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The Forgotten Fleet: The Story of the British Pacific Fleet, 1944-45
John Winton, a naval novelist of some note, changes tack here with some unleavened military history, abounding in operational detail but wanting in audience appeal. The slighted ships belatedly credited here are the two large fleets which England fielded against the Japanese in the last year of World War II. Though greatly inferior in numbers of men, ships, and materiel to the U.S. Navy, and thus forced to adjust for the first time to the role of ""poor relation,"" the Royal Navy proved ""equal in spirit,"" playing an ancillary but admirable role in winning the Pacific war-at-sea. Winton provides minimal political and strategic trappings but fairly frequent eyewitness accounts to salt up his incorrigibly thorough log. The pertinent illustrative paraphernalia includes pictures, maps, charts, chains of command, a chronological summary of events, and appendices listing every last ship and skipper. Description adapted from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
544 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1969
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74 people want to read
About the author
John Winton
57 books12 followersA former officer in the Royal Navy, John Pratt was the author of a variety of fiction and non-fiction works published under the pen name John Winton. Pratt also served for 14 years as an obituarist for The Daily Telegraph.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 6, 2023
3.5 stars, rounded up.
I ended up skimming this book, as it is a rather specialized history. However, I learned a fair number of facts previously unknown to me, starting with the existence of the British Pacific Fleet (BPF). It is a testament to the British Navy's commitment to its ally, the United States, that the BPF existed at all. Churchill would have preferred to use British naval resources to re-establish British control over Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong, and to defeat Japanese forces anywhere they threatened British territories elsewhere. But with Italy defeated, and Germany clearly on its last legs, the Royal Navy was committed to assisting in the defeat of Japan as part of the US Navy's Central Pacific strategy. That said, the Royal Navy really wanted to be present at the victory over Japan; the fall of Singapore stung them at least as deeply as Pearl Harbor did the Americans.
Fortunately, Admiral Fraser, the BPF commander, and Admiral Nimitz got along well enough, and the BPF was treated well, with provisos, because it came under Halsey's command, and Halsey did not want the British to get any part of the credit for the defeat of Japan. Halsey was probably the most colorful and self-promoting five-star officer in any service, and that's a high bar, considering that MacArthur was in the running. That said, and despite a written agreement between London and Washington that the BPF was required to provide all its own supplies, Halsey never denied a request from the BPF for fuel, food, or anything else it was in his power to provide. It must be borne in mind in judging Halsey's behavior, the great emotional power of the US Navy's desire for vengeance; the senior officers of the Navy felt that the Japanese Fleet was their "pigeon", no outsiders were wanted in the payback they intended to deliver to the Japanese Fleet for Pearl Harbor.
Had the invasion of Japan gone forward, it is highly likely that the BPF would have been fully engaged, but fortunately for all involved, the surrender of Japan avoided that bloodbath. To put in perspective the BPF versus the US Pacific Fleet, the BPF had about 214 ships of all kinds, including six fleet carriers. Most of the aircraft flown off those carriers were US-built planes, by the way. The US Navy by 1945 had over 7,000 ships of all kinds of which about 80% were in the Pacific or headed there for the invasion of Japan. The BPF, statistically, had a better kill ratio for naval aircraft attacking Japanese planes, and sunk more tonnage per ship or plane than their US counterparts. This likely has to do with the longer flying experience of the British pilots versus American pilots, who were being rushed through training to get them to the Pacific, but nonetheless, the BPF was an outstanding performer in the Pacific War, despite it's small size compared to the US Pacific Fleet. One thing I learned is that at the very end of the war, July and August of 1945, US and British battleships were alongside the Japanese coast, at night, firing at aircraft manufacturing facilities and the like - that's how low the defense forces of Japan had fallen.
One fascinating (to me) footnote to the war that the author covers in some detail is Operation Zipper. It's mainly interesting to me because my father, a 30-year-old US Army Air Force Colonel on Mountbatten's staff in 1945, was involved in the planning of Zipper, which was the invasion of Malaya by British (and some American) forces. Dad always said it was a strange operation, planned before the atomic bombs had been dropped, but executed after V-J Day, and by the time it was carried out it was mostly for the purpose of showing the once and future colonial Malayans that it was British troops taking the surrender of the Japanese. My father thought the world of Mountbatten, and deeply respected General Slim. He had a very unusual tour of duty in the CBI, working as much with Brits and Australians as he did with US forces.
If you have a strong desire to know, in detail, the exploits of the BPF, this is the book for you.
I ended up skimming this book, as it is a rather specialized history. However, I learned a fair number of facts previously unknown to me, starting with the existence of the British Pacific Fleet (BPF). It is a testament to the British Navy's commitment to its ally, the United States, that the BPF existed at all. Churchill would have preferred to use British naval resources to re-establish British control over Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong, and to defeat Japanese forces anywhere they threatened British territories elsewhere. But with Italy defeated, and Germany clearly on its last legs, the Royal Navy was committed to assisting in the defeat of Japan as part of the US Navy's Central Pacific strategy. That said, the Royal Navy really wanted to be present at the victory over Japan; the fall of Singapore stung them at least as deeply as Pearl Harbor did the Americans.
Fortunately, Admiral Fraser, the BPF commander, and Admiral Nimitz got along well enough, and the BPF was treated well, with provisos, because it came under Halsey's command, and Halsey did not want the British to get any part of the credit for the defeat of Japan. Halsey was probably the most colorful and self-promoting five-star officer in any service, and that's a high bar, considering that MacArthur was in the running. That said, and despite a written agreement between London and Washington that the BPF was required to provide all its own supplies, Halsey never denied a request from the BPF for fuel, food, or anything else it was in his power to provide. It must be borne in mind in judging Halsey's behavior, the great emotional power of the US Navy's desire for vengeance; the senior officers of the Navy felt that the Japanese Fleet was their "pigeon", no outsiders were wanted in the payback they intended to deliver to the Japanese Fleet for Pearl Harbor.
Had the invasion of Japan gone forward, it is highly likely that the BPF would have been fully engaged, but fortunately for all involved, the surrender of Japan avoided that bloodbath. To put in perspective the BPF versus the US Pacific Fleet, the BPF had about 214 ships of all kinds, including six fleet carriers. Most of the aircraft flown off those carriers were US-built planes, by the way. The US Navy by 1945 had over 7,000 ships of all kinds of which about 80% were in the Pacific or headed there for the invasion of Japan. The BPF, statistically, had a better kill ratio for naval aircraft attacking Japanese planes, and sunk more tonnage per ship or plane than their US counterparts. This likely has to do with the longer flying experience of the British pilots versus American pilots, who were being rushed through training to get them to the Pacific, but nonetheless, the BPF was an outstanding performer in the Pacific War, despite it's small size compared to the US Pacific Fleet. One thing I learned is that at the very end of the war, July and August of 1945, US and British battleships were alongside the Japanese coast, at night, firing at aircraft manufacturing facilities and the like - that's how low the defense forces of Japan had fallen.
One fascinating (to me) footnote to the war that the author covers in some detail is Operation Zipper. It's mainly interesting to me because my father, a 30-year-old US Army Air Force Colonel on Mountbatten's staff in 1945, was involved in the planning of Zipper, which was the invasion of Malaya by British (and some American) forces. Dad always said it was a strange operation, planned before the atomic bombs had been dropped, but executed after V-J Day, and by the time it was carried out it was mostly for the purpose of showing the once and future colonial Malayans that it was British troops taking the surrender of the Japanese. My father thought the world of Mountbatten, and deeply respected General Slim. He had a very unusual tour of duty in the CBI, working as much with Brits and Australians as he did with US forces.
If you have a strong desire to know, in detail, the exploits of the BPF, this is the book for you.
November 23, 2025
In fact this book covers two forgotten fleets: the British Pacific Fleet and the East Indies Fleet. After the eye-watering Japanese advances of late 1941 and early 1942 there was little Britain could do except hang on grimly to its few footholds remaining. Pre-war plans for rapid reinforcement were overtaken by events in the Atlantic, Arctic and Mediterranean, and the most of bases for that reinforcement were gone.
Winton tells the story of the Royal Navy's gritty recovery from such an unpromising start, including the improvisation from scratch of a fleet train to support the Pacific Fleet in mid-ocean and learning to integrate its operations with the US Navy's vastly greater resources. The Brits had one great advantage in overcoming Washington obstructionism at local level - the USN was 'dry' while the RN wasn't. A bottle (or for really big favours a crate) of whisky could do wonders.
British carriers' armoured flight decks proved their worth under constant attack by suicide pilots. As Indefatigable's USN liaison officer put it after a strike, 'When a kamikaze hits a US carrier, it's six months repair at Pearl. In a Limey carrier it's a case of "Sweepers, man your brooms".'
On the subject of suiciders, it is interesting that some of the officers who graduated from the SOAS crash course in Japanese went to sea and listened in to the control aircraft instructing the kamikazes (who in the nature of things were inexperienced) which ships to go for and what tactics to adopt. This gave the targets a little bit of valuable time to react.
Personally I would have liked a bit more attention given to the East Indies Fleet, and especially its submarine component. Once the big American boats had made the oceans an extremely hostile environment for the Japanese it fell to the 8th Flotilla's S and T class boats operating at the limit of their (and their crew's) endurance to tackle the coastal trade.
The first two appendices list the ships which made up the two fleets at VJ Day. The lists are impressive, doubly so when we consider that these forces - enormous by our standards - were dwarfed by the US component.
Bearing in mind that this work dates from 1969 and much material has been declassified since then, it remains a worthwhile read.
Winton tells the story of the Royal Navy's gritty recovery from such an unpromising start, including the improvisation from scratch of a fleet train to support the Pacific Fleet in mid-ocean and learning to integrate its operations with the US Navy's vastly greater resources. The Brits had one great advantage in overcoming Washington obstructionism at local level - the USN was 'dry' while the RN wasn't. A bottle (or for really big favours a crate) of whisky could do wonders.
British carriers' armoured flight decks proved their worth under constant attack by suicide pilots. As Indefatigable's USN liaison officer put it after a strike, 'When a kamikaze hits a US carrier, it's six months repair at Pearl. In a Limey carrier it's a case of "Sweepers, man your brooms".'
On the subject of suiciders, it is interesting that some of the officers who graduated from the SOAS crash course in Japanese went to sea and listened in to the control aircraft instructing the kamikazes (who in the nature of things were inexperienced) which ships to go for and what tactics to adopt. This gave the targets a little bit of valuable time to react.
Personally I would have liked a bit more attention given to the East Indies Fleet, and especially its submarine component. Once the big American boats had made the oceans an extremely hostile environment for the Japanese it fell to the 8th Flotilla's S and T class boats operating at the limit of their (and their crew's) endurance to tackle the coastal trade.
The first two appendices list the ships which made up the two fleets at VJ Day. The lists are impressive, doubly so when we consider that these forces - enormous by our standards - were dwarfed by the US component.
Bearing in mind that this work dates from 1969 and much material has been declassified since then, it remains a worthwhile read.
August 14, 2022
I just finished reading John Winton’s The Forgotten Fleet: The Story of the British Pacific Fleet, 1944-45 about the Royal Navy in the Pacific Theater in the closing stages of World War II. Often times, the most mention you get of the Royal Navy in the Pacific in 1944 and 1945 is that they were there, were greatly outnumbered by the US Navy, and that their carriers had metal instead wooden decks. Winton’s book, therefore, greatly interested me and I enjoyed reading about the Royal Navy’s contributions to naval war in the Pacific and their support of Commonwealth forces in Southeast Asia. Winton didn’t just tell the story of the sharp end of the spear either, he dealt considerably with the British Pacific Fleet’s Fleet Train and the logistics of supporting the fleet at sea for longer times that the Royal Navy had previously done. He also told the story of how the British Pacific Fleet helped repatriate Commonwealth POWs and civilian internees after the Japanese surrender.
I vacillated between giving this book three stars or four stars, but eventually settled on four. My problems with the book had nothing to do with subject material or how Winton wrote about it, my problems were with the e-book conversion and maps. First, the e-book conversion was poor; many words were misspelled as a result of the conversion and apparently the publisher didn’t bother editing it to correct the errors. The frequent errors were a major distraction. Second, the book’s maps were not with the relevant text; maps help you understand military history (particularly when dealing with lesser known and remote areas of the Pacific and Southeast Asia) much better, and particularly with an e-book are best placed with the relevant text instead of at the beginning of the book. Were it not for the conversion errors, I would likely have had no qualms giving it a four star review, although the maps may have prevented me from giving it five. That said, if you can work your way through the frequent conversion errors or get a print copy of the book, it’s well worth reading for a better understanding of the Royal Navy’s contribution in the Pacific Theater of World War II.
I vacillated between giving this book three stars or four stars, but eventually settled on four. My problems with the book had nothing to do with subject material or how Winton wrote about it, my problems were with the e-book conversion and maps. First, the e-book conversion was poor; many words were misspelled as a result of the conversion and apparently the publisher didn’t bother editing it to correct the errors. The frequent errors were a major distraction. Second, the book’s maps were not with the relevant text; maps help you understand military history (particularly when dealing with lesser known and remote areas of the Pacific and Southeast Asia) much better, and particularly with an e-book are best placed with the relevant text instead of at the beginning of the book. Were it not for the conversion errors, I would likely have had no qualms giving it a four star review, although the maps may have prevented me from giving it five. That said, if you can work your way through the frequent conversion errors or get a print copy of the book, it’s well worth reading for a better understanding of the Royal Navy’s contribution in the Pacific Theater of World War II.
September 26, 2022
A magnificently researched history. I thought I knew something about the war. I didn’t know much. The amount of detail is almost overwhelming. In fact a good deal has been taken from official records and after action reports. Perhaps too much for me, but for someone who is even more interested than me, this would be invaluable. I never even considered the logistics of maintaining a fleet at war. This was amazing to read. There’s plenty of action stories in here, but there’s an incredible amount of background, including the whole politics of the integration of the British fleet with the American war machine. I was very interested in the actions beyond the end of the war, including the re-occupation of British territories and repatriation of prisoners of war.
The book was written in the sixties and it was interesting to compare the situation in 2022 with 1945, and the author's view from the time of writing.
There are heaps of statistical and logistical data. Some of this I didn’t need to read, but the sheer volume of ships, equipment and personnel detailed here was amazing.
It’s written in easy to read language, so as to be not too heavy for a less than very interested reader.
The book was written in the sixties and it was interesting to compare the situation in 2022 with 1945, and the author's view from the time of writing.
There are heaps of statistical and logistical data. Some of this I didn’t need to read, but the sheer volume of ships, equipment and personnel detailed here was amazing.
It’s written in easy to read language, so as to be not too heavy for a less than very interested reader.
July 23, 2022
A very good book about how Great Britain managed to join the naval war in the Pacific towards the end of World War 2. It starts out as a slow read as did the British Navy fighting around Burma. Lots of shallow water small boat action in the swamps and mangrove-infested tidal waters of sluggish rivers. The British were then invited by the US Navy to join in their Pacific fleet actions but only if they could do their own logistics, a major feat in itself. Forming one of 4 task groups of the third fleet for the last two months of the war, The British Pacific Fleet held their own on the attacks on the Japanese mainland. It was very difficult to create their own Fleet Train and had issues with poor oil tankers. Parts of the BPF were invited to the surrender in Toyko Bay.
The best part of the book covers the next few months after the end of WW2. Repatriation of Prisoners of War and Internees (RPWI), the return to Hong Kong and Singapore, and the dispersal of the fleet after the war.
The best part of the book covers the next few months after the end of WW2. Repatriation of Prisoners of War and Internees (RPWI), the return to Hong Kong and Singapore, and the dispersal of the fleet after the war.
September 29, 2022
Superb history of a little known contributor to the Naval war in the Pacific.To see this campaign through the eyes of the British NAvy was most enlightening. After the collosal defeats in Singapore and Hong Kong and the loss of territories almost to Inda, cupled with the fight for surival in Europe and the med, the British Navy was in no position to contriute much to the Pacific until the latter years of the war. But they did ,and wanted to be part of the reconquest in the Pacific. How they did it and interacted or didnt with the American Navy is a major theme of this book. I learned a great deal about their abilities, their shortcomings and their incredible efforts to help the cause with limited assets. An easy read especially in the second half. it did seem to get caught up in detail early on, but not enough to deter me from reading on. Well done !
October 10, 2022
The Forgotten Fleet: The story of the British Pacific fleet is an in-depth analysis of the British naval fleet during the Second World War. The British did a good job in defending their country but fell short when they were no longer able to put into a friendly port to refuel, and take on armaments in the Pacific theater. Their system was model after their practices of the First World War. The American fleet used different systems to refuel and resupply. The British adopted the American systems and improve because of the changes. The book is a great read and shows the horrors of war.
March 4, 2023
British try hard
Basically an apologia for sending the RN into the Pacific where it was punished by the Admiralty's lack of vision and inability to gain proper funding. Also suffered as the object of Churchill's vanity. The only real strategic good was to hang around till the end of the war so it could regain (and swiftly lose) all of its colonies save Hong King. The navy was valiant but I am of the opinion that risking lives for glory and politics is a poor use of lives.
The book itself is well written and is about part of the war that is not covered by most books.
Basically an apologia for sending the RN into the Pacific where it was punished by the Admiralty's lack of vision and inability to gain proper funding. Also suffered as the object of Churchill's vanity. The only real strategic good was to hang around till the end of the war so it could regain (and swiftly lose) all of its colonies save Hong King. The navy was valiant but I am of the opinion that risking lives for glory and politics is a poor use of lives.
The book itself is well written and is about part of the war that is not covered by most books.
March 7, 2025
3.5 really. This is a story that deserves to be told and told well. There has clearly been an immense amount of research for this book and I unquestionably leant new things about a story that I already had some familiarity with. However , the result is a largely dry work evidencing all that research and detail but lacking life and energy in the way that a James Holland or Max Hastings book often gives where the book is rooted in people’s personal accounts. There is some of that here but not enough to draw me in.
July 9, 2022
A story of strength and determination
Despite being weakened by years of war prior to the US declaration of war on Japan, the British found a way to do what they perceived as their share in the Pacific even before VE day. Great examples of inspired military leadership and teamwork, sometimes in spite of ignorant meddling from Washington & London. The book contains many examples of ways to insure combined operations are successful.
Despite being weakened by years of war prior to the US declaration of war on Japan, the British found a way to do what they perceived as their share in the Pacific even before VE day. Great examples of inspired military leadership and teamwork, sometimes in spite of ignorant meddling from Washington & London. The book contains many examples of ways to insure combined operations are successful.
July 10, 2022
BPF operations and their relationship with the Americans
The strength and limitations of the RN in the Pacific and Indian Oceans are well described and new to me. The relationship with Nimitz and MacAruther and their subordinates is documented and reasonable. Operations in the East Indian Ocean need maps.
The strength and limitations of the RN in the Pacific and Indian Oceans are well described and new to me. The relationship with Nimitz and MacAruther and their subordinates is documented and reasonable. Operations in the East Indian Ocean need maps.
July 22, 2022
a complex history of the British Pacific Fleet at the end of The Second World War.
Thank you John Winston for a thorough telling of the events which put the Royal Navy at Tokyo Bay, Hong Kong and Singapore for the end of the Second World War.
Highly recommend.
Thank you John Winston for a thorough telling of the events which put the Royal Navy at Tokyo Bay, Hong Kong and Singapore for the end of the Second World War.
Highly recommend.
June 9, 2023
It is a great unknown story
I found this book to be a story from the Second World war that was whispered about only. Fills in so many things accomplished by the British Empire in Asia
I found this book to be a story from the Second World war that was whispered about only. Fills in so many things accomplished by the British Empire in Asia
December 30, 2025
To be honest, I found it really hard to follow because the author would be talking about a certain event, and then start talking about things that had happened years before. It was more meandering than sharing information. At least to me.
August 2, 2022
Good Reading
I am very appreciative to the author for this perspective of the Pacific theater. I was not aware of the British Empire's contributions.
I am very appreciative to the author for this perspective of the Pacific theater. I was not aware of the British Empire's contributions.
January 12, 2023
very detailed. Would only recommend for those deeply interested in the actions of the british fleet in the pacific in the last year or so of the war.
January 15, 2023
Wow a lot that is not well known
Worth the read. Demonstrates that there is a lot little known in parts of the war not highly publicized. Great book
Worth the read. Demonstrates that there is a lot little known in parts of the war not highly publicized. Great book
January 19, 2023
Good history
This book is great for the first half but moves into figures and boring topics the second half. The first half contains personal stories.
This book is great for the first half but moves into figures and boring topics the second half. The first half contains personal stories.
February 20, 2023
Wow, I learned a lot of history
Well written and researched strikes me as the Royal Navy's answer to S. E. Morrison's history of WW2 at sea.
Well written and researched strikes me as the Royal Navy's answer to S. E. Morrison's history of WW2 at sea.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews