by RNS | Oct 21, 2024 | Beating Tsundoku
Brian E. Walter, The Longest Campaign (Casemate, 2020)
Discerning readers of World War II know about the importance of the naval war in the Atlantic, a titanic struggle between German U-boats and the Allied navies protecting vital convoys. In this excellent survey, however, Brian Walter reveals that there was far more to naval operations around Britain and Europe’s coasts than guarding merchant ships and hunting submarines.
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Walter is quick to point out that in the beginning of the war there was no ‘Phoney War’ at sea to match that on land. Already, the British and Germans recognised the importance of Britain’s Atlantic supply lines, where U-boats hunted down convoys and the Royal Navy tried to fend them off. Walter highlights, however, that the Royal Navy was also involved in attempting to deter then counter the German invasion of Norway. Then came the successful evacuation of Dunkirk and prevention of a German assault on Britain. Germany seemed ascendant in its offensive operations, but in Spring 1941, that changed when the RN sank five U-boats and the German battleship Bismarck. Britain also cracked the German naval codes, and US assistance in the Atlantic began to pay off. Walter follows the back and forward struggle through 1942 and into 1943, when Allied improvements in technology, tactics, and numbers in the Atlantic started to pay off. By the end of that year, the Germans were firmly on the back foot. That trend continued into 1944, with the RN and RAF sinking German battleships to protect Arctic convoys, while the RAF also bombed industrial facilities to retard German production and maintenance. Both were heavily involved in the D-Day landings that the Germans did not have the maritime power to interdict. With the Allies driving across Europe, German naval options deteriorated under incessant attacks and catastrophic losses in ships and working ports. The German war effort at sea had all but collapsed by 1945 and the war’s end. Walter concludes that while most attention in the naval war has been on the Pacific and Mediterranean, it was the ‘long and gruelling slog’ of the Atlantic War that determined Allied victory. The British played the largest role in that, though Walter points out this was the Royal Navy’s swansong.
The Longest Campaign is an ambitious effort to present a comprehensive overview of the naval war effort in northern European waters and the Atlantic. Walter succeeds admirably, at least for this reader with a working knowledge of the period. I came away from this book with a better understanding of not only naval operations but also how they were integrated into the broader sweep of the European theatre. The text is a bit dry and dusty at times, with the inclusion of material better placed in the footnotes or appendices, but Walter livens up the text with some narrative detours into specific operations, such as the ‘channel dash’ by the Germans in February 1942. Overall, this is a survey that covers more than the basics while providing a solid platform for further reading.
by RNS | Oct 5, 2024 | Beating Tsundoku
Robert Kershaw, Dünkirchen 1940 (Osprey, 2022)
For many, the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk in May 1940 was one of Britain’s greatest military achievements. Far from being an ignominious defeat, Dunkirk became a symbol of lion-hearted determination and a great victory in the words and images of propagandists. Some more recent historians have essayed a ‘we got lucky’ thesis, blaming Hitler’s inexplicable decision to halt the panzers on the verge of seizing Dunkirk and bagging the BEF and French armies. To become better informed, we need to know what was happening on the German side. Robert Kershaw’s Dünkirchen 1940 could well provide the answers we seek.
Kershaw begins on the eve of the German invasion of France, with the panzers ready to roll; their mission, to drive to the sea, splitting France into two and capturing the allied armies in a vice. Kershaw makes clear, however, that while the Germans progressed at a rate beyond their wildest dreams, this would be no cakewalk. Problems surfaced at the highest levels with divisions in command, which caused confusion down the chain. Some gung-ho panzer commanders did not help as they charged forward, leaving the plodding but vital infantry and artillery lagging in their wake. Kershaw also rehabilitates the reputation of the Belgian army, much disparaged by others for their surrender at a critical time as the net closed in on Dunkirk. As for capturing the town of Dunkirk, the German experiences at Boulogne and Calais demonstrated how difficult that might be, and ultimately was. Moreover, with the Allies trapped in Dunkirk, the besieging forces were pared down to continue the attack on the rest of France. The Germans stuck to their task, however, despite increasing attrition and exhaustion and ultimately succeeded in battering their way into Dunkirk. By then, the British and a considerable number of French had escaped.
Dünkirchen 1940 is a remarkable achievement. Kershaw weaves analysis and narrative of land, air, and sea operations into a coherent story that, if not definitive, will be high on the list for future historians of this vital campaign. Kershaw also tells the story from multiple perspectives, from Hitler to his generals and officers down to the ordinary soldiers fighting in the dunes around Dunkirk. The effects of Germany’s blitzkrieg are told in candid comments from the allied soldiers under relentless attack – I actually came away from this book with greater admiration for the efforts made to rescue allied soldiers from Dunkirk. For those interested in the Dunkirk campaign and the early war, this is a must read book, but anyone interested in military history will gain much from it, not the least of which is an enjoyable read told by an excellent storyteller.
by RNS | Oct 2, 2024 | Beating Tsundoku
Moisés Gaudêncio and Robert Burnham, In The Words of Wellington’s Fighting Cocks (Pen & Sword, 2021)
The Anglo-centric view of Britain’s involvement in the Napoleonic Wars has been waning for many years now. Waterloo, for example, is framed in terms of an Anglo-Dutch victory by many students of the wars. And a greater spotlight has been shone on the Spanish and Portuguese contributions in the Peninsular War. But we still don’t know all that much about them, at least in the Anglophone world. For the Portuguese, though, now we do thanks to this book of collected source material capably handled by Moisés Gaudêncio and Robert Burnham.
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Gaudêncio and Burnham note that by 1812, forty percent of Wellington’s army was Portuguese, and that their accounts of the war alter the traditional perception of events. It was the authors’ mission, therefore, to describe what the Portuguese did from the Portuguese perspective. They begin with a history and overview of the Portuguese army leading into 1812 followed by a survey of the British officers that, for the most part, commanded the army. Then we are into the narrative, beginning with an overview of the annual campaign of 1812 then the major events of that campaign – this sets the pattern for subsequent chapters. In 1812, for example, we have the Battle of Salamanca, the Siege of Burgos Castle, and the Retreat to Portugal. Within each event, the authors outline what happened before gathering together all the reports with brief introductions and some added source material from different vantages to add colour. The chapter for 1813 includes Vitoria and the Siege of San Sebastian, while in 1814, the Battle of Toulouse is covered. Those major events are linked by a host of smaller engagements. The authors also include casualty tables but, unfortunately, no maps, which can be found on a linked website. Two appendices contain biographies of many of the officers whose reports we have read in the main text.
There is a prodigious amount of source material in this book that will certainly change future histories of the many events under examination. Gaudêncio put the effort in, spending three years in the Portuguese military archive to bring his sources to light. That in itself should tell you how valuable his work is to our understanding of the Peninsular War. I’m not sure that this is a book to read in one sitting unless you are deep into the Peninsular War; the reports are sometimes a wee bit dry and dusty, and they can become repetitive. Nevertheless, dipping in and out of particular events, perhaps in combination with the maps on the website, is illuminating. I would like to have seen more ‘ground level’ contributions, but there are some mixed in, and I read this more as a source book that future historians will build on, so I’m not complaining. Military history students, and particularly those who study the Peninsular War, will greatly appreciate this addition to their library.
by RNS | Sep 27, 2024 | Beating Tsundoku
Grant T. Harward, Romania 1944 (Osprey, 2024)
You would not envy Romania’s position on the eve of World War II. Staring into the maw of Stalin’s Soviet Union, Romania turned to Nazi Germany as the best way to defend itself. By 1944, that seemed to be an unfortunate decision, and the vicissitudes of war would drive Romania into Soviet hands anyway. Explaining how that came about is Grant Harward’s task in this enlightening book in Osprey’s Campaign series.
Romania was hugely important to Germany in the east after joining the Axis in November 1940. Indeed, Romania participated in Operation Barbarossa from the beginning. It also joined in the attempted extermination of Jews in Romania and lands it helped capture from the Soviet Union. They also provided oil to the Germany army in the east and facilitated other logistical support. Despite that, all was not well in the alliance, particularly after Romania lost thousands of soldiers at Stalingrad. Romanian peace overtures to the western Allies, however, were rebuffed; they would only allow Romania to speak to the Soviet Union. The Soviets would come knocking soon enough.
Harward turns to the First Iasi-Chisinau Offensive. This was a Soviet attack on the Germans in March 1944 that reached into Romania to knock them out of the war. This went well at first, argues Harward, but soon ran into trouble as the exhausted Soviets pushed the Germans and Romanians back onto their supply lines. Allied aerial bombing swung the tide, however, and catastrophe loomed for Romania. Harward leaves us on the cliffhanger and turns to the opposing commanders, including King Mihai I of Romania and other Romanian leaders, the Germans Johannes Friessner and Otto Wohler, and the Soviet Marshal Timoshenko and General Malinovsky. From there, Harward considers the forces involved on the ground, including orders of battle, and their strategic plans. Then we are into the decisive campaign.
In August 1944, Harward begins, the Germans and Romanians knew a renewed Soviet offensive was about to hit them in Romania but took little action to meet it. On 19 August, the tempest struck, and by that afternoon, the Axis forces were in deep trouble. Harward narrates the hammering the followed as the Soviets battered the outnumbered and outgunned Axis forces. In the background, King Mihai I plotted a coup to leave the Axis and join the Allied effort to oust the Germans from Romania. At the front, despite German denials, the Axis forces were collapsing amidst divisions amongst the commanders and politicians. On 23 August, the king made his move, deposing the government, ending the alliance with Germany, and preparing to make a deal with the Allies. The Germans counter-attacked in Bucharest, but their operation failed. Romania declared war against Germany on 25 August. The Romanians and Soviets dismantled the German forces in Romania, though they had to contend with joint German-Hungarian forces attacking in Transylvania. The Soviets pushed forward, occupying Romania who paid a high and lasting price for their armistice and peace. For Nazi Germany, however, the second Iasi-Chisinau offensive was a catastrophe. Harward adds an interesting postscript, highlighting how this offensive is remembered across the three modern-day countries where it was fought: Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova.
In Romania 1944, Grant Harward illuminates an often overlooked theatre of World War II. It is no easy task to sift a coherent narrative from the chaotic political and military events involving three nations, but Harward smoothly navigates the turmoil. The Eastern Front was also a gargantuan affair involving millions of men fighting on a scale that is difficult to comprehend. Harward’s engaging text, however, simplifies without being condescending to his readers, aided by Osprey’s exemplary graphics and illustrations. This book will appeal to the casual World War II reader and any student of World War II looking for a gateway into a complex subject.
by RNS | Sep 21, 2024 | Beating Tsundoku
John Pike, The Thirty Years War (Pen & Sword, 2022)
There are wars and complex wars, then there is the Thirty Years War fought between 1618 and 1648. This was a multi-faceted war for the religious, political, and economic control of Europe, a war that would create nations while diminishing empires and ending the dreams and ambitions of many a prince and lord, and a war that would usher in early modern Europe. Explaining all that would be some undertaking for any historian, but John Pike goes further to place this war in its global context. It is quite the journey.
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Pike gets off to a good start by placing his general maps up front, which is a blessing for a war such as the Thirty Years War. The text begins on familiar ground with the defenestration of Prague in 1618. Then Pike lays out his groundwork with an extended description of the Habsburg supremacy and the challenges it faced, both internally and externally. The Thirty Years War exposed both, beginning as a civil war then connecting to other conflicts to create a global conflagration. Pike continues with his background, folding in the major players and characters while embarking on his narrative of events. This is mostly straightforward military history, but Pike deftly mixes in economic, logistical, and political factors. He is aided in this by adding regular (idiosyncratically drawn) maps, and he uses subtitles, which act as very useful signposts for this complicated journey.
About half-way through his narrative, Pike turns to the global aspects of the Thirty Years War. This was an age of burgeoning global networks and budding imperialism. Pike also notes that the war against the Habsburgs had begun decades earlier but continued into the war years. Thus, we find the war spreading to Asia and the Americas where the ‘only law was naval power’, a military arm in which the Dutch excelled against the more powerful Spanish and Portuguese. Pike returns to Europe and a stalemate that fostered revolutions, such as the Catalan Revolt of 1640-1642 and the secession of Portugal. Almost all wars end with a settlement acceptable to all parties, but with seven primary participants in the Thirty Years War, this proved easier said than done. Pike notes that diplomacy continued during the war, but only as the war moved into its third decade did it gain a true foothold. A new generation of leaders entered the scene, which unblocked the political situation, aided by the crushing military victories at Rocroi and Tuttlingen in 1643. Exhaustion played its role too, with the Holy Roman Empire unable to field a decent army in 1645 to protect Vienna. By then peace was firmly on its way, bringing a cessation to hostilities in October 1648 through the Treaty of Westphalia. In his lengthy postscript, Pike analyses modern Europe, and its roots in the Westphalia treaty, and what that means going forward for the EU.
The Thirty Years War can be a dry and dusty subject to read, and it is easy to get lost in often kaleidoscopic sequences of almost simultaneous events and the people who participated in them. Pike’s account, however, is well managed and written with a public readership in mind. His narrative is easy to follow, and while the main thread is the military campaigns and battles, Pike effortlessly includes many of the other economic and political factors that facilitate warfare. He also embroiders small but colourful details into his text, such as the botched execution of Cinq Mars, dying bravely without a blindfold. Pike wisely adds plenty of maps to assist his readers. The inclusion of the postscript, connecting the Thirty Years War to the modern EU, felt like an unnecessary addition, but it was not intrusive. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable book that casual readers will enjoy just as much as serious students.
by RNS | Sep 15, 2024 | Beating Tsundoku
Mark Stille, Japanese Combined Fleet 1942-43 (Osprey, 2024)
For casual World War II readers, the naval Pacific War began with Pearl Harbor followed by Midway, then the US Navy swept the Pacific, making relentless progress until the Japanese surrendered. But, as Mark Stille points out in this new book in Osprey’s Fleet series, the Japanese fleet proved to be a determined enemy in the pivotal battles around Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands from August 1942 through 1943.
Despite their successes in the South Pacific in early 1942, the IJN suffered from internal division amongst its commanders and with the army. Admiral Yamamoto got his way to prioritise an attack on Midway, but the IJN was still active in the South Pacific. That brought them into action when the US attacked Guadalcanal. The IJN won at Savo Bay, lost at Cape Esperance, then won their only carrier victory at Santa Cruz. Although, they won again at Tassafaronga, the tide had turned against the Japanese, and they evacuated their forces from Guadalcanal. Stille moves onto the Solomons campaign, with the IJN operating a degraded fleet stretched by supporting two campaigns in New Guinea and the Solomons. The latter campaign did not go well mainly because of US air superiority flying from carriers and island bases. A surprise attack by US carrier aircraft on an IJN fleet at Empress Augusta Bay in November 1943 forced an end to IJN operations in the Solomons.
With the narrative of operations in his wake, Stille turns to the IJN ships that fought in them. He notes that the IJN was numerically superior in August 1942, except for the vital carriers, but by the end of the Solomons, it had lost its numerical and qualitative advantage. Reflecting the changing nature of naval warfare, Stille begins his overview of the fleet with the carriers then the battleships. The heavy and light cruisers are followed by the destroyers, the most important ships during this period for their versatile capabilities, though the IJN lost many of them in combat. Stille moves on to technical factors such as gunnery, anti-aircraft weapons, torpedoes – arguably the best in the world – and aircraft.
When it comes to assessing doctrine and command, Stille argues that Admiral Yamamoto’s reputation as a great admiral is undeserved. When he was killed in April 1943, Admiral Koga took command. He was fixated on fighting a decisive battle, though one never materialised. The IJN was reorganised for that purpose and specialised in night-fighting, especially using torpedo attacks. The Japanese also adapted their carrier tactics after the disaster at Midway. Submarine tactics lagged behind these new developments. Similarly, the IJN disregarded the importance of intelligence with some ugly outcomes, particularly at Guadalcanal. Logistically, notes Stille, the US swamped Japan because they simply produced more ships and had more tankers, the lack of which affected IJN operations. Stille also provides brief overviews on the major IJN bases at Truk and Rabaul, including their strengths and weaknesses. Finally, Stille surveys the fleet in combat, including the engagements at Savo Island, the Eastern Solomons, Cape Esperance, Santa Cruz, Guadalcanal, Tassafaronga, Kula Gulf, Kolombangara, Vela Gulf, Vella Lavella, Empress Augusta Bay, and Cape St. George. He brings that all together in a cogent analysis of the IJN operations, arguing that they performed well enough under increasing US pressure while being let down by Yamamoto’s poor decision making.
Mark Stille’s book is another fine addition to Osprey’s Fleet series. This passage of the naval war in the Pacific is usually told from the American side, and we read about the evolution of the US Navy and an inevitable victory. But Stille flips the script, examining the IJN contribution to the sometimes intense combat that characterised this period. He attacks some long-held beliefs along the way while effectively analysing the IJN in a concise and cogent manner. He adds a nice wee bibliography for those that want to take a deeper dive into the subject. Stille’s engaging text is well supported by Osprey’s usual high quality graphics and illustrations. This is a book for the casual reader with enough bite to satisfy the enthusiast.
