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Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence > Naval forces & warfare
The successful evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from
Belgium and northern France through the port of Dunkirk and across
adjacent beaches is rightly regarded as one of the most significant
episodes in the nation's long history, although Winston Churchill
sagely cautioned in Parliament on 4th June that the country "must
be careful not to assign to this deliverance the attributes of a
victory. Wars are not won by evacuations". Nevertheless, the
Dunkirk evacuation, Operation "Dynamo", was a victory and, like
many others before it, it was a victory of sea power. The Royal
Navy achieved what it set out to do, despite grievous losses, in
the teeth of determined opposition. It denied an aggressive and
ruthless continental power a potentially war-winning total victory
that could have changed the direction of civilization for
generations to come. The loss of the main British field army would
have enfeebled the nation militarily and psychologically, prompting
political upheaval, potentially resulting in a negotiated peace
with Nazi Germany on unfavourable terms dictated by Adolf Hitler.
The undeniable success of the evacuation was certainly a crucial
naval and military achievement but its positive effect on the
nation's morale was just as important, instilling confidence in the
eventual outcome of the war, whatever the immediate future might
hold, and creating optimism in the face of adversity that added
"the Dunkirk spirit" to the English language. This edition of
Dunkirk, Operation "Dynamo" 26th May - 4th June 1940, An Epic of
Gallantry, publishes the now declassified Battle Summary No 41, a
document once classified as 'Restricted' and produced in small
numbers only for official government purposes. This Summary, The
Evacuation from Dunkirk, lodged in the archive at Britannia Royal
Naval College, Dartmouth, is one of the very few surviving copies
in existence and records events in minute detail, being written
soon after the evacuation using the words of the naval officers
involved. This makes it a unique record and a primary source for
the history of Operation "Dynamo" from mid-May 1940 until its
conclusion on 4th June. The original document has been supplemented
in this title by a Foreword written by Admiral Sir James
Burnell-Nugent, formerly the Royal Navy's Commander-in-Chief,
Fleet, whose father commanded one of the destroyers sunk off
Dunkirk when rescuing troops. In addition, there is a modern
historical introduction and commentary, putting the evacuation into
context and this edition is enhanced by the inclusion of a large
number of previously unpublished photographs of the beaches, town,
and harbour of Dunkirk taken immediately after the conclusion of
the operation, together with others illustrating many of the ships
that took part. Britannia Naval Histories of World War II - an
important source in understanding the critical naval actions of the
period.
The Great War tore Europe apart killing over 35 million men and
challenging the notion of heroism. Air and Sea Power in World War I
focuses on the experience of World War I from the perspective of
pilots and sailors and demonstrates that the army-centric view of
war studies has been too limited. The Royal Flying Corps, created
in 1912, adapted quickly to the needs of modern warfare and was
driven by the enthusiasm of its men. In contrast, the lack of
modernisation in the Royal Navy, despite the unveiling of HMS
Dreadnought in 1906, undermined Britain's dominance of the seas. By
considering five key aspects of the war experience, this book
analyses how motivation was created and sustained: what training
did men receive and how effectively did this prepare them for roles
that were predominantly non-combative? How was motivation affected
by their individual relationship with weaponry development, and how
different was defensive service on the Home Front, when in close
proximity to ordinary civilian life? Featuring new primary source
material, including the journals of service men themselves, this
book looks at the changing reputation of the services during and
after the First World War and the extent to which these notions
were created by the memoirs of pilots and sailors. This will be
essential reading for students and scholars of World War I and of
Naval, Aviation and Military History.
The story starts with a fourteen-year-old boy living with his
family in Portsmouth during the Blitz of World War Two. It follows
him as he leaves school, finds work and eventually joins the Royal
Navy. We find out about his tough upbringing in Portsmouth
surviving hit-and-run bombings by German fighter planes;
volunteering for the Royal Navy and enduring the rigour and
discipline of training, preparing for D-Day and protecting shipping
from pirates in the South China Seas. Sometimes sad, sometimes
funny, always fascinating - this is the true story of a young man
living in extraordinary times.
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Amphibious assault ships have been at the centre of nearly all of Britain's expeditionary campaigns since World War II, from the Suez crisis of 1956 to operations as far afield as Borneo (1963–66), the Falklands (1982), Sierra Leone (2000) and Iraq (2003).
In major operations such as Suez and the Falklands, the use of amphibious assault ships was essential to the military success of the campaigns. The Suez Crisis saw two of the Royal Navy's former light fleet carriers converted into 'commando carriers' to specialise in amphibious warfare. In the 1960s these were followed by the famous Fearless class ships – the first purpose-built amphibious assault ships in the Royal Navy. With an internal dock, headquarters capability, and multiple landing craft, these 'Landing Platform Docks' were built to project power around the world. When the Falklands were invaded, HMS Fearless was the key to the successful landing in San Carlos.
In the 1990s, a new generation was ordered: the helicopter carrier HMS Ocean and the Albion class LPDs. In recent years Ocean, Albion and Bulwark have been the largest fighting ships of the Royal Navy and have acted as the navy's flagships, as well as being perhaps the most versatile ships in the navy.
This title is an essential guide to British Amphibious Assault Ships across the decades, from the mighty Fearless to the modern Albion. Packed with full-colour illustrations, contemporary photography, and detailed analysis, this definitive work explores the history, development, and deployment of the Royal Navy's front line.
Naval mines are pernicious weapons of debated legality and fearsome
reputation. Since World War II over 18,400 of these ingenious
devices have been deployed during 24 naval mining events, seriously
damaging or sinking over 100 ships including 44 warships. Despite
this sustained drumbeat of use both in attack and in defence, there
were no modern books that examine this `Weapon That Waits'. Naval
Minewarfare: Politics to Practicalities is a comprehensive guide to
modern naval minewarfare. From explaining the basic tenets of both
naval mining and naval mine countermeasures, then examining the
modern history of naval mining, through to the legal, political and
statecraft factors that should underpin any decisions to employ
naval mines, this detailed analysis provides a contemporary view of
how this weapon is used as part of a military or insurgent
campaign. Focussing on both the psychological warhead in every mine
as well as naval mining's lethal effects, it contains a wealth of
invaluable information and explanation all carefully scripted to
enlighten military historians and inform international strategists.
The inclusion of an Annex of mitigations against mining
specifically designed for use by civilian ships, their owners and
also port authorities makes this an outstanding primary reference
for politicians through to practitioners of both military and
civilian elements of conflicts that involve naval mines.
The successful evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from
Belgium and northern France through the port of Dunkirk and across
adjacent beaches is rightly regarded as one of the most significant
episodes in the nation's long history, although Winston Churchill
sagely cautioned in Parliament on 4th June that the country "must
be careful not to assign to this deliverance the attributes of a
victory. Wars are not won by evacuations". Nevertheless, the
Dunkirk evacuation, Operation "Dynamo", was a victory and, like
many others before it, it was a victory of sea power. The Royal
Navy achieved what it set out to do, despite grievous losses, in
the teeth of determined opposition. It denied an aggressive and
ruthless continental power a potentially war-winning total victory
that could have changed the direction of civilization for
generations to come. The loss of the main British field army would
have enfeebled the nation militarily and psychologically, prompting
political upheaval, potentially resulting in a negotiated peace
with Nazi Germany on unfavourable terms dictated by Adolf Hitler.
The undeniable success of the evacuation was certainly a crucial
naval and military achievement but its positive effect on the
nation's morale was just as important, instilling confidence in the
eventual outcome of the war, whatever the immediate future might
hold, and creating optimism in the face of adversity that added
"the Dunkirk spirit" to the English language. This edition of
Dunkirk, Operation "Dynamo" 26th May - 4th June 1940, An Epic of
Gallantry, publishes the now declassified Battle Summary No 41, a
document once classified as 'Restricted' and produced in small
numbers only for official government purposes. This Summary, The
Evacuation from Dunkirk, lodged in the archive at Britannia Royal
Naval College, Dartmouth, is one of the very few surviving copies
in existence and records events in minute detail, being written
soon after the evacuation using the words of the naval officers
involved. This makes it a unique record and a primary source for
the history of Operation "Dynamo" from mid-May 1940 until its
conclusion on 4th June. The original document has been supplemented
in this title by a Foreword written by Admiral Sir James
Burnell-Nugent, formerly the Royal Navy's Commander-in-Chief,
Fleet, whose father commanded one of the destroyers sunk off
Dunkirk when rescuing troops. In addition, there is a modern
historical introduction and commentary, putting the evacuation into
context and this edition is enhanced by the inclusion of a large
number of previously unpublished photographs of the beaches, town,
and harbour of Dunkirk taken immediately after the conclusion of
the operation, together with others illustrating many of the ships
that took part.
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