Scapa Flow: The defences of Britains great fleet anchorage 191445

(Paperback)

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A strategically important natural harbor in the Orkney Islands, Scapa Flow served as Britain's main fleet anchorage during World Wars I and II. In 1914 and again in 1939, the British began building a comprehensive defensive network by fortifying the entrances to Scapa Flow, and then extended these defenses to cover most of Orkney. By 1940, it had become an island fortress, the largest integrated defensive network of its kind in Europe, manned by as many as 50,000 Commonwealth troops. Backed by newly commissioned artwork, naval historian Angus Konstam tells the story of this mighty naval fortress, many pieces of which can still be seen on the island today.

Reviews

"...a well written, interesting book on a subject of importance that has been largely ignored. The defenses are presented as a unified whole, protecting against surface, submerged and aerial attack... This book is recommended to those with a wide range of interests, from coastal dfense to naval history, to the world wars in general." --Bolling Smith, Coast Defense Journal (March 2010)

"There are not too many places you can find any detail, or even a decent plan of Scapa Flow. This book fills a gap. Although this fortified site lacks an impressive battle history, largely due to the success of its defenses, this work will answer many questions for those who want to know what was there... The reader will find there is sufficient detail on the type and location of coastal artillery, air defenses, and the various types of naval defenses that protected the anchorage. Also, the covers the troop units assigned to the islands. There are two good maps showing the defenses in each World War and a number of illustrations of the various types of positions. This book will be of most interest to those that want a source of reference for Scapa Flow or just more information on the defenses of Great Britain." --JE Kaufmann, SiteO, siteo.net (January 2010)

Author Bio

Angus Konstam was brought up in Orkney, and is the author of over 60 books, 30 of which are published by Osprey. The body of work of this acclaimed historian includes Sovereigns of the Sea, Piracy: The Complete History, Blackbeard, Salerno, 1943 and The Battle of North Cape. His most recent work is There was a Soldier, a collection of first-hand accounts by Scottish soldiers. A former naval officer and museum professional, he worked as the Curator of Weapons at the Tower of London and as the Chief Curator of the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West, Florida. He is now a full-time author and historian, and lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, although he still returns regularly to visit family and friends in Orkney. Peter Dennis was born in 1950. Inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn he studied illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles. A keen wargamer and modelmaker, he is based in Nottinghamshire, UK.