大象传媒

Admiral Lord West continues his history of the Royal Navy in the twentieth century, covering the Second World War and early Cold War.

In this second week's omnibus, Lord West explains the Royal Navy's vital role in sustaining Britain during the Second World War. He describes the story of the Battle of Norway, and hears from veterans how Britain won the Battle of the Atlantic. He tells the story of Admiral Cunningham in the Mediterranean, the last Admiral to command an entire theatre from the bridge of a battleship, and of the Royal Navy's instrumental role in winning the war in North Africa. And in the Pacific, he describes the vital role of air power, and how the Royal Navy was gradually replaced by the United States Navy, presaging a wider redistribution of global power in the post-war world.

The post-war period saw dramatic change for the Royal Navy: socially, technologically and strategically, and Lord West describes how the Navy accommodated itself to these changes and prepared for the long Cold War.

Producer: Giles Edwards.