Naval forces and warfare Books

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Book Synopsis'Mr. Johnson has ... produced a technical history of destroyers as all-around naval weapons. Anyone interested in these ships will value his efforts.' —The Wall Street JournalA “well-written” and “enjoyable history of destroyer class warships” filled with “memorable sea battles in which destroyers played prominent roles.” —Publishers Weekly For men on destroyer-class warships during World War I and World War II, battles were waged “against overwhelming odds from which survival could not be expected.” Those were the words Lieutenant Commander Robert Copeland calmly told his crew as their tiny, unarmored destroyer escort rushed toward giant, armored Japanese battleships at the Battle off Samar on October 25, 1944. This action-packed narrative history of destroyer-class ships brings readers inside the half-inch-thick hulls to meet the men who fired the ships' guns, torpedoe

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Book SynopsisIn 1901 Australia's fledgling Federal Government assumed the responsibility for the new nation's defence. Their first task was to take the aged and obsolete remnants of the colonies' navies and create a national navy to defend our island's coastal waters and overseas trade routes. For the first 40 years the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) was designed to serve alongside the Royal Navy, and resembled it in everything but scale. After the Second World War the RAN developed along US lines but, despite these overseas ties, the RAN has developed its own proud character and tradition and has entered the twenty-first century as a confident and independent force in its own right.In No Pleasure Cruise, Australia's best-known naval historian, Dr Tom Frame, charts the RAN's emergence as one of the world's strongest and most respected navies, and its evolving relationship with the Australian public, press and parliament.Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroduction1 Strategic sea base? 1770-852 Pax Britannica, 1786-18553 Colonial navies, 1856-19004 National navy, 1901-135 First test, 1914-196 Trials and tribulations, 1920-387 Global war, 1939-418 The continent under threat, 1942-459 Wars and rumours of wars, 1946-6410 Up Top, 1965-7211 Finding a niche, 1973-8912 Across the seas, 1990-200313 The new millenniumFurther readingIndex

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Book SynopsisDawn, 24 May 1941, two groups of ships, one British, one German meet in the Denmark Strait. Here two giants of maritime history 'HMS Hood' and the 'Bismarck' meet. Within minutes of the battle beginning 'HMS Hood' blows up with a catastrophic loss of life. Out of a crew of 1,418 only three survive. Coupled with this, the Royal Navy's newest battleship is outfought. While this is a cause of celebration for the Germans, 'Bismarck' has been wounded curtailing her Atlantic raiding sortie. Despite the wealth of documentary information and photographic evidence available on the battle, there continues to be controversy as to how the conflict was actually fought. This book analyses the events of 24 May 1941 to both shed new light and provide clarifications on how the battle was fought, the damage that different ships sustained, and how it was that the pride of the Royal Navy was destroyed in such a catastrophic manner.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1 Operation Rheinubung; 2 Interception; 3 'She's blowing up!'; 4 Prince of Wales Fights On; 5 Admiral Holland's Actions; 6 Battle Photographs; 7 Theories on the Sinking; 8 Accidental Sinking?; 9 Likely Cause of the Hood's Loss; 10 Loss of Life on the Hood; 11 Time; 12 Battle Conditions; 13 Timing of the Fatal Hit; 14 HMS Prince of Wales; 15 Damage to the Bismarck and Prince of Wales; Conclusions; Appendices; Endnotes; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisOn 12 April 1782, the British Fleet under Admiral Lord George Rodney defeated the French at Les Iles des Saintes, in the Caribbean. Rodney employed a novel tactic of breaking through the enemy line. While this was the culmination of a distinguished but turbulent career, controversially Rodney was heavily criticised for not pursuing the vanquished foe, yet they never again posed a threat to British interests in the West Indies. This book examines the life and career of one of the Royal Navy's most formidable figures, who, while brilliant, made enemies all too easily.

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Book SynopsisThe 'ShipCraft' series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject class, highlighting differences between sister-ships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly-detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the ships, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic gallery of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references - books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites.rnrnThis volume follows the format of the highly successful Flower Class where the extent has been doubled to include far more illustrations of the many different designs, from the Invincible of 1906 to the Renowns of 1915, and including the hybrid 'large light cruisers' Courageous, Glorious and Furious.Trade ReviewThis excellent book is one of the 'Ship Craft' series aimed principally at model makers. It contains a wealth of information about the origins, operational employment and appearance of the Royal Navy's battle - cruisers between 1914 and 1919, however, which makes it into a more general reference work on the subject. About half the book is devoted to a survey of the model products available and there are colour photographs pf component parts and finished models. Models of all the Grand Fleet battlecruisers are available, many of them in a variety of different scales. Whilst this section gives modellers examples and encouragement to achieve excellent results, it also gives more general readers an insight into the construction and detailed appearance of these ships that is simply not available in any other published work the reviewer is aware of. Aircraft operating arrangements in all the ships that had them and especially those in HMS Furious up to 1919 are included in this section. Lastly, the constant scale plans and side elevations by George Richardson give an excellent idea of the growing size and complexity of these remarkable warships. In summary this is an excellent source book for anyone interested in making a model of a Grand Fleet battlecrusier to any scale and is highly recommened for that purpose. - (Warship - Naval Books of the Year)

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Book SynopsisSince the days of the Battle of Trafalgar, the Royal Navy had been the acknowledged as the most powerful maritime force on the planet. Britain could boast more warships, and particularly more Dreadnoughts and battle-cruisers than any other nation. But the Germans had undertaken an enormously-expensive ship-building programme designed to place the Kaiserliche Marine on an equal footing with the Royal Navy. Since the outbreak of war between the two nations in 1914, the British public had waited in eager anticipation for the moment when the opposing battlefleets would meet at sea. After a number of smaller engagements, major elements of the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet, finally faced each other across the grey seas of the North Sea off Jutland. Instead of the great victory that the British expected, the result was disappointingly inconclusive, with the Grand Fleet losing more men and more ships than the Germans. In this inciteful and unique investigation into the battle, naval historian Richard Osborne draws on the words of the key players to resolve the many disputes, controversies and myths that have surrounded this battle throughout the intervening 100 years.

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Book SynopsisWhen Robert Brundle took the SS Harmatris to Russia with Convoy PQ8 he was 47 years of age. Both ship and master were veterans and had already sailed in convoys across the North Atlantic and to South Africa. The 5,395 ton coal fired ship, laden with 8,000 tons of armaments originally set sail on 27 November 1941 to join convoy PQ6 but encountered a fierce storm in which a lorry broke free in the hold and started a fierce blaze below decks. Despite valiant attempts to extinguish the fire the Harmatris was forced to return to Glasgow for repair. Having discharged its cargo, examined and repaired the holds, it restowed and finally put to sea again on 26 December. She was now to join PQ8 and Brundle was elected Convoy Commodore. Two minesweepers, a cruiser and two destroyers escorted the eight merchant vessels. On 8 January the convoy left Reykjavik bound for Murmansk. Harmatris was struck by two torpedoes in No 1 hold which caused flooding. A third torpedo struck her a few hours later and the crew evacuated to HMS Speedwell in attendance. A volunteer crew reboarded and Speedwell took the wounded ship in tow. During the night the same U Boat that had struck Harmatris sunk the destroyer Matabele with the loss of all but two of her crew. A tug eventually replaced Speedwell and the entire crew now returned to their still stricken vessel. On 18 January the ships were twice attacked by low flying Heinkels. The stricken Harmatris finally berthed in Murmansk at 0800 on 20 January.Once unloaded the battered ship entered dry dock on 10 February. The damage was considerable. In a temperature of 40 degrees below zero the crew set about the repairs. It was difficult to locate engine parts and local labour was scarce. During the following months the crew continued to work on the ship, food was scarce and the port was frequently bombed by the Luftwaffe. Several ships close to Harmatris were sunk. It was 21 July when the ship finally left for Archangel. She took aboard a cargo of 3,000 tons of steel pipes and on 13 September she was instructed to join a convoy of 20 ships, QP14 for her return voyage. On 19 September the minesweeper HMS Leda, steaming close by Harmartris, was torpedoed. The convoy was under almost continuous U Boat attack and suffered six losses.As a result of his heroic efforts to preserve his ship and crew Captain Brundle was awarded the OBE and the Lloyds War Medal. He died in 1960 at the age of 66.

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Book SynopsisMichael Jaco’s past life autobiography is unlike any other. It travels back through the great wars in ancient India, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. It is an epic and thrilling story of kings and generals, philosophers and religious leaders. It is an autobiography of his being, as it has reincarnated into many lives throughout history. Numerous great thinkers have believed in the transmigration of the soul. General George Patton, Gandhi, Henry Ford, the Dalai Lama, all discussed memories of, or beliefs in, having past lives. The great philosophers Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and even Saint Augustine believed in the rebirth of the soul. Awakening of a Warrior is the result of Jaco’s investigation—his treasure hunt—into the lifetimes he experienced before the present. Included are his lives as King Abimelech of Gerar, who allied with Abraham in the creation of a new religion called Judaism; Cyrus the Great, who unified all of Persia and implemented Zoroastrianism as the state religion; and Marcus Furius Camillus, who came to be considered the second founder of Rome.Table of ContentsTable of ContentsDedication iiiAcknowledgments ixForeword xiIntroduction xvone King Yudhisthira during the Time When theMahabharata and Bhagavad Gita Were Written, 3500 BCE two How to Access Your Previous Incarnationsthree Pharaoh Menes’ s Nubian Head Charioteer,3100 BCEfour Egyptian Pharaoh Senusret I, Ruled from1971-1926 BCEfive With Patriarch Abraham as King Abimelechof Gerar, 1800 BCEsix Warrior Sage for Pharaoh Queen Hatshepsut toTraditional Warrior for Pharaoh Thutmose III, 1480 BCEseven King Idomeneus of Crete with Heracles, Crew of the Argo, and at the Trojan War, 1520-1470 BCE eight Pharaoh Akhenaten’ s Warrior Priest, Heir to the Throne as Prince Nakhtmin, and Exodus with Moses, 1400-1350 BCE nine Benaiah, Son of Uriah, during King David’ s and King Solomon’ s Reign, Tenth century BCE ten Lycurgus of Sparta, Regent, Lawgiver, and Creator of the Commonwealth of Sparta, 820-730 BCE eleven Numa Pompilius, Second King of Rome, 753-673 BCE twelve Thales of Miletus, Pre-Socratic Greek Philosopher, 624-546 BCE thirteen A Jewish General in Captivity in Babylon, 587 BCE fourteen Cyrus the Great, Unifier of the Persian Empire, 600-529 BCE fifteen Ananda, Personal Assistant of the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, 500 BCE sixteen Parmenides of Elea, Founder of the Eleatic School of Philosophy, 515-450 BCE seventeen Themistocles, Greek Politician and General, 524-460 BCE eighteen Pausanias, Spartan General and Regent, 480 BCE nineteen Marcus Furius Camillus, Second Founder of Rome, 446-365 BCE twenty Thucydides, Athenian General and Historian, 460-411 BCE twenty one Xenophon, Greek Historian, Author, Philosopher, and General, 430-355 BCE twenty two Lysander, Spartan Admiral during the Peloponnesian War, 405 BCE Afterword Works Consulted

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Book SynopsisThe images of soldiers and marines coming ashore on hostile beaches are embedded in our collective memory of World War II. But what of the sailors who manned the landing craft, going back and forth under fire with nowhere to take cover?In this book, Ken Wiley, a coast guardsman on an attack-transport ship in the Pacific, relates the extraordinary story of how the United States projected its power across 6,000 miles of ocean, despite fierce Japanese resistance. The author describes each invasion, detailing a swirl of moving parts, from frogmen to fire support, transport mother ships to attack-transports, the smaller Higgins boats (LCVPs) and, during the last terrifying stage, the courageous men who stormed the beaches.The author participated in the campaigns for the Marshall Islands, the Marianas, the Philippines and Okinawa, and, with a precise eye for detail, he relates numerous aspects of landing-craft operations, such as ferrying wounded, that are often discounted. He conveys the terror and horror of war, without neglecting the humour and cameraderie of wartime life.D-Days in the Pacific is an exciting book, full of harrowing combat action, which also provides a valuable service in explaining exactly how World War II’s massive amphibious operations were undertaken.Trade ReviewThe author describes the dangers and fears, as well as the determination, fun and humour which saw him and his like through the conflicts in the Pacific. * Ships Monthly *…well written and illustrated with photographs and excellent drawings of life aboard ship by one of the shipmates. * The Hook *Ken Wiley had a extraordinary war, playing a role I had never even considered, we're lucky that he remembers and has the ability and talent to describe those experiences in such an easy to read and entertaining manner. I really do want to read more. * Model Armour *What this book does better than most is personalize how the war is fought by teenagers with enormous responsibilities far beyond their years. Ken never glamorizes war or self aggrandizes despite a number of heroic actions in which he is personally involved…a great book… * Military Magazine *..novelistic in its form, which brings the reader close to the experiences of another band of brothers... and the powerful nature of the eyewitness story is added to by some extremely skilful pencil-sketch renditions of the events which the author covers. * Military Illustrated *The book is delightfully written, with an engaging mix of humour, modesty, information and character sketches. * Miniature Wargames *This is a well illustrated and detailed first-hand account of the amphibious war waged against fanatical Japanese opposition. * soldiermagazine.co.uk *... an engrossing account of the island-hopping Pacific War....there is plenty of humour along the way … * Warships *

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Book SynopsisOn November 20, 1943, the United States invaded the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands as part of the first American offensive in the Central Pacific region during World War II. This invasion marked more than one first, as it was also the introductory test of a doctrine developed during the interwar years to address problems inherent in situations where amphibious assaults require support by naval gunfire rather than land-based artillery.In this detailed study, Donald K. Mitchener documents and analyzes the prewar development of this doctrine as well as its application and evolution between the years 1943--1945. The historical consensus is that the test at Tawara was successful and the experience increased the efficiency with which U.S. forces were able to apply the doctrine in the Pacific theater for the remainder of the Second World War. Mitchener challenges this view, arguing that the reality was much more complex. He reveals that strategic concerns often took precedence over the lessons learned in the initial engagement, and that naval planners' failure to stay up to date with the latest doctrinal developments and applications sometimes led them to ignore these lessons altogether.Though the weapons, techniques, and strategies of the U.S. armed forces have changed dramatically over the years, Mitchener compellingly argues that a nuanced understanding of the historical application of doctrine is necessary in order to protect soldiers' and sailors' lives. U.S. Naval Gunfire Support in the Pacific War presents an important analysis that highlights the human cost of misinterpreting strategic and tactical realities.Table of ContentsPreface Why Naval Gunfire Support? Doctrine, the Tentative Manual, and FTP 167 Operation Galvanic Operation Flintlock Operation Forager Operation Stalemate II Operation Detachment Conclusions Acknowledgements Appendix A Glossary of Terms Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisHaving left Gotenhafen July 3, 1940 for a campaign that will last 516 days, the Komet is one of the cargos transformed by the Kriegsmarine to operate as an auxiliary warship for the allied commercial ships. Spreading over the Pacific except the partly frozen waters of the Arctic Ocean, this predator camouflaged as Japanese ships leads the attacks on all oceans, up to the Antarctic, searching for ally ships, creating insecurity across the Australian and New Zealand coasts up to the surroundings of the Panama canal. A fascinating adventure that gives us 200 inedited pictures. The secret meetings with the German supply ships at open sea, the seizure and destruction of the enemy ships, the prisoners gathered aboard, the daily life, the ceremonies, those who fled on land or the meeting with the U-Boote in the Atlantic.

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Book SynopsisThis book covers the exploits of the 1st Marine Division. It show how they fought alone on the Guadalcanal front against the Japanese under particularly difficult circumstances, defeated the Japanese garrisons at Cape Gloucester and Peleliu, and played a key role in the Battle of Okinawa. It tells of how twenty-two of their men were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor (when divisions which have been the subject of dozens of publications, such as the 82nd and 101st Airborne have won three each), the most famous of whom was undoubtedly John Basilone. Each of their battles ended in victory and it is no exaggeration to describe them as the best combat division during the Second World War. This book therefore fills an incredible gap in the historical record and a forms a tribute, through 800 mostly unpublished photographs to this elite unit. Charles Trang invites us once again to dive into the terrible battles of the war in the Pacific and guides us through these sometimes brutal but nonetheless indispensable documents. A magnificently produced volume of 420 pages and nearly 800 photos. French Language

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Book Synopsis4 juin 1944, 18h30, sud de l'Angleterre. Des officiers de liaison montent à bord de vingt-deux bâtiments français. Enfermés avec les commandants, ils leur remettent une grande enveloppe cachetée. Dès le départ des Anglais, les « pachas » découvrent leur mission dans l'opération « Neptune » (nom de code donné au débarquement des troupes alliées en Normandie). Les équipages sont réunis. Les hommes découvrent qu'ils seront les premiers Français à contribuer au débarquement. Beaucoup parmi ces marins venus de France qui vont participer à la plus vaste opération navale de tous les temps ont rejoint de Gaulle en Grande-Bretagne. En revanche certains, à commencer par leur chef l'Amiral Jaujard, sont plus réticents à l'égard du général. C'est l'histoire de ces bateaux et de ces hommes qui forme le coeur du livre. Parmi eux, Querville avec son sous-marin la Junon qui a débarqué en Norvège un commando chargé de faire sauter une usine d'eau lourde; ou Levasseur avec l'Aconit qui a coulé deux U-Boote en douze heures. La participation des marins français est rarement, voire jamais, évoquée lorsqu'on célèbre les anniversaires du débarquement en Normandie. Il n'est que temps de réparer l'injustice faite à ces hommes, à leurs bâtiments et à la Marine Nationale.

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Book SynopsisThanks to albums belonging to one of the sailors aboard U-30 and then U-110, the author has been able to reconstruct the path taken by Kapitänleutnant Fritz Lemp and his crew, including the sailor Willi Brohm, and the fate of these submarines, with texts and also pictures. We begin the story with the sailor’s enrolment in 1936 at Cuxhaven, then aboard U-30. Then we take a look at a little-known page of history : the engagement of U-Boots in the Spanish Civil War, after 1937, with photos taken at Cadiz, Seville, Ceuta, Tetuan and the Canary Islands. It was then the beginning of the war with a good report on the U-30 under Captain Lemp. Aboard this submarine, Lemp carried off a series of successes (17 kills) which earned him the Ritterkreuz which he received on 14 August 1940, one of the first awarded to the U-Boot arm. His first engagement and success however were marred by a tragic mistake when he sank the liner Athena causing the death of civilians, including 22 Americans. He was then transferred aboard U-110 whose second patrol ended in tragedy. The submarine was attacked on 9 May 1941 in the North Atlantic. The U-boot was damaged and surfaced; most of the crew evacuated it including the sailor Willi Brohm. Captain Lemp remained aboard, probably intending to scuttle U-110, but British sailors from HMS Bulldog had time to get hold of the Enigma machine the submarine used, which had a considerable effect on the outcome of the war. Fritz Lemp disappeared with his submarine in the waters of the Atlantic. As for Willi Brohm, we follow him into captivity to Canada, with very rare and exceptional photos. A fantastic, historic album gathering together more than 200 photos and documents of which 160 photos from our own archives ; various documents are unpublished. Text in French.

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Book SynopsisWhen U-172, commanded by Carl Emmermann left Kiel on 22 April 1942, the second lucky period for German submarines was ending with the Americans setting up convoys along their coast. From the beginning of the conflict, the means of fighting submarines brought in to play by the Allies, had increased considerably : development of on-board radar, increased numbers of escorts and planes, decrypting submarine radio messages, etc. As a result, combat conditions had seriously deteriorated on the German side. However, from May 1942 to September 1943, Carl Emmermann’s U-172 sank 26 ships during combat patrols, and thus overtook the 150 000-ton figure of Allied shipping destroyed. U-172 was thus 15th of all the U-Boote which had obtained the best results, an exceptional result considering the period in the war. First of all because this submarine went to areas which were especially distant where success was still possible: the Caribbean for the first mission; the Cape in South Africa for the second where it took part in a surprise attack in a zone where no U-Boot had ever strayed until then; the centre of the Atlantic for its third mission where two convoys were chased in a pack right up to the African coast; the coast of Brazil for the fourth where it was the only one out of seven U-Boote engaged to return. The captain was an good officer and much liked by his men: members of a crew attached to their CO who held on to them preciously from one mission to the next. At the end of his 4th combat mission, Carl Emmermann was the 25th commanding officer of the submarine arm to be awarded the Knights Cross with oak leaves. He accepted a land posting and became the head of the 6th Flotilla at Saint-Nazaire at the beginning of November 1943. U-172 which had already survived 12 air and sea attacks, left on its 6th and last patrol. Without its charismatic captain and in even more difficult combat conditions, it was sunk 21 days after it left. The access the author, a U-Boot specialist, had to Emmermann’s photos preserved in the U-Boot-Archiv and to several photos taken by Helmut Berndt, the war correspondent, enabled the book to illustrate this particular captain’s surprising patrols with 250 exceptional unpublished photos. Thanks to the translation of the log book, to the eye-witness account by Captain Emmermann himself and the patrol sketches, you can follow U-172 on its missions across distant oceans…

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Book SynopsisIn-depth look the Imperial Russian cruiser Varyag, famed for her crew's heroic defiance during the Russo-Japanese War, including design and construction notes, technical characteristics, data tables, machinery, propulsion, armament and operational history. Excellent visual guide to the ship from all aspects, looking at colour schemes, ship's boats, weapons, masts and fittings. Amply illustrated with 82 excellent computer generated colour graphic images, this volume also includes two double-sided bonus pull-outs: a colour poster and scale plans. The plans represent the ship's 1901 configuration, with bow, stern, port and starboard profiles in both 1/350 and 1/700 scales, along with 1/100 scale gun and 1/200 scale boat drawings, plus a detailed oblique view. About the Series This brand-new series focuses on the construction of famous ships– battleships, carriers, cruisers, and submarines. With ground-breaking 3D imagery, each corner, angle, and dimension of the ship is viewable. With various close-up views, and each 3D image based on actual technical scale drawings and photographs, this makes an exceptional reference tool. Information on the design, development and combat history of each vessel is also included, as well as numerous photographs and 1/350th scale drawings.Trade Review…this is an accurate and interesting volume, well-written and offering plenty to the modeller. * www.scaleplasticandrail.com *

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Book SynopsisYahagi, the second Japanese warship of that name, was the third of the four Agano-class vessels (the other three being Agano, Noshiro and Sakawa). Construction of the Agano-class cruisers was approved by the Japanese parliament (Diet) in March 1939 under the Fourth Naval Armaments Enhancement Program (Dai-Yon-Ji Kaigun Gunbi Jūjitsu Keikaku), also known as “Four-in-Circle” Program (Maru Yon Keikaku), or simply Maru 4. Under the terms of the program, the four light cruisers (kei jun’yōkan), also referred to as type B cruisers (otsu-gata jun’yōkan, or simply otsu jun) and officially classed as second-class cruisers (ni-tō jun’yōkan), were to fulfill the role of destroyer squadron flagships. At that time destroyer squadrons (DesRon), called literarily torpedo squadrons (suirai sentai), consisted of four four-ship destroyer divisions (DesDiv, or kuchiku-tai).Trade ReviewIf you’re building the Yahagi in any scale then this is the only reference book you need. * Model Builder International *

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Book SynopsisThis book is a compilation in which we will find in one place (two volumes) the stories of all the German cruisers that were in Kriegsmarine service.Author describes their history in the order in which they entered the service, devoting much attention to their construction, precisely describing the differences among others. Going back to the history of the service, trying not to forget about the many curiosities in this policy and people who have a direct influence on their fate.Many excellent quality photographs primarily from private collections.All the ships are described and illustrated with full technical specifications. Profusely illustrated with scale drawings and color illustrations.Cruisers describes in vol. 1:EmdenKonigsbergKarlsruheKolnLeipzig

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Book SynopsisThe rocket missile ORP Gen. T. Kosciuszko is currently one of the more valuable Polish Navy ships.Belonging to the American type Oliver Hazard Perry, together with the twin ship ORP Gen. K. Pulaski, he went under the white-and-red flag under an agreement between the governments of the United States and the Republic of Poland. The ship was built as USS Wadsworth with a tactical number FFG 9 at the Todd Pacific Shipyards in San Pedro, California.Trade ReviewAll together an excellent reference for any ship modeller. * Military Model Scene 22/02/2019 *This title provides a very large amount of reference material that enables the modeller to super detail a build… * Armorama 04/03/2019 *This is another superb book in the series and I particularly like the use of the photographs as they are a great help to the modeller. * Britmodeller.com 01/07/2019 *Another very useful monograph of this vessel, which will prove very useful to both ship modellers and naval enthusiasts. Recommended. * Scale Military Modelling International Magazine 11/03/2019 *

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Book SynopsisSuzutsuki was the third ship from the series of the most powerful Akizuka destroyers, designed specifically as anti-aircraft defenseships, whose main armament consisted of 8 universal 100 mm caliber guns with excellent ballistic characteristics. The Akizuki destroyers were designed before the beginning of World War II as anti-aircraft ships for fast Japanese groups of aircraft carriers. They were completely different from the previous Japanese destroyers, in which the emphasis was put on strong artillery (127 mm guns) and torpedo armament. They were inspired by the British Dido class light anti-aircraft cruisers, however, in contrast with them, the Akizuki destroyers were medium size ships intended for anti-aircraft defense of groups of fleet.Trade Review...full of worthwhile source material for those looking to detail and enhance their model. * Model Shipwrights 21/12/2022 *This book is intensely focused on modeler’s needs for building this ship in any scale. As usual, the B&W drawings in the book and the foldout in 1/200 or larger scale are clean, simple, detailed and accurate. * IPMS USA 14/12/2022 *If you need reference for this vessel or indeed wish to scratch the vessel this is the book to seek out for the task. * Armorama 04/03/2019 *Once again, Kagero have supplied a vast amount of information, not usually available visually in photographs by using the CGI format. * Scale Military Modelling International Magazine 11/03/2019 *These are a pair of superb reference books which I highly recommend. * Editor - Model Boat World 29/04/2019 *

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Book SynopsisPetropavlovsk was part of the seven-ship unit of the Nikolaev type (project 1134B Berkut), which was a gas-turbine alternative design to the units of the project 1134A. They were classified as large ASW (anti-submarine warfare), although they matched cruisers in size. The primary task of these ships was to search and destroy nuclear submarines in the oceanic zone, in particular, strategic missile submarines. Due to the requirement of high autonomy and long cruising range, the ships were equipped with a new type of engine in the COGOG (Combined gas or gas) system. It was comprised of two gas turbine units driving two separate shaft lines. Each of the two units consisted of two peak power turbines (20 000 HP each) with a one-speed reduction gear and one sustained turbine (5000 HP) with a two-speed reduction gear. The advantage of the gas turbine was its shorter activation time and greater acceleration. It was also assumed that it would be smaller and more economical than the traditional steam turbine. In fact, it turned out to be a complicated and expensive construction, and, more importantly, quite unreliable.Trade Review'Just a superb piece of work .. I would highly recommend!' * Editor - Model Boat World *This is another good book in the series. The pullout sheets are also wonderful to see. This is certainly a very useful book for all modellers. Recommended. * Britmodeller.com 15/07/2019 *Another good addition to the TopDrawings series by Kagero, and one I am sure warship modellers will enjoy. * Military Model Scene 26/06/2019 *

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Book SynopsisThe Russian cruiser Varyag is one of the most exciting and remarkable battleships concerning construction and armament, serving the USSR Navy during the Cold War. The ship was built in 1979-1989 as one of the four large missile cruisers of the project 1164. NATO designated Varyag as Slava. The battleship has unique shape dominated by the complex of superstructures with electrical equipment system antennas on top as well as SM-248 launchers of the 4K80 Bazalt system along the sides. The missile cruisers of the project 1164 to which, apart from Varyag, also belong Moscow (ex-Slava), Marshal Ustinov (ex-Admiral Lobov), and Ukraine (ex-Komsomolets/Admiral Flota Lobov) were one of the best in their class at the time with massive firepower. Because of technologically advanced missiles, they were called "aircraft carrier killers," which was related to their primary purpose – destroying American aircraft carriers.

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Book Synopsis"Singing frigates", "Greyhounds of the Oceans" – each of this names contains a little bit of truth about large anti-submarine warfare ships Project 61. Since their emergence until now they are very popular with both: maritime specialists and shiplovers. It could not be otherwise, because they are exceptionally good looking vessels. They were first Soviet units of the new generation, projected and built separate from foregoing schemes. Their uniqueness was not only based on beautiful architecture, but also on some other assets. First of all they were first ships in the world propelled only by the power of gas turbines. Landmark project

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Book SynopsisThe Japanese Navy ordered two new battleships in 1912. They were an improved version of Fuso type battleships. Their construction was included in the equipment plan 8-4 of the fleet (8 battleships and 4 heavy cruisers), which was approved by the government and parliament. The amount of money allocated totaled 80 million yen. Design work began in 1913 and all funds for the start of word were collected by July 1914. On May 6, 1915, at the Mitsubishi group shipyard in Nagasaki, a keel for the new battleship was laid. On January 27, 1917, the ship was launched receiving the name Hyuga (after the name of the province). On November 1, 1917, Commander Eitaro Shimodairo became the first captain of the battleship. The Hyuga battleship project was based on the design of the Fuso battleship. Some changes were made to it. The hull was extended by 3 meters, and the armor of the ship's magazines and the central command post were changed. The layout of guns 1 and 2 was changed, which allowed placing the boiler room closer to the bow and fitting the funnels closer to each other. It also allowed putting artillery guns 3 and 4 behind the boiler room. It was not a good choice, because it was necessary to carry the steam ducts to the engine room through the ship's magazines. A better solution was to install the wires under the ship's magazines and over the double bottom.Trade ReviewOnce again a very useful resource to both armchair naval historian and scale shipwright. Recommended. * Scale Military Modelling International Magazine *

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Book SynopsisBecause of its great distance from German airfields, Scapa Flow was again selected as the main British naval base during the Second World War.For the war, Scapa Flow remained a very busy naval base, with it serving as a staging point for Arctic Convoys to northern Russia, for example. The military base at Scapa Flow remained in use until 1956.The book presents the detailed history of the naval base during World War II.Many photos and maps help readers explore history of this Royal Navy base.

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Book SynopsisThe limited basin of the Adriatic Sea favoured the operation of the light ships and various types of "microorganisms". The Italian naval command at the end of 1914 already drew attention to the combat capabilities of motor torpedo boats. The design of such a unit was presented in November, 1914, by the Italian company Maccia Marchini. The cutter had a displacement of 7-8 tons, a length of 15 meters and was propelled by two engines, 200 HP each. It was supposed to reach a speed of 30 knots. The armament was two torpedoes dropped from both sides. However, the Italian Navy decided not to work with a small and not very well-known company. The fate of the project proposed in February, 1915, by the Venetian company SVAN (Società Veneziana Automobili Nautiche - Venetian Society of Self-Propelled Sea Boats) was different. Torpedo boat designed by engineer Atillia Bisio was somewhat reminiscent of the design of the Maccia Marchini company. It had a similar displacement (7.8 tons) and a length of 15 meters. The drive consisted of four engines with a power of 100 HP each, working on two propeller shafts. The armament was limited to two 450 mm torpedoes and one 37 mm gun.

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Book SynopsisThe French battleship, Jean Bart, together with its twin Richelieu, was among the largest and most modern ships of this class that served in the Marine Nationale. Their construction was based on the experience gained during the construction of Dunkerque battleships face=Calibri>– smaller and less armed units – but quite modern for their times.A characteristic feature of the aforementioned ships, including the Jean Bart, was the unusual layout of the main artillery concentrated in two four-barrel turrets located in the fore part, while medium calibre artillery was located in the stern. This, in combination with the massive body of the command tower and the chimney 'hidden' in the rest of the superstructures, created an astonishing silhouette of a beautiful and very dangerous ship.Jean Bart was built at the Ateliers et Chantiers de Saint-Nazarie (Penhoët) shipyard in Saint-Nazarie. The keel was laid on December 12, 1936. The ship was launched on March 6, 1940.

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Book SynopsisJapanese cruiser of the Second World War, the only ship of her type. The cruiser "Ōyodo" was designed in Japan in the late 1930s in response to the need for long-range cruisers. Of the many variants prepared by the technical service, the design of the type 'C' cruiser, completed in October 1938, was selected. The hull lines of the ship are based on the slightly enlarged hull of the Agano class cruisers.

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisVolume made in collaboration with the Command of the Air Forces of the Navy for the celebration of the Centenary from the foundation of the Naval Aviation.

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisUSS Pampanito is a tourist destination. During WW-II the submarine earned six battle stars, sank six Japanese ships, damaged four others, and rescued seventy-three British and Australian POWs from the South China Sea. This title chronicles this rescue story of the Pacific War.Trade Review"Recounts one of the most heartrending stories of the U.S. Navy's submarine service." - William Thiesen, author of Industrializing American Shipbuilding"

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Book SynopsisFirst full biography of a truly remarkable Nelson-era naval officer.

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