Except for the strength of the U-boat fleet at the height of the Battle of the Atlantic, the German Navy, or Kriegsmarine, was never a match for the Royal Navy, even though the latter was overstretched and fighting in the Atlantic, Pacific, the Mediterranean and the Arctic. It was not meant to be that way. Hitler and his naval staff had a vision for a large and well-balanced fleet, including aircraft carriers. PLAN Z was the name given for the massive fleet that Germany intended to build, However the Plan relied on the outbreak of the war not occurring at least until 1942. This book examines the way in which such a fleet could have influenced the major battles between the Royal Navy and the Germans. Plan Z starts by looking at Germany's history and ambitions as a maritime power. The relationships between the three armed forces and between them and the Fuhrer are also examined, along with the country's economic and industrial position. SALES A fascinating expose of Hitler's plans to challenge the Royal Navy's mastery of the seas Little is known of the ambitions Kriegs marine expansion programme Groundbreaking research by one of the UK's leading naval historians Had PLAN Z come to fruition the course of the war may well have been changed AUTHOR David Wragg is the author of 25 books on aviation and naval history Nine have been published abroad and others translated. Among those published by Pen rSword are Malta: The Last Great Siege (2003), Sacrifice for Stalin (2005), The Escort Carrier in World War II (2005) and At War with Our Ally (2006).
