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The Ship With Two Captains: The Story of the "Secret Mission Submarine"
The amazing true story of a submarine engaged in Secret Operations during World War Two.
Perfect for readers of Iain Ballantyne, James Jinks and Christopher Drew.
Between 1942 and 1944 HMS Seraph was engaged in unusual but vital wartime assignments, including carrying Eisenhower’s deputy, General Mark Clark, through the Mediterranean to a hazardous rendezvous with the Free French as a prelude to the North African invasion, as well as the dramatic rescue of General Giraud from Vichy France in rough sea right under the nose of the enemy. Her most famous mission however was Operation Mincemeat where she aided the allies in deceiving their enemy about the invasion of Sicily.
Yet what made these missions even more extraordinary was the fact that this “Secret Mission Submarine” had the unusual distinction of having two captains — Royal Navy Lieutenant Bill Jewell who was in operational control and Captain Jerauld Wright of the United States Navy who commanded for political purposes.
Terence Robertson uncovers the history of this extraordinary submarine and how these two captains collaborated to pull off some of the most remarkable operations in the Second World War.
‘Exciting … amusing … unusual’ Nottingham Guardian Journal
‘I am delighted that Seraph ’s special wartime missions, which contributed so much to the Allied cause, have been documented for all to read in The Ship with Two Captains .’ Captain Jerauld Wright
Perfect for readers of Iain Ballantyne, James Jinks and Christopher Drew.
Between 1942 and 1944 HMS Seraph was engaged in unusual but vital wartime assignments, including carrying Eisenhower’s deputy, General Mark Clark, through the Mediterranean to a hazardous rendezvous with the Free French as a prelude to the North African invasion, as well as the dramatic rescue of General Giraud from Vichy France in rough sea right under the nose of the enemy. Her most famous mission however was Operation Mincemeat where she aided the allies in deceiving their enemy about the invasion of Sicily.
Yet what made these missions even more extraordinary was the fact that this “Secret Mission Submarine” had the unusual distinction of having two captains — Royal Navy Lieutenant Bill Jewell who was in operational control and Captain Jerauld Wright of the United States Navy who commanded for political purposes.
Terence Robertson uncovers the history of this extraordinary submarine and how these two captains collaborated to pull off some of the most remarkable operations in the Second World War.
‘Exciting … amusing … unusual’ Nottingham Guardian Journal
‘I am delighted that Seraph ’s special wartime missions, which contributed so much to the Allied cause, have been documented for all to read in The Ship with Two Captains .’ Captain Jerauld Wright
227 pages, Paperback
Published September 4, 2023
About the author
Terence Robertson
46 books3 followersAn officer in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, Terence Robertson worked as the news editor of the Sunday newspaper Reynolds News from 1949 until 1959, after which he moved to Canada to join the editorial staff of The Hamilton Spectator.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 4, 2023
This was an exciting and entertaining account of the WW2 exploits of the British submarine HMS Seraph. Commanded by Lt Bill Jewell RN, it participated in a number of important and at the time secret missions. The title of the book comes from one mission in which the French General Giraud was picked up on the coast of Vichy France in the middle of the night. The eccentric Frenchman insisted that he be picked up by an American sub. For that mission, the Seraph was styled the USS Seraph and had a titular US commander.
Although originally published in 1957, The Ship With Two Captains remains fresh and eminently readable today. It vividly portrays submarine warfare in the Mediterranean Sea which is a rare opportunity since most authors on submarine warfare during the Second World War prefer to write about the war in the Pacific. War in the Mediterranean was very different. The theatre was obviously much smaller and comparatively calmer and clearer as well. The submarines did not have to journey thousands of miles back to their base. My thanks to Netgalley Sapere Publishing.
Although originally published in 1957, The Ship With Two Captains remains fresh and eminently readable today. It vividly portrays submarine warfare in the Mediterranean Sea which is a rare opportunity since most authors on submarine warfare during the Second World War prefer to write about the war in the Pacific. War in the Mediterranean was very different. The theatre was obviously much smaller and comparatively calmer and clearer as well. The submarines did not have to journey thousands of miles back to their base. My thanks to Netgalley Sapere Publishing.
December 10, 2023
The Ship With Two Captains is written by Terence Robertson. This is the amazing true story of a submarine engaged in Secret Operations during World War Two. The ship that had a unique prescence of leadership. Two captains — Royal Navy Lieutenant Bill Jewell who was in operational control and Captain Jerauld Wright of the United States Navy who commanded for political purposes.
The book is well researched. I had not known about this ship - and I felt that I was able to learn a lot. I enjoyed reading about the missions and how these two captains were able to work together.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.
The book is well researched. I had not known about this ship - and I felt that I was able to learn a lot. I enjoyed reading about the missions and how these two captains were able to work together.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews