Ahead of the publication of The Mighty Ocean, the third book in the Romulus Hutchinson Naval Adventure Series, author David Clensy takes a closer look at the infamous Arctic Convoy PQ17, which plays a central role in the story.
In the summer of 1942, a fleet of merchant ships set out from Iceland on a mission that would become one of the most extraordinary episodes of the Second World War. Convoy PQ17 was tasked with delivering vital supplies to the Soviet Union via the Arctic route — a lifeline for the Eastern Front. What followed was a disaster on a route that Churchill himself described as “the worst journey in the world.”
The Arctic convoys were not for the faint-hearted. Ships faced freezing seas, drifting ice, and relentless daylight that made them easy prey for enemy aircraft. PQ17 comprised thirty-five merchant vessels carrying tanks, aircraft, ammunition and food — escorted by destroyers, cruisers, and a distant covering force, including battleships. The stakes were immense: without these supplies, Soviet resistance against Hitler could falter.
The shadow of the Tirpitz
As PQ17 steamed towards the Barents Sea, British intelligence warned that the German battleship Tirpitz might sortie from its Norwegian fjord base. The mere threat of this leviathan — supported by cruisers and U-boats — was enough to trigger alarm in the Admiralty. On 4 July 1942, First Sea Lord Admiral Dudley Pound made a fateful decision: he ordered the convoy to scatter and the escorts to withdraw.
The order to scatter left the merchant ships defenceless in hostile waters. German aircraft and U-boats pounced. Over the next few days, PQ17 was decimated. Of the thirty-five ships that sailed, only eleven reached Archangel. Twenty-four were sunk, along with thousands of tons of cargo and hundreds of sailors. It was the worst loss in the history of the Arctic convoys.
Survivors recalled scenes of horror: ships ablaze, men clinging to rafts in freezing seas, strafed by enemy aircraft. Rescue was often impossible. Yet amid the carnage, acts of courage shone through — crews who stayed at their guns until the end, and those who risked their lives to save shipmates. For many, the ordeal lasted days as they drifted in icy waters, praying for a miracle.
HMS Ayrshire
Lieutenant Leo Gradwell RNVR commanded HMS Ayrshire (FY 225), a modest anti-submarine trawler pressed into convoy escort duty for PQ17. When the Admiralty ordered the convoy to scatter, Gradwell refused to abandon his charges. Instead, he gathered three merchant ships — Troubadour, Ironclad and Silver Sword — and led them northwards toward the Arctic ice pack, determined to seek safety rather than face destruction.
With no charts at hand, Gradwell navigated by sextant and a pocket geographic guide, eventually finding refuge amid the ice fields. When the convoy became stuck, he orchestrated an ingenious defence: the vessels were all painted white — with linen covering the decks — and their cargo of Sherman tanks formed a defensive perimeter armed for anti-aircraft use. This silent white convoy successfully eluded Luftwaffe aircraft while trapped in the ice.
Eventually, the vessels slipped free of the ice and made their way to Matochkin Strait, where they were met by Allied corvettes. Together, they completed the journey to Archangel, arriving on 25 July 1942 — a remarkable feat, given the chaos elsewhere in PQ17. For his outstanding improvisation and leadership under fire, Gradwell was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross later that year.
The PQ17 disaster sparked outrage and soul-searching. Critics condemned the scatter order as premature, arguing that Tirpitz never engaged the convoy. The episode strained Allied relations, with Stalin furious at the losses. Yet the convoys continued, and lessons were learned: future operations featured stronger escorts and better coordination. Despite the risks, the Arctic route remained a vital artery until war’s end.
The Mighty Ocean is available to pre-order now.
Stay up to date with David’s news and latest releases here.
Image credits: Both the image of PQ17 in Hvalfjord and HMS Sheffield are from Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
Congratulations to D. R. Bailey, whose thrilling aviation novel, The Night Angels, is published today!
The Night Angels is the second novel in the Secret Sirens Aviation Thrillers Series, heart-pounding Second World War escapades with strong female leads.
1943
Sisters Anna and Jennifer Nightingale are recruits in the top-secret Siren Squadron: a group of women trained in the RAF to fight against the enemy.
The Sirens are tasked with flying a series of night stealth missions as part of Operation Scorpion. The first mission is successful, and on returning to base they are told that new members will be joining their ranks.
Hopeful that this means the all-female squadron has been deemed a success, the sisters welcome the new recruits and start training them on the Mosquitos.
They head out on another night mission. But this time not everyone returns.
With a downed plane found empty off the English coast, fears grow that one of the Sirens hasn’t survived.
But the show must go on. And Anna Nightingale has to destroy the crashed plane so the Sirens can remain classified.
As their night missions continue, increased skirmishes with enemy pilots suggest someone may be leaking information to the Germans.
Have the Sirens been compromised? Can they find the mole?
Or will these daring female agents be forced out of the war…?
Congratulations to Patrick Larsimont, whose thrilling military adventure, The Wire and the Lines, is published today!
The Wire and the Lines is fifth instalment of the Jox McNabb Aviation Thrillers series: action-packed historical novels following a young RAF pilot during the Second World War.
Summer, 1943
When fighter pilot Jox McNabb crashes on the wrong side of the straits of Messina, he is captured by the Germans.
It seems that for Jox, the war might be over.
But Jox is never one to give up. Desperate to escape, he quickly familiarises himself with the camp and gets to know his fellow prisoners.
With punishment brutal for those that have attempted to flee previously, morale is low in the camp and there is little motivation to try and break the rules.
The war is still raging on the outside and Jox will do anything to get back to his No. 333 Squadron, the Black Pigs.
On the orders of a cruel Luftwaffe Colonel, Jox is embroiled in a scheme to use high profile POWs as human shields, covering shipments of precious artworks looted from Sicily and Italy.
Could this mission provide Jox with the means to escape? Can he blow the whistle on the stolen loot?
And can he get back in action and rejoin the war in the skies…?
Congratulations to Tony Rea, whose thrilling fighter pilot adventure, Bouncer’s Blenheim, is published today!
Bouncer’s Blenheim is the second book in the Gus Beaumont Aviation Thrillers series: action-packed military novels set during the Second World War.
Europe, 1940
After surviving the Battle of Britain, fighter pilot Gus ‘Bouncer’ Beaumont has been promoted to Flying Officer and is posted to a Spitfire reconnaissance squadron.
That is, until Wing Commander Peacock creates another mission for him.
A new top-secret unit called the Special Operations Executive has been formed to gather intelligence on the enemy. And Gus is ordered infiltrate the Greek Resistance and establish their political affiliation.
Mussolini’s army have occupied Greece but the locals have been fighting back. The actions of the civilians seem promising and British Intelligence want to know where the Greeks’ allegiance lies.
To have a chance of success, Gus needs to ditch his plane into the sea and get picked up by the Resistance fighters.
But that is easier said than done … if you want to survive the crash.
Will Gus make it to Corfu in one piece? Can he persuade the Resistance fighters to confide in him?
And can he successfully evade the Italian army…?
Congratulations to D. R. Bailey, whose page-turning military adventure, The Sunrise Raiders, is out now!
The Sunrise Raiders is the fourth book in the Spitfire Mavericks Thrillers series: action-packed aviation novels set during the second world war and featuring a team of vigilante pilots.
Autumn, 1941
During a routine patrol, Flying Officer Angus Mackennelly ends up in a skirmish with the enemy over the English Channel and is nearly captured.
It is clear the Germans have unleashed a new weapon.
Back at base, Maverick Squadron are told the new German fighter plane is the Focke-Wulf 190. And it is far more manoeuvrable and nimbler than anything the British have got.
Soon the FW is causing problems for every unit. Squadron Leader Bentley exhorts the Mavericks to do their best no matter what and continue to fly in combat against the new plane.
The Mavericks struggle on against the enemy but the odds are falling further out of their favour.
Something needs to change and Angus is tasked with capturing one of the enemy craft for British intelligence.
But that’s easier said than done…
Will Angus succeed in his mission? Can the British match the new German technology?
Or will Maverick Squadron be forced to admit defeat…?
We are thrilled to announce that the first three books in Patrick Larsimont’s page-turning wartime adventure series, the Jox McNabb Aviation Thrillers, will be released as audiobooks by Tantor Media.
The series follows the progress of Jox McNabb, a young RAF officer, as he fights his way through the fiery skies of the Second World War.
In Patrick’s words:
“I’m delighted that Tantor Media has agreed to publish the first three novels in my Jox McNabb series. It is testament to my growing number of readers, who have already demonstrated remarkable loyalty to Jox and his comrades, and to the skill and support of Sapere Books and its family of authors.
“Going from being a debut writer, who started scribbling during lockdown, to having a five-book deal with Sapere and a three-book audio deal with Tantor is very gratifying. Much of that is down to Sapere recognising that I might have some talent, for which I’m very grateful.
“I’m very intrigued to discover who will be cast as the narrator of Jox McNabb’s stories. He is loosely based on a dear old friend, a softly spoken Scotsman, so I’m hoping we can do justice to that and the many other accents in my books. I can’t wait.”
Congratulations to D. R. Bailey, whose gripping military adventure, Dawn of Hope, is out now!
Dawn of Hope is the first book in the Spitfire Mavericks Thrillers series: action-packed aviation adventures set during the Second World War and featuring a team of vigilante pilots.
1940, England
After a series of run-ins with his superiors, Flying Officer Angus Mackennelly is posted to Squadron 696 – the Maverick unit full of misfits and outsiders.
Angus has just returned from gunning down enemy aircraft when he is given a shocking top-secret mission.
A spy is in their midst, feeding information to the Germans, and Angus is tasked with exposing him.
MI6 pin their suspicions on one of the squadron’s foreign pilots, but Angus is not convinced. He needs to get closer to the men in his unit to try and unravel their secrets.
As the fight in the skies intensifies, it is clear the Germans are anticipating their every move, putting the lives of the pilots in the Maverick squadron at a deadly risk.
Can Angus unmask the traitor? Will he save the men in his squadron?
Or will the enemy remain one step ahead…?
