War of the U-Boats: British Merchantmen Under Fire

From the start of the Second World War, Hitler's U-Boats were deployed to sink as much Allied merchant shipping as possible. Beginning with the sinking of the Glasgow-based Olivegrove by U-23 and continuing until the war's end six years later, officers and seamen of the Merchant Marine were instrumental in the war effort despite facing significant dangers from Axis forces. The U-Boats posed the greatest threat, though surface raiders and aircraft also attacked merchant vessels. These attacks frequently resulted in the loss of ships, cargo, and crew. Bernard Edwards documents instances of gallantry displayed by merchant sailors against difficult odds, as well as acts of both chivalry and brutality by enemy forces. The book covers a range of actions and encounters from this period of naval warfare.