Run The Gauntlet: The Channel Dash 1942

Description

In February 1942, three of the major ships of the German surface fleet - the battle-cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen - stormed out of the harbour at Brest on a dramatic voyage back to Germany. Passing through the straights of Dover, the ships faced everything the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy could throw at them. In a dramatic running fight, the ships managed to sail right under the nose of history's greatest maritime nation to reach the safety of Germany. The brilliantly executed operation brought great humiliation to the British - Hitler, who had developed the plan, had judged perfectly the reaction of the British command to the Channel Dash. This book tells the complete story of this great race, from the planning through to the repercussions of this unique Germany victory.

Ken Ford was born in Hampshire in 1943. He trained as an engineer and spent almost 30 years in the telecommunications industry before a change in career led him to become a full time military historian. He is the author of over 20 books on various aspects of World War II. Ken now lives in Southampton.

"This vivid account of a running battle that ultimately brought humiliation to the British provides a fine moment-by-moment survey and is a pick for any World War II holding." --James A. Cox, The Midwest Book Review (August 2012)