The Royal Navy's Home Fleet in World War II

the long version

"If Hitler was to be defeated, 'fortress Britain' would have to hold out. Only Britain could act as a launching pad for the bomber offensive, cover the dispatch of supplies to the Red Army and act as a springboard for US troops to assault Nazi-dominated Europe. Key to Britain's survival was the Home Fleet. Yet this vital command has not, until now, enjoyed a history of its own. This book tells how the Home Fleet served as the ultimate guarantor of Britain's sea-lanes and of her very survival. Despite severe disadvantages, the Home Fleet preserved control of the 'narrow seas' and ensured that the USA could participate fully in the war against Hitler, that the convoys to Murmansk would get through, and that the Third Reich would be doomed. Hampered by nagging interference from Churchill and the Admiralty, the Home Fleet nevertheless accomplished a crucial mission and helped win World War II."--Jacket.