Download or read book Hunter Killers written by Iain Ballantyne and published by Orion. This book was released on 2013-09-12 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: HUNTER KILLER: a submarine designed to pursue and attack enemy submarines and surface ships using torpedoes. HUNTER KILLERS will follow the careers of four daring British submarine captains who risked their lives to keep the rest of us safe, their exploits consigned to the shadows until now. Their experiences encompass the span of the Cold War, from voyages in WW2-era submarines under Arctic ice to nuclear-powered espionage missions in Soviet-dominated seas. There are dangerous encounters with Russian spy ships in UK waters and finally, as the communist facade begins to crack, they hold the line against the Kremlin's oceanic might, playing a leading role in bringing down the Berlin Wall. It is the first time they have spoken out about their covert lives in the submarine service. This is the dramatic untold story of Britain's most-secret service.

Download or read book Cold War Command written by Dan Conley and published by Seaforth Publishing. This book was released on 2014-06-30 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The part played in the Cold War by the Royal Navy's submarines still retains a great degree of mystery and, in the traditions of the 'Silent Service,' remains largely shrouded in secrecy. Cold War Command brings us as close as is possible to the realities of commanding nuclear hunter-killer submarines, routinely tasked to hunt out and covertly follow Soviet submarines in order to destroy them should there be any outbreak of hostilities. ??Dan Conley takes the reader through his early career in diesel submarines, prior to his transition to the complex and very demanding three-dimensional world of operating nuclear submarines; he describes the Royal Navy's shortcomings in ship and weapons procurement and delivers many insights into the procurement failures which led to the effective bankrupting of the Defence budget in the first decade of the 21st century. In command of the hunter killer submarines Courageous and Valient in the 1980s, he achieved exceptional success against Soviet submarines at the height of the Cold War. He was also involved in the initial deployment of the Trident nuclear weapon system, and divulges hitherto un-revealed facets of nuclear weapons strategy and policy during this period.??This gripping read takes you onboard a nuclear submarine and into the depths of the ocean, and relays the excitement and apprehensions experienced by British submariners confronted by a massive Soviet Navy.??As featured on White Horse News and in the Bath Chronicle.

Download or read book Tales of a Cold War Submariner written by Dan Summitt and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2004-08-24 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following the Second World War, Dan Summitt cruised the China Sea in a destroyer. During the Cold War, he worked with Adm. Hyman Rickover and commanded two nuclear submarines. In Tales of a Cold War Submariner, Summitt tells the dramatic story of his military life on and under the sea, focusing on his experiences with nuclear submarines and Admiral Rickover, “the father of the nuclear navy.” His stories, anecdotes, and detailed descriptions bring this tense era to life for the reader. Summitt recounts his service as commander of the USS Seadragon on its secret mission to the North Pole, where he rendezvoused with the USS Skate to conduct experiments under the ice. Following a posting to Naval Reactors, Summit then took command of the USS Alexander Hamilton, one of forty-one Polaris submarines in the U.S. fleet. A submarine of this class was 425 feet long and carried sixteen Polaris missiles, each 35 feet high and weighing 35,000 pounds. Summitt takes the reader on a tour of the spacious vessel, describing everything from its living quarters to practice missile launches to the coveralls worn by the crew. He recounts Christmas at the Duke of Argyle’s castle, discusses the difficulties of steering with a single propeller, and describes how the Alexander Hamilton was almost lost because of a faulty needle piston in the snorkel head valve cylinder, a reminder that even the most sophisticated machine can be undone by a simple mechanical failure. In the best tradition of naval literature, Summitt’s memoir offers a first-person view of life in the navy during a crucial period in our history. Readers will enjoy weighing anchor with Captain Summitt, and scholars will find his memoir an important contribution to the literature on the U.S. Navy and the Cold War.

Download or read book Cold War Submarines written by Norman Polmar and published by Potomac Books, Inc.. This book was released on 2014-05-14 with total page 649 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Submarines had a vital, if often unheralded, role in the superpower navies during the Cold War. Their crews carried out intelligence-collection operations, sought out and stood ready to destroy opposing submarines, and, from the early 1960s, threatened missile attacks on their adversary's homeland, providing in many respects the most survivable nuclear deterrent of the Cold War. For both East and West, the modern submarine originated in German U-boat designs obtained at the end of World War II. Although enjoying a similar technology base, by the 1990s the superpowers had created submarine fleets of radically different designs and capabilities. Written in collaboration with the former Soviet submarine design bureaus, Norman Polmar and K. J. Moore authoritatively demonstrate in this landmark study how differing submarine missions, antisubmarine priorities, levels of technical competence, and approaches to submarine design organizations and management caused the divergence.

Download or read book Beneath the Restless Wave written by Tony Beasley and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2020-02-20 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Royal Navy submariner and hero of the Cold War reveals his incredible true story of covert ops against the Soviets in this military memoir. Tony Beasley was just a teenager when he joined the Royal Navy in 1946. Throughout his training and specialization as a telegraphist, he anticipated a life above the water, not beneath it. But with the Cold War brewing, new threats emerged, and Beasely was sent to work on submarines. In this candid memoir, he recounts his adventures patrolling the seas and spying on the Soviet Fleet. Tony took part in numerous missions, including covert operations in the Barents Sea. Before this mission, the crew of the submarine was advised that if anything went wrong it “never happened.” When things inevitably did go wrong, Tony emerged a hero. For many years afterward, he wasn't allowed to tell anyone where he had been or what he had done. Now in his eighties, Tony finally gets to tell his story.

Download or read book British Submarines in the Cold War Era written by Norman Friedman and published by Seaforth Publishing. This book was released on 2020-09-30 with total page 1201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first comprehensive technical history on the subject, with photos: “A must-read for all professionals, designers and scholars of modern submarines.” —Australian Naval Institute The Royal Navy’s greatest contribution to the Allied success in World War II was undoubtedly the defeat of the U-boat menace in the North Atlantic, a victory on which all other European campaigns depended. The underwater threat was the most serious naval challenge of the war, so it was not surprising that captured German submarine technology became the focus of attention for the British submarine service after 1945. It was quick to test and adopt the schnorkel, streamlining, homing torpedoes, and, less successfully, hydrogen-peroxide propulsion. Furthermore, in the course of the long Atlantic battle, the Royal Navy had become the world’s most effective anti-submarine force and was able to utilize this expertise to improve the efficiency of its own submarines. However, in 1945 German submarine technology had also fallen into the hands of the Soviet Union—and as the Cold War developed it became clear that a growing Russian submarine fleet would pose a new threat. Britain had to go to the US for its first nuclear propulsion technology, but the Royal Navy introduced the silencing technique that made British and US nuclear submarines viable anti-submarine assets, and it pioneered in the use of passive—silent—sonars in that role. Nuclear power also changed the role of some British submarines, which replaced bombers as the core element of British Cold War and post-Cold War nuclear deterrence. As in other books in this series, this one shows how a combination of evolving strategic and tactical requirements and new technology produced successive types of submarines. It is based largely on unpublished and previously classified official documentation, and to the extent allowed by security restrictions, also tells the operational story—HMS Conqueror is still the only nuclear submarine to have sunk a warship in combat, but there are many lesser-known aspects of British submarine operations in the postwar era.

Download or read book Cold War Command written by Dan Conley and published by Seaforth Publishing. This book was released on 2014-06-30 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A British nuclear submariner sheds critical light on the Royal Navy’s Cold War operations in this revealing military memoir. The role played by the Royal Navy's submarines throughout the Cold War remains largely shrouded in secrecy. In Cold War Command, Captain Dan Conley, RN (Ret.), offers an insider’s look at commanding nuclear hunter-killer submarines. As captain of the HMS Courageous and HMS Valiant, Conley was tasked with covertly following Soviet submarines in order to destroy them should there be any outbreak of hostilities. Conley recounts his early career in diesel submarines, as well as his exceptional success against the Soviet Navy at the height of the Cold War. He was involved in the initial deployment of the Trident nuclear weapon system and divulges previously unknown facets of nuclear weapons strategy and policy during this period. He also describes the Royal Navy's shortcomings in ship and weapons procurement, assessing how these failures led to the effective bankrupting of the Defense budget as it entered the 21st century.

Download or read book Dark Waters written by Lee Vyborny and published by NAL. This book was released on 2004-02-23 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After nearly 40 years, the most closely guarded secret of the Cold War is revealed. Here is the full story of the NR-1 told for the first time through eyewitness accounts by the original crew--including co-author Vyborny--who dared go where no men had gone before.

Download or read book Rising Tide written by Gary E. Weir and published by NAL. This book was released on 2004 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "For devotees of the submarine espionage stories in Blind Man's Bluff, Rising Tide tells the Soviet/Russian side of the most secretive operations of the Cold War. For the first time, seven Soviet admir"

Download or read book Stalking the Red Bear written by Peter T. Sasgen and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2009-03-17 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the untold story of a covert submarine espionage operation against the Soviet Union during the Cold War as experienced by the commanding officer of an active submarine. b&w photo insert.

Download or read book Standing Watch written by Jonathan Li-Chung Leung and published by University Alabama Press. This book was released on 2019-04-30 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first book to capture and preserve the inside story of the exclusive brotherhood that manned the front lines of the Cold War Featuring interviews from seventeen veteran submariners, Standing Watch: American Submarine Veterans Remember the Cold War Era offers the perspective of the submariners themselves—lending them a voice and paying homage to their service. Jonathan Li-Chung Leung provides an original glimpse into a world of unique challenges and characters, a life isolated and submerged, and a duty defined by the juxtaposition of monotonous routine and unparalleled excitement. These personal accounts of life below the surface offer readers a front-row seat to close encounters with Soviet submarines and the naval blockade during the Cuban Missile Crisis, as well as an intimate understanding of daily life onboard the vessels, the culture of military discipline, and the religious-like fervor exercised in honoring traditions big and small. By applying first-hand perspectives to a larger thematic overview, this book uses authentic narratives to deliver a lively and colorful picture of the Silent Service. Set against the backdrop of sobering geo-political disputes and their own role as the nation’s defenders against a seemingly ambiguous super-enemy, these veterans focus on their responsibilities and reflect on careers built on the simple axioms of pride and service. This invigorating and unalloyed account is an unprecedented addition to the existing literature on naval and military history.

Download or read book Three Knots to Nowhere written by Ted E. Dubay and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2014-02-18 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book follows the author's experiences in the United States Navy from 1966 through 1972. They include a personal background, boot camp, electrician's school, the U.S. Naval Nuclear Program, assignment to the USS Henry Clay during an overhaul in Charleston, South Carolina, subsequent transit to Hawaii, and deterrent patrols out of Guam. The work begins with the crew of one of the most powerful weapons on earth, the fleet ballistic missile submarine USS Henry Clay, manning Battle Station Missile. What follows is a fresh perspective on the secret world of submarine life, ranging from behavioral insights and humorous anecdotes to many undocumented attributes of submarine life, exposing aspects of life under the sea no one else has revealed. This book is the most complete representation of submarine duty to date, with a high level of detail. The narrative focuses on the enlisted men--the backbone of the submarine service.

Download or read book Soviet Cold War Attack Submarines written by Edward Hampshire and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-09-17 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this highly detailed book, naval historian Edward Hampshire reveals the fascinating history of the nuclear-powered attack submarines built and operated by the Soviet Union in the Cold War, including each class of these formidable craft as they developed throughout the Cold War period. The November class, which were the Soviet Union's first nuclear submarines, had originally been designed to fire a single enormous nuclear-tipped torpedo but were eventually completed as boats firing standard torpedoes. The Alfa class were perhaps the most remarkable submarines of the Cold War: titanium-hulled (which was light and strong but extremely expensive and difficult to weld successfully), crewed with only thirty men due to considerable automation and 30% faster than any US submarines, they used a radical liquid lead-bismuth alloy in the reactor plant. The Victor class formed the backbone of the Soviet nuclear submarine fleet in the 1970s and 1980s, as hunter-killer submarines began to focus on tracking and potentially destroying NATO ballistic missile submarines. The Sierra classes were further titanium-hulled submarines and the single Mike-class submarine was an experimental type containing a number of innovations. Finally, the Akula class were being constructed as the Cold War ended, and these boats form the mainstay of the Russian nuclear attack submarine fleet today. This book explores the design, development, and deployment of each of these classes in detail, offering an unparalleled insight into the submarines which served the Soviet Union throughout the Cold War period. The text is supported by stunning illustrations, photographs and diagrams of the submarines.

Download or read book Red Star Rogue written by Kenneth Sewell and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2006-09-26 with total page 481 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Hunt for Red October" meets "Blind Man's Bluff" in this chilling, true story of a rogue Soviet submarine that sank while trying to provoke a war between the U.S. and China.

Download or read book Family Gram written by Phillip Norris and published by . This book was released on 2012-05 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Phil Norris chronicles his service as a Reactor Plant Supervisor aboard 5 nuclear submarines during the Cold War in this candid and intriguing autobiography. Phil focuses on his personal challenges and triumphs during his storied career in the nuclear submarine service. The name "Family Gram" refers to the 40 word messages that submarine sailors could receive from their family while they were on patrol. Phil writes this book as a collective reply to those Family Grams.

Download or read book Stalking the Red Bear written by Peter Sasgen and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2009-03-17 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thrilling submarine espionage and an inside look at the U.S. Navy's "silent service" Stalking the Red Bear, for the first time ever, describes the action principally from the perspective of a commanding officer of a nuclear submarine during the Cold War -- the one man aboard a sub who makes the critical decisions -- taking readers closer to the Soviet target than any work on submarine espionage has ever done before. This is the untold story of a covert submarine espionage operation against the Soviet Union during the Cold War as experienced by the Commanding Officer of an active submarine. Few individuals outside the intelligence and submarine communities knew anything about these top-secret missions. Cloaking itself in virtual invisibility to avoid detection, the USS Blackfin went sub vs. sub deep within Soviet-controlled waters north of the Arctic Circle, where the risks were extraordinarily high and anything could happen. Readers will know what it was like to carry out a covert mission aboard a nuke and experience the sights, sounds, and dangers unique to submarining.

Download or read book Blind Man s Bluff written by Sherry Sontag and published by PublicAffairs. This book was released on 2008-03-04 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the secret history of America's submarine warfare in this fast-paced and deeply researched chronicle of adventure and intrigue during the Cold War that reads like a spy thriller. Blind Man's Bluff is an exciting, epic story of adventure, ingenuity, courage, and disaster beneath the sea. This New York Times bestseller reveals previously unknown dramas, such as: The mission to send submarines wired with self-destruct charges into the heart of Soviet seas to tap crucial underwater telephone cables. How the Navy's own negligence may have been responsible for the loss of the USS Scorpion, a submarine that disappeared, all hands lost, in 1968. The bitter war between the CIA and the Navy and how it threatened to sabotage one of America's most important undersea missions. The audacious attempt to steal a Soviet submarine with the help of eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes, and how it was doomed from the start. A magnificent achievement in investigative reporting, Blind Man's Bluff reads like a spy thriller, but with one important difference -- everything in it is true.