Over the past couple of years I have been compiling material on WW2 and put it into manuscript form and sent it to a prospective publisher. Just got an email to say thay want to go ahead and publish! It will be called On A Sailors Grave (No Roses Grow) and is about, sounds morbid, death at sea. Or to be more precise, unneccessary death at sea. U Boats, Merchant Navy, Bismarck, Scharnhorst, HMS Kite, HMS Hood are all represented. The grandson of Capt Johnnie Walker, RN, famous U Boat hunter/killer, Capt (Retd) Pat Walker RN has agreed to write a forward for the paperback. According to the publishers it will retail for about £15, but thats up to them, I do not control it as they publish without costing me anything. HMS Kite will have a chapter of her own as this will be the very first time her story has ever gone into print.

Congratulations , a topic I find very interesting , especially the Atrlantic campaign . Out of curiosity , what is your opinion on the sinking of the Bismarck ? Was the Bismarck scuttled as claimed by the Germans or sunk by the British as they claim .

Yes, Bismarck was scuttled. James Cameron, the film director, took an expedition out to the wreck and sent down ROV's to film her. They found that the torpedoes from the Dorsetshire (supposedly those that finished her off) actually hit the double skinned side armour, penetrating the outer and exploded only to rupture internal water tanks. This would NOT have sent her down. The sea cocks were open and charges had obviously exploded, taking the ship to her doom. The Royal Navy had damaged the Bismarck to such an extent that she was completely unusable. Superstructure was a molten mess, guns out of action but her superior armour and build was keeping her afloat.

Well done! Merely to be published is a great achievement, considering the amount of competition. I hope you have great success.

Yes congratulations. It is certainly an achievement. Good luck in the future!

Thanks, appreciated

Congrats and good luck with all the publishing stuff...

will the book be available in the states? it sounds interesting...

good for you. you should sign copies for us if we buy them =]

agreed!

Congrats and good luck with all the publishing stuff...

will the book be available in the states? it sounds interesting...

I really don't know, must ask the publisher.

Congratulations, Red Devil. :)

Good going, Red Devil--interesting subject, too. :cool: I had relatives in the merchant marine and in the submarine service--one was lost on a patrol in the Med., I think in '43 if I remember rightly.