Axis Blockade Runners of World War II

Descripción

Numerous books have been writtten regarding the German raiders of WWII, armed traders sent world-wide to attack Allied merchant shipping. However, much lesser attention had been given to the German and Italian merchant ships that operated as blockade breakers, mainly between Asia and the Atlantic coast of Europe. They carried valuable cargoes, particularly of scarce minerals required for weapons making, natural rubber, petroleum products, medicinal materials and a host of other items obtainable only outside Europe, mainly from Japan and Japanese occupied territories in South East Asia. Blockade breakers making an outward voyage carried items that were in short supply in Japan, including technical instruments, chemicals, ball bearings, weapons samples and designs and machine tools. Usually the ships engaged in the blockade" trade" were officered and manned by crews from the respective merchant service. Also included is material on how Axis ships at sea, or in neutral ports when war broke out managed, or attermpted, to return to their home countries. Initially, in WWII, the Germans had access to materials from the Far East via the Siberian Railway, but when this service ceased after Russia was attacked by Axis forces, arrangements were made for shipping to take over. This operated sucessfully with numerous ships breaking the blockade. At that time the Allies were struggling to win the war at sea, partricularly in the Atlantic, and it was not until greater resources could be allotted to sinking or capturing the blockaders that losses became unstainable. In this book Martin Brice has covered a little-known aspect of WWII in which Axis seafarers experience the same dangers as did those of the Allied merchant services, with 19 of the enemy ships lost on voyages carring just rubber cargoes from the East. However, blockade runners sucessfully landed almost 44,000 tons of natural rubber before they were withdrawn. An informative account of this obscure maritime operation of WWII. First edition from BT Batsford of 1981, 160 pages including bibliography, index of ships and general index, 33 b/w photos in two collations, drawing blockade runners badge on half-title verso .VG+ hard covers are protected by sheet plastic pictorial dust jacket with tape bound upper/lower edges and secured by clear tape to both pastedowns, otherwise internally excellent, no inscriptions. N° de ref. del artículo 005001

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