Pen and Sword Ltd.

The Battle of North Cape. The Death Ride of the Scharnhorst, 1943

by  Angus Konstam

Reviewed By  Luke R. Bucci, IPMS# 33459

MSRP: $39.95 Pages: 224. Publisher: Pen and Sword Books Limited. ISBN: 978-1-84415-856-0 Distributed by Casemate Publishing 1016 Warrior Road, Drexel Hill, PA 19026 Website: www.casematepublishing.com Thanks to Tara Lichterman of Casemate Publishing for the review copy Looking at the title of this book one expects to hear a Wagnerian Overture (Ride of the Valkyries comes to mind), and this book evokes such a mood, even though the battle happened right around Christmas Day 1943. By far, this book is the best description of the Battle of North Cape. The book itself is a jacketed 6X9 hardback book with excellent binding and almost large type. There are 4 maps in the front, with a center insert of seven pages with black & white photographs of the ships and men of the Battle. Of course, there are no pictures of the actual battle since it was mostly fought in the Arctic winter in the dark with snow squalls. The front section also describes each of the ships involved. The author, Angus Konstam, is a veteran writer of over 50 military histories including at least five maritime history books. Mr. Konstam, a Scot, has crafted a well-researched, well-explained, blow-by-blow chronological account of Convoy JW55B / Operation Ostfront, which became the Battle of North Cape (of Norway). The book interlaces eyewitness accounts from British and German participants in addition to enough background and detail to put the battle into a wider strategic perspective. Even though we all know the outcome, the suspense builds as we are privy to the innermost thoughts of the opposing commanders and what it felt like to be in the battle. Details flesh out life on merchant ships and warships in hostile seas and weather without being boring or condescending to landlubbers. Mr. Konstam accurately portrays the reality of Arctic convoys - a strength of this book. One shivers when reading it, even in July. But the best part of the book is the analysis of the commanders and their decisions, and how politics shaped their choices. Of course, German command decisions at sea are surmised, but make sense and fit the facts. The battle is put into the context of the times, giving it a Wagnerian gravity. The Battle of North Cape was an important strategic victory for the Allies. The Scharnhorst was the last working capital ship available to Germany and seriously threatened convoys unlike submarines and aircraft because of its all-weather capabilities and Allied need for strong convoy escorts, tying up a large portion of the Allied fleet. As was soon found out after the Death Ride of the Scharnhorst, (relatively) unmolested Arctic convoys to Russia quickly helped build up the Red Army to start the war-winning campaigns in 1944. Mr. Konstam describes this battle as the last big-gun battleship-to-battleship slugfest, but he forgot about the Battle of Surigao Straits almost a year later. He aptly shows how the battle was decided by superior intelligence, C3 (command, communication, control), material and leadership by the British, but even so, the battle was nearly a stunning FUBAR for the British. The outcome still depended on blind luck - one very lucky hit from the last salvo from Duke of York on Scharnhorst as she was almost clean away from her pursuers. However, sweat the details, chance favors the prepared and size matters. This book will appeal to those interested in naval matters and battle strategists. It is not intended to be a modeler's resource, but it is a fast read with surprising twists and turns. This book illuminates this forgotten and overlooked battle like an unexpected enemy starshell bursting out of the Arctic night.