Dark Navy

[Vince O'Hara]

I'm posting to let everyone know that I've co-authored a new book (with Enrico Cernuschi) called Dark Navy: the Regia Marina and the Armistice of 8 September 1943. Publisher Nimble Books, 108 pages, 45 illustrations, 4 maps. You can see more details on my web site, vohara.com

You can order it through NWS.

Thanks,

Vince

P.S. Here is the marketing description:

In July 1943 Benito Mussolini, Italy's warlord and the father of fascism fell from power in a hastily arranged plot, the details of which even today remain controversial. A cabal of generals took the nation's reins and bungled their way toward an accommodation with the Allies. When General Eisenhower announced an armistice with Italy on the evening of 8 September he believed he had struck a deal that included Italian military cooperation against the Germans. In fact, the generals had promised more than they could deliver and Germany's terrible, swift reprisal shattered Italy's confused air force and army. The armistice likewise caught the navy by surprise, with its battleships raising steam to attack the Allied fleet landing at Salerno. Nonetheless, the Regia Marina obeyed its government's orders and honored the pact the generals had negotiated. Rather than evaporating like Italy's other services, however, it proceeded to fight a three-week campaign against Germany, without Allied support, and in the process retained complete control of its ships, regardless of the ports necessity forced them to seek refuge in.

This is the story of the Regia Marina and the Italian armistice of September 1943. It is a deeply-researched and highly readable exploration of this confusing and fascinating corner of history. It refutes the conventional notion that Italy's fleet abjectly surrendered to Allied power. It shows how the navy paved Italy's path from enemy to co-belligerent with the blood and unconquered spirit of its men. Despite German and Allied intentions to secure Italy's fleet for their own uses, it remained Italian to the end: a dark navy - not victorious, but undefeated.

[Mike Malanaphy]

I'm posting to let everyone know that I've co-authored a new book (with Enrico Cernuschi) called Dark Navy: the Regia Marina and the Armistice of 8 September 1943. Publisher Nimble Books, 108 pages, 45 illustrations, 4 maps. You can see more details on my web site, vohara.com

You can order it through NWS.

Thanks,

Vince

P.S. Here is the marketing description:

In July 1943 Benito Mussolini, Italy's warlord and the father of fascism fell from power in a hastily arranged plot, the details of which even today remain controversial. A cabal of generals took the nation's reins and bungled their way toward an accommodation with the Allies. When General Eisenhower announced an armistice with Italy on the evening of 8 September he believed he had struck a deal that included Italian military cooperation against the Germans. In fact, the generals had promised more than they could deliver and Germany's terrible, swift reprisal shattered Italy's confused air force and army. The armistice likewise caught the navy by surprise, with its battleships raising steam to attack the Allied fleet landing at Salerno. Nonetheless, the Regia Marina obeyed its government's orders and honored the pact the generals had negotiated. Rather than evaporating like Italy's other services, however, it proceeded to fight a three-week campaign against Germany, without Allied support, and in the process retained complete control of its ships, regardless of the ports necessity forced them to seek refuge in.

This is the story of the Regia Marina and the Italian armistice of September 1943. It is a deeply-researched and highly readable exploration of this confusing and fascinating corner of history. It refutes the conventional notion that Italy's fleet abjectly surrendered to Allied power. It shows how the navy paved Italy's path from enemy to co-belligerent with the blood and unconquered spirit of its men. Despite German and Allied intentions to secure Italy's fleet for their own uses, it remained Italian to the end: a dark navy - not victorious, but undefeated.

Hi Vince,

Sounds good, just in time for the winter solstice! : )

[Ed Rotondaro]

I'm posting to let everyone know that I've co-authored a new book (with Enrico Cernuschi) called Dark Navy: the Regia Marina and the Armistice of 8 September 1943. Publisher Nimble Books, 108 pages, 45 illustrations, 4 maps. You can see more details on my web site, vohara.com

You can order it through NWS.

Thanks,

Vince

P.S. Here is the marketing description:

In July 1943 Benito Mussolini, Italy's warlord and the father of fascism fell from power in a hastily arranged plot, the details of which even today remain controversial. A cabal of generals took the nation's reins and bungled their way toward an accommodation with the Allies. When General Eisenhower announced an armistice with Italy on the evening of 8 September he believed he had struck a deal that included Italian military cooperation against the Germans. In fact, the generals had promised more than they could deliver and Germany's terrible, swift reprisal shattered Italy's confused air force and army. The armistice likewise caught the navy by surprise, with its battleships raising steam to attack the Allied fleet landing at Salerno. Nonetheless, the Regia Marina obeyed its government's orders and honored the pact the generals had negotiated. Rather than evaporating like Italy's other services, however, it proceeded to fight a three-week campaign against Germany, without Allied support, and in the process retained complete control of its ships, regardless of the ports necessity forced them to seek refuge in.

This is the story of the Regia Marina and the Italian armistice of September 1943. It is a deeply-researched and highly readable exploration of this confusing and fascinating corner of history. It refutes the conventional notion that Italy's fleet abjectly surrendered to Allied power. It shows how the navy paved Italy's path from enemy to co-belligerent with the blood and unconquered spirit of its men. Despite German and Allied intentions to secure Italy's fleet for their own uses, it remained Italian to the end: a dark navy - not victorious, but undefeated.

Vince:

An impressive topic and I will wager that a good deal of the research came from your study of the war in the Med? You are really becoming one of the best naval historians out there.

[Vince O'Hara]

Vince:

An impressive topic and I will wager that a good deal of the research came from your study of the war in the Med? .

Mike, Ed, thanks for the comments. Dark Navy grew out of my Mediterranean book, (actually, alongside of it) but it relates much of the politics associated with the whole armistice mess and goes into far greater detail on all the little naval actions. These have always fascinated me . . . in fact, the first thing I ever published was an article in World War II Magazine about the Italian/German naval battle off Bastia on 9 September in which an Italian torpedo boat sank a whole flotilla of German subchasers and MFP barges.

Because I wrote this book with Enrico its examination of the Italian side of things is very deep. It was originally intended to be a magazine article, but it turned into a labor of love and grew way beyond that. It also has appendixes that give the status and final disposition of every Italian warship (corvettes/submarines and larger) under repair and under construction at the time. There are three color maps, forty-five photos and 108 pages.

Vince

[Ed Rotondaro]

Mike, Ed, thanks for the comments. Dark Navy grew out of my Mediterranean book, (actually, alongside of it) but it relates much of the politics associated with the whole armistice mess and goes into far greater detail on all the little naval actions. These have always fascinated me . . . in fact, the first thing I ever published was an article in World War II Magazine about the Italian/German naval battle off Bastia on 9 September in which an Italian torpedo boat sank a whole flotilla of German subchasers and MFP barges.

Because I wrote this book with Enrico its examination of the Italian side of things is very deep. It was originally intended to be a magazine article, but it turned into a labor of love and grew way beyond that. It also has appendixes that give the status and final disposition of every Italian warship (corvettes/submarines and larger) under repair and under construction at the time. There are three color maps, forty-five photos and 108 pages.

Vince

Vince:

Too often we concentrate on the military battles of WWII but forget that the diplomatic/political aspect of the war was just as important. The entire Vichy France experience as well as Italy changing sides influenced the war in the Med greatly. Also I would say that the Axis "alliance" was one of convenience whereas the Allies (at least Britain and the US) was one based more on shared political beliefs and true friendship that while strained at times still persists to this day.

[keschofield]

I'm posting to let everyone know that I've co-authored a new book (with Enrico Cernuschi) called Dark Navy: the Regia Marina and the Armistice of 8 September 1943. Publisher Nimble Books, 108 pages, 45 illustrations, 4 maps. You can see more details on my web site, vohara.com

You can order it through NWS.

Thanks,

Vince

P.S. Here is the marketing description:

In July 1943 Benito Mussolini, Italy's warlord and the father of fascism fell from power in a hastily arranged plot, the details of which even today remain controversial. A cabal of generals took the nation's reins and bungled their way toward an accommodation with the Allies. When General Eisenhower announced an armistice with Italy on the evening of 8 September he believed he had struck a deal that included Italian military cooperation against the Germans. In fact, the generals had promised more than they could deliver and Germany's terrible, swift reprisal shattered Italy's confused air force and army. The armistice likewise caught the navy by surprise, with its battleships raising steam to attack the Allied fleet landing at Salerno. Nonetheless, the Regia Marina obeyed its government's orders and honored the pact the generals had negotiated. Rather than evaporating like Italy's other services, however, it proceeded to fight a three-week campaign against Germany, without Allied support, and in the process retained complete control of its ships, regardless of the ports necessity forced them to seek refuge in.

This is the story of the Regia Marina and the Italian armistice of September 1943. It is a deeply-researched and highly readable exploration of this confusing and fascinating corner of history. It refutes the conventional notion that Italy's fleet abjectly surrendered to Allied power. It shows how the navy paved Italy's path from enemy to co-belligerent with the blood and unconquered spirit of its men. Despite German and Allied intentions to secure Italy's fleet for their own uses, it remained Italian to the end: a dark navy - not victorious, but undefeated.

Hi Vince,

I'd love to see a similar treatment of the French navy and its turbulent WW2 history.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Hi Vince,

I'd love to see a similar treatment of the French navy and its turbulent WW2 history.

Kurt:

Definitely interesting. What I would love is for Vince to combine all the theaters into one massive blockbuster book covering all surface actions. (And I'm sure he'll say pitch in Ed!):eek:

[keschofield]

Kurt:

Definitely interesting. What I would love is for Vince to combine all the theaters into one massive blockbuster book covering all surface actions. (And I'm sure he'll say pitch in Ed!):eek:

If I thought that I could bring something to the table, I'd be glad to pitch in. But he's got access to much more research material than I do and he definitely doesn't need any help with his writing. So I quess all I can do is stand on the sidelines and root for more books.

[Vince O'Hara]

Hi Vince,

I'd love to see a similar treatment of the French navy and its turbulent WW2 history.

There's a big need for more studies about the Marine Nationale during the war. What we have right now includes

Auphan and Mordal THE FRENCH NAVY IN WWII (Naval Institute 1959)
Charles Koburger, THE CYRANO FLEET (Praeger 1989)
Anthony Heckstall-Smith. THE FLEET THAT FACED BOTH WAYS (Anthony Blond 1963)
David Wragg. SINK THE FRENCH (Pen & Sword, 2007)

There are also some good articles. If anyone is curious send me a message and I'll forward a more complete list.

Vince

[Vince O'Hara]

If I thought that I could bring something to the table, I'd be glad to pitch in. But he's got access to much more research material than I do and he definitely doesn't need any help with his writing. So I quess all I can do is stand on the sidelines and root for more books.

I'm flattered. The idea of producing a complete list of all surface navy battles fought in WWII was my original idea about twenty years ago when I started writing all this stuff. I had a format that would cover everything in three volumes (German/Japanese/Italian) except for the French verses Thai action at Koh Chang. The requirements of getting published forced me to stray from this format, but if you take my three books collectively, you'll find coverage of every action except Koh Chang and the Haguro action in May 1945 (and these are subjects of articles, although the Koh Chang one is sitting in a magazine's story bank and I have no idea when (or if) it will see the light of day.

Vince

[keschofield]

I'm flattered. The idea of producing a complete list of all surface navy battles fought in WWII was my original idea about twenty years ago when I started writing all this stuff. I had a format that would cover everything in three volumes (German/Japanese/Italian) except for the French verses Thai action at Koh Chang. The requirements of getting published forced me to stray from this format, but if you take my three books collectively, you'll find coverage of every action except Koh Chang and the Haguro action in May 1945 (and these are subjects of articles, although the Koh Chang one is sitting in a magazine's story bank and I have no idea when (or if) it will see the light of day.

Vince

I can't wait to see the article about Koh Chang. It is one of the least known naval battles of WW2. Most people don't even know that the Thais fought anybody in the war. SE Asia in WW2 needs more scholarly research and writing than it has gotten.

Anybody out there speak Thai? :)

[old_pop2000]

.... Most people don't even know that the Thais fought anybody in the war. SE Asia in WW2 needs more scholarly research and writing than it has gotten.

:)

Actually, the Battle of Koh Chang in January 1941 was interesting. The Thai's were attempting to regain some lost territory at the expense of the Vichy government. However, they did get the short end of the stick. However, the Japanese won the peace. They managed to gain a trade agreement prior to the signing of the agreement between Japan and Thailand. The Vichy government still had to return Battambang to Thailand. This seems to be another victory in a tactical sense but lost in a strategic sense. The Japanese were the only winners in this. The Far eastern colonies were so adamant about breaking from the Dutch, French and British that they actually would have signed a pact with the devil. The devil being the Japanese. The Burmese just let the Japanese invade Malaya before the British could invade and stop them. All the colonial powers paid for their mistakes and provincial governments after the war.

I might be wrong but I read a book on Japanese diplomacy and that is the gist of their explanation. It wasn't much of a battle but it may have had a long term effect on the colonialism in the Indochina area.

[JMS]

Actually, the Battle of Koh Chang in January 1941 was interesting. The Thai's were attempting to regain some lost territory at the expense of the Vichy government. However, they did get the short end of the stick. However, the Japanese won the peace. They managed to gain a trade agreement prior to the signing of the agreement between Japan and Thailand. The Vichy government still had to return Battambang to Thailand. This seems to be another victory in a tactical sense but lost in a strategic sense. The Japanese were the only winners in this. The Far eastern colonies were so adamant about breaking from the Dutch, French and British that they actually would have signed a pact with the devil. The devil being the Japanese. The Burmese just let the Japanese invade Malaya before the British could invade and stop them. All the colonial powers paid for their mistakes and provincial governments after the war.

I might be wrong but I read a book on Japanese diplomacy and that is the gist of their explanation. It wasn't much of a battle but it may have had a long term effect on the colonialism in the Indochina area.

The Thais have a different perception of this, they were winning the land war when the Japanese stepped in to stop a war in their rear. In this context Koh Chang was a face saving gesture rather than something really useful.

For obvious reasons, there's are a lot of info in French magazines.

[Vince O'Hara]

The Thais have a different perception of this, they were winning the land war when the Japanese stepped in to stop a war in their rear. In this context Koh Chang was a face saving gesture rather than something really useful.

For obvious reasons, there's are a lot of info in French magazines.

This is my understanding as well.

Vince

[old_pop2000]

The Thais have a different perception of this, they were winning the land war when the Japanese stepped in to stop a war in their rear. In this context Koh Chang was a face saving gesture rather than something really useful.

For obvious reasons, there's are a lot of info in French magazines.

Like I said, the Japanese probably got the better of this spat. It certainly wasn't the French or the Thai's although the latter got their freedom after the war. It was a dying gasp of a former colonial power. So was Malaya and the DEI.