The opening months of World War II saw Britain's Royal Navy facing a
resurgent German navy, the Kriegsmarine. Following the German invasion
of Denmark and Norway in early April 1940, British and German destroyers
would clash in a series of battles for control of the Norwegian coast.
The operational environment was especially challenging, with destroyer
crews having to contend with variable weather, narrow coastal tracts,
and possibility of fog and ship breakdowns.
In two engagements at Narvik, the Royal Navy entered the harbor and
attacked the loitering German destroyers who had dropped off mountain
troops to support the German invasion. The raids were devastating,
halving at a stroke the number at Hitler's disposal. Employing specially
commissioned artwork and drawing upon a range of sources, this absorbing
study traces the evolving technology and tactics employed by the British
and German destroyer forces.