Sea Battles in Close-Up: World War 2, Vol. 2

by Eric J. Grove

This book presents a series of detailed narrations of some of the most significant sea battles of World War II, including Narvik, Crete, Malta, Java Sea, Sirte, Philippine Sea, and Leyte Gulf.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Eric John Grove (1948-2021) was a British naval historian and defence analyst.

Reviews

[Martin Koenigsberg]

I read the Naval Institute Press's special edition for the US Navy's 50th Anniversary After 1945 , published in 1994, that covered the battles of The Coral Sea, Midway, The Java Sea, operation Neptune(D-day), The Philippine Sea, and my personal interest, Leyte Gulf. I think the articles are great- as they go over each operation, from inception to execution, including the necessary Orders of battle, Logistical concerns, the additional Submarine elements of the battles - as well as the better known elements of each struggle. Lots of good but not great black and white pics sprinkle the pages as well as Org, charts, diagrams of Flak /fighter control concepts, and cool little side notes on particular ships involved in each battle.. I really enjoyed the "deep Dives" in the Military history ocean.

There is all kinds of great extra info that helped me understand each of these Battles better. The Java Sea- where a Dutch Admiral tried to hold back the oncoming Japanese with a Dutch/American/Australian fleet- having to issue orders in two languages and three doctrines. In Operation Neptune, the chapter follows all the German attempts to break up the cross channel operation- that lasted until August! In the Leyte Gulf battle- the one where the "Taffy" Escort Carriers gamely took on the main Japanese surface forces to save my father's life(he was in the target transport fleet waiting to go ashore) with their Wildcats and Avengers buzzing like bees around the towering Japanese force. It's all well written and compelling.

With few adult themes and no gore, this is a fine book for any junior reader over about 9 or 10. For the Gamer/Modeller/Military enthusiast is a rich vein. I think the modeller will get context and depth-but only a few diorama ideas- but the Gamer and Enthusiast will find it a real boon. The maps and diagrams are great- I think anyone who plays those Kamikaze games will love the fighter control and Flak organisational diagrams that will help set up immensely. The org charts and descriptions of every carrier's aircraft complement will be invaluable. A strong rec for this- and I'll be looking for their other books in the series.