The Steep Atlantick Stream

The book "The Cruel Sea" is a 1946 memoir by Nicholas Monsarrat that offers an original account of war at sea aboard a corvette, escorting convoys in the North and South Atlantic. The author experienced U-boat attacks, autumn gales, and shore runs in ports like Halifax and Freetown. The narrative begins with the author's voyage from the Clyde to New York on the Queen Mary, joining a newly-built corvette in Halifax. He experienced attacks by U-boats, the loss of merchant vessels, and the harsh wartime conditions. The book is both serious and humorous, painting a vivid picture of wartime Britain and the experiences of the ship's crew.

Format: Hardback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 30 October 2022
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

First published in 1946, this atmospheric memoir of the Battle of the Atlantic offers one of the most original accounts of war at sea aboard a Corvette, escorting convoys in both the North and South Atlantic. The author, an RNVR lieutenant, experienced the terrors of U-boat attacks and the hardships of autumn gales as well as the relief of shore runs in ports as far apart as Halifax and Freetown. The narrative begins with Harling's voyage from the Clyde to New York on the Queen Mary (or QM, as she was known during her martial career), on route to join a newly-built Corvette in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was to be her First Lieutenant, and his service at sea started in the spring of 1941, just as the Battle of the Atlantic was entering its most crucial stage. During the first east-bound convoy, he was to experience attacks by U-boats, the loss of merchant vessels, and a steep learning curve as the ship's crew struggled to live in the harsh wartime conditions. Later that summer, they made return voyages to Iceland, where runs ashore offered some solace from dangerous days at sea. Time was also spent in the South Atlantic, with voyages to Freetown and Lagos, before a short interlude when he experienced the excitement of fighting with Coastal Forces. The Corvette subsequently returned to escorting convoys from Halifax to Europe. His narrative is both serious and humorous, and his picture of wartime Britain, his descriptions of being buffeted by great storm-tossed seas in the cockleshell corvettes, and the recounting of grim losses are all too real and authentic. His story ends as he leaves his ship after a violent cold developed into pneumonia, and soon afterwards he hears the heart-breaking news of her loss, along with the captain and half the crew, after being torpedoed. He is left alone, adrift in the North Atlantic, with only his memories and the knowledge that he played a part in one of the most significant battles of World War II.

First published in 1946, this atmospheric memoir of the Battle of the Atlantic offers one of the most original accounts of war at sea aboard a Corvette, escorting convoys in both the North and South Atlantic. The author, an RNVR lieutenant, experienced the terrors of U-boat attacks and the hardships of autumn gales as well as the relief of shore runs in ports as far apart as Halifax and Freetown. The narrative begins with Harling's voyage from the Clyde to New York on the Queen Mary (or QM, as she was known during her martial career), on route to join a newly-built Corvette in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was to be her First Lieutenant, and his service at sea started in the spring of 1941, just as the Battle of the Atlantic was entering its most crucial stage. During the first east-bound convoy, he was to experience attacks by U-boats, the loss of merchant vessels, and a steep learning curve as the ship's crew struggled to live in the harsh wartime conditions. Later that summer, they made return voyages to Iceland, where runs ashore offered some solace from dangerous days at sea. Time was also spent in the South Atlantic, with voyages to Freetown and Lagos, before a short interlude when he experienced the excitement of fighting with Coastal Forces. The Corvette subsequently returned to escorting convoys from Halifax to Europe. His narrative is both serious and humorous, and his picture of wartime Britain, his descriptions of being buffeted by great storm-tossed seas in the cockleshell corvettes, and the recounting of grim losses are all too real and authentic. His story ends as he leaves his ship after a violent cold developed into pneumonia, and soon afterwards he hears the heart-breaking news of her loss, along with the captain and half the crew, after being torpedoed. He is left alone, adrift in the North Atlantic, with only his memories and the knowledge that he played a part in one of the most significant battles of World War II.

Dimension: 186 x 123 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399072885