THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC. BRITISH BATTLE SERIES. by Macintyre, Donald - 1961

London: B. T. Batsford, 1961. 208 pp, 8vo (8 15/16" H). "The momentous nature of the Battle of the Atlantic, a struggle whose outcome was in the balance for over three years, cannot be exaggerated. Had the Germans succeeded in establishing a decisive mastery in the Atlantic, Britain would have been deprived of the essential American supplies - above all, arms and food - on which she depended for the continuance of the war abroad and for her own day-to-day survival; nor, later could the Americans have given their vital support. The story of how, instead, the Germans were defeated in the Atlantic, is a complicated and exciting one which Captain Donald Macintyre, a naval historian who himself played an active part in the battle, is well qualified to tell. Not only does he analyse the strategic issues, above all the importance of the convoy system and of continuous air-cover, he also describes the battle from the viewpoint of the participants themselves. The long drawn-out duel between escort and U-boat is made vivid by quotations from the log-books of some of the ablest escort-commanders, such as Captain Walker and Lieutenant-Commander Gretton, and from the combat-reports of the German U-boat 'aces', Prien, Kretschmer and Schepke. Complementing these eyewitness accounts, nearly 50 unfamiliar photographs, drawn from German as well as British sources, make the courage and endurance of all those who fought in the Atlantic the more immediate; the strategic and tactical aspects of the battle are likewise clarified by the specially prepared maps and diagrams." Light to moderate edge wear to boards, very light browning to edges of boards, very small light stain on title page, very soft corner crease on first few pages, light erasure mark on rear pastedown. Dust jacket is price clipped, has light to moderate edge wear - mainly at top/bottom of spine and flap folds, a few small scratches and scuffs, a few small edge tears with old tape repair, small waterstain on inside of spine, browning at edges, a few brown stains on inside.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Good+/Good-.