On 14 October 1939, HMS Royal Oak, one of the British navy’s top battleships, was destroyed at the Royal Navy’s main anchorage at Scapa Flow, Orkney. The audacious attack, by a German U-boat, was the first major blow against Britain of the Second World War. Over 800 lives were lost, including sailors as young as 14.
This book is a revealing account of the tragedy. Told through declassified photographs and naval records, as well as statements from survivors, it is a dramatic and moving reassessment of one of the most shattering events in British naval history.
David Turner has worked in TV, radio and newspapers. He was also a pilot for British European Airways and a marketing director at British Steel. His close personal connection with the sinking of the Royal Oak – his uncle was one of those lost when it was torpedoed – resulted in a lifelong interest in the terrible tragedy.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
