Download or read book Aboard the Farragut Class Destroyers in World War II written by Leo Block and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2009-06-08 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes the life of the enlisted men aboard a Farragut class destroyer during the pre-World War II years; the war preparation period in 1941; and the wartime years. It features first-person narrations collected from interviews and correspondence with the few remaining Farragut class destroyer sailors, and briefly describes the evolution of the destroyer and the Farragut class destroyers, five of which survived the war.

Download or read book Linebackers of the Sea written by Ray Lubeski and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2010 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Author Ray Lubeski served aboard the destroyer USS Harlan R. Dickson (DD-708) from 1955 to 1958. This history entitled Linebackers of the Sea covers American destroyers that fought in WWII and their heroic crewmen, including many who died in battle. The ships covered in this book generally duplicate those included in Robert Sinclair Parkin's 1995 history entitled Blood on the Sea: American Destroyers Lost in World War II. However, Lubeski does not clarify the exact scope of his book, since some destroyers lost in WWII (e.g., Hull (DD-350), Brownson (DD-518)) do not get included, and other destroyers that fought but did not sink (e.g., Hazelwood (DD-531), Murphy (DD-603)) are included. Most of the 75 destroyers and three other ships in this book have a separate chapter that covers each ship's history. The first half of the book has ships that saw action in the Atlantic, and the last half tells stories of ships in the Pacific. The author writes that he obtained most destroyer histories from Wikipedia with supplements for some ships based on interviews of survivors or their relatives. These firsthand accounts greatly enhance the histories, but only about a third of the destroyers included in the book have personal stories, and a few of these are quite short such as the following one from a survivor of USS Pringle (DD-477), which sank after being hit by a kamikaze aircraft carrying a bomb on April 16, 1945 (p. 151). (World Wide Web)

Download or read book United States Navy Destroyers written by Michael Green and published by Pen and Sword Maritime. This book was released on 2021-01-31 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This pictorial history examines the key role played by US Navy destroyers from the turn of the twentieth century through the Cold War and beyond. The first sixteen United States Navy destroyers were ordered in 1898. Prior to America’s entry into the First World War, another sixty-three destroyers were commissioned and, due to the U-boat threat, 267 more were authorized by Congress once hostilities were joined. Between 1932 and Pearl Harbor ten new classes totaling 169 destroyers came into service. During the Second World War, American shipyards turned out a further 334 vessels. Of the three classes, the 175 Fletcher-class were judged the most successful. The Cold War years saw the development of seven more classes, while more recent additions include eighty-two of the stealth-shaped Arleigh Burke class. In this comprehensive account, author and military expert Michael Green combines a superb collection of historical images with an authoritative text.

Download or read book The United States Navy written by John C. Fredriksen and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2010-07-12 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Covering more than two centuries of naval history, this chronology highlights the individuals and events that shaped one of the world's greatest fighting forces—the United States Navy. The United States Navy: A Chronology, 1775 to the Present showcases the dramatic role of the nation's warships throughout America's long history and documents the Navy's vital contributions to establishing the United States as a superpower. Beginning with the American Revolutionary War, this comprehensive work details major and minor events in the history of the U.S. Navy through Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The topics included in this book describe not only battles at sea, but also important political and administrative changes, as well as notable events in the careers of admirals and other naval leaders. Significant battles in all major wars are covered, along with actions in smaller conflicts. This chronology also includes the founding of noted schools of instruction; the introduction of new classes of warships and aircraft; and significant naval texts, such as Alfred Thayer Mahan's seminal The Influence of Naval Power upon History.

Download or read book US Destroyers 1934 45 written by Dave McComb and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2011-12-20 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the beginning of the 20th century, destroyers have been all-purpose ships, indispensable in roles large and small – from delivering the mail at sea to screening other vessels and, where larger ships were not present, forming the front line in battle. This title details the 169 ships of ten classes introduced in the 1930s: early 1,500-tonners and 1,850-ton destroyer leaders designed to conform to the 1930 London Naval Treaty, plus the successor 1,570-ton Sims class and 1,620and 1,630-ton Benson and Gleaves classes. In wartime, most 1,500-tonners and leaders initially saw front line duty in the Pacific but were relegated to secondary assignments as newer vessels arrived; while the later 1,620and 1,630-tonners became the standard destroyers of the Atlantic War. This volume reveals the fascinating design story behind these pioneering classes – from the constraints of peacetime treaties to advances in propulsion engineering, and wartime modifications. With an operational overview of their service and tables listing all ships by class, builder, and initial squadron, this is the definitive guide to the pre-war US destroyer classes.

Download or read book Daughters of Infamy written by David Kilmer and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2011-11-18 with total page 544 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Navy attacked the American Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The perception remains that they succeeded in severely crippling the navy; however, nothing could be further from the truth. Thanks to meticulous research, Daughters of Infamy puts this myth rest and shows that the vast majority of warships in the harbor suffered no damage at all. Former US Navy photographer David Kilmer provides documentation on each ship that survived the Pearl Harbor massacre. He records what happened the day of the attack, then traces the ships movements after December 7 and, in some cases, their destiny after the war. Contrary to popular belief, many met the enemy and helped to win the war in the Pacific. Undoubtedly the first work to compile factual and informative data on nearly all the ships in Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, Kilmers in-depth record fills a scholarly void. His fascinating narrative on each ship adds another layer of expertise and provides a new perspective on a familiar event.

Download or read book United States Navy Destroyers of World War II written by John C. Reilly and published by . This book was released on 1983 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book US Navy Gun Destroyers 1945 88 written by Mark Stille and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 2023-08-15 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An illustrated history of the long Cold War careers of the US Navy's last gun destroyers, from the modernized World War II-era Fletcher-class to the Forrest Sherman-class. The finest American destroyers of World War II had surprisingly long careers into the Cold War and the missile age. The 175-strong Fletcher-class was the largest class of US Navy destroyers ever built, and most received some modernization after World War II. A handful were converted into ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) escorts and one was even converted into the US Navy's first guided missile destroyer. Many Sumner-class destroyers were also kept in service, with the last decommissioned in 1973. The Gearing class was the classic US Navy wartime destroyer to have a second Cold War career, some being modified into picket ships and others into ASW escorts. Ninety-five were extensively modernized under the Fleet Modernization and Rehabilitation (FRAM) program which allowed them to serve until 1980. The majority of these ships then saw service with foreign navies. However the story of Cold War gun destroyers is not just one of World War II relics. Commissioned in the 1950s, the 18 ships of the Forrest Sherman class were the US Navy's last all-gun destroyers, and were considered to be the pinnacle of US Navy gun-destroyer design. Later in their careers, most were modernized for ASW and antiair warfare. The virtually unknown Norfolk class was originally built as a destroyer leader and maximized for ASW but only two were modernized and the other three retired early. Many of these ships, such as USS Edson, Cassin Young, and Turner Joy, still survive as museum ships today. Using battlescene artwork, detailed illustrations and photos, this book explores the careers, modernizations, and roles of all these unsung Cold War stalwarts, the last gun destroyers of the US Navy.

Download or read book US Destroyers 1942 45 written by Dave McComb and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2011-12-20 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Few if any 20th century warships were more justly acclaimed than the destroyers of the U.S. Navy's Fletcher class. Admired as they were for their advanced and rakish design, it was their record as workhorses of the Pacific War that placed them among the most battle-tested and successful fighting ships of all time. This title describes the Fletchers and their Allen M. Sumnerand Gearing-class derivatives, their machinery, armament, and construction, with a listing of all 343 ships by hull number and builder. It features an operational history of the 287 ships commissioned during World War II, which traces the evolution of night surface action tactics in the Solomon Islands and the parallel development of the Combat Information Center; the drive across the Pacific and liberation of the Philippines with tables showing the rapid introduction of new squadrons; and the radar pickets' climactic stand against kamikaze aircraft at Okinawa. With summaries of losses and decorations and specially commissioned artwork, this is a definitive book on the wartime US destroyer classes.

Download or read book Destroyers At Normandy Naval Gunfire Support At Omaha Beach Illustrated Edition written by William B. Kirkland and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2015-11-06 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Includes numerous maps and illustrations. This monograph provides first-hand accounts of Destroyer Squadron 18 during this critical battle upon which so much of the success of our campaign in Europe would depend. Their experience at Omaha Beach can be looked upon as typical of most U.S. warships engaged at Normandy. On the other hand, from the author’s research it appears evident that this destroyer squadron, with their British counterparts, may have had a more pivotal influence on the breakout from the beachhead and the success of the subsequent campaign than was heretofore realized. Its contributions certainly provide a basis for discussion among veterans and research by historians, as well as a solid, professional account of naval action in support of the Normandy landings.

Download or read book DD 891 written by John G. Denham and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2007-05-18 with total page 484 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: DD 891 Captain John G. Denham, USN (Retired) There was no DD891. The Martin DD891, is a mythical Gearing class destroyer that represents nearly all of the "long-hull Sumner" class destroyers completed as Gearings; the last wartime designed "tin cans." Although 152 were originally ordered, only 98 were built and most were completed after WWII. The officers and enlisted personnel assigned to the Gearing class destroyers were impressed with the living and working spaces and the arrangement of the modern equipment installed. With an allowance of a dozen officers and over 300 in the crew, operational capability and working conditions were improved as was the "hotel" support features for all on board. The chiefs were still forward and the "snipes" were aft; no change. "New constructions" drew the best people and therefore the original crew of the Martin DD891 consisted of experienced leaders and qualified petty officers in all key position. As time passed, change was the only constant factor. The demands of naval operations required that the 25 hour day remain routine in destroyers. USS meant underway Saturday and Sunday. For 30 years the Martin aged and survived with competent leadership and dedicated crews. DD891, is not just about a ship, but its people and the families that support those who chose the Navy and its life. The Martin was a unit in a four ship destroyer division that was part of a squadron in a flotilla that made up the Pacific fleet destroyer force. As each crew member is a part of a team, each destroyer is part of a mission oriented task organization and must be ready when needed and prepared to function when called. The Martin and her people successfully fulfilled many missions for 30 years. The Martin, as were her cohorts, was commissioned to keep the peace, therefore the officers and men spent the majority of their time deterring those enemies threatening that objective. From beginning to end, " Ready" was the Martin's motto. The main characters are real, except for the names. The events and times are factual as are most of the scenarios however, some spice, humor and embellishment was added to preserve relevance.

Download or read book The Buckley Class Destroyer Escorts written by Bruce Hampton Franklin and published by Bloomsbury Academic. This book was released on 1999 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Destroyer escorts were built in greater numbers than any other kind of Allied fighting ship during World War II, and more than 100,000 British and American sailors served aboard them. This book combines photographs, ships' plans, eyewitness accounts and a researched text to tell the history of the largest class of destroyer escorts ever built - the Buckley.

Download or read book The Original Tomcat written by Jackson Sellers and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2004-05-24 with total page 498 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At long last The Original Tomcat has found an everlasting home. Never again will the book be out of print and unavailable to those seeking it. In this respect, Xlibris is superior to traditional publishers. At Xlibris, a book with small or modest sales is not allowed to languish and die. From now on, The Original Tomcat can be purchased from Xlibris.com, Amazon.com or other Internet book services. And for those who are not PC savvy, the book can be ordered at brick-and-mortar bookstores such as Borders or Barnes & Noble. Just ask for The Original Tomcat by Jackson Sellers, and decide whether you want it in dust-jacketed hardback or quality paperback. The worlds most famous class of destroyers, the Fletchers, joined the American fleet during World War II. There were 175 of these little gray workhorses, all heavily armed against threats from sea, land and air. No admiral ever had enough of them. Most fought in the Pacific War against Japan, serving anonymously alongside well-known aircraft carriers and battleships. Dozens of Fletchers ran with the big boys in mighty Fast Carrier Task Force 38/58 under Admirals Halsey, Spruance, Mitscher and McCain. The USS Colahan (DD-658) steamed this perilous but triumphant journey to Tokyo Bay, surviving when others didnt. This is the fifth and final edition of The Original Tomcat: A Fletcher Destroyer Goes to War. The book, which follows the Colahan through the climactic 1944/1945 battles of the Japanese-American Pacific War, was author-published four times in limited editions between 1994 and 1997. It was well received by Colahan shipmates and Fletcher-class destroyer fans, and it continues to be in demand. Here is a sampling of reader reactions: A wonderful work by a skilled writer. All ships should be so lucky as to have their exploits chronicled so well. Thomas J. Peltin, president of Tin Can Sailors, Inc. A magnificent piece of writing. Ray Loughrige, radioman, USS Colahan, Pacific War. Thank you for helping me relive my forgotten youth. Howard Ralby, fireman, USS Colahan, Pacific War. I am absolutely delighted with it. Dick Jones, signalman, ComDesRon 53 staff, Pacific War. Your story makes memories come alive. Clyde D. Killion, chief yeoman, USS Colahan, Pacific War. I commend you for your incredible effort. George Whitney, signalman, USS Colahan, Pacific War. Thanks, Jackson, for making an old sailor feel real good. George McLaughlin, torpedoman, USS Colahan, Pacific War. A great book, a real pleasure. Jim Exchange, baker, USS Colahan, Pacific War. A moving account of the Hazelwood rescue. Peter Dingman, medical officer, USS Colahan, Pacific War. You made the Colahan live again! Henry Gaffin, yeoman, USS Colahan, Pacific War. I couldnt put it down. The Colahan needed this, and we who served on the Colahan needed this. Jim Kinduell, gunnery officer, USS Colahan, Pacific War. A very impressive piece of work. Tim Rizzuto, ships superintendent, USS Kidd Memorial. This is much, much more than a ships history. George English, president of the USS Wedderburn Association. The Original Tomcat has found shelf space in several libraries interested in naval history the Library of Congress; the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation in Washington; East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, and the Louisiana Naval War Memorial Foundation in Baton Rouge, where a copy is on permanent display in the Colahan locker aboard the memorialized USS Kidd. General libraries offering the book include the Springfield-Greene County

Download or read book US Destroyers vs German U Boats written by Mark Lardas and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2023-04-27 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An absorbing study of the duels fought between the US Navy's escort warships and Hitler's U-boats between December 1941 and May 1945. Although the Battle of the Atlantic lasted several years, its most critical phase began once the United States entered World War II. By December 1941, the British had mastered the U-boat threat in the Eastern Atlantic, only to see the front abruptly expand to regions the US Navy would patrol, chiefly the Atlantic Seaboard. Unless the US Navy overcame the U-boat threat, the Allies would struggle to win. The Battle of the Atlantic was made up of thousands of individual duels: aircraft against U-boats, aircraft against aircraft, aircraft against ships-but most crucially, ships against U-boats. The individual clashes between Germany's U-boats and the Allied warships escorting the vital convoys often comprised one-on-one actions. These stories provide the focus of this detailed work. The technical details of the U-boats, destroyers, and destroyer escorts involved are explored in stunning illustrations, including ship and submarine profiles and weaponry artworks, and key clashes are brought to life in dramatic battlescenes. Among the clashes covered are including USS Kearny vs. U-568, USS Roper (DD-147) vs U-85, USS Eugene E. Elmore (DE-686) vs U-549, and USS Atherton (DE-169) vs U-853.

Download or read book Fighting Flotilla written by Peter C. Smith and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2010-07-19 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Laforays were the largest, most powerfully armed and successful ships of this type to see frontline action with the Royal Navy in WWII. They were also the handsomest warships to see service and presented a perfect combination of power and speed. They were assigned to the most dangerous theaters of war including Force H, sailing between Gibraltar and Malta, from where they operated against the German supply lines to North Africa. They escorted minelayers into the German backyard in the North Sea and their convoy escort work in the North Atlantic proved them to be highly effective hunter killers of the U-Boat packs that threatened every cargo ship carrying vital supplies to the UK. Such was the pace of their war, that out of the eight ships of the class only one survived the war.The book also includes chapters on their origin, planning and building, wartime operations and indices cover weapon systems, general fittings and complements and battle honors for each ship in the class.

Download or read book The Navy of World War II 1922 1947 written by Paul Silverstone and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-09-10 with total page 446 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Navy of World War II, 1922-1946 comprehensively covers the vessels that defined this momentous 24-year period in U.S. naval history. Beginning with the lean, pared-down navy created by the treaty at the Washington Naval Conference, and ending with the massive, awe-inspiring fleets that led the Allies to victory in the Second World War, the fourth volume in the celebrated U.S. Navy Warship series presents a detailed guide to all the warships that exhibited the might of the U.S. Navy to the fullest. Showcasing all the ships—both the famous and the often overlooked-that propelled the U.S Navy to prominence in the first half of the twentieth century, The Navy of World War II catalogues all the warships from this era, including those that did battle in the European, Mediterranean, and Pacific Theaters from 1941-1946. From the fleet attacked at Pearl Harbor, to those that fought valiantly in the Battle of the Guadalcanal, to the official surrender of the Japanese on the deck of the USS Missouri, this latest volume is the definitive guide to the warships that defined this pivotal period in U.S. naval history. Each volume in the U.S. Navy Warship series represents the most meticulous scholarship for its particular era, providing an authoritative account of every ship in the history of the U. S. Navy from its first incarnation as the Continental Navy to its present position as one of the world’s most formidable naval superpowers. Featuring convenient, easy-to-read tabular lists, every book in the series includes an abundance of illustrations, some never before published, along with figures for actions fought, damages sustained, casualties suffered, prizes taken, and ships sunk, ultimately making the series an indispensable reference tool for maritime buffs and military historians alike. A further article about Paul Silverstone and the Navy Warships series can be found at: http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m11s18s180&SecId=180&AId=58892&ATypeId=1

Download or read book Naval Anti Aircraft Guns Gunnery written by Norman Friedman and published by Seaforth Publishing. This book was released on 2014-01-21 with total page 1252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A winner of the Samuel Eliot Morison Award for Naval Literature gives “an excellent overview of the problems involved in shooting at airplanes from ships.” (Coast Defense Journal). This book does for naval anti-aircraft defense what the author’s Naval Firepower did for surface gunnery—it makes a highly complex but historically crucial subject accessible to the layman. It chronicles the growing aerial threat from its inception in the First World War, and the response of each of the major navies down to the end of the Second, highlighting in particular the widely underestimated danger from dive-bombing. Central to this discussion is an analysis of what effective AA fire-control required, and how well each navy's systems actually worked. It also takes in the weapons themselves, how they were placed on ships, and how this reflected the tactical concepts of naval AA defense. Renowned military historian Norman Friedman offers striking insights he argues, for example, that the Royal Navy, so often criticized for lack of “air-mindedness,” was actually the most alert to the threat, but that its systems were inadequate—not because they were too primitive but because they tried to achieve too much. The book summarizes the experience of WW2, particularly in theaters where the aerial danger was greatest, and a concluding chapter looks at post-1945 developments that drew on wartime lessons. All important guns, directors and electronics are represented in close-up photos and drawings, and lengthy appendices detail their technical data. It is, simply, another superb contribution to naval technical history by its leading exponent.