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This is both the war memoir of a distinguished naval officer and the history of HMS Trenchant, a T Class submarine. Admiral Hezlet was appointed to command Trenchant from her completion in early 1944 until mid-1945 during which time she and her crew worked up, voyaged to the Far East and carried out five highly dangerous and successful operational patrols. On their arrival at Freemantle in July 1945, Trenchant had been at sea for 82 out of the last 94 days and covered 15,000 miles. More than that, she had sunk the Japanese cruiser Ashigara, the largest warship sunk by a British submarine, as well as a minesweeper, a submarine and a mass of miscellaneous enemy shipping. The crew's achievements were honoured by the award of seven DSCs, eleven DSMs and nine Mentioned-in-Despatches.
A fascinating and lively account of the lives of British warships named London, looking at history from the perspective of the men who were there. There is no current warship in the Royal Navy called HMS London, but vessels carrying the name have featured in some of the most controversial episodes of British naval history. For example, the wooden wall battleship HMS London of the late 18th century could be called “the ship that lost America” while the heavy cruiser of WW2 was command vessel for the escort force that failed to safeguard the controversial convoy PQ17. Examining the stories of HMS Londons all the way from the English Civil War, through the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801—where Nelson famously ignored signals to break off the action displayed by HMS London—we also learn of the pre-dreadnought London’s participation in the ill-fated Dardanelles campaign of WW1. Among the people Iain Ballantyne interviewed for this book were veterans of the Arctic convoys of WW2, the Yangtse Incident and warriors of the Cold War and 1991 Gulf War. It all adds up to a thoroughly researched and exciting narrative of naval history. Adding to the authenticity of the tale, Iain even sailed to Russia in the last HMS London, a Type 22 guided-missile frigate, in August 1991. During a WW2 convoy re-enactment the ship was almost hit by a practice torpedo launched from a Soviet submarine and had to take evasive action.
The title is derived from George Bernard Shaw’s comment that ‘England and America are two countries divided by a common language.’ It is not intended to imply that the two navies were seriously at odds with one another, but rather to suggest, as in the case of language, that common roots and usages varied significantly. And the Second World War is a pertinent moment for comparison. They fought on the same side against a common enemy for nearly four years, but Britain fought the war for the survival of itself and its empire, though in the long term it failed with the latter, while the American government fought to maintain its influence through the balance of power; its people fought for revenge for Pearl Harbor, and out of a sense of justice. In this new book, Brian Lavery describes and analyzes the differences and similarities between the two navies and in doing so sheds fascinating light on how the naval war was fought. For example, both navies had spectacular failures after entering the war – the Royal Navy off Norway, the USN at Pearl Harbor and Savo Island. Paradoxically, both commenced the war with quite amateur performances by professional navies and ended with highly skilled performances by largely amateur manned forces. The training systems for regular officers had flaws in both countries. In Britain, entry was largely dependent on family income, in America, on political influence. But American officers probably had a broader perspective by the time they entered active service. The book covers ships and weapons systems – for instance, the British used too many gun types in the 4 to 6in range, while the Americans concentrated on the well-designed 5in. And the author describes conditions onboard ships. British vessels were awash with alcohol, which had its attractions for Americans when alongside; the Americans offered ice cream in return. These examples represent only a tiny proportion of the subjects covered in this stimulating analysis. Aviation, the marines of both navies, anti-submarine and mine warfare, uniforms, propulsion systems, shipbuilding and building programs, commanders and national leaders, ratings and officers, ship design, geographical environments, naval bases, hammocks and bunks, the deployment of women – these are among the myriad big and small themes that will open the eyes of naval historians and enthusiasts, and show anyone with an interest in the Second World War how these two great allies came together to defeat the Axis forces.
United States and Allied Submarine Successes in the Pacific and Far East During World War II, 4th ed. by John D. Alden,Craig R. McDonald Pdf
Here is a comprehensive accounting of all United States and allied submarine attacks on the Japanese for which success was claimed or occurred. The expanded coverage focuses on successes by U.S. and British and Dutch submarines in the Pacific and Indian oceans, Soviet submarines, and losses caused by mines laid by submarines. The book also includes details from top-secret "Ultra" messages decoded during the war and recently translated documents that provide correct Japanese ship names, ship type and tonnage, convoy names, human loss numbers and other attack details, as well as a military evaluation of each attack.
“The dramatic career of the Queen Elizabeth class super-dreadnought, which fought with such distinction throughout two World Wars . . . a great story.” —White Ensign Association No warship name in British naval history has more battle honors than HMS Warspite. While this book looks at the lives of all eight vessels to bear the name (between 1596 and the 1990s), it concentrates on the truly epic story of the seventh vessel, a super-dreadnought battleship, conceived as the ultimate answer to German naval power, during the arms race that helped cause WW1. Warspite fought off the entire German fleet at Jutland, survived a mutiny between the wars and then covered herself in glory in action from the Arctic to the Indian Ocean during WW2. She was the flagship of Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham when he mastered the Italian Navy in the Mediterranean, her guns inflicting devastating damage on the enemy at Calabria in 1940 and Matapan in 1941. She narrowly avoided destruction by the Japanese carrier force that devastated Pearl Harbor. She provided crucial fire support for Allied landings in Sicily, Italy, Normandy and Walcheren. A lucky ship in battle, she survived dive-bombers off Crete and glide bomb hits off Salerno. But this is not just the story of a warship. Wherever possible the voices of those men who fought aboard her speak directly to the reader about their experiences. Warspite is also the story of a great naval nation which constructed her as the ultimate symbol of its imperial power and then scrapped her when the sun set on that empire.
This volume re-positions military history at the beginning of the 21st century. Jeremy Black reveals the main trends in the practice and approach to military history and proposes a new manifesto for the subject to move forward.
British Submarines in Two World Wars by Norman Friedman Pdf
An “indispensable” guide to the Royal Navy’s submarines through 1945, with numerous photos and original plans (The Naval Review). The Royal Navy didn’t invent the submarine—but in 1914, Britain had the largest submarine fleet in the world, and at the end of World War I it had some of the largest and most unusual of all submarines—whose origins and designs are all detailed in this book. During the First World War they virtually closed the Baltic to German iron ore traffic, and blocked supplies to the Turkish army at Gallipoli. They were a major element in the North Sea battles, and fought the U-boat menace. During World War II, US submarines were known for strangling Japan, but lesser known is the parallel battle by British submarines in the Mediterranean to strangle the German army in North Africa. Like their US counterparts, interwar British submarines were designed largely with the demands of a possible Pacific War, though that was not the war they fought. The author also shows how the demands of such a war, fought over vast distances, collided with interwar British Government attempts to limit costs. It says much about the ingenuity of British submarine designers that they met their requirements despite enormous pressure. The author shows how evolving strategic and tactical requirements and evolving technology produced successive types of design. British submariners contributed much to the development of anti-submarine tactics and technology, beginning with largely unknown efforts before World War I. Between the wars, they exploited the new technology of sonar (Asdic), and as a result pioneered submarine silencing, with important advantages to the US Navy as it observed the British. They also pioneered the vital postwar use of submarines as anti-submarine weapons, sinking a U-boat while both were submerged. Heavily illustrated with photos and original plans and incorporating much original analysis, this book is ideal for naval historians and enthusiasts. “Sure to become the standard reference for British submarine development for years to come” —Warship
Originally a puny craft, derided as being of no worth, the submarine evolved to become an assassin of the deep, capable of sinking mighty battleships and gigantic aircraft carriers. The cast of colourful and courageous characters includes a former monk who created submersible boats to assist the cause of Irtish liberation, a spy who hid Confederate submarine secrets in her bonnet during the American Civil War and many a daring young captain who perished along with he men they command. During the two world wars no corner of the globe was safe from the depredations of submarines. The spectacular (and terrifying) story continued with the Cold War into the 21st century, making the submarine the most powerful vessel ever built, carrying enough nuclear weapons to end life on Earth.
There have been many fine books written on HMS Hood, the glory of the Royal Navy, while television and cinema have also taken the subject to their heart. No book, however, has ever offered the combination of in-depth research and thrilling narrative to be found in The End of Glory. For twenty years Hood symbolised the Royal Navy during the twilight years of the British Empire before, in 1941, being destroyed in seconds by the battleship Bismarck, a catastrophe that shattered the morale the British public. For those who manned her, however, she was both a home and a fighting platform, and this new book, through official documents as well as the personal accounts and reminiscences of more than 150 crewmen, offers a vivid image of the face of naval life and the face of naval battle. A brilliant behind-the scenes exposé of a warship in peace and war, it not only paints an intimate picture of everyday life but deals with any number of controversial issues such as the Invergordon mutiny, escapades ashore and afloat, the Christmas mutiny of 1940 and the terrible conditions onboard in war. This coverage, based on so many original sources, makes for a truly compelling story which neither historian, enthusiast nor general reader will find easy to put down.
'The deck and the bridge were pointing to the sky at an alarming angle and our thoughts were to get the devil out of it and into the water. Almost in unison we shouted "for God's sake jump boys".' Citizen Sailors is a groundbreaking people's history of the Royal Navy in the Second World War. Drawing on hundreds of contemporary diaries and letters, along with memoirs, oral history and official documents, Glyn Prysor tells the human story of Britain's war at sea. The sailors of the Royal Navy fought from the very first day of the war until the very last. They played a vital part in a truly global war, from America to Australia and from the Arctic to South Africa. They fought in every conceivable vessel: vast aircraft carriers and cramped corvettes, fast motor boats and rickety minesweepers, Swordfish biplanes and ageing submarines. Seen through the eyes of sailors themselves, this is a compelling account of life in the wartime Royal Navy: humanity and horror, triumphs and tragedies, nerve-wracking convoys and epic gun battles, devastating aerial bombardment and swashbuckling amphibious landings. Citizen Sailors puts the Royal Navy and its sailors back at the heart of the story of Britain's Second World War.
Launched in 1942 as World War II was raging, HMS Unruffled patrolled the oceans for the remainder of the hostilities, destroying nearly 40,000 tons of enemy shipping - and one train - before retiring, battered and bruised but glorious, and without losing a man. James Gregan's home town of Colchester adopted the vessel and took its gallant crew to its heart, and more than 70 years on, Gregan has written this book to celebrate the forgotten submarine which he describes as 'not just another piece of war machinery but a boat which helped thirty-three heroes to survive a war when so many brave young men did not return'. The book is a detailed, thoroughly-researched account of Unruffled's three and a half years of service from Norway to the Mediterranean and from Scotland to Bermuda, with detailed accounts of every encounter, every moment of fear and every hour of glory.ÿ
Author : James E. Wise,Scott Baron Publisher : US Naval Institute Press Page : 302 pages File Size : 40,5 Mb Release : 2004 Category : History ISBN : UOM:39015057597844
Soldiers Lost at Sea by James E. Wise,Scott Baron Pdf
"Heroism, tragedy, devotion to duty, and scandal are just a few of the ingredients that make up this dramatic account of troopship losses in wartime. International in scope, the book offers a compilation of stories about historic troopship disasters caused by torpedoes, aerial attacks, mines, surface fire, foul weather, friendly fire, and poor planning by military decision makers ... Board of inquiry hearings, action reports, survivor debriefings, and personal correspondence collected from archives in Germany, Italy, Russia, Australia, Britain, and the United States help tell the stories of the fifty vessels described in the book. An introductory chapter provides an overview of troopship evolution and losses at sea, beginning with the age of galley warfare. The first to provide a sweeping survey of the subject, this book pays long overdue tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in vast oceans far from home"--Dust jkt.
Only seven U.S. submariners earned the Medal of Honor in World War II. Sam Dealey, the USS Harder's commander, was one of them. His honor was awarded posthumously after the entire crew was lost off Bataan during a depth-charge attack in August 1944 by a Japanese convoy. The Harder's fighting spirit is legendary, and its record of sinking a total of eighteen enemy ships (with a tonnage in excess of 55,000) made Dealey one of the top five submarine skippers in the war. During a single patrol his crew sank five enemy destroyers in five short-range torpedo attacks —an unprecedented feat. In addition, the Harder played important roles in rescue missions, extracting secret operatives deep in enemy territory and saving downed pilots. Drawing on previously untapped sources, Michael Sturma, an Australian teaching at Murdoch University, details several daring missions, one that involved the heroic Australian commando Bill Jinkins, and puts the Harder's action in the context of the overall Pacific campaign. In do so, the author adds not only significant information to the Harder's story but also provides a fresh perspective on the submarine war.
The Second World War battleship HMS Rodney achieved lasting fame for her role in destroying the pride of Hitler's navy, the mighty Bismarck in a thrilling duel. The Rodney carrying the largest guns ever mounted in a British warship finally succeeded in turning her adversary into twisted metal and so removed a major threat to the Atlantic convoy routes so vital to the survival of the Nation and the war effort. This splendid book traces not only this mighty battleship's career in detail but describes the careers of all the ships carrying the name.