Bidspirit auction | The British Pacific and East

The British Pacific and East Indies Fleets, 'The Forgotten Fleets' 50th Anniversary, by David Ratter, published 1995, soft back An historical record of the late-war reorganisation of the Royal Navy. In November 1944, Allied resources were redirected to the Far East, establishing the East Indies Fleet to dominate the Indian Ocean and the British Pacific Fleet to operate directly alongside American forces. Despite assembling over 600 ships and a quarter of a million personnel by VJ-Day, their vast contributions to the Pacific theatre were largely overshadowed by the massive scale of the US Navy, earning them the moniker ”The Forgotten Fleets”. Key Features: Varied Contributor Essays: Rather than a singular narrative, it compiles concise, highly detailed chapters from multiple maritime historians detailing specific aspects of Far East naval warfare.Obscure Campaign Coverage: The text highlights frequently overlooked operations, such as coastal warfare off the Arakan (Burma), the role of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), and escort carrier operations.Photographic Record: The book is heavily illustrated throughout with a comprehensive collection of historic black-and-white archive photographs.