Using official records from the National Archives personal accounts from the Imperial War Museum and other sources, Coastal Convoys 1939 - 1945: The Indestructible Highway describes Britain's dependence on coastal shipping and the introduction of the convoy system in coastal waters at the outset of the war. It beings to life the hazards of the German mining offensive of 1939, the desperate battles fought in coastal waters during 1940 and 1941, and the long struggle against German air and naval forces which lasted to the end of the Second World War. Reference is also made to the important role played by coasters during the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940 and the Normandy landings in 1944.
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Essential reading for naval historians,
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This review is from: COASTAL CONVOYS 1939 - 1945: The Indestructible Highway (Hardcover)
This is a fine book that fills in some of the very important gaps in the story of convoy operations in WW2. But at the same time, it raises questions and discloses the need for more research. The theme of the book is the constant daily grind of convoys around the coast of the UK with the little ships that carried the vital coal supplies for British industry and home use, as well as other material the railway system could not handle in sufficient bulk.
These are the small ships that would rarely venture away from the sight of land, yet despite their tiny size, were the prey of the Luftwaffe, E Boats and the inevitable mines. Without them Britain would have ground to a halt and the Germans were only too well aware of this. Thus they threw in Luftwaffe resources with a deadly dedication. German destroyers were a hazard very early, but were soon replaced by the constant attacks from Kriegsmarine motor torpedo boats; known to the British as E Boats. When these little ships were hit, the results were usually fatal and casualties heavy. Most sank so quickly that there was barely time to get off before they went to the bottom of the shallow seas. There their projecting masts became part of a terrible graveyard that ringed the coast of Great Britain. So many of these ships were sunk that at times their suffering far exceeds the worst days of the better known Atlantic convoy disasters. Their armament was necessarily light; the ships were too small for much else. This made them all the more dependent upon naval units for protection. But the very nature of how they ran made the task of the RN extremely difficult. Sailing inside the protective minefields the convoys had little room for manoeuvre or to take evasive action. Unlike Atlantic convoys they could not adopt a wide front and a narrow length. Instead the convoys sailed with ships two abreast, often up to six or more miles long. The amount of room so limited that it was often impossible for an escort vessel to turn back to help a ship in trouble, further back in the columns. Twenty one days on and seven days rest, was the lot of the seamen, both naval and merchant, as the relentless convoys slowly wound along the coastal routes. At any one time there would be four of these vital convoys on route. Two proceeding north, with mostly empty ships riding high, at the same time as two more waddled south fully laden. Famous E Boat aces gained their laurels ambushing them and their RN escorts. Desperate engagements were fought out at incredibly short ranges with only tracer and the fire of explosions lighting up the darkness. By day the ships had to face the Luftwaffe which engaged in tip and run raids, sometimes with single aircraft, at other times whole formations. Even aircraft such as the He115 got into the action with torpedo and mine attacks. Bombs, machinegun and cannon fire were the death of many of these small ships, but even larger parachute bombs were used on them as if the others were not enough. RN ships engaged in this desperate struggle ranged from old destroyers, through modern Hunt class, and battered trawlers, right down to ML's and MGB's. Coastal lifeboats, normally given neutral treatment struggle through attacks on them, to rescue survivors. Hewitt has chosen a form that is a reporting of the actual experiences of veterans, from their own personal accounts. These are sometimes far more ordinary to read, than the desperate situations they describe, because they are the account of real men, telling it their own way. He follows a few individuals across months of service, but also introduces many others as required in order to keep the narrative flowing. Perhaps the most frustrating factor is one acknowledge by the author himself. This is the forgotten war. It is the untold story of desperate times, in which ordinary men rose to the occasion and kept Britain in the war. The railways were incapable of taking on the load and thus there was never a possibility that the convoys could be suspended. Yet information about them is scarce. As a historian I recognize the warships involved but the operations they are carrying out are not to be found in most reference sources. Hewitt has provided us with a snapshot of this little known naval war. Hopefully someone can now come along and cover the details, the technical issues and the ships involved. Mal Wright.
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