At Scapa Flow on 21 June 1919, there occurred an event unique in naval history. The German High Seas Fleet, one of the most formidable ever built was deliberately sent to the bottom of the sea at the British Grand Fleet's principal anchorage at Orkney by its own officers and men.The Grand Scuttle became a folk legend in both Germany and Britain. However, few people are aware that Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter became the only man in history to sink his own navy because of a misleading report in a British newspaper; that the Royal Navy guessed his intention but could do nothing to thwart it; that the sinking produced the last casualties and the last prisoners of the war; and that fragments of the Kaiser's fleet are probably on the moon.This is the remarkable story of the scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow. It contains previously unused German archive material, eye-witness accounts and the recollections of survivors, as well as many contemporary photos which capture the awesome spectacle of the finest ships of the time being deliberately sunk by their own crew.

This new photo documentation is the first book ever to cover in detail the history and development of military flight helmets from the post-World War II era to the present, and includes over 120 different helmets and their associated equipment such as oxygen masks, boom microphones, inner helmets etc. U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard flight helmets discussed range from standard fighter, bomber, transport and helicopter models, to high-altitude, special purpose and experimental types. Foreign helmets covered include British, French, German, Swedish, Canadian, and rarely documented Polish, Chinese and Soviet/Russian models. Also covered is an extensive selection of U.S. and Soviet/Russian space helmets. Extensively researched this book contains over 1000 images, most in color, and includes multiple-view photographs as well as detail views. Specific details of each helmet include manufacturer, proper designation, unique features, accessories, periods of use, branch of service(s), and aircraft in which is was used-selected export users are also included. Mike Breuninger is also the author of United States Combat Aircrew Survival Equipment: World War II to the Present-A Reference Guide for Collectors. Alan Wise is also the author of MIG Pilot Survival: Russian Aircrew Survival Equipment and Instruction-see page 14 of this catalog(both titles are available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd.).

Considers naval leadership and management very widely, moving beyond a focus on leading admirals. Many works on naval history ascribe success to the special qualities of individual leaders, Nelson being the prime example. This book in contrast moves away from focusing on Nelson and other leading individuals to explore more fully how naval leadership worked in the context of a large, complex, globally-capable institution. It puts forward important original scholarship around four main themes: the place of the hero in naval leadership; organisational friction in matters of command; the role of management capability in the exercise of naval power; and the evolution of management and technical training in the Royal Navy. Besides providing much new, interesting material for naval and maritime historians, the book also offers important insights for management and leadership specialists more generally. HELEN DOE is a Fellow of the Centre for Maritime Historical Studies, University of Exeter and author of Enterprising Women and Shipping (Boydell, 2009). RICHARD HARDING is Professor of Organisational History at the University of Westminster and author of The Emergence of Britain's Global Naval Supremacy (Boydell, 2010), Amphibious Warfare in the Eighteenth Century (Royal Historical Society, 1991) and six other books. Contributors: GARETH COLE, MIKE FARQUHARSON-ROBERTS, MARY JONES, ROGER KNIGHT, ROGER MORRISS, ELINOR ROMANS, DAVID J. STARKEY, PETER WARD, OLIVER WALTON, BRITT ZERBE.

At 8:43 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, October 6, 1918, HMS Kashmir rammed HMS Otranto off Islay, Scotland. Both ships were former British passenger liners from the P&O Steamship Company that had been pulled into the war to ferry American soldiers between New York and various British ports. On this stormy morning, however, they were part of Convoy HX-50 carrying troops to Liverpool. On board were 372 British officers and sailors and 701 American soldiers. The Americans were mostly Southern farm boys from Fort Screven in Savannah under the command of Lt. Sam Levy, a Georgia Tech graduate from Atlanta. The Kashmir managed to back away and follow the harsh wartime order that required her to ignore any maritime disasters that might befall her sister ships and to continue on her prescribed course rather than stop and take on survivors. Thus it was that with winds blowing at 70 to 75 mph and waves at more than 60 feet the severely damaged Otranto was left dead in the water with more than a thousand souls aboard. Many Were Held by the Sea: The Tragic Sinking of HMS Otranto, tells the story of what happened during that voyage mostly from the perspective of the American soldiers and builds to the disastrous conclusion. The narrative details the courage of the young men on board, men who, for the most part, had never seen the ocean or learned to swim. It tells of the anguish from the home front, as family members had to wait weeks to learn the fate of their relatives. In addition, Scott s narrative tells the personal story of Lieutenant Craven of the Royal Navy, serving as Commander of the rescue ship, who was forced to gamble with the lives of those on both ships in order to save the maximum number of passengers.

John Lambert was a renowned naval draughtsman, whose plans were highly valued for their accuracy and detail by modelmakers and enthusiasts. By the time of his death in 2016 he had produced over 850 sheets of drawings, many of which have never been published. These were acquired by Seaforth and this title is the fourth of a planned series of albums on selected themes, reproducing complete sheets at a large page size, with expert commentary and captioning. Trawlers and drifters served in both world wars in their thousands; and, in their tens of thousands, so did their fishermen crews. Indeed, these humble craft were the most numerous vessel type used by the Royal Navy in both wars, and were the answer to the strategic or tactical conundrums posed by new technology of mines and submarines. In his accompanying text, Steve Dunn examines the ships themselves, their design, construction, arming, operations and development; and he also relates how the trawlermen and skippers, from the age-old fishing ports of Grimsby, Hull, Lowestoft ad Great Yarmouth, Aberdeen and Fleetwood, came to be part of the Royal Navy, and describes the roles they played, the conditions they served under and the bravery they showed. The book takes some 30 large sheets of drawings which John Lambert completed of these vessels and divides into two sections. The first part tells how the fishing fleet came to be an integral part of the Royal Navy's pre-1914 plans and details some of the activities and actions of trawlers and drifters at war in 1914-18\. And the second investigates the armed fishing fleet in the struggle of 1939-45. These wonderfully detailed drawings, which are backed by a selection of photographs and a detailed complementary text, offer a superb technical archive for enthusiasts and ship modellers, but the book also tells a fascinating story of the extraordinary contribution the vessels and their crews made to the defeat of Germany in two world wars.

Although not a weapon in the traditional sense of the word, arguably no item in the Allied arsenal contributed as much to the defeat of the Axis during WWII as did the Liberty ships. The 2,710 Liberty ships placed into service between 1941 and 1945 provided a vital link in the supply chain not only of US but also Allied forces during WWII. Although the basic design itself was obsolete even before the first one slid down the builder's ways, it had the advantage of being relatively easy to produce, and simple to operate and maintain. Thus, the vessels were mass-produced by no fewer than eighteen shipyards. Building time, initially 244 days, dropped to forty-two days per ship, although as a publicity stunt the Robert E. Peary was launched four days and fifteen and a half hours after the keel was laid.

In modern naval warfare, offensive and defensive mine operations and the ships that perform them often take a back seat to the more glamorous carrier strike groups, strategic deterrence patrols and anti-submarine operations. Despite their relatively small size and numbers, minecraft have enormous strategic and tactical value. With more than 200 photos, this book details the histories and specifications of more than 2,200 vessels that have served as minelayers and minesweepers, from World War I to today. Rare examples include the U.S. Navy’s only purpose-built mine-laying submarines, and the remarkable 36-foot “mini minesweeper.”

From Across the Sea: North Americans in Nelson's Navy explores the varied contributions of North Americans to the Royal Navy during Great Britain's wars against Revolutionary and Napoleonic France. It is the first book that explores this topic in depth. As an edited compilation, top specialists in the field have contributed thematic essays (on topics ranging from impressment to the Anglo-American maritime relationship) as well as biographical essays on a range of North Americans from both the officer ranks and the lower deck. For the biographical portraits, special attention has been paid to individuals who have not already been the subject of extensive research and writing. Accompanying these essays are several never-before-published illustrations depicting some of the key North Americans as well as the ships and naval battles in which they were a part. The book's central focus is to challenge the common assumption that the Nelsonic-era Royal Navy was manned exclusively by British sailors and officers. Instead, Royal Navy personnel from this era often hailed from different parts of the world, with North Americans comprising a particularly significant contingent. For instance, Nelson's fleet at Trafalgar had hundreds of Americans as well as Canadians, not to mention individuals from the Caribbean. Thus, From Across the Sea sheds new light on these sailors and officers, showcasing years of original, primary source research on the subject. The book also challenges the misconception that all North American-born sailors who served in the Royal Navy were pressed into service. Instead, a significant number volunteered for service of their own free will, lured into the Royal Navy by visions of adventure and prize money. Others volunteered more reluctantly, figuring that joining the Royal Navy on their own terms was preferable to being forced in by a press gang. Thus, From Across the Sea reveals that impressment was a more complicated topic than most generally assume. Over all, From Across the Sea concludes that North Americans played an integral role in the Royal Navy during the Wars with France, from the lower deck all the way to the highest levels of command. While some of these North Americans operated in relative obscurity, others achieved high rank and formed lasting friendships with some of Great Britain's foremost naval leaders of the age, including Lord Nelson and King William IV. Theirs is a story that needs to be told, and now it has been told for the first time through From Across the Sea.

USS Lexington (CV-16), a member of the famed Essex class of carriers that made up the backbone of the US Navy's carrier force in WWII, served its nation from WWII into the 1990s. With almost a half-million arrested landings recorded, arguably more naval aviators have landed on its decks than on any other aircraft carrier in the world. Scarred in battle during WWII, the Lexington earned considerable distinction in that war, participating in the sinking of over a million tons of enemy ships and downing hundreds of Japanese aircraft. The history of this famed vessel is presented through over 200 photographs and accompanying narrative. These photos, coupled with descriptive and informative captions, put the reader on the deck of this historic warship throughout its history.

The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich houses the largest collection of scale ship models in the world, many of which are official, contemporary artefacts made by the craftsmen of the navy or the shipbuilders themselves, and ranging from the mid seventeenth century to the present day. As such they represent a three-dimensional archive of unique importance and authority. Treated as historical evidence, they offer more detail than even the best plans, and demonstrate exactly what the ships looked like in a way that even the finest marine painter could not achieve. This book is the first of a series which will take selections of the best models to tell the story of specific ship types - in this case, the evolution of the cruising ship under sail. Each volume reproduces a large number of model photos, all in full colour, and including many close-up and detail views. These are captioned in depth, but many are also annotated to focus attention on interesting or unusual features. Although pictorial in emphasis, the book weaves the pictures into an authoritative text, producing an unusual and attractive form of technical history.While the series will be of particular interest to ship modellers, all those with an interest in ship design and development will attracted to the in-depth analysis of these beautifully presented books.

Amid the twists and turns of her survival to this day, the story of the light cruiser HMS Caroline spans a century and more. This book focuses on her early career, the role she played as just one of many components making up the Grand Fleet in time of war. We look at her routine participation in contraband control and, most dramatically, her appearance at the Battle of Jutland, when providence smiled upon her and guaranteed a safe emergence from that intense cauldron of explosion and fire. How does the life of a warship usually finish if it is not sunk in action? It can be the sad destiny of great warships to find themselves one day `surplus to requirements'. They might have performed gloriously in battle in defence of the realm. They might have made headlines by saving life where natural disaster strikes. Yet still the breaker's yard beckons. Most men-of-war become out of date, too costly to run, as their usefulness wanes. However, some ships find a last minute reprieve by being sold to foreign countries. And yet a very special few survive in home waters for future generations. Among these is HMS Caroline.

One of the great untold stories of the British services is that of the Royal Navy Submarine Service which entered the fray in World War I with 100 underwater craft. Through World War II, where submariners' prospects of returning safely from a mission were only 50:50, the Falklands conflict and the sinking of the Belgrano, to present-day elite machines, the Silent Service has played an enormous part in British defence. John Parker's in-depth investigation is very much personality led with diaries from the early part of the century to substantial first-person testimony from survivors of wartime heroics (when many VCs were won).

Due to China's strong dependence/reliance on its economic development but also due to its rising political ambitions with the aim to resume a central role in the regional and global affairs, it is vital for China to show some sort of military presence in its area of influence. Consequently, within the past decade, China's military - in both strategic considerations and the modernisation of procedures and material as well - has undergone some of the most profound reforms since its establishment and the Chinese Navy and its Naval Air Arm play an ever more increasing role to achieve these goals. The 2016-released National 'white paper' has emphasized a greater focus on the seas and clearly stated that China's has to establish itself as a major maritime power. Consequently, the PLN will shift its focus from 'offshore waters defence' to an 'open seas protection'. That means in parallel to the PLAAF's modernisations, the changes for the PLN - and concerning the scope off the book the PLANAF - will be probably even more dramatic when the PLANAF creates a modern, capable 'Blue Water' force. In terms of modern systems, the PLNAF will steadily increase its naval capabilities by introducing more modern multirole-capable systems but most important by the establishment of an indigenous carrier force. Similar to the original /Modern Chinese Warplanes/and /Flashpoint China/ books, this uniquely compact yet comprehensive directory serves as a magnificently illustrated, in-depth analysis and directory of modern Chinese Naval Air Power. It is organised in four parts: the most important military aircraft and their weapons found in PLANAF service today; aircraft markings and serial number systems; the recent modernization efforts and structural reforms and orders of battle for the People's Liberation Naval Air Force.

In The Royal Marines and the War at Sea 1939-45 military and naval historian Martin Watts records how marines fought at sea, their relationship with the Royal Navy, and the overall contribution they made to victory in the Second World War. Combining personal narrative with strategical, tactical and technical analysis, this book is centred on the career of the author's great-uncle, Colour Sergeant Albert 'Nobby' Elliott, who saw active service in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Arctic and Indian Oceans. He was Mentioned in Despatches at the Second Battle of Sirte, took part in Operation Torch, and was a gun layer in HMS Jamaicawhen she took part in the sinking of the German battleship Scharnhorston Boxing Day 1943. Nobby finished the war recovering Allied prisoners of war from the south-west Pacific, and was present at the surrender of Japanese forces while on board HMS Glory.

The surprise attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 remains one of the most traumatic events in American history, destroying a naval fleet, killing over a thousand crew members, and launching the United States into World War II. While Pearl Harbor catapulted a nation into battle, it also shattered military families. In the week leading up to and including Pearl Harbor, 79 blood relatives served aboard the USS Arizona. Not only were sons sent to serve on the ship, but fathers and sons together, brothers and brothers. Some families sent as many as three. On that fateful day, 63 brothers were killed. In BROTHERS DOWN, acclaimed historian Walter R. Borneman returns to the critical week of December 7 through the eyes of these families. A deeply heroic story of sacrifice and leadership, Borneman traces the lives of these men, their relationships, and their fateful experience on the USS Arizona. More than just an account of familial bonds, everlasting patriotism, and national heartbreak, BROTHERS DOWN captures the turning point in American military history.

'There is only one colour that matters, one that unites us all. And that colour is green.' The Royal Marine Commandos have become a byword for elite raiding skills and cutting-edge military operations. They are globally renowned, yet shrouded in mystery. With unique insight and authority, Commando captures the essence and heart of this revered military unit then and now, exploring their role patrolling the high seas and policing coastlines around the globe, and revealing their rich history and what it means to win and wear the legendary green beret. With full and exclusive access to every level of the organisation, author and former Royal Marine Monty Halls tells the real stories of extraordinary individuals through a period of historic global unrest: from Future Commando forces on high-profile drug busts to Mountain Leaders training across glaciers north of the Arctic Circle; from medics who serve as global first responders in conflict to wounded veterans raising vast sums to support their brethren in the Corps Family. These are the modern vanguard of a legendary unit, descendants of the misfits and eccentrics who were so effective and feared in WW2 that Hitler famously ordered them to be shot on sight. Commando is an unforgettable glimpse into a rarified world of danger, drama, and valour.

A young sailor with the weight of the world on his shoulders, a brother in the line of fire, and the greatest naval battle of all time...Jutland, 1916: In the icy waters of the North Sea, the Royal Navy awaits the challenge of the Kaiser's High Sea Fleet. Sub-lieutenant Nick Everard could never have imagined the terror he would face as his destroyer races to launch its torpedoes into the blazing guns of a horizon obscured by dreadnoughts. But when the steering-gear on HMS Warspite jams, it is up to Nick, along with his brother, Hugh, to save thousands of lives. Dramatic, action-packed and brimming with suspense, The Blooding of the Guns launches the epic career of Nicholas Everard, and is perfect for fans of C. S. Forrester, Max Hennessy and Alan Evans. Praise for Alexander Fullerton'The most meticulously researched war novels that I have ever read' Len Deighton 'His action passages are superb and he never puts a period foot wrong' Observer 'The research is unimpeachable and the scent of battle quite overwhelming' Sunday Times

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Boys in the Boat comes the gripping untold story of one of the most heroic units that fought in World War II On December 7th 1941, the Japanese Navy bombed Pearl Harbor. For many Americans, the surprise attack was a call to arms - but for the soldier sons of Japanese-American immigrant parents, it brought prejudice and scrutiny over where their loyalties lay. In Facing the Mountain, Daniel James Brown tells the unforgettable story of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the Japanese-American heroes who displayed incredible courage on the brutal battlefields of Europe. Achieving the impossible in often near-suicidal missions, including rescuing a 'lost battalion' surrounded by Nazis in the French mountains, the 442nd went on to become one of the most decorated units in history. Yet at the same time, their parents were put in camps and stripped of their livelihoods, and an equally brave battle was being fought in the courtroom back home. A cinematic tour de force, Facing the Mountain puts a real-life band of brothers in the history books where they belong and reminds us that victory is rarely as simple as we think.

_Airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare_ unlocks the history and theory behind the shadowy art of how aircraft hunt for submarines. Written by a veteran US Navy submarine hunting pilot, this book will take aviators, naval enthusiasts, and military scholars behind the scenes to understand how technical breakthroughs, the evolution of weapons, and advances in sensors have shaped this high-risk game of cat and mouse. On 15 September 1916, the French submarine _Foucault_ was spotted and attacked by a pair of Austro-Hungarian flying boats in the Adriatic. During the bombing that followed, _Foucault_ was so badly damaged that she was eventually abandoned by her crew -all of whom survived. This was the first time in history that a submarine had been sunk by an aircraft. It was an engagement which set in motion a constantly evolving aspect of underwater warfare. In this book, Michael Glynn explores a journey through the history of more than 100 years of aerial sub hunting. From the Great War, through the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War and on to the secret confrontations of the Cold War, the reader will witness the parallel evolution of both aircraft and submarine as each side tries to gain supremacy over the other. In so doing, he distils complicated oceanography, operations analysis, and technical theory into easily digested concepts, helping the reader understand how complex weapons and sensors function. By reviewing the steps of a submarine hunting flight, the reader can quickly understand how theory and practice fit together and how aviators set out to achieve their goal of detecting their submarine targets. _Airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare_ is a thrilling read for those seeking a glimpse into an arcane and high-stakes world.

For the first time, this book tells the story of how naval air operations evolved into a vital element of the Royal Navy's ability to fight a three-dimensional war against both the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe. An integral part of RN, the Fleet Air Arm was not a large organisation, with only 406 pilots and 232 front-line aircraft available for operations in September 1939\. Nevertheless, its impact far outweighed its numbers -it was an RN fighter that shot down the first enemy aircraft of the war, and an RN pilot was the first British fighter 'ace' with 5 or more kills. The Fleet Air Arm's rollcall of achievements in northern waters went on to include the Norwegian Campaign, the crippling of _Bismarck_, the gallant sortie against _Scharnhorst_ and _Gneisenau_ as they passed through the Channel, air attacks on enemy E-boats in the narrow seas, air cover for the Russian convoys, air attacks that disabled _Tirpitz_, and strikes and minelaying operations against German shipping in the Norwegian littoral that continued until May 1945\. By the end of the war in Europe the FAA had grown to 3243 pilots and 1336 aircraft. This book sets all these varied actions within their proper naval context and both technical and tactical aspects are explained with 'thumb-nail' descriptions of aircraft, their weapons and avionics. Cross reference with the Fleet Air Arm Roll of Honour has been made for the first time to put names to those aircrew killed in action wherever possible as a mark of respect for their determination against enemy forces on, above and below the sea surface which more often than not outnumbered them. The Fleet Air Arm and the War in Europe completes David Hobbs' much-praised six-volume series chronicling the operational history of British naval aviation from the earliest days to the present.

This is the amazing story of legendary WWII U-boat commander, and Knight's Cross recipient, Peter Cremer. Cremer was appointed commander of U-333, a type VIIC submarine with a close-knit crew. During his first North Atlantic patrol U-333 sank three ships; unfortunately, the third victim was actually a German blockade-runner. Cremer was acquitted before a court martial. During his second patrol, the U-333 was rammed by an Allied tanker before reaching American shores. His later patrols were equally amazing. In April 1945, Cremer was ordered to take command of a panzer unit, Marine-Panzer-Vernichtungsbataillon, that was credited with destroying twenty-four tanks! Cremer ended the war as head of Grossadmiral Doenitz's security battalion. This biography details all WWII patrols by U-333 and features over 200 images and maps.

This fast-paced narrative traces the emergence of the United States Navy as a global power from its birth during the American Revolution through to its current superpower status. The story highlights iconic moments of great drama pivotal to the nation's fortunes: John Paul Jones' attacks on the British during the Revolution, the Barbary Wars, and the arduous conquest of Iwo Jima. The book illuminates the changes-technological, institutional, and functional-of the U.S. Navy from its days as a small frigate navy through the age of steam and steel to the modern era of electronics and missiles. Historian Craig L. Symonds captures the evolving culture of the navy and debates between policymakers about what role the institution should play in world affairs. Internal and external challenges dramatically altered the size and character of the navy, with long periods of quiet inertia alternating with rapid expansion emerging out of crises. The history of the navy reflects the history of the nation as a whole, and its many changes derive in large part from the changing role of the United States itself.