Crisis Convoy: The Story of HX231, A Turning Point in the Battle of the Atlantic

Sir Peter Gretton

Apr 2022 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by James Cameron Stewart

About this audiobook

In April 1943, Commander Peter Gretton was in charge of escorting a vital Allied trade convoy from New York to Great Britain across the North Atlantic. Over the course of the voyage, the sixty-one merchant ships of convoy HX231, along with the six ships of B7 Escort Group, were continuously shadowed and attacked by a German wolf pack of twenty U-boats. With the aid of air support, the convoy and defending escort fought valiantly across hundreds of miles of ocean and, despite poor weather conditions, managed to sink and severely damage several enemy submarines. Tragically six merchant ships were torpedoed and with no rescue vessel any survivors were left stranded in the freezing waters of the Atlantic as the convoy continued on its journey. Drawing on reports from both sides, Gretton details the sequence of events as convoy HX231 battled its way through a large wolf pack and offers an authoritative post-battle analysis of the strategies, decisions, and actions taken that would ultimately see the tide of war turn in favor of victory for the Allies. Crisis Convoy takes the listener to the heart of the action and is a thrilling account of naval warfare during World War II.

About the author

Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Gretton, KCB, DSO, OBE, DSC, was an officer in the Royal Navy. He was active during the World War II Battle of the Atlantic and was a successful convoy escort commander. He eventually rose to become Fifth Sea Lord and retired as a vice admiral before entering university life as a bursar and academic.

Trained at Hull University and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, James Cameron Stewart is a veteran actor whose performances include roles in theater, film, and television. His credits include Outlander, Jericho, Flying Blind, Golden Years, Emmerdale, London's Burning, Eastenders, Coronation Street, and Holby City.