Angus Konstam

It's been some time since I've read an account of the hunt for the "Scharnhorst," probably a short overview by Vincent O'Hara in his survey of German surface-ship actions, so I wanted to read something with a little more detail. Konstam does a very good job giving you a concise telling of this fight, putting it into contemporary strategic context, and taking into account the impact of "Ultra," as the British were prepared to use a convoy as bait. This last point almost bit the British back, as the German destroyer escort came close to tripping over the British convoy on their own.

As for the fight itself, the short version is radar - don't leave home without it. In a fight fought mostly in darkness in a howling gale, the gunnery of the "Scharnhorst" was severely limited due to electronic inferiority, though she wound up dying very hard; Konstam tersely describes the action as an "execution." This is particularly since only 36 men survived; Admiral Erich Bey and the other 2000-odd crewmen going to the deep.

The thought that comes to mind is that this action is a last reflection of the institutional cultures the British and German naval forces came out of the Great War with. The British being fixated on aggressive action when the opportunity presented itself, a result of the botched hunt for the "Goeben" and the disappointment of Jutland. The Germans trying to maintain a fleet in being, while at the same time keeping themselves relevant, and living down the mutiny of the surface fleet in 1918. From this battle on, the British are looking for ways to make themselves useful to an American naval hierarchy who really doesn't want them, and the German naval command is trying to salvage a useful submarine force, while offering assistance to the German war effort in the Baltic.… (altro)

For the best part of three centuries the 'corsairs' or pirates from the 'Barbary' coasts of North Africa dominated the Western and Central Mediterranean. They made forays far into the Atlantic, preying on the shipping and coastal settlements across Christian Europe, ranging from Greece to West Africa and the British Isles. In the absence of organized European navies they seldom faced serious opposition, and the scope of their raiding was remarkable. As well as piracy and slave-raiding they fought as privateers, sharing their spoils with the rulers of the port-cities that provided them with ships, men, and a ready market. This book examines their development and their style of fighting, chronicles their achievements and failures, and illustrates their appearance and that of their ships, explaining why they were so feared and effective.… (altro)