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Beinhaltet den Namen: Ian Ballantyne

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Geburtstag
1963-09-17
Geschlecht
male
Nationalität
UK

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This is an enlightening account of the Bismarck action that concentrates on the human aspect of an event that can turn into a technological tale. Author Iain Ballantyne delivers an emotional book filled with personal testimony from both historic and modern sources. The book takes on the Bismarck operation from the Royal Navy's perspective; there is minimal coverage from the German side that is present mainly to clarify the British view. The author presents technical information about ships, weapons, and tactics only as much as is needed to make the narrative easier to understand.

In his 320 pages, author Ballantyne unfolds the story of the Bismarck episode in 24 chapters. Starting with a forward by former First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, Ballantyne begins the narrative that focuses on HMS Prince of Wales (perceived as a jinxed ship) just prior to the engagement in the Denmark Strait. What follows in the subsequent chapters laid out chronologically, starting with the German battleship's design and construction, a ship seemingly aimed at disputing the Royal Navy's dominance of European waters.

The Bismarck chase really begins in Chapter 3 ("Storm Tossed Sentinels"), which outlines the Royal Navy's activities anticipating Bismarck's foray into the Atlantic. Chapters 4-8 detail the Denmark Strait action, culminating in the loss of HMS Hood. Ballantyne's narrative preserves the anticipation, anxiety, and confidence of the various ships' crews as they position their vessels to engage the German battleship and its cruiser consort. Ballantyne also highlights the concern of the Royal Navy's leadership as its interwar symbol of power, the battlecruiser HMS Hood, moved to engage the Germans with known vulnerabilities in its material condition and armor protection.

After Chapter 8, the tone of the story changes. The shock of Hood's loss after such a brief engagement affected Britons from Prime Minister Winston Churchill to the lowliest ordinary seaman--I don't think even the loss of USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor affected Americans in the same way. So Chapters 9-22 are all about the emotional chase and destruction of the Bismarck at the hands of a frustrated, tired, and emotionally spent group of ships from every source the Royal Navy could muster. Ships that should not have been allowed to leave port (the refit-bound HMS Rodney, for example) or had important missions elsewhere (like Somerville's Force H) gathered to prevent the Bismarck from reaching any port. Ballantyne reminds his readers of the sheer horror of naval combat during the Bismarck's final hours, where the British warships closed to point-blank range in a frustrating effort to sink the German ship before everyone ran out of fuel. The fact that Churchill was willing to let the Home Fleet flagship, HMS King George V, empty her fuel tanks to drift helpless in mid-ocean to complete Bismarck's destruction speaks volumes about the emotions of the moment.

"Killing the Bismarck" is a fast-paced read because of its focus on the people that crew the Royal Navy's ships. He captures accurately the savage and relentless effect of combat between large surface ships--something the vast majority of Ballantyne's readers have no clue about. This book is an important read that provides significant insight into the British perspective of the Bismarck operation. I highly recommend this book to naval historians and those students of war and modern culture.
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Adakian | 2 weitere Rezensionen | Mar 22, 2022 |
Well-written account of the history of underwater warfare from ancient times up to the nuclear age. No surprise that WWI and WWII fill more than half the book, as they constitute 99% of submarine war in history. In fact since WWII only 2 ships have been sunk by submarines, in 1971 the Pakistani sub Hangor sank the Indian frigate Khukri, and more famously, HMS Conqueror sank the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano during the Falklands war.The author goes for a narrative based heavily on the individual experience of submariners past and present, as it is primarily a story of men putting their inmost fears aside and undertaking an extremely dangerous job in service of their nation. The book is full of tragedy, of crews lost, many in horrific ways, as well as their victims, crews of merchant and warships sunk by subs. A very good read for anyone who loves stories of the sea and war under the waves.… (mehr)
½
 
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drmaf | Feb 25, 2020 |
Killing the Bismarck, another great history by Iain Ballantyne, takes us through the horrifying, yet exciting time when the entire world watched a naval hunt with incredible anticipation. Bismarck was the pride of Germany’s new navy and well she should be. At the time, the most modern and deadly battleship afloat, the devastation this ship, along with her smaller sister, Prinz Eugen, could have wrought on North Atlantic convoys had they broken out was incalculable.

Winston Churchill ordered the German dreadnought destroyed—at ANY cost. HMS Hood, the pride of the Royal Navy, would pay that cost first, with the loss of nearly her entire crew save three.

Ballantyne takes us through the at times frustrating hunt for Bismarck and as he does in his book, Warspite, shows us that there are a great many details of this story most of us are unaware of.

Having read more than a few books about this very subject, I was (once again) surprised by how much I don’t know. If you have even a passing interest in naval or military history in general, you will want to acquire this book. Frankly, if you just love a great chase, this is one of the best.

www.daniellittle.com
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Sturgeon | 2 weitere Rezensionen | Oct 26, 2016 |
Warspite by Iain Ballantyne is a fascinating history of what is arguably the Royal Navy’s most famous battleship. Ballantyne also touches on the other ‘Warspites’ which have served over the centuries, but the main focus for this book, is the First and Second World War service of the well-known battleship.

The story of Warspite is a fascinating one, so fascinating in fact, that it leaves the reader with one unanswered question—why on earth was she not preserved as a memorial to those who served the Royal Navy in both world wars? Sadly, the answer, more than anything else, probably relates to the country’s finances following the war; a time when there was very little money left for anything.

Iain Ballantyne takes us on a voyage from the ship’s design, to her demise, something that is a story in itself. The German navy was never able to destroy the proud warship, and in the end, the British did not have much luck either, to the amusement of all those watching.

As someone who has read a great deal about naval history, I wasn’t sure this book would provide a lot (if anything) I didn’t already know. Happily, I can report that there is a wealth of little-known information within Warspite’s pages.

Warspite is incredibly well-researched and a must have for anyone with even a passing interest in naval history.

www.daniellittle.com
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½
 
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Sturgeon | 1 weitere Rezension | Oct 26, 2016 |

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Werke
18
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308
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#76,456
Bewertung
3.9
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6
ISBNs
72

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