HMS Sheffield: The Life and Times of ‘Old Shiny’

HMS Sheffield: The Life and Times of ‘Old Shiny’

HMS Sheffield was one of the most distinguished warships to serve throughout the Second World War.

Launched in 1936 by Princess Marina, the Duchess of Kent, HMS Sheffield was the third of the Royal Navyâ€™s ten Town-class cruisers.

She marked a number of firsts: the first ship to be named for Sheffield, the first to have stainless steel fixtures instead of brass, and the first to carry operational RDF (Radio Direction Finding) equipment.

Old Shiny, as she became affectionately known, was manufactured to the high standards of peacetime.

Even hitting a mine was unable to render her inactive for long.

Her crew simply manufactured a wooden patch, and saw her safely home.

Achieving twelve honours over thirty yearsâ€™ service, Old Shiny notably exchanged salvoes with the Bismarck, engaged Admiral Hipper and LÃ¼tzow, and helped sink Scharnhorst.

A more unusual deployment came in 1956, as HMS Sheffield was one of the ships loaned by the Admiralty for the Technicolor epic The Battle of the River Plate!

Drawn from the experiences of the men who lived, fought and served on board, in HMS Sheffield Ronald Bassett paints an evocative and highly personal portrait of Old Shiny, and shows how she was more than just a warship.

Praise for Ronald Bassett

â€˜One of the most impressive things I found about the book was that you got a real feel for the time and place. Scenes set in India or England felt different and I think that's a great achievement.â€™ â€“ Library Thing

â€˜vividly described â€¦ the voyage as seen through the sleep-robbed eyes of matelots and officers alikeâ€™ â€“ Daily Telegraph

â€˜A catalogue of horrorâ€™ â€“ Eastern Daily Press

â€˜There is a degree of authenticity that makes the blood run coldâ€™ â€“ Cambridge News

â€˜Fast, vigorous actionâ€™ â€“ Sheffield Morning Telegraph

â€˜Graphic tale of slave and convict shipsâ€¦ not for tender stomachsâ€™ â€“ Books and Bookmen

Ronald Bassett (1924-1996) was born in Chelsea. During the Munich crisis, at age fourteen, he falsified enlistment papers to become a Rifleman of the Kingâ€™s Royal Rifle Corps (60th Rifles). Following active service, he was exposed and discharged. In his records, his colonel noted, â€˜A good soldier. I am sorry to lose him.â€™ Undismayed, he immediately entered the Royal Navy, in which he remained for fourteen years, serving in the Arctic, North Atlantic, Mediterranean, the Far East and, later, Korea. He died in Surrey.
Country USA
Manufacturer Lume Books
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2016-10-02
Format Kindle eBook

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Lume Books
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2016-10-02
Format	Kindle eBook

HMS Sheffield: The Life and Times of ‘Old Shiny’

Praise for Ronald Bassett

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