Crisis Convoy, Sir Peter Gretton
Crisis Convoy, Sir Peter Gretton
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Crisis Convoy
The Story of HX231, A Turning Point in the Battle of the Atlantic

Author: Sir Peter Gretton

Narrator: James Cameron Stewart

Unabridged: 7 hr 22 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 04/26/2022

Synopsis

In April 1943, Commander Peter Gretton was in charge of escorting a vital Allied trade convoy from New York to Great Britain across the North Atlantic. Over the course of the voyage, the sixty-one merchant ships of convoy HX231, along with the six ships of B7 Escort Group, were continuously shadowed and attacked by a German wolf pack of twenty U-boats.

With the aid of air support, the convoy and defending escort fought valiantly across hundreds of miles of ocean and, despite poor weather conditions, managed to sink and severely damage several enemy submarines. Tragically six merchant ships were torpedoed and with no rescue vessel any survivors were left stranded in the freezing waters of the Atlantic as the convoy continued on its journey.

Drawing on reports from both sides, Gretton details the sequence of events as convoy HX231 battled its way through a large wolf pack and offers an authoritative post-battle analysis of the strategies, decisions, and actions taken that would ultimately see the tide of war turn in favor of victory for the Allies.

Crisis Convoy takes the listener to the heart of the action and is a thrilling account of naval warfare during World War II.

About Sir Peter Gretton

Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Gretton, KCB, DSO, OBE, DSC, was an officer in the Royal Navy. He was active during the World War II Battle of the Atlantic and was a successful convoy escort commander. He eventually rose to become Fifth Sea Lord and retired as a vice admiral before entering university life as a bursar and academic.

Reviews

Goodreads review by David on September 17, 2022

Fascinating Account of a Escort Group Commander This was a fascinating and exciting book to read. Most of the material that I have previously read on the Battle of the Atlantic viewed the Battle from a strategic perspective. This book was a highly detailed, almost minute-by-minute account of a specifi......more

Goodreads review by Brian on January 11, 2024

Crisis Convoy: The Story of HX 231 A Turning Point in the Battle of the Atlantic is a superb account of one Second World War convey in the North Atlantic Ocean recounted by Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Gretton, who led the escorts for that crossing. Written some thirty years after the war, Gretton merged......more

Goodreads review by ian witham on February 03, 2022

A generous author Peter Gretton was there. He commanded Convoy HX231 but he barely mentions his work. He mainly talks about the heroism of the merchant seamen and their sacrifices. Many died. Some lost limbs. He pays tribute to the sailors and airmen from Britain, Canada, the United States, and Norwa......more

Goodreads review by D.M. on September 19, 2022

Very interesting I really enjoyed this thorough and objective analysis of the Battle of the Atlantic. The author was part of a convoy in March 1943 which made its way across the Atlantic whilst harried by U boats. He examines the tactics and horrendous loss of life and examines the vast improvement du......more

Goodreads review by SEAN BRADY on March 02, 2025

A good read for understanding the battle for the Atlantic There are lots of books out there on the battle for the Atlantic. Written about 30 years after the event, the book provides a good understanding of the roles of each side and the problems they faced. A good section of the book is set aside ou......more

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