RN Subs

Never To Return tells the story of the Russian convoys and the heroes who sailed in them with particular focus on HMS Achates. Roderick G Maclean has gathered primary and secondary source material to give a detailed and illuminating analysis of the Russian Convoys.

He tells of the commodores who came out of retirement, risking their lives to navigate convoys to Murmansk and Archangel; the doctors who diced with death, jumping from one ship to another in rough seas to administer crucial medical aid; the astonishing behaviour of Adolf Hitler in belittling his Kriegsmarine admirals and captains, making them reticent to engage with the Royal Navy in December 1942; the rescue ships which pulled freezing survivors from the ice-cold Arctic waters. Never to Return shares the story of those who, despite their fears, sailed in these convoys.

The Scottish Gaelic original of this book was shortlisted for the Saltire Society Research Book of the Year Award 2023 and for the Donald Meek Award for Best Non-Fiction book 2023.

The story is told from the German as well as the British side, and is comprehensively backed up by photographs, maps and documents. The book will be enjoyed by those with a general interest in the subject and those who wish to research the topic further.

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