Submarine Upholder: The Most Successful British Submarine of the Second World War (Submarine Warfare in World War Two)

The awe-inspiring actions of H.M. Submarine Upholder and her captain, Lieutenant-Commander Malcolm David Wanklyn, one of the greatest submariners of World War Two, are detailed in this account. This account of the heroic service of the crew of Upholder is the perfect read for fans of Alex Kershaw, Andrew Williams, John Wingate, and Terence Robertson. HMS Upholder, commanded for her entire career by Lieutenant-Commander Malcolm David Wanklyn, began service with the 10th Submarine flotilla based on the besieged island of Malta in December 1940. Thanks to the extraordinary dedication and leadership of her captain, she was destined to become the most successful British submarine of World War Two. The news from the Mediterranean at the time was dismal; losses of underwater craft were considerable. The Italian Navy was proving to be fast, efficient, and deadly. Upholder’s objective was to help scupper the supply convoys crossing the Mediterranean to support Rommel’s campaign in North Africa, where Wavell’s army was battling desperately. During her short service of 24 patrols, Upholder and her dedicated crew sank an incredible 93,031 tons of enemy shipping before being lost with all hands in April 1942. Using his own personal testimony, as a submariner serving in the Mediterranean at the same time as Upholder, author Sydney Hart witnessed first-hand some of the events he so eloquently describes. His account also includes interviews with Lieutenant-Commander Wanklyn’s family, friends, and comrades; research from official records, letters, and newspaper reports. His own service on submarines akin to Upholder gives the reader a thorough sense of what it would have been like on board at the time, operating in this theatre of war. View Less