The Shetland Bus, Howarth - B

                                                This is an excellent book written soon after WWII by the naval officer who was the executive officer of the British operation that shuttled men and supplies into Norway. They were 185 miles from the nearest point on the Norwegian coast, approximately 24 hours away in fair weather. They only operated in the winter because of their need to sail when it was dark. There was a 50 mile limit off the coast where the Germans allowed fishing. Thus, the danger was aerial discovery somewhere between the 50 mile mark and the Shetlands. Almost all of the sailors were volunteer Norwegian fishermen. The structure of the Shetlands Navy led to endless challenges. The Norwegians were not amenable to any kind of military discipline and the officers in charge were not allowed to sail with them. The powers that be couldn't understand the necessity for a light touch, and round and round it went for years. They sailed 50-70 foot boats with crews of three or four in some of the roughest waters in the world. The depiction of sailing in winter hurricanes with 100 mph winds is harrowing and downright scary. I suspect being a northern fisherman requires more courage than I can fathom, and doubly so in wartime. Their success led to increased German patrolling, which when combined with restrictions on diesel fuel almost shut down fishing in Norway. Without the cover of being amongst thousands in the fishing fleet, the operation slowed considerably. They finished the war on an upswing when the US gave them three sub-chasers, affording them the opportunity to continue their mission. The author concludes that they helped the Norwegian resistance and helped foster support for the government-in-exile.