U.S. Navy, Royal Navy, Royal Australian Navy, South African Naval Forces, and Royal Hellenic Navy Minesweepers’ Dangerous Operations in the Mediterranean in World War II
The Mediterranean was the scene of intense naval combat in World War II, critical to Allied victory in Europe. In the early years of war at sea, the Royal Navy performed the bulk of the minesweeping necessary to safeguard naval and merchant shipping in this dangerous theatre, aided by ships of the Royal Australian Navy, South African Naval Forces, and Royal Hellenic Navy. America entered the war in November 1942, when U.S. Navy and Army air and land forces joined those of Britain and other Allies in the Invasion of North Africa. Following this success came a succession of hard-won amphibious landings in the western Mediterranean at Sicily, Salerno, and Anzio, Italy, and finally in August 1944, the Invasion of Southern France. Leading naval assault forces, U.S. Navy, Royal Navy, and other Allied minesweepers swept clear of mines the approaches to landing beaches, often while under attack by enemy naval/air forces and/or hostile shore batteries. Tragically, nearly three score (60) minesweepers were lost in the Med during the war, and with them, much greater numbers of their valiant, stoic, hard-fisted, sailors killed in action. This is their story.
Cdr. David D. Bruhn, USN (Retired) and Lt. Cdr. Rob Hoole, RN (Retired)
2024, 6x9, paper, index, 326 pp.
ISBN: 9780788428937
101-B2893
