(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) The Knight’s Cross (Ritterkreuz) was one of the highest decorations given for extreme acts of valour to all ranks of the German armed forces during the Second World War. In the perilous and close-knit world of the U-boat crews the award of the decoration to their captain was an event of particular pride and sometimes it was even added to the boat’s insignia. In all, there were 123 recipients, including their commander-in-chief Karl Dönitz. This extensively illustrated book is the ideal guide to all these men and their wartime service. Graphic text accompanied by almost 200 archive photographs describes the exploits of each of them, including those who received the higher grades of the award. Full details are given of their tours of duty, the operations they took part in, how they won their award, how many ships they sank and their subsequent careers. (Published: 2019) (Publisher: Pen & Sword) (ISBN: 9781526718730) (Pagination: 323pp, c200 b/w photos) (Condition: new in d/w) UL-XXXXXX
(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) The Lessons of the Early War, 1939–1941. Cruisers were the Navy’s maids-of-all-work, employed in a greater variety of roles than any other warship type. Smaller, faster and far more numerous than battleships, they could be risked in situations where capital ships were too vulnerable, while still providing heavy gunfire support for smaller ships or anti-aircraft cover for the fleet. As such, they were in the frontline of the naval war from the outset – and from its first days, the fighting provided unexpected challenges and some very unpleasant surprises, not least the efficacy of air power. The book concludes with a comparison between the performance of British cruisers and their Italian and German opponents. (Published: 2019) (Publisher: Seaforth Publishing) (ISBN: 9781526747631) (Pagination: large format, 320pp, numerous b/w photos, charts + 4 fold out double page plans ) (Condition: new in d/w) UL-XXXXXX
(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) For most of the twentieth century Britain possessed the world's largest merchant fleet and its most extensive overseas territories. Therefore, that the Royal Navy always showed a particular interest in the cruiser – a multi-purpose warship needed to defend trade routes and police the empire. For most of the inter-war years Britain sought to square this circle through international treaties restricting size and numbers. In the process she virtually invented the heavy cruiser and inspired the large 6in-armed cruiser. For the first time this book seeks to comprehend the full policy background, from which an entirely original picture emerges of British cruiser development. After the war the cruiser's role was reconsidered and the final chapters of the book cover modernisation, the plans for missile-armed ships and the convoluted process that turned the 'through-deck cruiser' into the Invincible class light carriers. The book feeatures detailed appendices of ship data, and is illustrated in depth with photos and specially commissioned plans. (Published: 2014) (Publisher: Seaforth Publishing) (ISBN: 9781848320789) (Pagination: Large format, 432pp, numerous b/w photos, plans) (Condition: new in d/w) UL-XXXXXX
(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) Hans Rose was one of Germany’s most successful World War I U-boat aces, and her most successful ace during the convoy period when attacks by U-boats were most difficult and dangerous. Acknowledging his chivalry, US Admiral Sims declared ‘Allied naval officers would be willing today to shake his hand.’ This book is the only time the Rose family has agreed to make Hans Rose’s personal papers available to any researcher or biographer. The authors present new information from the Krupp archives and naval archives in Britain, US, and Germany. (Published: 2018) (Publisher: Amberley Publishing) (ISBN: 9781445675602) (Pagination: 320pp, numerous colour & b/w photos & illustrations) (Condition: new in d/w) UL-XXXXXX
(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) Launched during the last days of the Third Reich, the majority of these revolutionary Electro-U-boats never saw action. Instead they became the forebears of the Cold War’s hunter killer submarines. The massive Type XXI was planned to replace the conventional U-boat and were designed to operate primarily submerged, as opposed to spending large periods of time on the surface. They utilized a huge number of batteries to alloew them to spend several days underwater, only needing to surface to periscope depth for recharging via a snorkel. (Published: 2018) (Publisher: Frontline Books) (ISBN: 9781526724809) (Pagination: 208pp, 20 colour & 140 b/w photos &illustrations) (Condition: New in d/w) UL-XXXXXX
(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) From the shelling of the fort at Westerplatte, on the Polish coast, on 1 September 1939, to the loss of thousands of German refugees at sea in May 1945, the Baltic witnessed continuous and ferocious fighting throughout the Second World War. In this new book, the author chronicles such major events as the Siege of Leningrad, the Soviet campaign against Sweden in 1942, the three wars in Finland 1939-44, the Soviet liberation of the Baltic states, the German evacuation of two million people from the East, and the Soviet race westwards in 1945. (Published: 2017) (Publisher: Pen & Sword) (ISBN: 9781526700001) (Pagination: 400pp, numerous b/w photos & maps) (Condition: New in d/w) UL-XXXXXX
(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) An account of the phase of the battle of the Atlantic when U-boats attacked both merchant and US naval vessels along the American East Coat with impunity and inflicted massive losses. With tankers burning and petrol rationing in New York City, the US Navy seemed powerless to stop the marauding U-boats. This new book seeks to explain how America responded to these assaults and looks at the steps that the Navy took to train the men, harness the scientists and make the organisational changes needed to defeat the German threat. As well as looking at the ships and men who fought the battles, the author explains the significance of the port of New York, its vulnerability to sabotage, and the relationship between the US Navy and the New York Mafia. (Published: 2017) (Publisher: Seaforth Publishing) (ISBN: 9781473887282) (Pagination: 208pp, map, 34 b/w photos) (Condition: New in d/w) UL-XXXXXX
(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) On the outbreak of war in 1939, Admiral Donitzs U-boat flotillas consisted of some thirty U-boats fully operational, with only six to eight at sea at any one time. Their activities were restricted mainly to the North Sea and British coastal waters. When France fell in the summer of 1940, the ports in the Bay of Biscay gave direct access to the Atlantic, and the ability to extend their reach. The Royal Navy was unable to escort convoys much beyond the Western Approaches. In a short time, the Allies were losing 500,000 tons of shipping a month, every month. Donitz now looked over the far horizons to America's Eastern Seaboard, the coasts of Africa, and the Mediterranean, where Allied merchantmen habitually sailed alone and unprotected. (Published: 2017) (Publisher: Pen & Sword) (ISBN: 9781473896055) (Pagination: 204pp, 17 b/w photos) (Condition: New in d/w) UL-XXXXXX
(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) A radical new account of one of Britain's greatest naval disasters. Making full use of modern research and unrivalled access to private family papers, it suggests that Admiral Sir Tom Phillips, the commander of the so-called 'Force Z', was made the scapegoat for a battle in which he was blameless, and that Winston Churchill, the Admiralty and chronic failures in ship design and Intelligence were what sank the ships. The book also shows what a very close run thing the sinkings were, and how Japanese success depended on them having luck on their side. 'Scapegoat' is a convincing attempt to right a wrong that has been allowed to stand for over 70 year. (Published: 2014) (Publisher: Pen & Sword) (ISBN: 9781783831784) (Pagination: 194pp, 2 maps & plans, 35 b/w photos) (Condition: New in d/w) UL-XXXXXX
(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) This first volume (of a four volume series) covers the evacuation of Lorient by the French navy and the subsequent takeover by the Kriegsmarine. Illustrated with over 600 photographs, it details the first year of the presence of the U-Boat arm in this port, as well as the major stages in the Battle of the Atlantic in which they participated. The U-boats docked at Lorient are presented in tabular form by type, flotilla, commander, as well as the date of commissioning. The book also provides an insight into the life of the crews ashore, and the British naval and air actions against the port of Lorient. (Published: 2015) (Publisher: Schiffer Publications) (ISBN: 9780764348303) (Pagination: Large format, 179pp, 600 + b/w & colour photos) (Condition: New in d/w) UL-XXXXXX
(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) Volume two (of this four volume series) tells the story of the seventy-eight German U-boats that passed through the port from July 1941 to July 1942. It explains the major phases in the Battle of the Atlantic in which the U-boats operated and particularly the attacks on merchant traffic along the American coast. It also details Allied actions against the port of Lorient, plus unedited reminiscences of the U-boat crews' life ashore in Lorient. The work is illustrated with over 500 exceptional photographs plus maps and plans and a unique color section of documents, and memories. (Published: 2015) (Publisher: Schiffer Publications) (ISBN: 9780764348310) (Pagination: Large format, 176pp, 540 + b/w & colour photos) (Condition: New in d/w) UL-XXXXXX
(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) Volume three (of this four-volume series) reveals the fate of the ninety-two German U-boats that passed through Lorient from August 1942 to August 1943. From October 1942, Type IX U-boats left Lorient for distant seas beyond the South African Cape and succeeded in sinking three times as many ships as those that attacked the North Atlantic convoys! The book details the massive effects of the Allied bombardments on both the base and town during the following months and discusses Allied progress in anti-U-boat operations that forced the U-boats to abandon the North Atlantic at the end of May 1943. The work is illustrated with over 600 exceptional photograph, maps and plans, plus unique color section. (Published: 2015) (Publisher: Schiffer Publications) (ISBN: 9780764348327) (Pagination: Large format, 176pp, 620 + b/w & colour photos) (Condition: New in d/w) UL-XXXXXX
(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) An account of the Patrols of U-201 in World War II. Few commanders symbolize the evolution of the German U-boat arm as does Adalbert "Adi" Schnee. In 1940, he commanded three Type II U-boats, U-6, U-60 and U-121, in which he registered his first successes in the Atlantic. From the beginning of 1941, he was appointed commander of U-201, the first Type VIIC U-boat allotted to I Flotilla. Seven patrols took him to the coasts of America and Africa, and he would receive the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, with 15 ships sunk in mid-Atlantic. in May 1945 he carried out a combat mission in the latest Type XXI U-boat, U-2511. (Published: 2015) (Publisher: Schiffer Publications) (ISBN: 9780764348235) (Pagination: Large format, 96pp, c400 b/w & colour photos) (Condition: New in illustrated boards) UL-XXXXXX
(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) The fast and formidably-armed battlecruisers of Great Britain and Germany developed before and during the First World War are compared and contrasted in detail that has never been attempted before. Chapters are devoted to their development, design and construction, protection, propulsion plants, weapons, fire control, and communication systems, focussing particularly on their strengths and weaknesses. The ships eventually clashed in the North Sea at Dogger Bank, in January 1915, and a year later at Jutland when three British ships were destroyed. (Published: 2016) (Publisher: Seaforth Publishing) (ISBN: 9781848321847) (Pagination: Large format, 276pp, 250 photos & 3-view drawings) (Condition: New in d/w) UL-XXXXXX
(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) German naval officer Rolf Mutzelburg was one of the outstanding figures of the German U-boat arm. After regular successes against the North Atlantic convoys, he found new victims directly along the shores of Canada. He received the highest decorations of the period and became one of the top U-boat aces, becoming one of Admiral Donitz's “Four Aces.” A photo album from a crew member, complemented by images sourced at the U-Boat Archive at Cuxhaven, illustrates the astonishing history of U-203 with 240 photographs and documents. Its eleven combat missions are illustrated by numerous maps and sketches plus the complete translation of its logbook. (Published: 2015) (Publisher: Schiffer Publications) (ISBN: 9780764348358) (Pagination: Large format, 88pp, 240 colour and b/w images) (Condition: New in illustrated boards) UL-XXXXXX
(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) The brainchild of Admiral Sir John Fisher, battlecruisers combined heavy guns and high speed in the largest hulls of their era. They were conceived as ‘super-cruisers’ to hunt down and destroy commerce raiders using their size and gun-power. This book traces in detail the development of Fisher’s original idea into first battlecruiser Invincible of 1908, through to the ‘Splendid Cats’ of the Lion class, and culminating in HMS Hood in 1920, the largest warship in the world at the time. Their developmental history is backed by chapters covering machinery, armament and armour, plus full technical data. Illustrations include the author’s superb drawings and original Admiralty plans reproduced in full colour. This is a revised and updated edition of the classic work first published in 1997. (Published: 2016) (Publisher: Seaforth Publishing) (ISBN: 9781473882355) (Pagination: Large format, 128pp, 17pp colour scale plans, numerous b/w photos) (Condition: New in d/w) UL-XXXXXX
(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) China and the Ordeal of HMS Amethyst. The attack on the British frigate on the Yangtze River by Chinese Communists in 1949 made world headlines. When she made a dramatic escape after being trapped for 101 days, the incident was eulogised as an example of outstanding courage and fortitude. The 'Yangtze Incident' was made into a feature film, which depicted the ship and her crew as innocent victims of Communist aggression. British Government files have now been released and in making use of these, the book tells an intriguing tale of intelligence failure and military over-confidence. (Published: 2015) (Publisher: Seaforth Publishing) (ISBN: 9781848322240) (Pagination: 276pp, 35 b/w photos, bibliography) (Condition: New in d/w) UL-XXXXXX
(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) This Photographic Archive contains some 125 stunning images of the battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, many unfamiliar, some very rare. The period covered is from the launch of Japan's first real contemporary battleship, Yashima, built by Armstrong's on the Tyne, up the final destruction of her fleet in the Pacific in 1945. During that time Japan built up the third largest navy in the world and all her dreadnoughts saw action in the Second World War. Of these, only Nagato survived the conflict. She was to become a target in the Bikini A-bomb tests in 1946. (Published: 2015) (Publisher: Seaforth Publishing) (ISBN: 9781848322349) (Pagination: Large format, 128pp, 125 b/w photos) (Condition: New in d/w) UL-XXXXXX
(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese offensive in the Far East seemed unstoppable. Allied forces engaged in a futile attempt to halt their rapid advance, culminating in the massed fleet of American, British, Dutch, and Australian forces clashing with the Japanese at the battle of the Java Sea. The Allied response was catastrophic, losing their largest warships and their tenuous toe-hold in the south Pacific within the first 72 hours of the battle. However, the Allied goal was never an outright victory, simply a delaying action. (Published: 2014) (Publisher: Osprey Publishing) (ISBN: 9781780967264) (Pagination: 487pp, 27 b/w photos, maps) (Condition: New in d/w) UL-XXXXXX
(Subject: Naval & Maritime: Ships, Submarines & Other Vessels - General) The battleships of the Dunkerque and Richelieu classes were the most radical and influential designs of the interwar period, and were coveted by the British, the Germans and the Italians following the Armistice of June 1940. After an extensive refit in the USA, Richelieu went on to serve alongside the Royal Navy during 1943-45. In this new study of these important and technically interesting ships, a full account of their development is followed by a detailed analysis of their design characteristics, profusely illustrated by inboard profiles and schematic drawings. The technical chapters are interspersed with operational histories of the ships (Published: 2009) (Publisher: Seaforth Publishing) (ISBN: 9781848320345) (Pagination: Large format, 232pp, c800 colour & b/w illustrations & plans) (Condition: New in d/w) UL-XXXXXX
