Blue Water War: The Maritime Struggle in the Mediterranean and Middle East, 1940-1945

The Mediterranean Sea was the center of western civilization for three millennia, and in 1940, the Kingdom of Italy challenged Britain for dominance. The British Mediterranean Fleet and ground and air forces were outnumbered, but they determined whether the Mediterranean reverted back to Italian control or the Allies would prevail. This book tells the story of this epic struggle, which was prolonged and colossal, waged against the combined forces of Italy, Germany, and Vichy France over a wide area. The British and their subsequent American partners maintained vital seaborne lines of communication, conducted numerous amphibious landings, interdicted Axis supply activities, and eventually eliminated all semblances of Axis maritime power within the theatre.

Format: Hardback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 05 May 2022
Publisher: Casemate Publishers

The Mediterranean Sea has been a focal point of Western civilization for three millennia, hosting numerous colossal wars and naval battles. In the early summer of 1940, the Kingdom of Italy challenged Britain for dominance within the region, with France on the verge of collapse and Britain facing the prospect of imminent invasion. The Italians hoped to re-establish control over the Mediterranean, but faced a formidable opponent in the heavily outnumbered British Mediterranean Fleet and the equally outnumbered British ground and air forces present in the region. This book tells the story of this epic struggle, which was waged at differing times against the combined forces of Italy, Germany, and Vichy France over a wide area stretching from the coastal waters of Southern Europe in the north to Madagascar in the south and Africa's Atlantic coast in the west to the Persian Gulf in the east. The British and their subsequent American partners utilized a variety of weapons, including surface warships, submarines, and aircraft, along with sizable merchant fleets, to maintain vital seaborne lines of communication, conduct numerous amphibious landings, interdict Axis supply activities, and eventually eliminate all semblances of Axis maritime power within the theatre. These actions facilitated multiple Allied victories that helped secure the defeat of the European Axis.

Dimension: 228 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781636241081