Saving the Diamonds
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3.0 • 1 Rating
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- £4.99
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
The Nazis in 1938 are making aggressive political moves to be supreme in Europe. Nazi Germanys war machine needs guns, cannons, tanks, and aircraft. Germanys industry needs industrial-grade diamonds for this explosive rearmament. But Germany lacks industrial diamonds and raw materials for its war production.
The Royal Navy must now prepare for a new struggle with Germany. New ships will take years to build. Drawing on its reserves and modernizing mothballed ships, the Royal Navys preparations must be accelerated. HM Destroyer Demeter is rebuilt and commissioned in 1939 with a mixed crew of seasoned salts and new sailors from the training schools. Joining the Demeter is midshipman James Vanier, just nineteen years old and fresh from a yearlong officer training program. He is fulfilling his dream of entering the navy.
The Demeter is in action from the first day of the war against Nazi Germany. Saving the Diamonds is the Demeters story of combat on the North Sea as seen by James Vanier. Challenged by convoy duty, battling Nazi destroyers, sea mines, fighting off Nazi bombers and dive bombers, James Vanier and Demeter face their sternest test when the Germans attack Holland in May 1940!
The Demeter is given a special assignment. The industrial diamonds Germany needs are in Rotterdam and Antwerp. The Demeter must survive battles with the German Navy and the fanatical Luftwaffe bombers to bring the industrial diamonds back to England!
Customer Reviews
Saving the Diamonds
Very interesting story, however, it is somewhat spoilt by lack of a working knowledge os ships time an watches, also, the spurious use of the term ‘chief’ in respect to leading hands in the Royal Navy. I imaging a lot of the terminology derives from the US Navy! A better appreciation of compass and relative bearings would also have beneficial in describing fleet actions. ie, it is impossible to steer ‘red 135’. A ship is steered by compass bearings! Reporting of events external to the ship are reported relative to the ships head, eg, ‘Echo bearing, green 45’. Which would mean a SoNAR contact, 45 degrees on the stud bow.
Another problem appears to be seated with the proof reader in not picking up errors due to transcription by some one other than a fluent speaker of English. The result is very poor spelling, unnecessary repeated phrases, over padding with irksome, unnecessary detail which adds nothing to the story.
In places it appears to have been written in ‘pigeon’ English.
However, despite the above, I did enjoy reading the story.