'THE HISTORY OF BRITISH AND ALLIED SUBMARINE OPERATIONS DURING WWII '

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THE HISTORY OF BRITISH AND ALLIED SUBMARINE OPERATIONS DURING WWII

By Vice Admiral Sir Arthur Hezlet KBE CB DSO* DSC

A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF BOOKS have been published about British submarines during the Second World War, but nearly all of diem have been personal accounts by individuals and are concerned with the exploits of a single boat. The only overall account is contained in the Naval Staff History of the Second World War and this was completed in three volumes in 1953-7. These volumes were published confidentially as CB 3306(1), (2) and (3) 'for the use of officers generally who may require to be acquainted with its contents in the course of their duties'. It was subsequently downgraded to a Book of Reference and eventually became available for all in the Public Record Office under the thirty-year rule.

Although in no way wishing to disparage the work of its authors, it was a number of deficiencies in this account that encouraged me to undertake this work. The first deficiency was that it was written by at least three different authors and its style, scope and detail vary substantially throughout the three volumes. These volumes deal individually with the campaigns in Home Waters, the Mediterranean and in the Far East and there is little comment on the strategic inter-relation between these areas. The work seems in general to be mainly a précis of the British patrol reports handed in by the submarines rather than an over-view of the campaigns themselves. In any case there is a tendency in these Staff Histories to concentrate on the successes and not to talk about occasions in which nothing happens or in which the operations fail. It is, however, important to study the failures in submarine warfare as carefully as the successes when the torpedoes hit and this I have tried to do.

It is true that the monologues were completed soon after the end of the war and before most of the official campaign histories had been written. Although the authors caught a glimpse of the draft of Captain Roskill's 'War at Sea', the Staff Histories lack information on how submarine operations fitted into the overall strategy of the campaigns. The early completion of the work also meant that security, notably 'Ultra' cryptography, which was a major feature in the submarine campaigns, was not allowed to be mentioned, It was also inevitable that many mysteries of the war would be revealed with time and that the Staff History should have been misled about them.

Many of the individual accounts have also been published since the Naval Staff History that would have been enriched by a study of them. Nevertheless the bibliography included in CB 3306 (1) shows that the monograph used a wide and authoritative base and is consequently of great value.

There were also a number of other important works which have been published since the Naval Staff History and were consequently not available to its authors. These include Captain Bragadin's 'The Italian Navy in World War II'; Admiral Ruge's 'Der Seekrieg'; Theodore Roscoe's 'United States Submarine Operations in World War II'; Rohwer and Hammelchen's 'Chronology of the War at Sea, 1939-1945' and Professor FN Hinsleys 'British Intelligence in World War II'. Above all in importance for compiling this account is a complete manuscript list of British and Allied submarine patrols made during the war, and another manuscript list of all the British and Allied torpedo attacks made. From these papers every patrol is recorded in the form of what I call Patrolgrams and every submarine torpedo attack, whether it resulted in a hit or a miss, is mentioned in the text. Another document of great interest is the treatise written by Admiral Weichold, the German Admiralty's representative in Rome during the war and now also in the Public Record Office. In this the enemy side of the campaign in the Mediterranean is clearly set out. Another interesting document, also in the Public Record Office, is the analysis of submarine operations by the Director of Operational Research of the Admiralty.

Although written fifty years alter the Second World War, I hope that the fact that I served in submarines for practically the whole of it, with five years in command, will add some authority as well as a personal touch to the narrative. Also I hope that my time as Flag Officer (Submarines) after the war will have helped to bring some knowledge of naval strategy to the account.

Finally I wish to thank Commander Jeff Tall OBE RN, the Director of the Royal Navy Submarine Museum at Gosport, and his staff for their helpful criticisms and their proof reading of the draft. My thanks are also due to the Naval Historical Section in the Ministry of Defence for their help.

About the Author

Vice Admiral Sir Arthur Hezlet KBE CB DSO* DSC joined the Royal Navy in 1928, aged 14, through the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. In 1936 he specialised in submarines and, over the next nine years, commanded six different boats culminating in his tour with HMS Trenchant. In addition to winning the DSO and Bar, and the DSC, he was twice Mentioned in Despatches. He was also decorated with the US Legion of Merit, Degree of Commander. In 1946 he was a British naval observer at the Bikini atom bomb tests. His final service appointments were Flag Officer Submarines and Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland before retiring in 1964. Since then he has held numerous public and charitable appointments. He is a Life Vice-President of the RNLI and, for many years, was President of the Royal British Legion in Northern Ireland. His previously published works include The Submarine and Seapower (1967), Aircraft and Seapower (1970), The Electron and Seapower (1975), and HMS Trenchant at War - From Chatham to the Banka Strait (2001)(published by Leo Cooper).

About the book

British and Allied Submarine Operations in World War II is the ultimate authoritative reference book of submarine operations during the Second World War. Painstakingly researched and beautifully written by a distinguished Commanding Officer and former Flag Officer Submarines, the book chronologically deals with every patrol undertaken, its results, and sets Allied submarine activity against the prevailing strategic background. The final two chapters are a most impressive analysis of 'Submarine Operations' and 'Aces, Bags, Gongs and the Price'. It is a 'must' for the submarine researcher and amateur historian alike.

Only two hundred copies are being produced in its present configuration. It comes in two Hardbound volumes in a slipcase. The first volume contains the narrative, backed up with copious footnotes, and photographs. The second volume, which is designed to be open with the corresponding chapter in Volume 1, contains in colour detailed supporting appendices, patrolgrams and maps. The whole book is printed on high quality matt art paper.

Published by the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, and produced by Enigma Publications of Huddersfield, it is priced at £125 plus £13.50 for postage and packing (UK), £16.00 (Europe), £32.00 (Airmail USA), £35.00 (Airmail Australia), £16.50 (Surface Mail).

The book will be ready for dispatch in the New Year.

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