The Eastern Fleet and the Indian Ocean, 1942-1944: The Fleet that Had to Hide

by Charles Stephenson

Overview

A study of the British Royal Navy’s activities in the Indian Ocean during World War II, led by Admiral Sir James Somerville.

The story of the British Eastern Fleet, which operated in the Indian Ocean against Japan, has rarely been told. Although it was the largest fleet deployed by the Royal Navy prior to 1945 and played a vital part in the theatre it was sent to protect, it has no place in the popular consciousness of the naval history of the Second World War. So Charles Stephenson’s deeply researched and absorbing narrative gives this forgotten fleet the recognition it deserves.

British pre-war naval planning for the Far East is part of the story, as is the disastrous loss of the battleship Prince of Wales and battlecruiser Repulse in 1941, but the body of the book focuses on the new fleet, commanded by Admiral Sir James Somerville, and its operations against the Japanese navy and aircraft as well as Japanese and German submarines. Later in the war, once the fleet had been reinforced with an American aircraft carrier, it was strong enough to take more aggressive actions against the Japanese, and these are described in vivid detail.

Charles Stephenson’s authoritative study should appeal to readers who have a special interest in the war with Japan, in naval history more generally and Royal Navy in particular.

Praise forThe Eastern Fleet and the Indian Ocean, 1942–1944

“This meticulously researched, outstandingly clear, well written and absorbing account is long overdue and will most likely become a standard work. The text is most helpfully supported by over 80 pages of detailed end notes referenced to each chapter and a detailed index. This is not only a book for naval historians but also for anyone with an interest in the War in the Indian Ocean region. Highly recommended.” —Military Historical Society

“I enjoyed this book – it gives us an account of an often neglected part of the war at sea, and of the achievements of Admiral Somerville, who kept his fleet intact in the face of a potentially overwhelming opponent, then was willing to acknowledge that his fleet needed to improve massively before it could take on the Japanese.” —Dr John Rickard, author and webmaster of the ‘Military History Encyclopedia on the Web’

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526783622
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date:	07/07/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	577,571
File size:	24 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Charles Stephenson is an established author on naval and siege warfare and the history of fortifications, with the following books in print: The Fortifications of Malta 1530-1945, Zeppelins: German Airships 1900-40, The Channel Islands 1941-45: Hitler's Impregnable Fortress, The Admirals Secret Weapon: Lord Dundonald and the Origins of Chemical Warfare and Germanys Asia-Pacific Empire: Colonialism and Naval Policy, 1885-1914. He was Consultant Editor and a contributor to Castles: A History of Fortified Structures: Ancient, Medieval & Modern. He is also the creator of the three books that (thus far) constitute the Samson Plews Collection.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations vii

Foreword Commander Daniel Clarke OBE RN (Retd.) viii

Introduction: 'Fast bound in misery and iron' 1

1 The Master, The Mission, and Rutland of Jutland 7

2 Between Scylla and Charybdis 21

3 'Shattering, blasting, overpowering force' 30

4 The Grandsons of The Master 51

5 The Ratcatcher, the Common, and 'Old Ming' 61

6 Unknown Unknowns 73

7 '… Aircraft fit for sailors to fly in' 98

8 Ironclad 107

9 'In the belly of Death' 117

10 The 'Unwritten Chapter' and a Wilderness of Mirrors 135

11 The Penang Submarines 148

12 Tweaking the Tai! of a 'Fireless Dragon' 163

13 Admirals in Collision (Generals and Politicians too) 180

14 Final Operations 204

15 '… Not a Rolls Royce outfit' 213

Bibliographical Note 219

Notes 220

Index 309

Editorial Reviews

"The Eastern Fleet is relatively unknown today since the operations in the Indian Ocean receive little coverage beyond the loss of the Prince of Wales and Repulse at the beginning of the war. This book addresses that imbalance with a thoroughly researched and detailed narrative. The author brings Eastern Fleet activities to the fore with good descriptions of its personalities, ships, and actions."

WWII History Magazine

"...serves as a good introduction to British naval operations that are far too often given scant coverage in general accounts of the naval history of the Second World War."

The Northern Mariner

"...[a]detailed and well-researched history..."

Naval History

"The author succeeds in this well-researched and documented book to bring to light the British Eastern Fleet, which operated in the Indian Ocean until the strong British Pacific Fleet took the war to the Japanese home islands."

Seapower

"Providing a worthwhile narrative on a less well-known subject, this book serves as a reminder that, even during a global conflict, kinetic action remains only a part of what navies ask warships to do."

The NYMAS Review

…the book overall serves as a good introduction to British naval operations…

Nautical Research Journal