Coastal convoys 1939-1945 : the indestructible highway /by Nick Hewitt.

An account of the importance of coastal shipping in the Second World War and the role of the east coast convoys responsible for moving essential supplies, particularly coal from the north to the south of England. Many of the ships involved were small, slow and unarmed freighters facing the risk of attack from the air as well as the sea, mines and torpedoes, as well as risks arising from bad weather and navigation in shallow coastal waters. The text is illustrated with photographs, draws on unpublished personal accounts and includes diagrams of the principal coastal convoy routes. Appendices include details of ship losses, statistics relating to coastal convoys, the convoy prefixes used in coastal convoys, as well as a detailed list of sources and bibliography.