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Approach by Stealth-bookcover

By: Cliff Hitchen

Approach by Stealth

Pages: 228 Ratings: 4.7
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It’s 1942 and a fleet of German mini-submarines are loose in the Mediterranean wreaking havoc on Allied shipping, sinking urgently required supplies destined for Malta and Alexandria and the new invasion beachhead in Algeria, thus jeopardising the squeezing of Rommel out of North Africa.


Awaiting an ETA regarding a large American convoy, they are re-arming and refuelling at their base in Vichy France near the Spanish border.


Can the British commandos en route in motor gunboats reach the port in time to destroy the vessels or will they fall foul from information supplied by a suspected spy at the War Office in London and die like so many Special Operations Executives, agents and resistance fighters in various recent missions?


Perhaps the best chance of success lies with S.O.E.’s secretly arranged mission involving their French agent Pierre Duvalle, seconded to a special boat section of the Royal Marines and transferred by submarine to within striking distance with five experienced and lethally efficient men of that elite force. Three two-man folboat canoes would see them to their target.


But what does the informer in London know? Will Duvalle, who has a very sad and personal reason to see him exposed, find a chink in the spy’s armour?

Cliff Hitchen was born and raised in Merseyside. On leaving school in Huyton, he joined the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo in 1962, just as the ’60s music explosion occurred, which seemed to start in Liverpool, before rapidly spreading across the world.


Cliff’s first inclination to write a novel was at the age of 13, but only got as far as the third chapter! However, he likes to travel, and the rekindled urge emerged on a visit with his late wife and three sons to Port Vendres, in France, on the Mediterranean coast, adjacent to the Spanish border. The embryo of Approach By Stealth became a reality when pen was put to paper on his retirement in Weymouth, where he now lives with his second wife.

Customer Reviews
4.7
3 reviews
3 reviews
  • Sue Standish

    Approach by Stealth.

    What a great read. A lot of research must have gone into this book to get all the wartime details accurate. I couldn't put it down as I was intrigued to find out who the informer was. It has you guessing right up to the end like a good who dunnit, but the story is so much more. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

  • Peter,Chester

    Excellent riveting read and couldn't stop reading as always wanted to know " what happens next ". So many twists and turns it kept you intrigued throughout and always wondering was there a spy and if so who might it be. A good few hairy moments and gave you an insight into calibre,courage and sheer strength of these special soldiers. Good present for anyone.

  • Maxine , Stonehouse

    Brilliant, not what I would normally read but it was so interesting and needed to keep reading to find out who the spy was. Well worth a read.

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