The German Navy in World War II by Edward P. Von der Porten.
DESCRIPTION: Hardback with Dust Jacket: 274 pages. Publisher: Galahad Books; (1973). Size: 9 x 6¼ x 1¼ inches; 1½ pounds.In the calm midday of June 21, 1919, the proudest ships of the Kaiser’s Imperial High Seas Fleet, many of them veterans of the titanic Battle of Jutland, sank to their final resting place in the British harbor of Scapa Flow – not victims of enemy shells, but scuttled by their own crews, in a final defiant act to cheat the Allies of the spoils of war. That day of magnificent despair marked the end of the old German Navy – and the beginning of a new one that, just twenty years later, was again to put the Allies to the ultimate test. In this dramatic and perceptive account of a vital phase of World War II, Edward P. Von der Porten traces the development of the new Navy during the prewar years, describing the secret building programs that contravened the Treaty of Versailles and the struggles over policy that determined the size and composition of the new fleet when war broke out. Despite those preparations, as the author shows, the Navy was not ready when the war came. The admirals did not expect the Navy to reach a position of strength until 1944 at the soonest, but Hitler’s aggressive moves led to war in 1939.
The important strategic and tactical decisions of the war, and the thinking behind them, are clearly revealed: the early reliance on long-range raiders such as the “Deutschland” and the “Graf Spree” to disrupt Allied shipping; the escalation of submarine operations from conduct in accordance with international rules to unrestricted warfare; the attempt to salvage the Mediterranean campaign by committing submarines to that sea at the expense of the more important campaign in the Atlantic; and the fateful restrictions on new submarine research and construction. The Navy’s role in the invasion of Norway – a classic meshing of sea, land, and air forces – is shown, as well as its crucial part in the invasion that did not take place: Operation Sea Lion, Hitler’s plan for invading England.
“The German Navy in World War II” is more than an analysis of grand strategy. It focuses on such telling and dramatic events as the entrapment and scuttling of the “Graf Spree” off Montivideo, Uruguay; the epic chase through North Atlantic waters of the “Bismarck”; the five-day rescue operation of the survivors from the sinking of the “Laconia”; the daring British midget-submarine raid on the “Tirpitz”; and the sudden dash through the English Channel of the “Scharnhorst”, “Gneisenau”, and “Prinz Eugen” – an exploit of which the London Times said, “Nothing more mortifying to the pride of sea-power has happened in home waters since the 17th century”. The author also describes the dominant naval personalities behind the scenes – Grand Admirals Erich Raeder and Karl Donitz – and assesses their relationships with the other military services and with Hitler himself. The Fuhrer, despite his flashes of tactical brilliance, is revealed to have had little understanding of the uses of naval power, often handicapping the Navy through excessive caution and unrealistic demands.
“The German Navy in World War II” is valuable not only for the light it sheds upon the military history of World War II, but also for the lessons it suggests to today’s alliance of Western nations. In an epilogue the author points out that control of the seaways is still indispensable for the movement of goods and military forces and that should a “hot” war ever arise, the Western maritime nations will again face strategic problems very similar to those presented to them in World War II.
CONDITION: New (but not entirely unblemished) unread hardcover w/dustjacket (286 pages). Crowell/Galahad-New York (1973 printing of 1969 copyright). Pages are pristine, unmarked, undamaged, crisp, clean, tightly bound. Judging by the tightness of the binding, I'd guess it has been leafed through once or twice in a book store, brought home, never read. The book is entirely without any significant blemish, EXCEPT that the dustjacket and covers do show some mild edge and corner shelf wear, consequence entirely of sitting unread on a bookshelf for almost 50 years. Except for the modest edge and corner shelfwear to the dustjacket, the overall condition of the book is entirely consistent with an otherwise new book from an open-shelf bookstore environment (such as Barnes & Noble, etc.) wherein patrons are permitted to browse open stock. Satisfaction guaranteed. In stock, ready to ship. No disappointments, no excuses. PROMPT SHIPPING! HEAVILY PADDED, DAMAGE-FREE PACKAGING!
PLEASE SEE IMAGES BELOW FOR JACKET DESCRIPTION(S) AND FOR PAGES OF PICTURES FROM INSIDE OF BOOK.
PLEASE SEE PUBLISHER, PROFESSIONAL, AND READER REVIEWS BELOW.
REVIEW: A history and development of the German war fleet. In what may be the best English language study of the German Navy's Gotterdammerung in World War II, Von der Porten tells the stories of the Bismarck, the von Tirpitz, the Prinz Eugen and other superships that died. Includes Illustrations. Published in 1976 under title: Pictorial history of the German Navy in World War II. Includes index. Bibliography. Foreword by Grand Admiral Karl Donitz.
REVIEW: German view of naval strategy concentrating on those actions with modified or altered it. 'An accurate, clear and vivid picture of German naval strategy'. The true epic of the Wehrmacht's victories and defeats at Sea, with photographs. A valuable book not only for the light is sheds upon the military history of World War ll but also for the lessons it suggests to today's alliance of Western nations.
REVIEW: A study of the development and military actions of the World War 2 German Kriegsmarine, with especial attention paid to the decision-making and formulation of grand strategy at the highest levels. The development of the new German Navy in the years prior to WWII, its building programs and policies, naval strategies and operations during the war including disruption of Allied shipping lines, submarine maneuvers, invasion of Norway, Hitler's plans to invade England, etc.
REVIEW: June 21, 1919 the proudest ships of the Kaiser's Imperial Fleet sank to their final resting places. Scuttled by their own crews. Author traces development of the new Navy after WWI and describes the secret building programs & struggles over policy. Fascinating photos.
REVIEW: The development of the new German navy, following Scapa Flow (June 1919), her pre-war years (secret building programs). The gripping story of the navy that carried on a victorious campaign against allied shipping in the early years of World War II.
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