Naval forces and warfare Books

Book SynopsisFor a time, the flying boat was seen as the way of the future. These aircraft, so strange and foreign to the modern mind, once criss-crossed the world and fulfilled essential military roles. In his latest book for Fonthill, Charles Bain looks at the golden age of the flying boat, when these sometimes strange and often beautiful vessels spanned the globe. These vessels-a combination of ship and airplane-found themselves working as patrol aircraft, passenger aircraft, transports, and even as combat aircraft. This volume contains their stories, from memorable aircraft such as the Short Sunderland and Boeing 314 Clipper, to the craft that roamed the Pacific Theatre of the Second World War, to forgotten giants from Saunders-Roe and even strange jet fighters that once landed like ducks. It even includes the flying boat that has not let time get in the way of doing its job-the Martin Mars. Each of these aircraft has a story worthy of the telling, and often a memorable role to play in the history of aviation. `High Hulls' delves deeply into a long-vanished part of aviation's golden age.

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Book SynopsisStarting weeks after Hitler declared war on the United States in mid-December 1941 and lasting until the war with Germany was all but over, 73 German U-Boats sustainably attacked New England waters, from Montauk New York to the tip of Nova Scotia at Cape Sable. Fifteen percent of these boats were sunk by Allied counter-attacks, five surrendered in the region, and three were sunk off New England--Block Island, Massachusetts Bay, and off Nantucket. These have proven appealing to divers, with a result that at least three German naval officers or ratings are buried in New England, one having killed himself in the Boston jail cell. There were 34 Allied merchant or naval ships sunk by these subs, one of them, the 'Eagle', was not admitted to have been sunk by the Germans until decades later. Over 1,100 men were thrown in the water and 545 of them made it ashore in New England ports; 428 were killed. Importantly, saboteurs were landed three places: Long Island, Frenchman's Bay Maine and New Brunswick Canada, and Boston was mined. Very little was known about this.Table of ContentsForeword; Acknowledgments; Introduction; 1 Early 1942: The First Four U-boats Attack the `Thirlby', the `Norness', and the `Alexandra Hoegh'; 2 Five U-boats Follow Up: U-654, U-106, U-103, U-107, and U-578; 3 The Coastal Picket Forms (1942-1943); 4 Five U-boats Attack the `Norland', the `Polyphemus', the `Berganger', and the `Cayru'; 5 A Dozen U-boats Attack the `Ranja', the `Thursobank', the `Hertford', and the `Nemanja'; 6 Two Boats Sink Three Ships: the `West Imboden', the `Pipestone County', and the `Taborfjell'; 7 Five U-boats Attack the `Skottland', the `Fort Binger', the `Plow City', and the `Margot'; 8 U-213 Inserts the First German Saboteur into the Bay of Fundy; 9 Two U-boats Attack the `Peisander', the `Mattawin', and the `Fort Qu'Appelle'; 10 One Boat and Attacks on the `Zurichmoor', the `Liverpool Packet', the `Ben' and `Josephine', the `Aeolus', and the `Malayan Prince'; 11 The Boston Minefield and Five U-boats Attack the `Moldanger', the `Port Nicholson', and the `Cherokee'; 12 Second Saboteur Landing, Amagansett, Long Island by U-202; 13 Ten U-boats Attack the `Lucille M' and the `Alexander Macomb'; 14 The Tragic Saga of the Lifeboat of the Wind Ship `Angelus'; 15 Six U-boats and the Battle to Attack and Save the Tanker `Pan Pennsylvania'; 16 Three Boats and the Diminutive Fishing Schooner `Lark'; 17 The Third Saboteur Landing off Bar Harbor, Maine, and the `Cornwallis'; 18 Last Gasps: Four U-boats and the `Atlantic States', `USS Eagle 56', and the `Black Point'; 19 Eight Surrenders: U-858, U-1228, U-805, U-873, U-234, U-977, U-889, and U-530; 20 Thirteen French and Italian Allied Submarines and Five German Cold War U-boats;'Conclusion; Postscript; Appendix I: Patrols and Fates of Ninety German, Italian, and French U-boats and Submarines; Appendix II: Thirty-Eight Merchant and One Naval Victims; Appendix III: Sixteen Ports Where 649 Survivors Landed; Appendix IV: Burial Locations of Eight U-boat Sailors; Appendix V: Fates of Ten U-boats Lost During and After the War; Endnotes; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisIn late 1944, the Second World War in the Pacific was going badly for Japan. The U.S. Pacific fleet had moved to the Mariana Islands in support of General MacArthur’s army, which had landed on the east coast of Leyte in October. The U.S. 7th Fleet was near the Surigao Strait off Leyte. The Japanese strategy was to entrap the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet by its naval forces from the north in the Sibuyan Sea, and with assault from the south from Surigao Strait. On the afternoon of 24 October, 7th Fleet torpedo-boats moved through Leyte Gulf and Surigao Strait into the Mindanao Sea south of Leyte, and by dusk were in position on their patrol-lines. Covering the northern part of the strait, were posted the destroyer squadrons, cruisers, and battleships to form the horizontal bar to a "T" of vast fire power which the enemy would be forced to approach vertically as he moved forward. With overwhelming force, the impenetrable gauntlet defeated the Japanese at Surigao Strait and played a significant in winning the Battle of Leyte Gulf and in so helping to secure the beachheads of the U.S. Sixth Army on Leyte against Japanese attack from the sea.Table of ContentsPreface; Abbreviations and Definitions; Introduction; Notable Battles in which Warships Crossed the ‘T’; The Strategic Setting in the Pacific in 1944; US Naval Doctrine in Confronting the Japanese Fleet; The US Invasion of the Philippines; Japanese Naval Doctrine; The Japanese Philippines Defensive Plan; The Battle of Leyte Gulf; The Last Crossing of the ‘T’ at Surigao Strait; Action Reports at Surigao Strait; Battle Analysis; Epilogue; Appendix I: American Fleet at the Surigao Strait; Appendix II: Allied Naval Weapons at the Surigao Strait; Appendix III: Japanese Fleet at the Surigao Strait; Appendix IV: Japanese Naval Weapons at the Surigao Strait; Appendix V: Admiral Jesse Barrett Oldendorf Biography; Appendix VI: Vice Admiral Shoji Nishimura Biography; Appendix VII: Vice Admiral Kiyohide Shima Biography; Appendix VIII: US Ship Readiness and Material Conditions; References.

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Book SynopsisThe Seventh ship to bear the name, the Assault Ship and Commando Carrier HMS Fearless was first commissioned in 1965. Over the next 37 years she was seldom far from the actions in which British forces were engaged world-wide, be they in Aden, Malaysia and Borneo, Northern Ireland, the Cold War (Norway), South Rhodesia, Falklands, the Gulf, Afghanistan and so on. Thousands of sailors, Royal Marines and soldiers served on board over her 19 commissions. Now paid off, Fearless has a great story to tell and the Author, a former senior Royal Marine who knows her well, is superbly qualified to tell it.

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Book SynopsisWolfgang Luth was one of only seven men to win Germany s highest combat decoration. He operated in almost every theatre of the undersea war from Norway to the Indian Ocean and he was the second most successful German U-boat ace in World War II. Luth is credited with sinking 47 Allied ships and a submarine a record topped only by Otto Kretschmer. In 1944, after 16 war patrols, including one that lasted a record 203 days at sea, he was named commandant of the German naval academy and, aged 30, became the youngest commandant of the German Naval Academy. Until the publication of this comprehensive study his accomplishments were overshadowed by other aces. To correct the neglect, Jordan Vause provides an entertaining, authoritative biography. Vause was intrigued after seeing a portrait of Luth as a midshipman on display and set out to learn all he could, tracking down some of Luth s crewmen and fellow U-boat commanders. He draws on their first-hand information and a variety of written documents to provide a fascinating character analysis. In doing so, he encapsulates the paradoxes inherent in so many German submarine commanders, men spawned by the Nazi regime yet not entirely of it. Vause portrays Luth as a man of contradictions: an agent Nazi ideologue who could bend the rules for a slack sailor, a U-boat ace who could treat survivors of his attacks with clemency but then impetuously gun down other victims in cold blood. Even his best friend admitted that Luth had no remorse for the misery he inflicted on the crews of sunken ships. On the night of May 13th 1945 he was accidentally shot and killed by a German sentry. On May 16th 1945 he was given the Third Reich s last state funeral.

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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 survey 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 websites.The subject of this volume is the largest and most sophisticated German cruiser class of WW2. The five ships suffered very different fates. Blucher was sunk during the invasion of Norway in 1940, whereas Admiral Hipper fought right through the war. The most famous, Prinz Eugen, escaped when Bismarck was sunk and survived to be expended in a postwar Atomic bomb test. Seydlitz was intended to be converted to an aircraft carrier, but never finished, while Lutzow was sold to Russia and sunk by her erstwhile owners.STEVE BACKER is the editor of steelnavy.com, the best warship modelling site on the web, for which he writes extensively on warship kits and accessories. He is also the author of four previous titles, Japanese Heavy Cruisers, British Battlecruisers, Essex Class Carriers and Bismarck and Tirpitz in this ShipCraft series.

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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 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 sinking of the German battleship Bismarck—a masterpiece of engineering, well-armored with a main artillery of eight 15-inch guns—was one of the most dramatic events of World War II. She left the port of Gotenhafen for her first operation on the night of 18 May 1941, yet was almost immediately discovered by Norwegian resistance and Allied air reconnaissance. British battlecruiser Hood was quickly dispatched from Scapa Flow to intercept the Bismarck, together with new battleship Prince of Wales. They were ordered to find the ship quickly because, on their way from the USA, several large convoys were heading for Britain.On 24 May, Bismarck was found off the coast of Greenland, but the ensuing battle was disastrous for the British. The Hood was totally destroyed within minutes (only 3 crewmen surviving), and Prince of Wales was badly damaged. The chase resumed until the German behemoth was finally caught, this time by four British capital ships supported by torpedo-bombers from the carrier Ark Royal. The icy North Atlantic roiled from the crash of shellfire and bursting explosions until finally the Bismarck collapsed, sending nearly 2,000 German sailors to a watery grave.Zetterling and Tamelander’s work rests on stories from survivors and the latest historical discoveries. The book starts with a thorough account of maritime developments from 1871 up to the era of the giant battleship, and ends with a vivid account, hour by hour, of the dramatic and fateful hunt for the mighty Bismarck, Nazi-Germany’s last hope to pose a powerful surface threat to Allied convoys.Trade Review…unable to put it down…I highly recommend this book for anyone that likes the study of naval battles or just wants to read about an action-packed sea battle. * IPMS *... a very interesting and useful history …once you start… you will be very hard pressed to stop until the smoke has cleared and the ship is sunk. * INTERNET MODELER *outstanding book about naval warfare…real time, you are there style that conveys all of the anxiety of actual combat at sea. * WWII HISTORY MAGAZINE *essential background and new historical insights make otherwise inexplicable elements of the Bismarck story much clearer, without diminishing the drama of the epic sea chase and its vivid, human details. * WORLD WAR II MAGAZINE *A fresh look at the life and death of the most famous German warship of World War II. * NYMAS *Beautifully written, exhaustively researched and a mine of thought provoking insight...this is not just the best military history book I’ve read for a many a year but the best book full-stop. Essential. Buy it. * ModelArmour November *…a thorough treatment, including material from interviews with survivors of their sinkings and the impact they had on the naval war in the Atlantic. * SEAPOWER *A fresh look at the life and death of the most famous German warship of World War II…a very good read… * STRATEGY PAGE *…a thorough treatment, including material from interviews with survivors of their sinkings and the impact they had on the naval war in the Atlantic. * Seapower *

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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 SynopsisIt is January 1942. Nazi Germany is about to commence an assault along the US East Coast, but this “Atlantic Pearl Harbor” would prove far more devastating than Japan’s attack on Hawaii five weeks earlier. The wolves are closing in, and few Americans realize their beaches and boardwalks will soon witness the worst naval defeat in US history.The United States is already grappling with its unpreparedness for war as the Japanese Empire annihilates US forces in the Far East and the Nazis stand triumphant over vast swaths of Europe. Britain’s survival, meanwhile, depends on cargoes delivered by civilian-manned merchant ships. America’s economic resources and latent military strength represent a light in the darkness—yet Hitler’s favorite admiral also knows this, and he has set in motion a plan of unprecedented boldness.The ensuing fiery months saw German submarines, or “U-boats,” sink hundreds of ships from Maine to Texas. This gambit, which threatened to cripple the Allies, pitted Germans against Americans in a desperate struggle that stained East Coast waters with blood and oil. Plying the seas amid this deadly game of cat-and-mouse was a motley but stalwart contingent of civilian merchant mariners carrying the fuel, food, weapons, and raw materials the Allies needed to crush the Third Reich.Several American states became battlefronts in 1942, but the events that transpired off the Jersey Shore illustrate the savagery and scope of a campaign waged across the Western Hemisphere. Even in the 21st century, shipwrecks still attest to the countless ways to die which friend and foe faced only miles from the Garden State’s most popular summer destinations. These seafarers’ lives were forfeit, but the battle they fought would decide the fate of millions.Table of ContentsPreface Sources & Methodology Part I 1. Eins Zwei Drei 2. The Third Dimension of Warfare 3. The Gray Wolves 4. A Tide of Steel Part II 5. Varanger 6. India Arrow 7. R.P. Resor 8. USS Jacob Jones (DD-130) 9. Gulftrade 10. Toltén 11. Persephone 12. Berganger 13. Rio Tercero 14. John R. Williams 15. Pan Pennsylvania Part III 16. Wolfsdämmerung 17. Bones in the Ocean Acknowledgments Selected Bibliography Endnotes

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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 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 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 SynopsisA captivating story of German submarines that fled to Argentina on the eve of the Third Reich’s capitulation, unwilling to surrender to the Allies. The authors of the book discovered numerous unpublished documents in England, Argentina, Germany and the USA. They debunk myths and expose lies concerning the escapes of the German Nazis and the transportation of large amounts of treasure, mainly gold, as well as documentation of the most valuable military projects of the German Reich, which were supposed to turn the tide of the war. The book uses documents from interrogations of the U-Boot commanders who were sent to a special POW camp near Washington for prisoners of exceptional importance.Trade ReviewRecommended reading for WWII historians, and those interested in the final activities and destruction of the U-boat fleet. * Naval Review 01/07/2019 *… this is a fascinating omnium gatherum into the whole subject. * Army Rumour Service 20/05/2019 *… ideal for modellers wanting to reproduce a U-boat with a more unusual story than most. * Airfix Model World 05/07/2019 *

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Book SynopsisThe "Smelyi" type destroyer, Project 30 bis (Skoryi class, according to NATO classification), was the first destroyer designed and built after World War two with new shipbuilding technologies available in the USSR. World War Two demonstrated that all early-built Soviet destroyers had serious flaws. Poor seaworthiness, hull fragility, lack of displacement reserves for modernization. The technical design and working drawings of the new EM were developed under the leadership of the main designer A.L. Fisher. On 28 January 1947, by order of the Council of Ministers of the USSR N3 149-75 "On the construction of destroyers of the 30K and 30 bis Projects", the technical design developed in TsKB-53 was approved. The construction of ships of this series was to take place at four shipyards: No. 190 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), No. 200 in Mikolayov, No. 199 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and No. 402 in Molotov (now the town of Severodvinsk).

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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 Brandenburg class battleships were the first blue water warships of the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy), in the end of 19th century, and can be categorized as the first German pre-dreadnought ships. Imperial German Navy was founded in 1871 under the auspices of Kaiser Wilhem I. The German Navy was created around the small Prussian Navy. Initially the Germans ordered several obsolete ironclads. However, the new German Navy was only capable for coastal defense operations and could not be considered as an instrument for the WeltPolitik and for the projection of German power worldwide. In 1888 the most modern ships of the German fleet were the six Siegfried class (3.400 tons) and two Odin class coastal defense ships. The new Kaiser Wilhem II the architect of the German Naval expansion, decided to challenge England’s hegemony in the seas. As first step he established in 1888 the Imperial Naval Office (Reichmarineamt) a governmental agency monitoring the design, development and financing of the new fleet units. Under the leadership of Vice-Admiral Alexander von Monts, the Imperial Naval Office started to implement the naval visions of Kaiser Wilhem II.

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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 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 Synopsis"Azuma" was one of the six armored cruisers built under the programme. Four of them were built by the British Armstrong shipyard, but "Azuma" was ordered in France, and its sister vessel, the "Yakumo", in Germany. Both cruisers were to carry British guns, making them compatible with units built in hazy Albion. The contract for the construction of "Azuma" was signed on 12th of October, 1897, with Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire. On 1st of February, 1898, the keel was laid at the concern's shipyard in St. Nazaire. The launch took place on 24th of June, 1899. The construction was completed on 28th of July, 1900. The next day, the cruiser left St. Nazaire and went to Japan, reaching Yokosuka on 29th of October 29 of that year.

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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 SynopsisIn the late 1890s the Russian Empire sought to strengthen its presence in the Far East, China and Korea. Faced with a growing threat posed by the Imperial Japanese Navy, the Russians saw an urgent build-up of their naval forces in the region as an utmost priority. On February 20, 1898 Emperor Nicholas II approved a supplementary shipbuilding program “for the Far East”, which would see the construction of six 5,000 – 6,000 ton cruisers, in addition to ships already being built under the 1895 program. The task to formulate technical requirement for the new vessels was delegated to the Maritime Technical Committee (Russian: MTK).Trade ReviewThe 129 3D color illustrations are marvelous for those wanting an intensive look at the cruiser and its systems from a variety of angles. * The Historical Miniatures Gaming Society 07/12/2022 *

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Book SynopsisYubari, the smallest of Japanese cruisers built after World War I, was in fact an experimental design. The ship was intended as a test bed for new technologies to be employed in the construction of the future Furutaka class heavy cruisers. The ship’s lead designer Fujimoto Kikuo, working under the supervision of the Imperial Navy’s chief naval architect Hiraga Yuzuru, set out to create a fast and heavily armed cruiser with the lightest displacement possible. What emerged was a vessel capable of the same speed, range and broadside weight as those of 5,500 ton ships, but with a significantly lower displacement. The construction of the cruiser was initially authorized under the 1917 8-4 Fleet Program, but funding wasn’t available until the launch of the 1921 8-6 Fleet Program, where the ship was listed under the name Ayase. The blueprints were formally approved in October 1921 and on December 23, 1921 the ship was renamed Yubari – a reference to the river Yubarigawa in Hokkaido. Sea trials of the cruiser confirmed her expected sea keeping characteristics, but also showed she was overweight – not an uncommon feature for Japanese designs. After she had been completed, Yubari’s normal displacement (with a 25 percent fuel reserve) was 419 tons (14 percent) above the design figures. This had a detrimental effect on the ship’s speed. During a one-mile run carried out on July 5, 1923 Yubari (displacing 3,463 tons) reached the top speed of 34.786 kt with the machinery producing 61,336 hp at 409.87 rpm. With 75 percent of fuel on board, the cruiser’s draft increased by 61 cm, which increased drag and resulted in the drop of speed below the expected 35.5 kt.

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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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