Download or read book British Motor Gun Boat 1939 45 written by Angus Konstam and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-03-20 with total page 111 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Motor Gun Boats were the “Spitfires of the Seas” of the Royal Navy. Bristling with small-calibre guns and machine guns, they served in a variety of roles during the War. In the early war period they battled against German E-boats in the English Channel, then went on the offensive, searching the enemy shore for targets of opportunity. At other times, they ran support for Motor Torpedo Boats and were used to deliver commandos on various raids. Naval Warfare expert, Angus Konstam, tells the story of these small, but destructive boats, beginning with their design and development and carrying through to their operational use in both the European and Mediterranean theatres of World War II.
Download or read book British Motor Torpedo Boat 1939 45 written by Angus Konstam and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 2003-06-20 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the Second World War, flotillas of the Royal Navy's Motor Torpedo Boats and other coastal forces fought a deadly war for control of the English Channel and the North Sea. These small, fast boats attacked enemy convoys, escorted freighters, landed secret agents and even raided enemy ports. Unsung heroes, these craft and their tiny crews helped stave off defeat in the dark days of 1940. The same vessels then took the fight to other waters, and by the end of the war, British MTB's had seen service in the Mediterranean, the Baltic and the Far East. This book examines the development and operation of these frail, sleek little warships, and describes the way they were manned and how they fought.
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 Motor Gun Boat 1939 45 written by Angus Konstam and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-03-20 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Motor Gun Boats were the “Spitfires of the Seas” of the Royal Navy. Bristling with small-calibre guns and machine guns, they served in a variety of roles during the War. In the early war period they battled against German E-boats in the English Channel, then went on the offensive, searching the enemy shore for targets of opportunity. At other times, they ran support for Motor Torpedo Boats and were used to deliver commandos on various raids. Naval Warfare expert, Angus Konstam, tells the story of these small, but destructive boats, beginning with their design and development and carrying through to their operational use in both the European and Mediterranean theatres of World War II.
Download or read book Royal Navy Motor Gun Boat Owners Workshop Manual written by Diggory Rose and published by Haynes Publishing UK. This book was released on 2020-07-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the Second World War, the Royal Navy’s flotillas of small, fast and powerfully armed motor gun boats (MGBs) were looked upon as the ‘Spitfires of the Seas’. Operating from their harbour bases around the south and east coasts of England, RN Coastal Forces crews would set out under cover of darkness to look for trouble with German shipping in the Channel and the North Sea. The vicious close-quarter skirmishes that ensued were every bit as deadly as the aerial dogfights acted out at 30,000 ft by their RAF Spitfire contemporaries. Written by the curator of MGB 81, with contributions from other specialists involved with the boat, the Royal Navy Motor Gun Boat Owners' Workshop Manual is published in association with the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust and fully illustrated with archive photos, technical drawings and detailed photography of MGB 81.
Download or read book US Patrol Torpedo Boats written by Gordon L. Rottman and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2011-12-20 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN E-BOOK. Motor torpedo boat development began in the early 1900s, and the vessels first saw service during World War I. However, it was not until the late 1930s that the US Navy commenced the development of the Patrol Torpedo or PT boat. The PT boat was designed for attacking larger warships with torpedoes using its 'stealth' ability, high-speed and small size to launch and survive these attacks – although they were employed in a wide variety of other missions, including rescuing General MacArthur and his entourage from the Philippines. This book examines the design and development of these unique craft, very few of which survive today, and goes on to examine their role and combat deployment in World War II.
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 86 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 German E boats 1939 45 written by Gordon Williamson and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-04-20 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By the outbreak of World War II, Germany had done much to replace the Kaiser's High Seas Fleet, which was scuttled following their surrender at the end of World War I. Forced to build anew, the Kriegsmarine possessed some of the most technically advanced warships in existence. Although the heavy units of the fleet were too small in number to pose much of a threat, Germany was particularly well served by her Navy's smaller vessels, in particular the U-Boats and the S-Boats. Known to the allies as the E-Boats ('Enemy'), they performed sterling duties in the Black Sea and English Channel, where they became a particular scourge.
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 British Destroyers 1939 45 written by Angus Konstam and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2017-11-30 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the possibility of war loomed in the 1930s, the British Admiralty looked to update their fleet of destroyers to compete with the new ships being built by Germany and Japan, resulting in the commissioning of the powerful Tribal-class. These were followed by the designing of the first of several slightly smaller ships, which carried fewer guns than the Tribals, but were armed with a greatly enlarged suite of torpedoes. The first of these, the 'J/K/M class' was followed by a number of wartime variants, with slight changes to their weaponry to suit different wartime roles. Designed to combat enemy surface warships, aircraft and U-boats, the British built these destroyers to face off against anything the enemy could throw at them. Using a collection of contemporary photographs and beautiful colour artwork, this is a fascinating new study of the ships that formed the backbone of the Royal Navy during World War II.
Download or read book The War of the Motor Gun Boats written by A. J. Chapman and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2013-10-02 with total page 197 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tony Chapman was born in Southampton in 1924. Aged 16 he watched with horror as the historic High Street of Southampton burnt to the ground in a firestorm caused by a heavy German bombing raid on the night of 30 November 1940. He vowed to join up and fight back. Tony joined the Navy.Within hours of being posted to his first Motor Gun Boat, Telegraphist Tony Chapman was involved in an epic Coastal Forces engagement when his flotilla took on a force of thirty E-boats. Although their unit of two MGBs sank three E-Boats, it was at a high cost. Half of Tony's shipmates were killed or injured.This was the start of an eventful and dramatic wartime service with these little warships. Tony's flotilla operated in the Mediterranean and Aegean where the Motor Gun Boats played a key role in this important but often neglected theatre.rnDaily life on these small ships is vividly described. The flotilla had a busy time showing the flag in the Levant and on combined operations in the Aegean with the Greek Sacred Regiment of Commandos. The culmination of their efforts was when Tony's boat, ML838, took the surrender of the Island of Kos in 1945.rnrnWritten from the perspective of one of the other ranks, War of the Motor Gun Boats fills an important gap in the literature of the Second World War.As featured in the North Devon Journal and Exmoor Magazine.
Download or read book US Navy Gunboats 1885 1945 written by Brian Lane Herder and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-04-15 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A study of the history of the US Navy's gunboats and their role in building a worldwide American naval presence abroad and in combat, from the Yangtze era through to World War II. 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 course, was the multinational Yangtze Patrol. Many US gunboats were built, purchased or reassembled overseas where they usually served out their entire careers, never coming within 7,000 miles of the national homeland which they served. Numerous gunboats were captured from the Spanish during the 1898 war, many being raised from shallow graves, refurbished, and commissioned into USN service. The classic haunt of US gunboats was the Asiatic Station of China and the Philippines. Gunboat service overseas was typically exotic and the sailors' lives were often exciting and unpredictable. The major operational theatres associated with the US gunboats were the pre-1898 cruises and patrols of the earliest steel gunboats, the Spanish-American War of 1898 (both the Philippines and the Caribbean), the guerilla wars of the early 20th century Philippines and Latin America, the Asiatic Fleet and Yangtze Patrol of the 1890s–1930s, and finally World War II, which largely entailed operations in China, the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies, Alaska, and on convoy routes. It was Japan's sudden 1941–1942 'Centrifugal Offensive' that effectively spelled the beginning of the end not just of most American gunboats, but also the century-old world order in Asia that had provided US gunboats with their primary mission.
Download or read book British Submarine vs Italian Torpedo Boat written by David Greentree and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2016-06-16 with total page 181 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the war in North Africa escalated, Axis war efforts became increasingly dependent on supply lines across the Mediterranean. To try to cut off these lines of supply the British deployed submarines from the besieged island of Malta with the directive to sink as much merchant convoy tonnage as possible. Italy responded by sending her Torpedo boats to protect and escort Axis convoys. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork and carefully chosen archive photographs, this engaging study assesses the evolving battle between Britain's submarines and Italy's torpedo boats in the struggle for primacy in the Mediterranean at the height of World War II.
Download or read book British Battleships 1939 45 1 written by Angus Konstam and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-12-20 with total page 111 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the outbreak of World War II, Britain's Royal Navy and her fleet of battleships would be at the forefront of her defence. Yet ten of the 12 battleships were already over 20 years old, having served in World War I, and required extensive modifications to allow them to perform a vital service throughout the six long years of conflict. This title offers a comprehensive review of the development of these British battleships from their initial commissioning to their peacetime modifications and wartime service, with detailed descriptions of the effectiveness of the main armament of individual ships. With specially commissioned artwork and a dramatic re-telling of key battleship conflicts, this book will highlight what it was like on board for the sailors who risked their lives on the high seas.
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 Coastal Craft History written by Mark Smith (Writer of Coastal craft history) and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The War for England s Shores written by G H Bennett and published by Seaforth Publishing. This book was released on 2023-12-30 with total page 342 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 and, later, Allied responses to nullify that threat. Very fast, and armed with torpedoes and mines, S-Boats posed a serious threat to the convoys that were forced to run close along the British coast on a daily basis. Despite the significance of this campaign and the real threat to the whole British war economy, it has been, until now, strangely overlooked by historians. Indeed, the book highlights issues around the maritime identity of those states and navies that see themselves in oceanic terms, at the expense of engagement with, and operations in, coastal waters. Using an array of archival materials from Britain, Germany and the USA, The War for England’s Shores examines why the Germans failed to make the most of this opportunity to disrupt British trade. G H Bennett analyzes how the British slowly countered the threat by embracing new technologies and developing a system of sea control that gradually forced the German S-Boat arm from the offensive against Britain's coastal convoys, and on to the defensive in the months leading up to the invasion of France. The author also looks at the S-Boat campaign along these convoy routes in the context of present-day interest in littoral warfare, so that the work has a vital and current appeal and offers significant and surprising insights. The book offers an unparalleled exploration of a key moment in the development of coastal warfare, and will appeal to historians and enthusiasts as well as defense analysts and naval personnel.
