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7. Mediterranean Challenges

Admiral Lord West’s history of the Royal Navy in the 20th century: incredibly difficult war in the Mediterranean. From 2014.

Lord West travels to Malta to tell the story of the Royal Navy's incredibly difficult war in the Mediterranean between 1940 and 1945.

The Mediterranean war was the last time an Admiral commanded an entire theatre of war from the bridge of a ship. It produced some dramatic fleet successes and saw an assault on German supply convoys which helped win the war in North Africa against Rommel.

In the end, the Royal Navy prevailed, but with some of the most desperate fighting of the war, the victory came at a price.

Producer: Giles Edwards

First broadcast on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 in June 2014.

Available now

15 minutes

Last on

Tue 7 May 2024 09:30
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra

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6. Battles for Britain

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8. Pacific Horrors

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Selected Reading

It is impossible to appreciate how the Royal Navy prevailed against extraordinary odds in the Mediterannean without understanding the role of Admiral Andrew Cunningham. Andrew Lambert's book "Admirals" is an excellent introduction, while "Fisher and Cunningham" by Richard Ollard places these two towering figures of twentieth-century Royal Navy history side by side.

Broadcasts

  • Tue 10 Jun 2014 13:45
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
  • Tue 7 May 2024 09:30
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra

Podcast

  • Britain at Sea

    Admiral Lord West tells the story of the Royal Navy during the 20th century.

Related Links

  • (www.visitmalta.com)