Thrilling mission to protect the Convoys
Operation Title, by Glyn L Evans
Landing page image: the Tirpitz at sea (image taken from Operation Title)
In 1942, the German battleship Tirpitz – called ‘the Beast’ by Winston Churchill – had made its lair in a Norwegian fjord, from where it could threaten the vital Arctic and Atlantic Convoys that kept the British and Soviet war effort supplied.
With no practical way to strike at the vessel from the air, a new plan was devised, the kind of audacious (some might say mad) scheme that could only have been put into action during an all-out war. A Norwegian fishing boat would be used to smuggle British frogmen to the Tirpitz, who would then sink the enormous battleship using ‘torpedoes with seats’.
Drawing on official records and personal accounts, author Glyn Evans brings this piece of history to life by focusing on the experiences of one participant, able seaman Robert Paul Evans, making this a more intimate view of a well-known event.
Operation Title: Sink the Tirpitz
By Glyn L Evans
Pen & Sword, £17.60
ISBN: 978 13990 50197
Buy this book in the Nautilus Bookshop
While you're there, why not browse the rest of the titles in our unique maritime bookshop, which sells all the books reviewed on these pages.
Buy nowMore Books
Scottish city's maritime heart
Glasgow Harbour By Graeme Smith and Mike McCreeryFew places are as closely tied to maritime heritage as Glasgow. In this richly illustrated guide, Graeme Smith and Mike McCreery trace the history of the city's Clydeside harbour from its beginnings in the 17th century to its present-day redevelopment.
Standing the test of tide
Piers of England and Wales By Steve EdmundsIn this richly illustrated guide, Steve Edmunds takes readers on a tour of the iconic structures that blend land and sea – home to all manner of amusements and amenities.
Maritime mystery tour
Irish Sea Lime Trade, by David JohnsonIn his attractively-presented book, David Johnson takes us on a tour of historical sites in the Irish Sea lime trade, from South Pembrokeshire up to the Solway Firth, and across to the Isle of Man and Ireland.
From seafarer to force of nature
Gale Force 10, by Nicholas CourtneyFrances Beaufort was born in Ireland to a family of Huguenot descent, and first went to sea in 1789 onboard the ill-fated British East India Company vessel Vansittart. In a fascinating career, he is best known for creating the Beaufort Wind Scale.