Abolition of
the Slave Trade Act. In the following year the Royal Navy's African
Squadron was formed, its mission to stop and search ships at sea
suspected of carrying slaves from Africa to the Americas and the
Middle East. With typical thoroughness, the Royal Navy went
further, and took the fight to the enemy, sailing boldly up
uncharted rivers and creeks to attack the barracoon's where the
slaves were assembled ready for shipment. For much of its long
campaign against the evil of slavery Britain's Navy fought alone
and unrecognised. Its enemies were many and formidable. Ranged
against it were the African chiefs, who sold their own people into
slavery, the Arabs, who rode shotgun on the slave caravans to the
coast, and the slave ships of the rest of the world, heavily armed,
and prepared to do battle to protect their right to traffic in the
forbidden black ivory. The war was long and bitter and the cost to
the Royal Navy in ships and men heavy, but the result was worthy of
the sacrifices made. The abolition of the slave trade led to a
scramble for empires and, in place of slaves, Africa began to
export cocoa, coffee, timber, palm oil, cotton and ores, all very
much in demand in the West.
The war years 1939 - 1945 were the most perilous in the long
history of the British Merchant Navy. The figures speak for
themselves. With 2,535 ships sunk and 36,749 merchant seamen lost,
the proportional casualty rate was higher than any branch of the
Armed Forces except for Bomber Command. The danger to the lightly
armed merchant ships came from enemy air attacks, surface warships,
raiders and, of course submarines. Prisoners were seldom taken so
the crews of stricken vessels had to fend for themselves. Those who
survived enemy action faced death by drowning, exposure and lack of
food and water. Compiled mainly from experiences related direct to
the author, this inspiring book draws on first-hand accounts of the
lucky few who survived. With extraordinary honesty and modesty
their stories describe the events leading up to the enemy attack,
the actions and the aftermath. Readers will be struck by the
courage and fortitude of these men who often suffered extreme
hardship and privation. Too many died before reaching land or being
rescued. These men are without doubt the unsung heroes of the
Second World War and this fine book is an overdue recognition of
their sacrifices and courage.
The British Merchant Navy dominated the world trade routes in the
years leading up to the Second World War. The star players of the
fleet were the cargo liners, faster and larger than the tramps and
offering limited passenger accommodation. On the outbreak of war
these cargo liners became crucial to the nation's survival using
their speed and expertise to evade Nazi warships, raiders and
U-boats. Initially operating alone, but increasingly relying on
Royal Navy protected convoys, these key elements of the Merchant
Navy plied the oceans and seas despite mounting losses, throughout
the war years. This superbly researched book describes numerous
dramatic incidents. Some ended in disaster such as the New Zealand
Shipping Company's Turakina which was sunk after a running battle
with the German raider Orion. Others were triumphs for example
Operation Substance when six fast cargo liners succeeded against
all the odds in reaching besieged Malta with vital supplies. The
common denominations in all these historic voyages were the courage
and skilled seamanship of the Merchant Navy crews. As Running The
Gauntlet vividly illustrates, their contribution to victory, too
long overlooked, cannot be overstated.
In the early stages of the Second World War, Donitz's U-boats
generally adhered to Prize Rules, surfacing before attacking and
making every effort to preserve the lives of their victims' crews.
But, with the arming of merchantmen and greater risk of damage or
worse, they increasingly attacked without warning. So successful
was the U-boat campaign that Churchill saw it as the gravest threat
the Nation faced. The low point was the March 1943 attack on
convoys SC122 and HX229 when 44 U-boats sank 22 loaded ships. The
pendulum miraculously swung with improved tactics and technology.
In May 1943 out of a force of over 50 U-boats that challenged ONS5,
eight were sunk and 18 were damaged, some seriously. Such losses
were unsustainable and, with allied yards turning out ships at ever
increasing rates, Donitz withdrew his wolf packs from the North
Atlantic. Expert naval author and historian Bernard Edwards traces
the course of the battle of the Atlantic through a series of
thrilling engagement case studies.
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At a Winter's Fire
Bernard Edward J. Capes
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R525
Discovery Miles 5 250
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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Imperial Japan's wartime atrocities left a bloody stain on the
waters of the Pacific...This is a story that might have quietly
slipped beneath the waves of history had Bernard Edwards not
written this important book. Blood & Bushido vividly recounts
the barbaric actions of Japan's navy in the wake of its attacks on
Allied shipping, including the ramming of lifeboats, the
machine-gunning of survivors and the bayoneting and beheading of
captives. As Edwards explains, the ancient Japanese warrior code of
Bushido-under which capture is forbidden--was in stark and lethal
contrast to the humane code of conduct usually honored by
seafarers. Anyone unfortunate enough to fall victim to the Imperial
Navy paid a terrible price. Drawing on the dramatic accounts of
Allied survivors, Blood & Bushido serves as a reminder of the
Imperial Navy's inhumane acts and a tribute to those who perished
because of them.
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A Jay of Italy (Paperback)
Bernard Edward Joseph Capes
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R643
R582
Discovery Miles 5 820
Save R61 (9%)
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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This was the signal that Admiral Donitz sent to the commanders of
the 21 U-boats of the Markgraf wolf-pack on 9 September 1941 just
before the US entered the war. Sixty-three merchant ships; a number
old and dilapidated and all slow and heavy-laden with vital
supplies from the United States for the United Kingdom, were strung
out in 12 columns abreast, covering 25 miles of inhospitable ocean.
They set sail from Nova Scotia at a time when the German U-boats
were sinking more than one hundred ships a month and the US Navy
could do nothing but stand-by and watch (at least officially). The
convoy's escort of one destroyer and three corvettes of the Royal
Canadian Navy, all untried in combat, was hopelessly outclassed
when the battle for SC42 commenced. The battle lasted for seven
days and covered 1,200 miles of ocean. First hand accounts by
participants on both sides add interest and drama. The true story
of U-571.
In September 1980, the British ship Derbyshire sailed into the eye
of Typhoon Orchid and on into oblivion, taking all on board with
her. The destructive power of a typhoon is awesome, but the
Derbyshire was no small and ageing tramp, running red rust with a
crew of deadbeats culled from the backwaters of the world. She was
just four years old, manned entirely by competent British seamen
and maintained to the highest standards. She matched the best
afloat in her day. How then could this great ship have disappeared
so quickly and completely, with not even a faint cry for help, and
leaving only a thin film of oil on the sea to mark her passing? The
only good thing to come out of whatever appalling calamity
over-whelmed the Derbyshire was that it turned the spotlight on a
hitherto unrecognised phenomenon -- the disappearing bulk carriers.
In this powerful book, Bernard Edwards, master mariner turned
writer, reports on his investigations into the loss of a number of
these giant bulk carriers and offers a new and controversial
solution to the Derbyshire mystery, at the same time taking the lid
off the on-going scandal of the disappearing bulk carriers.
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