Torpedo Strike: A Novel of the Fleet Air Arm in the Mediterranean, 1940-41

by John Wingate

An exhilarating World War II adventure based on real-life events! Perfect for fans of Clive Cussler, Douglas Reeman and Duncan Harding.Will bravery alone be enough to see Bill through the war?Malta, 1940World War II rages on, and as the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm prepares to launch a risky strike on the Italian port of Taranto, no one knows quite what the future holds.When his aircraft is caught in enemy fire off the coast of Malta, Sub-Lieutenant Bill Tanner disobeys orders to leave his stricken C.O. and return to base. But his act of loyalty threatens to derail his Navy career when his nemesis Lieutenant-Commander Anthony Kyne has Bill charged with disobedience.With the prospect of a court-martial hanging over his head, Bill pins his hopes on the upcoming Taranto raid to redeem himself.But will he survive long enough to clear his name? And with tensions still simmering between himself and Kyne, is Bill’s Navy career over just as it’s beginning?Based on real-life events, TORPEDO STRIKE is the first book in the WWII Action Thriller authentic aviation and naval military fiction bringing to life the perilous battles that irrevocably changed the course of World War II.THE WWII ACTION THRILLER BOOK Torpedo StrikeBOOK Never So ProudBOOK Last Ditch

213 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

John Alan Wingate DSC was a successful novelist with some twenty-five books to his credit. Many of these had a naval theme. Frequently involving the submarine service, they gained much authenticity from Wingate’s personal wartime experiences

Reviews

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mediterranean WW2

This is part of WW2 that is not written about very much. These battles occurred before the United States joined WW2. The technology available is lacking but the men did their best winning strategic battles early in the war.

[William Blume · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Good British Naval History

Well written naval novel about early WW2 British action in the Mediterranean. This is an area which has generally been ignored but has a rich field of important action.The author is able to impart a fine tone of English culture.

[Jerry Litton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't expect realism.

I bought this book hoping some realism would make itself known. Obviously the author has very little to absolutely no flight experience whatsoever such as ‘Steer 2140.’ and the like. I thought it was a typo however it happens in other places. I could not finish it.

[Mark Croxford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reasonable read for 99 cents.

Easy reading but a bit bland. Good value at 99 cents.

The book was written about 20 years after the events portrayed and apart from. The main character all the other significant characters appear to be real people. Perhaps because of this they feel a bit one dimensional, being jolly good chaps what.

[Brian Porter]

A really exciting tale of naval warfare

There are far too few books that feature the exploits of the Fleet Air Arm during World War Two. This is a really great read, exciting and emotional at the same time. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author. I give it a well deserved 5 stars.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

War in the Mediterranean

Warfare both air and naval in the Mediterranean theater against the Italian fleet based in Taranto. Vivid depiction of air attacks on this Italian naval base.

[Michael Sheehan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great deal of action described in the book. The terms used in describing an individual like C in C and the like are unknown to the average reader and thus make the story a bit disjointed and hard to follow.

Additionally, the plots in the book jumped around too much and likewise made the book hard to follow.

[Chaplain Stanley Chapin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A different WW2 story

This in the early part and they were flying by-wing aircraft as torpedo bombers. It was a whole different experiences to read.

[D.M. Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good yarn

Thoroughly good wartime action in the Mediterranean. Authentic tale of the Fleet Air Arm. Recommended for all WW2 buffs. Enjoyed it.

[MR CHRISTOPHER · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I really enjoyed this short novel. Its very well written with action all the way, from the first page. I hope the other books in the series are as good.

[MICHAEL & JANE VAUGHAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

A thoroughly enjoyable read. Plenty of action and a great story line. I would definitely recommend this book if you’re interested in the genre.

[Dave Hammett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but

Actually almost too much detail. You also have to have some understanding of British Naval hierarchy. Interest history of the British in the Med.

[Dale Hill · Rating 2 out of 5]

review

Sometimes hard to follow story line, not as good a read as I had hoped for. If this was supposed to be fiction based on facts, there is a lot of literary frills.

[Mike Whitehouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story

John Wingate never fails to produce a winner and this is no exception an excellent story well put together by using actual people in the narrative.

[Gerald E Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed

Second time through. Enjoyed the reality of the plot, much to recognise and admire from a professional viewpoint. Well written.

[Stephanie Cohu · Rating 3 out of 5]

uneven pace

I had some problems with the book, granted it had a lot of action. One of the problems is I hate an author forgetting to tell us what abbreviations mean.

[Steven P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

Lots of action, and a good accounting of what war is really like. Looking forward to the next in the series.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

British torpedo bombers in the Mediterranean and the raid on Taranto harbor.

[John Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book Torpedo Strike but sometimes the writing is a bit too busy, with too many CAPITAL letters and abbreviations. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book.

[Manray9 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much like a Douglas Reeman novel. If you've read any of his work, you'll know what I mean.