This is only one of the numerous CASSELL paperback reprints in my collection, and I really believe that for the money, versus the history given, these are some of the best books available.
This one concerns the battle for Crete, 1941, but as the cover clearly states, this has to do with the battle at sea. The land battle for Crete went to the Germans, and likewise the battle at sea. The RAF provided little to no protection, resulting in 'target practice' for the Luftwaffe. The Royal Navy wasn't too 'royal' losing 3 cruisers, 8 destroyers, 2 battleships and 1 aircraft carrier. While other cruisers and battleships suffered various degrees of damage. Oh yeah, close to 2,000 officers and men of the Royal Navy were killed in action.
All of this ties in with the several months of action for the Royal Navy in conjunction with the Yugoslavian, Grecian, and Crete campaigns. All of which would have been better for the British and the Royal Navy had they stayed home and skipped the debacle.
This book was originally published in 1972, and CASSELL is to be commended for reissuing it. Makes a good companion the other studies on the land battles for Crete. Very informative read.
Semper Fi.