Konstam, Angus/Wright, Paul (Illustr.) Royal Navy Force H 1940–42

Britain's strike force at Gibraltar

In June 1940, the fall of France and its powerful fleet fundamentally altered the balance of naval power in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. To counter this, the Admiralty formed Force H, a unique task force based in Gibraltar, which was placed under the command of some of Britain's most powerful battleships. Command was taken by James Somerville, one of Britain's finest admirals, who reported directly to the Admiralty. Force H was to be the Royal Navy's fire brigade in this theatre of war. In this book, naval historian Angus Konstam presents a detailed study of the purpose, capabilities and organisation of Force H and how it fought for supremacy on the seas around the strategically important Strait of Gibraltar. Until Italy's surrender in 1943, Force H had important tasks to fulfil, from destroying the French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir to hunting the Bismarck in the Atlantic, escorting convoys to Malta and supporting the Allied amphibious landings from Madagascar to Sicily.