In the age of super-dreadnoughts, when the country that ruled the waves ruled the world, the ‘Battle of Jutland' changed the course of history. When...
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the British Navy won that devastating sea battle, Austro/German world war domination was compromised. This is how they were able to chase the Kaiser's superior, unsinkable battle fleet back home to stay for the remainder of the war. - On May 31, 1916, on a windswept, cold and cruel North Sea, 251 dreadnought battleships, battlecruisers, cruisers and destroyers, with 100,000 sailors, marines and civilians engaged in the most destructive, most decisive, sea battle of the 'Great War.' But, out in front, as 'Live Bait', the old obsolete cruiser, HMS Defence, had to lead the British Grand Fleet into action against the infamous German High Seas Fleet. This is how her gallant sacrifice accomplished the impossible. - The madness actually began for Bill (the author's grandfather) and his shipmates before the war, on the Mediterranean Sea. There, although the many powerful German and Austrian warships rendered their flagship Defence far outgunned and under-protected, she was expected to lead the fleet. Consequently, when the war broke out, their commanders allowed a German battlecruiser to escape to Constantinople, which was a contributing factor resulting in the enormous and devastating 'Gallipoli Campaign.' How did Bill, his family and the ship’s crew deal with such a humiliating embarrassment and how could they possibly redeem themselves? - Now, after more than seven years of research and development, compiled from volumes of facts, personal accounts and family recollections, this book has become a 'first of its kind.' This is a must-read for any historian and anyone interested in a serious, important, personal glimpse into the harsh realities of war at sea and at home. 'Live Bait' is one of the most revealing, true, underdog adventures of the twentieth century; so enjoy the read, help to break this new ground and spread the word.
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