You must sign in to add this item to your wishlist. Please sign in or create an account
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.
Published | Feb 20 2013 |
---|---|
Format | Ebook (Epub & Mobi) |
Edition | 1st |
Extent | 64 |
ISBN | 9781472801500 |
Imprint | Osprey Publishing |
Illustrations | 30 b/w; 35 col |
Series | Fortress |
Short code | FOR 85 |
Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
...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)
Visit our exclusive member's website to see artwork, maps, and more from this book.
Tell us what titles you would like to see published by Osprey, then vote for your favourites in our monthly book vote!
Your School account is not valid for the Canada site. You have been logged out of your account.
You are on the Canada site. Would you like to go to the United States site?
Error message.