Download or read book British Coastal Forces written by Norman Friedman and published by Seaforth Publishing. This book was released on 2023-04-30 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Royal Navy invented the fast motor torpedo boat during the First World War, and used it and other small coastal craft to great effect during the Second. This book tells the dramatic story of British coastal forces, both offensive and defensive, in both World Wars and beyond. In the Second World War, British coastal forces fought a desperate battle to control the narrow seas, particularly the Channel and the North Sea, and took the war to the coasts of German-occupied Europe, fighting where larger warships could not be risked. They also made a significant contribution to victory in the Mediterranean, but it was primarily warfare in home waters that shaped wartime British Coastal Forces and left lessons for postwar development. In this book, Norman Friedman uniquely connects the technical story of the coastal craft and their weapons and other innovations with the way they fought. In both world wars much of the technology was at the edge of what was feasible at the time. Boats incorporated considerable British innovation and also benefited from important US contributions, particularly in supplying high-powered engines during World War II. In contrast with larger warships, British coastal forces craft were essentially shaped by a few builders, and their part in the story is given full credit. They also built a large number of broadly similar craft for air-sea rescue, and for completeness these are described in an appendix. This fascinating, dramatic story is also relevant to modern naval thinkers concerned with gaining or denying access to hostile shores. The technology has changed but the underlying realities have not. This book includes an extensive account of how coastal forces supported the biggest European example of seizing a defended shore, the Normandy invasion. That was by far the largest single British coastal forces operation, demanding a wide range of innovations to make it possible. Like other books in this series, this one is based very heavily on contemporary official material, much of which has not been used previously like the extensive reports of US naval observers, who were allowed wide access to the Royal Navy as early as 1940. Combined with published memoirs, these sources offer a much more complete picture than has previously appeared of how Coastal Forces fought and of the way in which various pressures, both operational and industrial, shaped them.
Download or read book British Coastal Forces written by Norman Friedman and published by Seaforth Publishing. This book was released on 2023-04-30 with total page 985 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Royal Navy invented the fast motor torpedo boat during the First World War, and used it and other small coastal craft to great effect during the Second. This book tells the dramatic story of British coastal forces, both offensive and defensive, in both World Wars and beyond. In the Second World War, British coastal forces fought a desperate battle to control the narrow seas, particularly the Channel and the North Sea, and took the war to the coasts of German-occupied Europe, fighting where larger warships could not be risked. They also made a significant contribution to victory in the Mediterranean, but it was primarily warfare in home waters that shaped wartime British Coastal Forces and left lessons for postwar development. In this book, Norman Friedman uniquely connects the technical story of the coastal craft and their weapons and other innovations with the way they fought. In both world wars much of the technology was at the edge of what was feasible at the time. Boats incorporated considerable British innovation and also benefited from important US contributions, particularly in supplying high-powered engines during World War II. In contrast with larger warships, British coastal forces craft were essentially shaped by a few builders, and their part in the story is given full credit. They also built a large number of broadly similar craft for air-sea rescue, and for completeness these are described in an appendix. This fascinating, dramatic story is also relevant to modern naval thinkers concerned with gaining or denying access to hostile shores. The technology has changed but the underlying realities have not. This book includes an extensive account of how coastal forces supported the biggest European example of seizing a defended shore, the Normandy invasion. That was by far the largest single British coastal forces operation, demanding a wide range of innovations to make it possible. Like other books in this series, this one is based very heavily on contemporary official material, much of which has not been used previously like the extensive reports of US naval observers, who were allowed wide access to the Royal Navy as early as 1940. Combined with published memoirs, these sources offer a much more complete picture than has previously appeared of how Coastal Forces fought and of the way in which various pressures, both operational and industrial, shaped them.
Download or read book Victory at Sea written by Hal Lawrence and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Kriegsmarine Coastal Forces written by Gordon Williamson and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-06-20 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although often overlooked in favour of the U-boats or battleships, the vast majority of the Kriegsmarine was formed of the smaller vessels of the coastal forces. These ships and boats, which included minesweepers, torpedo boats, patrol boats, and blockade breakers, gave crucial service to Germany during the war, and many continued serving for decades after the surrender in such tasks as clearing minefields. Also included in these forces was Hitler's yacht, the Ostwind. This book reveals the history of the vessels that formed the backbone of the Kriegsmarine, and combines fascinating anecdotes, detailed technical information, and full-colour artwork.
Download or read book The War for England s Shores written by G. H. Bennett and published by Naval Institute Press. This book was released on 2023-09-15 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The War for England's Shores examines the Kriegsmarine’s S-Boat offensive along the English Channel and the North Sea from 1940 to 1945, together with British (later Allied) responses to nullify that threat. The campaign against the convoys running along the coast of Britain has been overlooked by historians. Swift and armed with torpedoes and mines, the S-Boat posed a serious threat to the convoys forced to run along the British coast as often as six days out of every seven. Using an array of archival materials from Britain, Germany, and the United States, The War for England’s Shores examines why the Germans failed to make the most of this opportunity to disrupt the British war economy. G. H. Bennett analyzes how the British slowly nullified the threat by embracing new technologies and developing a system of sea control to gradually force the German S-Boat arm to transition from offensive action against Britain's coastal convoys to the defensive posture of waiting for an invasion of France. Considering the war along Britain's coastal convoy routes in the context of twenty-first-century interest in littoral warfare, this work has vital, current appeal using the German S-Boat campaign of 1940 to 1945 to offer significant and surprising new insights.
Download or read book Flag 4 written by Dudley Pope and published by . This book was released on 1954 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Flag 4, the signal for 'attack with torpedoes', is an account of British motor torpedo boats in the Mediterranean during the Second World War. British Coastal Forces were the smallest fighting ships of the Royal Navy, able to fight in the shallowest waters, penetrate minefields and hide in the inlets of enemy-held islands; they were, in fact, from 1940 to 1943, the only surface craft able to continually seek out and attack the enemy. Based on the eyewitness acoounts of the officers and men who served in these perilous actions.
Download or read book Allied Coastal Forces of WWII Volume 1 written by John Lambert and published by Conway. This book was released on 1990 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first volume in this series detailing all the designs for Motor Torpedo Boats, Motor Gun Boats and Motor Launches that served the Allied Forces in the period 1939-45. It covers all the designs of the British Fairmile Marine Company (including those craft built and equipped in Canada), together with the 72ft Admiralty harbor Defence Motor Launch designs and the US Navy's 110ft submarine chaser. Separate sections deal with Coastal Forces armament and equipment in full, and appendices include further technical detail, production data, provisioning and typical service records.
Download or read book Flag 4 written by Dudley Pope and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Flag 4, the signal for 'attack with torpedoes', is an account of British motor torpedo boats in the Mediterranean during the Second World War. British Coastal Forces were the smallest fighting ships of the Royal Navy, able to fight in the shallowest waters. They were the only surface craft able to continually seek out and attack the enemy. This book is based on the eyewitness accounts of the officers and men who served in these perilous actions.
Download or read book Dog Boats at War written by Leonard C Reynolds and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2009-05-29 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Built of plywood and measuring 115 feet long, powered by four supercharged petrol engines and armed to the teeth with heavy weapons, the 'D' Class Motor Gun Boats (MGBs) and Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs) were better known as Dog Boats and played havoc with enemy shipping in home and foreign waters. During three years of war they engaged the enemy on more than 350 occasions, sinking and damaging many ships. Dog Boats at War is the authoritative account of operations by the Royal Navy's 'D' Class MGBs and MTBs in the Second World War in Home, Mediterranean and Norwegian waters. As well as drawing on official records - both British and German - the author has contacted several hundred Dog Boat veterans whose eye witness accounts add drama to the unfolding story.
Download or read book British Naval Weapons of World War Two Volume III written by Norman Friedman and published by Seaforth Publishing. This book was released on 2020-07-30 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Lambert was a drafter of no mean skill . . . his drawings are concise, clear, and invaluable to scratchbuilders and super-detailers. Very highly recommended!” —Nautical Research Journal John Lambert was a renowned naval draftsman whose plans were highly valued for their accuracy and detail by modelmakers and enthusiasts. By the time of his death in 2016 he had produced over 850 sheets of drawings, many of which had never been published. Now they have become available in these remarkable collections, with expert commentary and captioning included. The initial volumes concentrate on British naval weaponry used in the Second World War, thus completing the project Lambert was working on when he died. His interest was always focused on smaller warships and his weapons drawings tend to be of open mountings—the kind that present a real challenge to modelmakers—rather than enclosed turret guns, but he also produced drawings of torpedo tubes, underwater weapons, fire-control directors, and even some specific armament-related deck fittings. Following the earlier volumes on destroyer and escort armament, this one covers the multitude of weapons carried by Coastal Forces, many of which were improvised, ad hoc, or obsolescent, but eventually led to powerful purpose-designed weaponry. An appendix covering the main deck guns carried by British submarines of this era is included, along with an introductory essay by naval ordnance authority Norman Friedman and a selection of photos.
Download or read book Coastal Forces Vessels of the Royal Navy from 1865 written by Maurice Cocker and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An insight into the Royal Navy's various vessels
Download or read book Allied Coastal Forces of World War II Volume I written by John Lambert and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2018-10-30 with total page 864 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The major contribution made by Coastal Forces to the Allied war effort has had surprisingly little coverage in the literature of the Second World War. Motor torpedo boats, PT boats, motor gunboats, launches and submarine chasers served with distinction throughout the War, and in every theatre. They performed invaluable service as patrol boats, convoy escorts, minelayers and minesweepers, harbour defence vessels, light landing craft, RAF rescue boats and transports for agents and clandestine missions.Allied Coastal Forces, now a recognised classic work and first published in 1990, remains the only publication to deal comprehensively in words, photographs and drawings with the technical detail of all these boats. Design, construction and subsequent development are all covered, and the builders, construction lists, fates and the technical data are given for each type. Separate sections cover armament and equipment, sea-going qualities and habitability.This first volume covers all the designs of the Fairmile Marine Company (including those craft built and equipped for Canada), together with the 72ft Harbour Defence Motor Launch and the US Navy 110ft subchaser.The authors, firmly established as the recognised authorities on small warships, unearthed a remarkable body of information now included in this major work, and their finely detailed drawings, redrawn form original builders plans, offer an unparalleled view of all these remarkable designs. The new editions of their work will be welcomed by naval enthusiasts and modellers alike.
Download or read book Coastal Forces written by Barry Clarke and published by Potomac Books. This book was released on 1994 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Coastal Forces at War written by David Jefferson and published by Haynes Publications. This book was released on 1996-01-01 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coastal Forces at WarJeffersonSubtitled: Royal Navy Little Ships in World War 2. The amazing story of the fast patrol boats that kept Britains coastal waters free of enemy craft during WWII. Jefferson describes the layout, armament, engines, crew and role of these Little Ships, and explains training, life ashore and conditions at sea. Fully reveals German E-Boat operations, and details the development of Motor Gun Boats and high-speed Motor Launches. Hdbd., 6x 9, 28 pgs., 75 bandw ill.
Download or read book Fairmile D Motor Torpedo Boat written by John Lambert and published by Conway. This book was released on 2005-04-29 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Fairmile Type D was designed to combat the known advantages of German S-boats (Schnellboote - but always called 'E-boats' by the Allies) over previous British coastal craft designs. Designed for 31 knots at 80 tons' displacement, the Fairmile Ds were the most potent and heavily-armed coastal forces type of any navy. They fulfilled various roles, from the original MTB/MGB role to anti-submarine and mine operations. This book is the most comprehensive body of information available anywhere in a single volume on this important type. This book provides the finest documentation of these uniquely fast small warships ever produced, through a complete set of superbly executed line drawings offering enthusiasts a novel insight into ship design and construction. In addition, it includes a service and design history and a pictorial section emphasising close-up and on-board photographs.
Download or read book Wine Dark Blood Red Sea written by Charles Koburger and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 1999-09-30 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After Italy's surrender to the Allies in September 1943, German naval forces took control of the entire Aegean, and the resulting guerrilla war in the narrow seas and littoral waters would continue to rage until the general peace. Naval warfare in the narrow seas is different from naval actions on the high seas, requiring different types of ships and craft and different mindsets. In the cramped and narrow inshore waters, which can easily be dominated from the shore, sea mines, shore-based air support, and small submarines play a major role. An analysis of the battle for the Aegean provides a good example of the types of fighting the U.S. Navy might face in a future conflict, now that grande guerre on the high seas has become more and more unlikely. In attempt to assist an embattled Greece, the British Mediterranean Fleet fought the Italians and the Germans in a valiant effort to hold the Aegean. By the time Italy left the war in 1943, the Allies' big battalions and mighty fleets were being transferred to other more pressing campaigns, leaving behind the remaining small craft to take up the fight. Adopting a policy of pinning down those Germans garrisoning the Aegean, the British resorted to the use of raiding and coastal forces, a tactic which would eventually force the Germans from all but their most key positions.
Download or read book Home Waters MTBs MGBs at War 1939 1945 written by Leonard C. Reynolds and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This third and final volume in the Royal Navy Coastal Forces trilogy offers eyewitness accounts of operations in the English Channel and North Sea by the Royal Navy's short MTBs and MGBs during World War II. The chronological account also traces the evolution of tactics and strategies, boat construction, training and administration. It demonstrates dramatically the difference between the boats which began the war and those which finished it.
