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This Great Harbour: Scapa Flow
From the days of the Vikings to World War II, a history of the famous Scottish seaway.
Known by mariners since Viking times as a safe anchorage in notoriously savage waters, Scapa Flow is the seaway that runs between the Orkney mainland and the island of Hoy. As the northern base of the Royal Navy and Allied fleets in two world wars, it witnessed some of the most seminal events in modern naval history. It was from here that The Grand Fleet set off in 1916 to do battle at Jutland; it was from that Lord Kitchener sailed to his death aboard the Hampshire; it was here that the surrendered German fleet was scuttled in May 1919; and it was here that 800 sailors lost their lives in October 1939 when HMS Royal Oak was torpedoed by a German submarine.
The late W.S. Hewison's book is the ultimate history of this remarkable place. In addition to the military story, he also tells about the impact war had on the native island community as their remote archipelago was transformed into the hub of Britain's naval war machine.
Known by mariners since Viking times as a safe anchorage in notoriously savage waters, Scapa Flow is the seaway that runs between the Orkney mainland and the island of Hoy. As the northern base of the Royal Navy and Allied fleets in two world wars, it witnessed some of the most seminal events in modern naval history. It was from here that The Grand Fleet set off in 1916 to do battle at Jutland; it was from that Lord Kitchener sailed to his death aboard the Hampshire; it was here that the surrendered German fleet was scuttled in May 1919; and it was here that 800 sailors lost their lives in October 1939 when HMS Royal Oak was torpedoed by a German submarine.
The late W.S. Hewison's book is the ultimate history of this remarkable place. In addition to the military story, he also tells about the impact war had on the native island community as their remote archipelago was transformed into the hub of Britain's naval war machine.
671 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 21, 2023
3.5 Stars rounded up. This book is a detailed look at the anchorage in the Orkneys that served Britain during two world wars. It talks about the people who had the fortitude to live in a less-than-hospitable climate, suffering from storms and wartime bombings. Scapa Flow is probably best known for the sinking of the ROYAL OAK by U-Boat early in WWII, and the scuttling of the German High Seas Fleet at the end of the Great War.
The book can be somewhat slow going, but is a good picture of what life was like in a small but vital part of wartime Britain.
The book can be somewhat slow going, but is a good picture of what life was like in a small but vital part of wartime Britain.
July 4, 2023
This is a solid narrative history of a remote region of the UK which became a very important military area during both World Wars. It's a well researched and footnoted narrative. It mostly concerns military matters, so acronyms and unit numbers are plentiful. There are very complete glossaries and indexes at the back, and these are needed to properly understand much of the text. If the reader (like me) is not familiar with the Scapa Flow & Orkney areas, it is necessary to keep a good regional map handy during the reading to make sense of all the locations identified. This book would be a good addition to a library that includes books on the UK Royal Navy in WW1 & WW2, including the Battle of Jutland, the Battle of the Atlantic, German U-Boats, Convoys, and the Battle Against the Bismarck.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews