BOOK REVIEW
Dangerous Waters,
a novel by Paul Collins.
Published 1996 by Jesperson Publishing Limited, 39 James Lane, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1E 3H3
164 pages, 3 illustrations, a map and epilogue.
CAN$13.95

There is nothing quite like a good adventure story, especially one that takes place in a familliar place, and this is one of those.

During World War Two, Newfoundland, then still a colony, was a very important air and sea operations base for the Allies. The British were there by right of ownership. The Americans were there because Britain traded naval and air bases on the island for surplus American warships, and the Canadians were there becasuse the British and the Americans allowed them to command the western end of the all-important convoy lifeline to Britain.

There was another party interested in the island and the shipping that abounded in its waters, and that was Nazi Germany and the submarines of the Kriefsmarine, the infamous U-boats. Their's was the job of stopping the convoys of merchant ships that carried the men, munitions, and food from the United States and Canada to beleaguered Britain. Many a convoy battle was fought in the approaches to Newfoundland and the rusting hulks of freighters, escort ships, and submarines litter the seabed around the place to this day.

The capital of Newfoundland, St. John's, or Newfyjohn as it was popularly known to the sailors and airman who were stationed there, was the operational base for the escort forces of the Royal Canadian Navy. It was from there that the poorly equipped, Canadian-built corvettes manned by Canada's citizen sailors set out to shepherd the merchant ships across the stormy North Atlantic and through the "Black Pit", that area beyond air cover where the U-boats congregated in the famous wolf packs. It was to Newfyjohn that they returned rust streaked, ice laden and exhausted.

That all happened half a century ago, but reading this tale of brave men and their desperate struggle above and below the cold Atlantic and of their women who worked and waited, brings it all alive again. The story, as is appropriate, is based on actual events that took place during the autumn and early winter of 1942, probably the darkest winter of the war. The author has skillfully combined eye witness accounts and the recollections of combatants on both sides with some action, intrigue, and a little romance.

Through the eyes of their captains and crewmen the account follows the paths taken by two U-boats, a corvette, a small group of freighters and supporting submarines, ships, and aircraft as they struggle to destroy one another and to survive. The author follows the U-boats from their base in southern France to the frigid coast of Labrador and into the waters around Newfoundland. While they are at sea he explores some of the problems surrounding the Nazi cause and the conflicts that arise between military professionalism and idealism. The Royal Canadian Navy is ably represented by a corvette and her capitain who find respite and romance in Newfyjohn. The ship is equipped with obsolescent sensors and manned by salesmen, Prairie boys, and fishermen, but fight she must and fight she does. An element of intrigue is introduced through the activities of a seagoing Vichy French spy and a sinister operative in St. John's itself who has a bent for arson. The victims in this drama, as they so often were, are the men and ships of the Merchant Marine. Absolutely essential to winning the war, they were all too vulnerable and very didfficult to defend. How battle is joined and the surprising outcome makes for a fast paced and enjoyable read.

The author is a good story teller and he has used just enough technical material to give the narrative that "ring" on authenticity. The use of German terminology being a particularly goodd point. There are some weaknesses, both in the plot and in the technical detail as one might expect in a first novel, but these should not present a problem to any but the most discerning of readers.

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Last Updated: February 10th, 1997 by Erin McKee
emckee@wordplay.com