Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Royal Navy Force H 1940-42: Britain's Strike Force at Gibraltar

Royal Navy Force H 1940-42: Britain's Strike Force at Gibraltar

Konstam, Angus
Wright, Paul

Paperback

Series: Fleet, Book 14

General World HistoryNaval History

Publisher Price: $23.00

ISBN10: 1472870948
ISBN13: 9781472870940
Publisher: Osprey Publishing (UK)
Published: Dec 16 2025
Pages: 80
Weight: 0.60
Height: 0.27 Width: 6.63 Depth: 8.83
Language: English

Formed to project British naval power from Gibraltar, Force H was the Royal Navy's unique strategic task force. This fully illustrated study explains its roles, organization and history.

In June 1940, the fall of France and its powerful fleet completely changed the naval balance in both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. To counter this, the Admiralty formed Force H, a unique task force based at Gibraltar, which was assigned some of Britain's most powerful capital ships. Command was given to James Somerville, one of Britain's finest admirals, who reported directly to the Admiralty. Force H would be the Royal Navy's 'fire brigade' in the theatre.

In this book, naval historian Angus Konstam presents a detailed study of Force H's purpose, capabilities, organization, and how it fought to dominate the seas around the crucial Straits of Gibraltar. Until the Italian surrender in 1943, Force H would be tasked with crucial actions from the destruction of the French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir to hunting the Bismarck in the Atlantic, and from Malta convoy escort to supporting Allied amphibious landings from Madagascar to Sicily.

Packed with spectacular original artwork, maps and diagrams, it demonstrates how Force H, more than any other British naval force, had the strategic flexibility and firepower to turn the tide of war in not just one, but two vital theatres.

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