Customer Reviews

ABOVE US THE WAVES: The Story of Midget Submarines and Human Torpedoes (Pen & Sword Military Classics)

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As a scuba diver with over 30 years experience of diving around the globe, I still remain in complete awe of those men who went to war in small steel submarines - which not only resembled coffins, but must have also been regarded as coffins at the time.

This book was first published in 1953 and although I still have a couple of old reprints from the sixties, I am delighted to see the book finally republished after such a long time because it gave me the opportunity to revisit a story which was in dire need of refreshing after so many years. This will, therefore, allow all those with an interest in the subject to read and enjoy such an excellent work - be it second time around or a completely new experience.

As the book's complete title clearly states, this is the story of Midget Submarines and Human Torpedoes - and what an incredible story it was too. From those very early days in Scotland during World War Two to the valiant attack on the Tirpitz, operations in the Mediterranean, Far East and more, this is the complete story of how a small tight-knit group of dedicated men fought an impossible battle against the odds. Altogether, they lost 39 of their number and earned no fewer than 168 decorations which included four VCs plus one Polish equivalent of the VC.

250 pages containing the occasional schematic drawing and map plus a selection of 36 high quality black and white photographs placed together in the middle of the book.

Yet another excellent work and well worth the cover price - if only to learn the truth about the Tirpitz.

NM

My late father , together with co author James Benson , served in the Twelfth Flotilla during the Second World War . James Benson on midget submarines and my father was one of the first 'charioteers' . My father told me that one of the reasons for wrtiing the Flotilla history was to remind the Admiralty of the tremendous achievements of his comrades whom he considered had been largely neglected by the powers that be . Their second book , The Admiralty Regrets , also sold well and it is pleasing to see that even today these works are constantly reprinted , a fitting tribute to the brave men who are featured .

This is another of the true life WWII accounts of heroism that the British seem to excel at. Told with typical self-effacement and wit by C E T Warren and James Benson, themselves veterans of the human torpedo and the micro submarines (the tiniest and most vulnerable underwater craft), it is the story of ingenuity and supreme courage in the face of almost unbelievable odds. Urged on by an angry memo from Winston Churchill in January 1942 querying why the Royal Navy was playing second fiddle to the Italians in this form of sabotage, the British more than rose to the challenge, shattering technological, physical and psychological barriers in their determination to "get the job done".

The biggest target was the German battleship Tirpitz lurking in the Norwegian fjords and threatening the Russian convoys. The first attempt got heart-breakingly close after facing every imaginable hazard. A year later, the mini sub crews were more successful, disabling the battleship that was later sunk by the RAF. But the loss of life was high, while the unwelcome option of POW camp was the most likely outcome for crews who reached their targets and survived. After a few remarkable successes, this extraordinary group of sailors was set more mundane tasks in the Med, on D Day and in the Far East. The authors don't explain why this was - perhaps the authorities felt the risks were too extreme or the novelty wore off. Whatever the reason, the men of x-craft and the chariots were true heroes as their tally of major medals including the VIctoria Cross confirms. We will not see their like again.