Posted on 01/05/2014 9:28:31 AM PST by Vanders9
PQ 17 was the code name for an Allied World War II convoy in the Arctic Ocean. In July 1942, the Arctic convoys suffered a significant defeat when Convoy PQ 17 lost 24 of its 35 merchant ships during a series of heavy enemy daylight attacks which lasted a week.
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PQ-17 was just one of several disastrous Arctic Convoys. The loss of life and equipment was huge through 1944, but it kept the Soviet northern front armies in the game.
It is true there were other convoys that took heavy losses, but PQ-17 was by far the worse. Conversely, an awful lot of Arctic convoys were incredibly successful - I dont think a single ship was lost in the first ten that ran. And there were some where the casualties went the other way - convoy JW51B for example, which resulted in the battle of the Barents sea, where an attack by German surface units was most handily fought off by the escorts.
IMO, it's one of his finest works. It's honest..before he turned to the espionage techno-thriller genre. A good read.
Note: I recall reading somewhere that if you went into the Artic waters, your survival time was less than 2 minutes.
Bookmark for later viewing..
Which ended up amounting to using Devil's disciples to combat Hell's angels. Much to consider, and i am not expert, but perhaps enough aid in food and arms etc. should have been sent in mercy to enable the Soviets to keep from being defeated, or delay it and keep Germany tied up trying to, but not so much that they became such an offensive force that they beat the Allies to Berlin, gained to German documents and scientist, etc. and quickly began the 50 year cold war, which we still deal with.
Patton's idea was to rearm the Germans to fight the Soviets under US command, even if hardly feasible i suppose. But no "Uncle Joe."
A tough balance to strike. Every German gun pointed at the Soviets was one less pointed at an American, Brit or Canadian.
**His first novel, “HMS Ulysses” is loosely based on PQ-17.**
I read that 51 years ago! Excellent book on the terrors of arctic warfare.
The ship is sunk, men are in the water crying for rescue! You get a Ping that an enemy sub is beneath you, you drop a depth charge hoping to nail the enemy sub, but you know the concussion will also kill the men in the water.
Hypothermia would probably have got them before anything could have been done, even without the threat of being torpedoed while stopping in an attempt to pick up survivors.
Besides, by that time, the then-secret hedgehog was in use. There's a reason that no war time movies used footage of it in action.
Should have.
Admiral King wouldn’t listen to The British Admiralty when it came to escorting convoys properly.He soon caught on!
Anybody that punches Piers Morgan can’t be all bad.
I`ve just finished watching all three War Stories episodes:
1. PQ-17
2. The Greatest Raid
3. The Victoria Cross
I highly recommend the last, if you haven`t seen it; the ending is remarkable
That why i said a degree of help was both merciful and advantageous, but enough to gain equality, not an offensive force to Berlin. Short term gain, long term loss, as in Truman's rejection of MacArthur's consul regarding China it seems.
But now we have a country that is being destroyed from within, and if a foreign enemy had inflicted the cost the liberal ethos has in souls, lives and money, we would have declared war on it long away. Stats .
Just finished it. Very sobering stuff, and a good documentary.
Painless way to die though. The sudden drop of temperature would stop your heart and the cold numbs all sensation.
Glad you enjoyed it.
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