Download or read book Midget Submarines of the Second World War written by Paul Kemp and published by Chatham Publishing. This book was released on 1999 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author looks at why major navies engaged in the development of midget submarines during World War II.

Download or read book Axis Midget Submarines written by Jamie Prenatt and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2014-06-20 with total page 103 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During World War II, Germany, Japan, and Italy built approximately 2,000 small, inherently stealthy, naval craft to perform special operations and conventional naval missions. Much more numerous and more technically advanced than their Allied counterparts, they saw service worldwide, operating in the Pacific, Mediterranean, Black Sea, Indian Ocean, North Sea, and the English channel. Manned by courageous crews, these vessels made daring attacks on Allied ships in heavily protected anchorages using torpedoes and mines. Most notable were attacks against Gibraltar – launched from an Italian cargo vessel interred in nearby neutral Spain that had been converted into a clandestine support base and equipped with an underwater hatch – and Pearl Harbor. They were used against shipping in coastal waters and, near the end of the war, in desperate attempts to offset their opponents' overwhelming naval superiority during the US advance across the Pacific and the Allied amphibious landings in France and Italy. This volume will detail the history, weapons, and operations of German, Japanese, and Italian midget submarines.

Download or read book Axis Midget Submarines written by Jamie Prenatt and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 2014-06-17 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Axis Midget Submarines details the history, weapons, and operations of German, Japanese, and Italian midget submarines during World War II. Over this period, Germany, Japan, and Italy built approximately 2,000 small, inherently stealthy, naval craft to perform special operations and conventional navy missions. Much more numerous and more technically advanced than their Allied counterparts, they saw service worldwide, operating in the Pacific, Mediterranean, Black Sea, Indian Ocean, North Sea, and the English Channel. Manned by courageous crews, these vessels made daring attacks on Allied ships in heavily protected anchorages using torpedoes and mines. Most notable were attacks against Gibraltar - launched from an Italian cargo vessel interred in nearby neutral Spain that had been converted into a clandestine support base and equipped with an underwater hatch - and Pearl Harbor. They were used against shipping in coastal waters and, near the end of the war, in desperate attempts to offset their opponents' overwhelming naval superiority during the US advance across the Pacific and the Allied amphibious landings in France and Italy. In this book, the term midget submarine includes submarines of less than 50 tons, equipped with two torpedoes and a crew of 1-4, and manned torpedoes, relatively short range torpedo-size craft with one or two operators and armed with either mines or one torpedo. It excludes vessels designed as suicide craft. It addresses operational vessels and prototypes, spanning 11 German, 4 Japanese, and 5 Italian classes. The most advanced types incorporated innovative design features and served as the basis for a number of post-war vessels. This book also briefly covers the larger vessels used to transport the midget submarines to their operational areas. Also included is an analysis of the effectiveness of these vessels, including an examination of their strengths and weaknesses. The success (or lack of success) will be discussed both in the context of the individual vessel design and as a component of their respective nation's submarine force. They are also compared to similar Allied designs.

Download or read book Midget Submarine Commander written by Paul Watkins and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2013-01-19 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Of all the acts of gallantry in World War II few were as audacious as the attack by midget submarines on the pride of the German fleet, the battleship Tirpitz, lying in her fortified mooring in a Norwegian fjord. Lieutenant Godfrey Place was in command of submarine X7 in September 1943 and traveled over 1000 miles, negotiating minefields and antisubmarine nets to accurately place four tons of high explosive under the hull of the Tirpitz. He was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1944, at the age of 22. Taken prisoner he was repatriated to England at the end of the war, and continued to serve in the Royal Navy for 25 years, flying with 801st squadron in the Korean War, and served on aircraft carriers at Suez, Nigeria and the withdrawal from Aden. On his retirement in 1970, he had the distinction of being the last serving naval officer to hold the Victoria Cross.Using many first-hand accounts, the book details his life, from a childhood spent partly in East Africa to being Chairman of the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association for over 20 years. It draws on previously unpublished material, including his own recollections on the attack on the Tirpitz and his time as a prisoner of war.

Download or read book Above Us the Waves written by C. e. t. Warren and published by Pen & Sword. This book was released on 2006 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Divided into five parts, the first covers the development and the attempt on the Tirpitz, the second and third to Mediterranean and Norwegian operations, while the fourth deals with the coast of Fortress Europe and the Normandy Beaches. Part Five considers the special preparations for the Far East.

Download or read book Above Us the Waves written by Charles Esme Thornton Warren and published by . This book was released on 1954 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Complete Idiot s Guide to Submarines written by Michael DiMercurio and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2002-12-23 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents information about submarines, from providing a room-by-room tour of a typical vessel to analyzing the history of submarines during wars and on maneuvers.

Download or read book The Lost Submarines of Pearl Harbor written by James P. Delgado and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2016-11-16 with total page 397 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the pre-dawn darkness of December 7, 1941, five Imperial Japanese Navy submarines surfaced off the coast of Oahu. Secured to the decks of these vessels were secret weapons to be deployed for the first time in modern warfare: two-man midget submarines, intended to enter Pearl Harbor without being detected and torpedo the US Navy battleships lying at anchor there. None of them would return from their mission. “One of the last remaining and persistent mysteries of the Pearl Harbor attack is that of the Japanese Midget Submarines. It is a fascinating story of innovation, courage, secrets, and failed expectations. And it is not only a story of the morning hours of December 7, but of the years before to develop these weapons and the years after, where they were deployed in the great Pacific War and how they fared as weapons of war.” These words by Daniel J. Basta, from the foreword of this work, capture both the essence and the impact of The Lost Submarines of Pearl Harbor. James P. Delgado and his coauthors have worked on the story of these incredible craft for decades. They combed the records of the US Navy and the recollections of its veterans as well as Japanese, Australian, and British archives in order to uncover the truth. They have logged hours of direct observation and research on the midget subs in their final resting places, in some cases more than 1,000 feet below the surface of the Pacific. And in the end, they have woven a tapestry of scholarship, historical sleuthing, scientific insight, and good storytelling that will enthrall specialists and history enthusiasts alike.

Download or read book A Very Rude Awakening written by Peter Grose and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2007-05-01 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In May of 1942, the war seemed very far away to most Sydneysiders - until the night the three Japanese midget submarines crept into the harbour and caused an unforgettable night of mayhem, high farce, chaos and courage. A ground-breaking new look at one of the most extraordinary stories of Australia at war. On the night of 31 May 1942, Sydney was doing what it does best: partying. The theatres, restaurants, dance halls, illegal gambling dens, clubs and brothels offered plenty of choice to roistering sailors, soldiers and airmen on leave in Australia's most glamorous city. The war seemed far away. Newspapers devoted more pages to horse racing than to Hitler. That Sunday night the party came to a shattering halt when three Japanese midget submarines crept into the harbour, past eight electronic indicator loops, past six patrolling Royal Australian Navy ships, and past an anti-submarine net stretched across the inner harbour entrance. Their arrival triggered a night of mayhem, courage, chaos and high farce which left 27 sailors dead and a city bewildered. The war, it seemed, was no longer confined to distant desert and jungle. It was right here at Australia's front door. Written at the pace of a thriller and based on new first person accounts and previously unpublished official documents, A Very Rude Awakening is a ground-breaking and myth-busting look at one of the most extraordinary stories ever told of Australia at war.

Download or read book Tirpitz in Norway written by Angus Konstam and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-11-28 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In September 1943, under the cover of darkness, six British midget submarines crept into the heart of enemy territory, penetrating a heavily guarded Norwegian fjord in an attempt to eliminate the threat of the powerful German battleship, the Tirpitz. Numerous previous attempts to attack the ship from both air and sea had failed, and this mission was carefully strategized, and undertaken by skilled operatives who had undergone extensive training in an isolated sea loch. Though five of the six X-Craft submarines were either lost or captured, two crews had just enough time to lay their explosive charges, which detonated after they were forced to the surface, putting the Tirpitz out of action for a crucial six-month period. Masterminded from a top-secret naval headquarters on the east coast of Scotland, Operation Source has been memorialised as one of the most daring naval raids of World War II. This new study tells the complete story of this epic operation in unparalleled detail, supported by full-colour illustrations and contemporary photography.

Download or read book The Japanese Submarine Force and World War II written by Akihiko Yoshida and published by Naval Institute Press. This book was released on 2013-01-15 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When first published in 1995, this book was hailed as an absolutely indispensable contribution to the history of the Pacific War. Drawing heavily from Japanese sources and American wartime intercepts of secret Japanese radio messages, a noted American naval historian and a Japanese mariner painstakingly recorded and evaluated a diverse array of material about Japan's submarines in World War II. The study begins with the development of the first Japanese 103-ton Holland-type submergible craft in 1905 and continues through the 1945 surrender of the largest submarine in the world at the time, the 5300-ton I-400 class that carried three airplanes. Submarine weapons, equipment, personnel, and shore support systems are discussed first in the context of Japanese naval preparations for war and later during the war. Both successes and missed opportunities are analyzed in operations ranging from the California coast through the Pacific and Indian Oceans to the coast of German-occupied France. Appendixes include lists of Japanese submarine losses and the biographies of key Japanese submarine officers. Rare illustrations and specifically commissioned operational maps enhance the text.

Download or read book Above us the waves written by C. E. T. Warren and published by . This book was released on 1971 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Coffin Boats written by Peggy Warner and published by Leo Cooper Books. This book was released on 1986 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Underwater Warriors written by Paul Kemp and published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. This book was released on 1996 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Enter the fascinating and elite world of secret naval units--the frogmen and commandos who waged war with midget submarines and human torpedoes. These subs, which came to prominence during World War Two, were potent weapons, better able than any other craft to penetrate deep into enemy waters and close in on unsuspecting targets. Here is their history, including the derivatives (like small submersibles), operational details, brave underwater warriors who manned them, daring attacks, and future role. Enter the fascinating and elite world of secret naval units--the frogmen and commandos who waged war with midget submarines and human torpedoes. These subs, which came to prominence during World War Two, were potent weapons, better able than any other craft to penetrate deep into enemy waters and close in on unsuspecting targets. Here is their history, including the derivatives (like small submersibles), operational details, brave underwater warriors who manned them, daring attacks, and future role.

Download or read book Encyclopedia of British Submarines 1901 1955 written by Paul Akermann and published by Periscope Publishing Ltd.. This book was released on 2002-11 with total page 550 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The history of the development of submarines covered in this book spans the most tumultuous years of the 20th century. When the little Holland No. 1 was launched in 1901, few could guess that the submarine would become the most potent weapon of war ever developed.

Download or read book Weapons of Desperation written by Lawrence Paterson and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2018-03-30 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the Third Reich headed for destruction, German ingenuity in the naval field turned to unconventional weapons – midget submarines, radio-controlled explosive boats, and various forms of underwater sabotage. This is one of the last un-chronicled areas of World War II naval history and this well-known author describes how, facing overwhelming odds, German sailors – most of them volunteers – mounted attacks that were little better than suicide missions. Judged by their effect on the Allied advance, their successes were slight, but there seems to have been no collapse of morale and the indomitable bravery of those involved makes riveting reading. Pieced together from fragmentary sources, this largely untold story uncovers some of the most desperate operations of the War.

Download or read book Tirpitz written by Niklas Zetterling and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2009-12-19 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The authors of Bismarck deliver “a very good account of the Tirpitz and of the naval war in the North Atlantic and Norwegian waters” during World War II (NYMAS Review). After the Royal Navy’s bloody high seas campaign to kill the mighty Bismarck, the Allies were left with an uncomfortable truth—the German behemoth had a twin sister. Slightly larger than her sibling, the Tirpitz was equally capable of destroying any other battleship afloat, as well as wreaking havoc on Allied troop and supply convoys. For the next three and a half years, the Allies launched a variety of attacks to remove Germany’s last serious surface threat, hidden within fjords along the Norwegian coast. Trying an indirect approach, the British launched one of the war’s most daring commando raids—at St. Nazaire—in order to knock out the last drydock in Europe capable of servicing the Tirpitz. Of over six hundred commandos and sailors in the raid, more than half were lost during an all-night battle that succeeded, at least, in knocking out the drydock. It was not until November 1944 that the Tirpitz finally succumbed to British aircraft armed with ten-thousand–pound Tallboy bombs, the ship capsizing at last with the loss of one thousand sailors. In this book, military historians Niklas Zetterling and Michael Tamelander, authors of Bismarck: The Final Days of Germany’s Greatest Battleship, illuminate the strategic implications and dramatic battles surrounding the Tirpitz, a ship that may have had greater influence on the course of World War II than her more famous sister. “A riveting story . . . keeps the reader engaged.” —Nautilus, A Maritime Journal of Literature, History and Culture