HITLER'S NAVY: The Kriegsmarine in Worldl War II

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Illustrated study of the WWII German Kriegsmarine, from its limited beginnings under the Treaty of Versailles to years of covert and innovative development to the rearmament programme that defied the restrictions, including submarines.

Blooded in the Spanish Civil War, the surface ships of the Kriegsmarine went on to play a crucial role in the opening salvoes of WWII during the invasions of Poland and Norway, although serious losses set back plans for the invasion of Britain. By the end of the war, only a handful of surface vessels remained to be divided up among the Allies. Profusely illustrated.

From the beginning of the war, but especially after the fall of France, the dreaded and extraordinarily successful U-boats stalked the Atlantic, threatening vital British shipping convoys and choking off the lifeline of munitions and supply from the US. Once Italy and Japan entered the war, German naval operations expanded to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean.