Royal Navy Home Fleet 1939–41

Packed with illustrations, this is a new history and analysis of how the Royal Navy's most important fleet operated and fought the German Navy in the crucial first years of World War II.

Throughout its history, the Royal Navy's most powerful fleet has been the one guarding home waters. In this book, naval historian Angus Konstam explores the fighting power, the roles, and the battles of the Home Fleet during the critical first years of World War II, when it was Britain's most formidable fighting force, anchored in the northern bastion of Scapa Flow.

He explains the complex responsibilities of the fleet, tasked with preventing the powerful German Navy from breaking out into the Atlantic, preparing to challenge any cross-Channel invasion force, and attacking German naval operations in the North Sea. Home Fleet actions included the loss of HMS Hood, the sinking of the Bismarck, and countering the invasion of Norway, Germany's largest amphibious operation of the war.

Packed with striking new artwork and 3D diagrams and maps, Royal Navy Home Fleet 1939–41 offers a detailed portrait of the Home Fleet during these crucial years of the war. It covers the capabilities of the warships, logistics, intelligence-gathering, and how the fleet was organised and commanded, revealing how and why it fought as it did.