SHIP OF FORCE

by Alan Evans ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 14, 1986

Hot-tempered David Smith puts his scruffy flotilla through fierce action off the Belgian coast and tries his hand at espionage in this first-rate WW I naval adventure. Back from unexpected but heroic action against the German navy off Chile, Royal Navy Commander Smith picks up his new assignment, command of an anti-submarine flotilla in the Dunkerque Squadron. It's a promotion for Smith, but the duty is far from glamorous. Smith, too bloody independent and definitely not top-drawer, has stepped on the wrong toes on the way up. The flotilla is a comeuppance, consisting of Marshall Marmont, a barely mobile coastal bombardment ship, and Sparrow, an ancient proto-destroyer crewed by wild and crazy Scotsmen. With a Squadron Commander who hates and fears him as well as the hopelessly inadequate ships, Smith has his hands full. But he's brought with him a couple of fiercely loyal sailors, veterans of the Chilean action. The three of them whip the flotilla into shape and steam straight into action. In their first fray they sink a U-boat and rescue her dying skipper, who raves about a ""stab in the back"" and ""spring tide."" Smith puts those snippets together with the observations of a rescued flyer and smells Teutonic treachery, but his boss won't listen. It's up to Smith to snoop out the secrets by himself, tangling with a battle cruiser and the beautiful Miss Eleanor Hurst in the process. The action on land gets a little shaky, but the sea battles are cracking good, fierce, surprising, and intelligible. Smart and solid David Smith is a sailor to stick with.

Pub Date: April 14, 1986

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Walker

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1986

Categories: FICTION