On 25 December 1943 the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst slipped out Altenfjord in Norway to attack Artic convoy JW55B which was carrying vital war supplies to the Soviet Union. But British Naval Intelligence knew of the Scharnhorst's mission before she sailed and the vulnerable convoy was protected by a large Royal Naval force including the battleship Duke of York. In effect the Scharnhorst was sailing into a trap. One of the most compelling naval dramas of the Second World War had begun. Angus Konstam's gripping account tells the story of this crucial and under-studied naval battle, and explains why the hopes of the German Kriegsmarine went down with their last great ship. AUTHOR: Angus Konstam is a highly respected and widely published military historian with over 50 titles in print. The body of his work encompasses everything from ancient Greece to the Second World War. However, his main field is maritime and naval history. He has published books on Blackbeard: America's Most Notorious Pirate, The History of Pirates, PT Boats: US Naval Torpedo Boats, The History of the Shipwrecks, Hunt the Bismarck and the 7th U-Boat Flotilla. His most recent book is Salerno 1943: The Allied Invasion of Italy. SELLING POINTS: Compelling account of the doomed voyage of the German battlecruiser. Insight into the experience of naval warfare 60 years ago. Assesses of the performance of the two commanders. Close analysis of the naval strategy and tactics. 40 illustrations
