Anthony Molloy, Deadly Intent, 2014
United Kingdom
HMS Regni
Tribal Class Destroyer
Details as per the real ships
Note: Flagship 31st Escort Group. See the entry for 'Notice for Steam' (2013) for details on the ships armament.
HMS Atrebate
Tribal Class Destroyer
Details as per the real ships.
HMS Gaul
Tribal Class Destroyer
Details as per the real ships.
HMS Iceni
Tribal Class Destroyer
Details as per the real ships.
Note: See the entry for 'Rejoin With All Speed ' (2014) for details of the ships armament.
HMS Edward
S-boat
Details as per the real ships
HMS Upstanding
U Class Submarine
Details as per the real ships
HMS Guppy (ex-?)
Marconi Class Submarine
Details as per the real ships
Note: Explicitly identified as being a Marconi Class Submarine by the author. The only member of the class to the survive the war was the I-504 (ex-Luigi Torelli) which was taken over by the German navy following the Italian surrender and then the Japanese navy following the German surrender, all the others were sunk prior to the Italian surrender. The submarine in the novel has been handed over to the Allies following the surrender of Italy and thence to 'Special Force Orca' for their use. (Spoiler) The submarine is scuttled on the 22nd of September, 1943, when it suffers a major failure during it's post capture sea trials. The authors decision to not give the pre-surrender identity is a bit odd, firstly he's done that for every other submarine that has been in this situation to date. Secondly, it just does not make sense, the ship was handed to the characters and that information would have been provided.
(ex-U-623)
U-Boat, type not specified
Note: Pennant clashes with that of a Type VIIC U-boat commissioned in May 1942 and sunk in February 1943. See the novel 'Ring On Main Engines ' (2013) for details of her backstory. In 'Rejoin With All Speed ' (2014) it is noted she was undergoing post-capture sea trials. In this novel it is stated she is in service with the RN, but the name under which she is in service is not given in this novel, but may be given in a later novel. Information in this novel indicates the submarine was on her first operational tour when she was captured.
Germany
U-341
Type VII U-Boat
Details as per the real ships
Note: Pennant clashes with that of a Type VIIC U-Boat commissioned on the 10th of October, 1942 and sunk on the 28th of November in the same year. The submarine in the novel is still extant in September 1943.
U-640
Type VII U-Boat
Details as per the real ships
Note: Pennant clashes with that of a Type VIIC U-Boat commissioned on the 17th of September, 1942 and sunk on the 13th of May, 1943. The submarine in the novel is still extant in September 1943.
Plot Summary: As the Salerno campaign continues (The story runs between the 14th of September, 1943 and the 31st of October of the same year.), the 31st Escort Group (aka 'Special Force Orca') finds itself split between raising havok in the German rear and conventional escort duties, while not an unusual situation in northern waters, in the confines of the Mediterranean and the maze of post-surrender Italian politics, will they be able to adapt.
