The Maritime Defence of Britain

Abstract

It is now nearly forty years since we were required to defend our country from the threat of direct attack. The last global war ended with the advent of an entirely new dimension in destructive power, nuclear weapons. Since the two atom bombs were dropped on Japan, none has been used, and it might be argued that the deterrent effect of the possible use of these weapons has virtually eliminated the risk of war between countries that possess them. Certainly, this is the basis of the defence policies which govern the relationships between the two power-blocs that possess a nuclear strike capability.