An illustration-packed new account of the powerful Royal Navy fleet
that fought alongside the US Navy throughout the last year of the
Pacific War.
The British Pacific Fleet was the Royal Navy's primary contribution to
the direct defeat of Japan in 1945, and is among the most powerful
fleets Britain has ever sent into action. With naval supremacy in home
waters achieved by 1944, many of the best and most modern ships in the
Royal Navy could be sent to the Pacific, including battleships,
submarines, light forces, replenishment groups, and shore establishment.
However, the main striking force was the fast carrier force.
Illustrated throughout with dramatic new artwork, 3D diagrams, maps and
archive photos, this book explains how the Royal Navy joined the Pacific
carrier war, and how the fleet adopted the US Navy's ruthlessly
effective fast carrier doctrine. With ships optimized for short-range
operations in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, the BPF had to rapidly
adapt to the long-range, high-tempo warfare of the Pacific, and the
story is often one of inspired improvisation. The BPF shared the US
Navy's terrifying experience of kamikaze strikes, and famously its
armoured carriers proved tougher than the US counterparts.
With discussion of the ships, their technology, how the fleet was
organized and commanded, and how it fought the campaign, this book is a
fascinating exploration of the Royal Navy's part in the victory over
Japan.
