HX72: First Convoy to Die

A deadly struggle at sea is at the centre of this story about the risks and dangers Canadians faced supplying the Allies during the Second World War. One year after the war began, the Frederick S. Fales, a motor tanker, left Halifax as part of a navel convoy. But a German wolfpack of U-boats attacked the group. The First Convoy to Die offers a fresh look at this battle.

One year after the outbreak of World War II, a new moter tanker, the Frederick S Fales, left Halifax for Britian as part of a convoy, Eleven days later the convoy was attached and destroyed by German U-Boats. This is the story of the Fales, her crew, and the ill-fated convoy in which she made her last voayge. Author David O''Brian brings a fresh, Canadian perspective to his meticulously researched account of HX 72''s role in the Battle of the Atlantic, while challenging accepted notions about thisd critical period. More than just a compelling read, First Convoy to Die is also a long-overdue tribute to those ordinary people whoe participated in an extraordinary event.

David O''Brien has degrees in history and museology and has worked for many years for the Historic Sites branch of Parks Canada.