Naval

For more than half a century, American gunboats were the ships often responsible for policing small crises and provided deterrence and fast-response capabilities around the world - showing the flag, landing armed parties, patrolling river and littoral areas, and protecting ex-pats. They were often the United States most-visible and constant military presence in far-flung foreign lands, and were most closely associated with the Far East, particularly the Philippines and China. Most famous, of cou...

The Italian Royal Navy began the Second World War with one of the largest fleets in the world. Included in this was a total of 59 fleet destroyers, and others were added during the war. These were a diverse collection of ships dating back to the First World War, large destroyers built to counter ships of similar size being introduced in the French Navy, the enemy, and medium-sized ships which constituted the bulk of the destroyer force. Italian destroyers were built for high speed, not enduranc...

Published for the first time in English, this is a German account of the German invasion of Norway in the spring of 1940. It focuses on the efforts of Group 1 led by Eduard Dietl. This group of gebirgstruppen was landed at Narvik in early April by tendestroyers. These ships were then all sunk by the Allies. Dietl's troops wereoutnumbered by Allied troops but his defence utilized ammunition, food and sailors from the sunken ships and his men retook Narvik once the Allies abandoned their efforts t...

FULLY UPDATED AND EXPANDED. This is the fifth fully revised edition of a book first published in 1970. This longevity is testimony to its enduring value as a reference work, still the first stop for anyone wanting more information on any British warship from the fifteenth century to the present day when only the name is known. Each entry gives concise details of dimensions, armament and service dates, and its alphabetical and chronological arrangement makes it easy to track down the right ship.

The Yamato and her sister ship the Musashi represented the ultimate development in the battleship. Together, the two ships were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed. Named after the Yamato Province, Yamato was designed to counter the numerically superior fleet of the US Navy. Built amongst a shroud of secrecy and deception and commissioned shortly after the outbreak of the war in the Pacific she was present at a number of engagements including the Battle of Midway ...

Churchill famously claimed that the only thing that had really frightened him during the war was the Battle of the Atlantic. Keeping open the lifeline between the US arsenal of democracy and the UK was essential. In preparations for the invasion of Europe this came down to building merchant ships faster than German U-boats could sink them. Crucial to this achievement was the British-designed Liberty Ship, a simple cargo ship that could be built rapidly, combined with the untapped industrial pote...

The Kriegsmarine Scharnhorst was a German capital ship, described either as a battleship or battlecruiser, and the lead ship of her class, which included one other ship, Gneisenau. She was launched on 3 October 1936 and completed in January 1939, armed with nine 28cm C/34 guns in three triple turrets. She operated with Gneisenau for much of the early portion of World War II, including sorties into the Atlantic to raid British merchant shipping. They took part in Operation Weserubung April-June 1...

French Language Book. A detailed look at this subject with photo and lavishly illustrated profile drawings.

At the outbreak of World War II, the four key Capital German ships comprised the Bismarck, Tirpitz, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Their primary threats where the Royal Navy's King George V class battleships, the most modern British battleships in commission during World War II and some of the Navy's most powerful vessels. Five ships of this class were built: HMS King George V, Prince of Wales, Duke of York, Howe and Anson, both late 1942.

Brief history covering the technical design work followed by a plethora of graphical illustrations including captioned walk-around 3d graphic illustrations

FRENCH Language book. In depth look at this subject with detailed illustrations and photos.

German & English Language Book. This fifth volume describes the transformation of the Tirpitz from mighty offensive weapon into a steel giant that had become difficult to protect. Containing hitherto unpublished photos illustrates the life of the ship until its capsizing off Tromso.