The Real Cruel Sea: The Merchant Navy in the Battle of the Atlantic, 1939-1943
by Richard Woodman
John Murray $450
During the first world war, the blockade of vital trade routes by German submarines almost brought Britain to its knees. By late 1916, one in four merchant ships was being lost and the Admiralty was advising an accommodation with the enemy. The Royal Navy had too few ships to escort merchant convoys. It was only the entry of the US into the war that allowed the formation of escorted convoys to transport the men and material.
This close call and any lessons about the advisability of an island trading nation securing vital shipping lanes were largely forgotten in the years between the world wars. By 1939, Britain's merchant fleet was in a deplorable state.
In The Real Cruel Sea (a reference to the novel by Nicholas Montserrat, rather than poor grammar) English naval historian and novelist Richard Woodman details how this motley collection of ships and crews - many of whom were Chinese or Indian - braved the onslaught of the German naval offensive.