Trew, Antony Kleber's Convoy

Gritty, exceptionally graphic account of a World War 2 Murmansk Run convoy seen from the dual perspectives of the British naval commander ( and crew) of a convoy escort vessel — the fictitious destroyer VENGEFUL — and the commander of the lead U-boat of a “Rundeltaktik” (wolf pack) that assaults the convoy off Russia’s Kola Peninsula. Set in late 1944, when Germany’s defeat was no longer in question. Trew is at his best in describing British Admiralty convoy procedures, communication systems and tactics, and in conveying a very real (and horrific) sense of Murmansk Run convoy action. He is less successful with the series of forced coincidences that serve as his plot’s foundation (the opposing British and German commanders were once fast friends in pre-War day; they unknowingly meet in fierce Arctic combat that ultimately proves fatal to both naval men and nearly all of their respective crews). Still, Trew’s work compares favorably with such classics as H.M.S. ULYSSES and definitely deserves a read by anyone interested in the infamous Murmansk Run.