Arctic Convoys 1941-1945 [Paperback]

Richard Woodman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1996

This is an account of the Arctic convoys, which, for the last four years of the war, supplied arms and ammunition to Soviet Russia. These supplies were essential to the Russian war effort, and the Allies' merchant ships ran the gauntlet of the Barent Sea, outflanked by the German bases in Norway.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Woodman explains how it was done and why, according to him, it was so necessary.' -- The Good Book Guide 20050101

About the Author

Richard Woodman, well known for his Nathaniel Drinkwater series, first became fascinated with the Arctic campaign when he sailed with survivors of PQ17. His subsequent obsession with naval history and practical experience both of command and operational planning combine to qualify him as author of this major work. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: John Murray (February 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0719557526
• ISBN-13: 978-0719557521
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,555,229 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lot of facts and a pleasant read, February 20, 2006

By 

Sasu Mattila "sasu" (Finland, Europe) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arctic Convoys (Paperback)

This book contains a lot of facts but don't let that scare you. It is written in a very reader friendly style.

I am interested in WWII history, especially around Scandinavia, and this book is one of the best I have seen. My thanks to the author for doing the research and writing the book.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding and a Great Read, April 12, 2010

By 

Bathsheba Robie "Bathsheba" (LEESBURG, VA, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ARCTIC CONVOYS 1941 - 1945 (Paperback)

My grandfather was a master of one of the Liberty ships in the Arctic Convoys. I am also helping to translate a debriefing of a German admiral in charge of the German naval defenses in northern Norway (Assmann). I started reading this book just to get background on the operation to help me translate the debriefing. To my surprise I found that the book is wonderfully written and thrilling to read. This book beats any battle thriller. The stories are heartbreaking, the suffering of the merchant marine, not just in casualties, but gruesome injuries due to frostbite are truly amazing. The courage of these men is without bounds. The fortitude of these men when their ships went down was amazing. One group was on a raft for 3 weeks eating fish and whatever waterfowl they could catch. As the author points out, the casualty rate among the merchant marine was greater percentage wise than any of the military services.

Another interesting facet of the book is the brutality of the Soviets. One of the worst managed convoys, PQ17, suffered 13 ships lost, one of which was a Soviet ship called the "Azerbajian". The survivors of this Soviet ship were marched off by the Soviets when they landed at Murmansk, never to be seen again. In another incident, a Soviet naval officer made a fool of himself drunk at a party for British, American and Soviet naval officers. The next day an American told his Soviet counterpart that they didn't mind this guy's fooling around and that he was welcome back to any party. The Soviet said "Oh, don't worry, we shot him."

Finally, it's clear, though not stated outright by the author, that the US Navy did an outstanding job protecting these convoys. The USN was under command of the British Navy. The British Navy did a poor job. Some of it was because of political pressure from Churchill to feed the Soviets and placate Stalin who was relentless in his demand for tanks, clothes, food, etc. The disaster of PQ17 was due to very poor judgment by British Admiralty.

Far too little credit is given to the role of the Merchant Marine of both Britain and the U.S. in helping win the war. It's clear that the Soviets would have lost without the materiel transported by the convoys-and the Soviets were totally ungrateful.

BTW, the facilities in Murmansk for the wounded and even for R&R were almost non-existent. One wonders how many men died due to bad medical treatment in Murmansk. The Brits and Americans offered to construct a hospital in Murmansk but the Soviets with their typical arrogance refused the request. The finally had to admit they were overwhelmed and allowed a temporary hospital to be built.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Arctic Convoys in World War II, August 3, 2008

By 

James L. Murray (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: ARCTIC CONVOYS 1941 - 1945 (Paperback)

This is an excellent reference book for a World War II historian or anyone else interested in this area of the war. The author describes every convoy involved in the infamous "Murmansk Run."