ISBN 1-55750-019-3
208 pages

Acknowledgements; Glossary; photos; tables; Sources; Index of Ship Losses

Appendices: Alphabetical List of Convoy Codes; Convoy Statistics; Convoy Series Notes and Statistics; Russian and Malta Convoys and Operations; The WS Convoys; Convoy Form A.1.

   Succinct though this slender volume may be, it is probably the single most informative book ever published on Allied convoys during the Second World War.
   The author served in the Royal Navy and has been researching the naval war of 1939-1945 since 1949, specializing in convoys and assisting the Naval Historical Branch in London. His obvious fascination with the topic, and his vast knowledge, shine through the pages of this book such that it far, far transcends the shallow knock-offs all too common in popular military publishing.
   Aware of how information can be lost, Hague writes with the intention of preserving that which might not otherwise be preserved—information which on the one hand is slipping out of living memory as the few remaining veterans with this specialized knowledge pass on, and information which on the other hand is in danger of being inadequately stored, indexed, and accessed in deteriorating archives. This is a serious, important book that should be owned by anyone with any interest whatsoever in the naval aspects of World War II. For all that though, this is also a highly accessible book. Hague offers all the basic information anyone needs to know before moving on to more advanced topics.
   He writes about the concept of "control of shipping," the background to convoying during World War I and the inter-war years, the re-introduction of Allied convoying in WWII, the mechanisms for controlling the convoy system, specific policies and instructions for vessels within convoys, the practical workings of convoys, the role of intelligence, the escorts, the specialized shipping (such as rescue ships, catapult aircraft merchant ships, and merchant aircraft carriers), and considerably more.
   For example, in discussing losses to U-boats of ships sailing in convoy as opposed to ships sailing independently, Hague is careful to define stragglers and rompers according to the official guidelines. While any vessel which became detached from a convoy was commonly called a romper or a straggler, in fact there were strict definitions—amended in 1943 and quoted here—which determined whether or not the vessel was still considered to be part of its convoy. "Vessels which were lost after (by the above definitions) straggling, were dealt with statistically as 'independent ships' as were ships which had been detached from a convoy by direct order or in accordance with instructions issued prior to sailing."
   The text is a model of a concise, factual style and packed with primary information, precise numbers and useful statistics, and considerable amounts of arcane knowledge not likely to be known except to the most well-versed specialists. Even the photographs are thoroughly and expertly captioned.
   Valuable as Hague's seventeen short chapters prove to be, they are in a sense just the preamble to his amazing appendices.
   Having assembled what, according to the dustjacket, "is probably the largest collection of convoy records in existence," Hague offers a stunning compilation of every North Atlantic-related convoy to sail during the war. In page after page of precisely arrayed statistics, divided according to convoy route, each convoy is listed with its official designation (such as HX 176 or ON 66), port of departure, date of departure, port of arrival, date of arrival, the number of merchant ships in the convoy, merchant vessels sunk in the convoy, and merchant vessels damaged in the convoy. For each convoy route, the statistics for all the individual convoys are followed by a convoy-by-convoy listing of the particulars of all the losses from each convoy. These show the official convoy designation, the ship's name, GRT, year built, date of loss, cause of loss (such as U-boat, mine, aircraft, etc), and brief notes including cargo and casualties. These statistics encompass more than sixty pages and countless convoys.
   In addition, the appendices provide a comprehensive alphabetical listings of all convoy codes (such as TSD for Takoradi-Freetown-Dakar); year-by-year statistical summaries for each convoy route with number of convoys on that route, total ships sailed, convoy losses, straggler losses, and losses out of convoy; worldwide data on fast troop convoys; and an index of ships lost.
   The Allied Convoy System is a treasure trove of basic facts, specialized knowledge, statistical data, and convoy-by-convoy information. Very highly recommended.
   Available from online booksellers, local bookshops, or directly from Naval Institute Press in the US, and from Vanwell Publishing in Canada.
   Thanks to NIP for providing this review copy.