Download or read book The Royal Navy s Home Fleet in World War 2 written by J. Levy and published by Springer. This book was released on 2003-10-23 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book marks the first comprehensive history of Britain's naval bulwark, the Home Fleet. It illuminates the vital role that fleet played in preserving Britain as a base of operations against Hitler. We see portrayed the hard days of blockade, patrol, and battle that encompassed the Home Fleet's war. And we see how that war was made harder by weaknesses at the Admiralty and by the damaging interference of the Minister of Defence - Winston Churchill.
Download or read book The Great Ships written by Peter C. Smith and published by Stackpole Books. This book was released on 2008 with total page 498 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Military historian Smith offers an authoritative study of British battleships in World War II, highlighting stirring episodes of naval combat around the globe.
Download or read book The Royal Navy in World War II written by Robert Jackson and published by US Naval Institute Press. This book was released on 1997 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Nazi Germany struck out from her borders in 1939, the untold force and efficiency of its land and air forces cut an unstoppable swath through mainland Europe. It was only at sea that their newfound might was tamed. Hitler's fear of the Royal Navy kept his most lethal ships hidden in bolt-holes, he was frightened to confront the British fleet in battle - an action the Kriegsmarine most probably would have won through superior ships and guns had they confronted their enemy. It was the dogged determination of British seafarers throughout the early part of the war that caused the final demise of the German big-ship fleet and left the U-boat and E-boat to fight Hitler's war at sea. This is the story of how, despite all odds, the RN helped Britain survive during the critical times of the Battle of the Atlantic, the Siege of Malta, the convoys to northern Russia and the D-Day landings. It also tells why their fully-stretched forces could not play the part they wished in the Eastern and Pacific war.
Download or read book Royal Navy Home Fleet 1939 41 written by Angus Konstam and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2024-03-28 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Packed with illustrations, this is a new history and analysis of how the Royal Navy's most important fleet operated and fought the German Navy in the crucial first years of World War II. Throughout its history, the Royal Navy's most powerful fleet has been the one guarding home waters. In this book, naval historian Angus Konstam explores the fighting power, the roles, and the battles of the Home Fleet, in the crucial first years of World War II when it was Britain's most powerful fighting force, anchored in the northern bastion of Scapa Flow. He explains the complex responsibilities of the fleet, charged simultaneously with preventing the powerful German Navy from breaking out into the Atlantic; preparing to challenge any cross-Channel invasion force; and attacking German naval operations in the North Sea. Home Fleet actions included the loss of HMS Hood, the sinking of the Bismarck and countering the invasion of Norway, Germany's biggest amphibious operation of the war. Packed with striking new artwork and 3D diagrams and maps, this book offers a detailed portrait of the Home Fleet during these most crucial years of the war, from the capabilities of the warships to logistics and intelligence-gathering, to how the fleet was organized and commanded, and how and why it fought as it did.
Download or read book Carrier Operations in World War II written by David Brown and published by US Naval Institute Press. This book was released on 2009 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Royal Navy s Fleet Air Arm grew from a small force into a powerful strategic weapon during World War II, with British carrier-based aircraft fighting throughout the world. This complete history describes their activities in the Home, Mediterranean, Eastern, and British Pacific Fleets, together with forces created for specific operations, and lists aircraft and units embarked during the various phases. The author also covers carrier operations in the Pacific between 1941 and 1945, noting that both the U.S. Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy watched the Royal Navy s early carrier operations in the European Theatre and benefited from the lessons. This work combines material from two earlier studies by J. D. Brown and adds information the author was compiling for a third volume at the time of his death.
Download or read book Fleets Of World War II written by Richard Worth and published by Da Capo Press, Incorporated. This book was released on 2001 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For the first time ever for a popular audience, an extraordinary single volume that describes-and assesses in no-holds-barred fashion-every navy that took part in the Second World War
Download or read book The Royal Navy in Eastern Waters written by Andrew Boyd and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2017-03-30 with total page 851 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How British naval power in the Indian Ocean played a critical early role in WWII: “Commands the reader's attention. . . . a history game-changer.” —Warship, Naval Books of the Year This new work tells the compelling story of how the Royal Navy secured the strategic space from Egypt in the west to Australasia in the East through the first half of the Second World War—and explains why this contribution, made while Russia’s fate remained in the balance and before American economic power took effect, was so critical. Without it, the war would certainly have lasted longer and decisive victory might have proved impossible. After the protection of the Atlantic lifeline, this was surely the Royal Navy’s finest achievement, the linchpin of victory. The book moves authoritatively between grand strategy, intelligence, accounts of specific operations, and technical assessment of ships and weapons. It challenges established perceptions of Royal Navy capability and will change the way we think about Britain’s role and contribution in the first half of the war. The Navy of 1939 was stronger than usually suggested and British intelligence did not fail against Japan. Nor was the Royal Navy outmatched by Japan, coming very close to a British Midway off Ceylon in 1942. And it was the Admiralty, demonstrating a reckless disregard for risks, that caused the loss of Force Z in 1941. The book also lays stress on the key part played by the American relationship in Britain’s Eastern naval strategy. Superbly researched and elegantly written, it adds a hugely important dimension to our understanding of the war in the East.
Download or read book A History of the Royal Navy World War II written by Duncan Redford and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2014-03-27 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Royal Navy's operations in World War II started on 3 September 1939 and continued until the surrender of Japan in August 1945 - there was no 'phoney war' at sea. The navy played a central role in the evacuation of the retreating British army at Dunkirk, and later orchestrated the sinking of Germany's mighty battleship and Hitler's pride, the Bismarck. Without the Royal Navy's attention to the defence of Britain's seaborne trade - especially in the struggle against German U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic - there would not have been food for the country, fuel for the RAF's operations or supplies to keep the army fighting in Europe, North Africa and the Far East. Yet the outstanding naval contribution to Britain's survival and eventual victory came at a heavy cost in terms of ships and to the men who had to face not just the violence of the enemy, but also the violence of the sea. This book argues that World War II was, effectively, a maritime war; it was the Royal Navy's war.
Download or read book The Fleet Air Arm in the Second World War written by Ben Jones and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-03-16 with total page 625 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first of three volumes detailing the history of the Fleet Air Arm, the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers and naval air squadrons, during the Second World War. It deals with the formative period between 1939 and 1941 when the Fleet Air Arm tried to recover from the impact of dual control and economic stringencies during the inter-war period while conducting a wide range of operations. There is in depth coverage of significant operations including the Norwegian campaign, Mediterrranean actions such as the attack on the Italian Fleet at Taranto and the Battle of Cape Matapan, and the torpedo attacks on the German battleship Bismarck. Incidents involving the loss of and damage to aircraft carriers, including the sinking of Ark Royal, one of the most famous ships in the early years of World War Two, are also reported. Of major importance are key planning and policy issues. These include the requirements for aircraft carriers, the evolving debate regarding the necessary types of aircraft and attempts to provide sufficient facilities ashore for naval air squadrons. A wide range of official documents are used to enable the reader to appreciate the complexity of the operations and other issues which faced the Fleet Air Arm. This volume will appeal to everyone interested in how the Royal Navy adapted to the use of air power in the Second World War. Its reports bring actions vividly to life. Its correspondence demonstrates the fundamental foundation of planning, policy and logistics. In common with succeeding volumes on the Fleet Air Arm, this volume provides a new and vital perspective on how Britain fought the Second World War.
Download or read book The Royal Navy and the Battle of Britain written by Anthony J Cumming and published by Naval Institute Press. This book was released on 2010-09-15 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This persuasive study attacks the key myths surrounding the Battle of Britain to revise the relative status of maritime and aviation factors in the defense of Britain. Without denigrating the heroism of the fighter pilots, Anthony Cumming challenges the effectiveness of the Royal Air Force in 1940 and gives the Royal Navy much greater prominence than others have. He vigorously asserts the ability of British warships to frustrate German plans for Operation Sea Lion and to repel Luftwaffe attacks. The author argues that the RAF took the lion’s share of the glory only because its colorful image could easily be used manipulate American opinion. Cumming contends that the 70th anniversary of Battle of Britain should celebrate the contributions of the many rather than focusing on the pilot elite, an assertion certain provoke discussion.
Download or read book A Home on the Rolling Main written by Tony Ditcham and published by Seaforth Publishing. This book was released on 2013-06-17 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From first joining the Royal Navy in 1940 until the end of the campaign against Japan, Tony Ditcham was in the front line of the naval war. After brief service in the battlecruiser Renown off Norway and against the Italians, he went into destroyers and saw action in most European theatres _ against S-boats and aircraft in 'bomb alley' off Britain's East Coast, on Arctic convoys to Russia, and eventually in a flotilla screening the Home Fleet. During the dramatic Battle of the North Cape in December 1943 he was probably the first man to actually see the Scharnhorst and from his position in the gun director of HMS Scorpion enjoyed a grandstand view of the sinking of the great German battleship (his account was so vivid that it formed the basis of the description in the official history). Later his ship operated off the American beaches during D-Day, where two of her sister ships were sunk with heavy loss of life, and he ended the war en route for the British Pacific Fleet and the invasion of Japan.??This incident-packed career is recounted with restraint, plenty of humour and colourful descriptive power _ his account of broaching and almost capsizing in an Arctic winter storm is as good as anything in the literature of the sea. The result makes enthralling reading, and as the surviving veterans rapidly decline in numbers, this may turn out to be one of the last great eyewitness narratives of the naval war.
Download or read book H M S Rodney written by Iain Ballantyne and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2008-07-15 with total page 821 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The biography of a British battleship, from an author with “a facility for rendering nonfiction into a narrative as brisk and readable as a novel” (HistoryNet). The Second World War battleship HMS Rodney achieved lasting fame for her role in destroying the pride of Hitler’s navy, the mighty Bismarck, in a thrilling duel. The Rodney, carrying the largest guns ever mounted in a British warship, finally succeeded in turning her adversary into twisted metal and so removed a major threat to the Atlantic convoy routes so vital to the survival of the nation. This compelling book, from the acclaimed author of Killing the Bismarck, not only traces this mighty battleship’s career in detail, but describes the careers of all the ships carrying the name.
Download or read book Churchill s Navy written by Brian Lavery and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2016-06-02 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this remarkable book, now reissued in paperback, Brian Lavery examines every aspect of the Royal Navy, both ashore and at sea, during the Second World War, and casts a lucid eye over the strengths and weaknesses of an organisation that was put under acute strain during the period, yet rose to the challenge with initiative and determination. Divided into twelve sections, the book delves into the structure of naval power from the Board of Admiralty and shore commands to officers and crews, their recruitment and training, daily life and discipline. The roles of the Reserves, Merchant Navy, Royal Marines and Wrens within this structure are also explained. Developments in ship design and technology, as well as advances in intelligence, sensors and armament are all discussed and set in context. The different divisions are dealt with one by one, including the Submarine Service, Fleet Air Arm, Coastal Forces, and Combined Operations. The text is complemented by over 300 illustrations and the personal accounts of those who served.
Download or read book British and Commonwealth Warship Camouflage of WWII Volume 2 written by Malcolm Wright and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2015-09-23 with total page 403 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the Second World War navies developed low visibility camouflage for their ships, on both the vertical and horizontal surfaces, in order reduce visibility by blending in with the sea, or confuse the identity of a ship by applying more obtrusive patters. In this the second volume by maritime artist Mal Wright, both the official and unofficial paint schemes that adorned the capital ships of the Royal Navy and Commonwealth are depicted in detail, along with discussions on changes of armament and electronics that effected the outward appearance of each ship. Beginning with the Royal Sovereign class, the book goes on to cover all the other battleship classes as well as the battlecruisers, monitors, the first and second generation carriers as well as light and escort carriers. Where possible both sides of the ship are depicted, and there are multiple images of the ships where armament or equipment changes had a fundamental impact on a ship's appearance. Overhead views are also included. With 525 full colour illustrations, arranged by ship type rather than camouflage scheme, this book concentrates the clearest possible information into a single volume to provide a one-stop reference source. Many schemes would be difficult for the reader to have found other than with the most intensive research so that historians, collectors, modelmakers and wargamers will find this unique reference source absolutely invaluable.
Download or read book The British Fleet Air Arm in World War II written by Mark Barber and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-03-20 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a concise history of the Royal Navy's air arm during World War II, from their Arctic convoys, to the battle of Malta, and the last raids on Japan. Amazingly, the Admiralty only had 406 operational pilots and eight carriers when war broke out, but a mere six years later there were over 3,000 operational pilots and 53 aircraft carriers patrolling the seas in every theatre of the war. This book charts the rapid evolution of the Fleet Air Arm during the war as air power took over at the cutting edge of naval warfare. Mark Barber's account is highly illustrated with photographs and specially commissioned full-colour artwork and offers an overview of the British Fleet Air Arm, from recruitment and training through to combat accounts. Discover some of the most dramatic actions of the war as Royal Navy aces battled against the Axis forces scoring both the first and last kills of the war.
Download or read book Engage the Enemy More Closely written by Correlli Barnett and published by Faber & Faber. This book was released on 2013-02-01 with total page 1104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The accepted interpretation of Britain's wartime role as an island sea power is challenged by Correlli Barnett's brilliant demonstration that the dependence on seashore imports of food and raw materials, together with the obligations of Empire, were less a form of strength to Britain than a weakness. Topics discussed in this book range from strategic debates in London and Washington to gripping descriptions of the Royal Navy in action: the remorseless struggle against the U-boat in the Atlantic, the desperate convoy battles in the Mediterranean and the Arctic, and the battles in the Far East. It weaves in the rivalry between Allied and German technology and the all-important secret war of the cryptographers. 'This outstanding military historian has turned to maritime war and written an authoritative, meticulously researched and stirring account of the Royal Navy's part in World War II.' Admiral of the Fleet Lord Lewin of Greenwich, KG, GCB, LVO, DSC
Download or read book Vanguard to Trident written by Eric Grove and published by Vintage. This book was released on 1987 with total page 512 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I bogen redegøres der for udviklingen i britisk, maritim tænkning og flådepolitik fra 2. Verdenkrigs slutning (med det sidste britiske slagskib "Vanguard") og frem til 1980ernes "TRIDENT-program".
