The Reluctant Raiders is perhaps the most documented and researched book on a United States Navy land-based squadron flying the PB4Y-1 Liberator and PB4Y-2 Privateer. The final result of five years of research, the book traces the squadron's history from its commissioning in August 1943, to the final days of World War II, including: never before published combat and nose art photography; the squadron's tactical organization; a chronology of each combat aircrew's mission record; personnel killed in action; and an appendix containing Japanese shipping and aircraft destroyed or damaged by the squadron

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

The Navy of the Nuclear Age, 1947-2007, the fifth volume in the monumental U.S. Navy Warship series, presents an all-inclusive compendium of the ships that served in the U.S. Navy from the Cold War up through the present day. Featuring radical new developments in warships such as nuclear-powered submarines and carriers equipped with ballistic missiles, the post-World War II period was one of unprecedented technological growth for the U.S. Navy. The Navy of the Nuclear Age contains specifications and illustrations for all the ships and submarines that have helped the U.S. to achieve its present-day status as the country with the world's largest and most powerful navy. A further article about Paul Silverstone and the Navy Warships series can be found at: http://www.thejc.com/home.aspxParentId=m11s18s180&SecId=180&AId=58892&ATypeId=1

In the United States there has been a wide divergence of views on the role of France's Navy in World War II. We have tended to remain trapped by wartime half-truths. This book attempts to set the record straight. Koburger's study discusses the history of U.S. dealings with Vichy France, especially in the French Antilles and St. Pierre et Miquelon. It describes and examines TORCH--U.S. landings in French North Africa--and its impact on us; the subsequent establishment of U.S. bases there and elsewhere on French soil; the rebuilding by the U.S. of the French Navy; and the results of our efforts. Koburger concludes that the United States did not do enough with the French, but "considering the era and the circumstances, we did the best we could hope to do."

For five centuries, since Vasco de Gama's ships began making the Indian Ocean a Portuguese lake, many governments used naval force to serve their political purposes. The sceptre of the seas passed from one nation to another, but political success did not always reward the strongest navy. This selective, international history of naval force as a political instrument, whether in peace or war, ranges from Calicut, navally cannonaded in 1501, to Baghdad, assailed by sea launched missiles in 1991.

Koburger argues that the many battles that constituted the campaign for the Solomons were the key to victory in the Pacific for the U.S. Navy--not the battle of the Coral Sea or the Battle of Midway. Segments of the campaign--Guadalcanal, New Georgia, and Bougainville--have been written about extensively. But never before has the entire campaign been put together so lucidly and interpreted so well. The descriptions of the naval battles make for compelling reading. Even in World War II, Koburger argues, the important naval struggles took place in the narrow seas.

Milton Leitenberg has done us a great service. His balanced and comprehensive reconstruction of the history of Soviet submarine operations in Swedish waters will benefit all students of Soviet policy and practice in Northern Europe. The accompanying discussions of the domestic and international political contexts within which those submarine operations were perceived, responded to, and reported on, doubles the value of the work. The full Soviet military rationale for those operations may remain somewhat elusive, but Leitenberg has clearly provided us with a cogent description of their political consequences. Robert G. Weinland, Consultant, Washington, D.C The book first presents a comprehensive account of the overall incidence of violations, not only in Sweden but in other countries as well, between 1970 and 1987. The author then shows that the provisional, more exploratory stages of the operations in Sweden apparently began well before 1980 and have continued despite the Soviet Union's public campaign for a Nordic Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone. An analysis of the incursions is given next, including a look at Sweden's response to a problem it may not have anticipated when its own preconceptions and the norms of international behavior were clearly contradicted by reality. Also discussed are the motives behind the Soviet submarine operations and various provocation theories.

In this second installment in the Warfighters series, author/photographers Rich Llinares and Chuck Lloyd provide an in-depth look at the United States Marine Corps aviation organization and its specialized training unit the Marine Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1). The squadron, located at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, trains both fixed and rotary wind aircrews in the "Six Functions of Marine Ari." Twice a year, the fines aviators in the Marine Corps attend the intense WEapons and Tactics Insturctor (WTI) course under the direction of some of the best pilots in the world. Take to the skies over the Arizona desert in the Marines most advanced aircraft. Join the amazing AV-8B Harrier vertical short/takeoff and landing jet as it conducts close air support missions in support of Marine ground troops. Strap in to the advanced F/A-18 Hornet strike fighter on deep strike escort missions with EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare jets. Join the crews of the rugged KC-130 Hercules while they conduct demanding low altitude aerial refueling missions. Marine aviation is more than just fast jets; over half the Corps aircraft are helicopters. Fly in the massive CH-53 Stallion helicopter on air combat maneuvering training missions against the Marine Corps dedicated adversary tactics squadron, the Snipers in their nimble F-5E Tiger II jets. Get down low in the weeds with Marine CH-46E and UH-1N helicopters as they conduct assault support missions with the devastating AH-1W Cobra gunship. Through extensive research, and access to many of the key personnel, both past and present, the authors tell the complete story of Marine aviation and how it serves America\s 911 force - the U.S. Marine Corps. In rich detailed text and spectacular full color photos the history of this amazing military organization is described along with its force structure and air wings. Hear directly from the Marines who planned and executed the daring rescue of USAF Captain Scott O\Grady from war torn Bosnia. Take a first hand look at how the unique MAWTS-1 unit teaches Marine airmen to be experts in their aircraft and missions. Warfighters 2 also contains a first hand look at the unique HMX-1 squadron which fulfills a number of key requirements from flying the President to conducting the operations test and evaluation of all rotary aircraft flown in the Marine Corps. Each of the aircraft operated by the Marines are examined through words and pictures. Join the aviation combat element of the few, the proud, the Marines - the first to fight the last to leave.

Armies of the Napoleonic Era provides a complete overview of the tactics, organisation, uniforms, equipment, weapons and actions fought during those dynamic years 1792-1815, when revolutionary France reshaped Europe before being forced back into a more conventional pattern of life. Digby Smith has studied first class source data from many European museums, archives, numerous regimental histories, contemporary official handbooks and private diaries, and has distilled this mass of information into a work covering all the standing armies of the Napoleonic era. Technical data on the artillery of the various states include the chemical make-up of gunpowders, fuzes and incendiary bombs; the dimensions, performances and effects of cannon, howitzers and mortars, shot, shell and canister; and the dimensions, calibre and performance of muskets, carbines, rifles and pistols. The tactics of artillery, cavalry and infantry-are explained and each nation has its own section in which uniform development and regimental history are described. A brief summary of the campaigns and actions in which that nation was involved is also included. An appendix gives an overall summary of all battles and major clashes between 1792-1815. A wide selection of illustrations and diagrams complements this unique work, which will be of incalculable value as a reference work to serious students of the period, modelers and wargamers.

Clash of Fleets is an operational history that records every naval engagement fought between major surface warships during World War I. Much more than a catalog of combat facts, Clash of Fleets explores why battles occurred; how the different navies fought; and how combat advanced doctrine and affected the development and application of technology. The result is a holistic overview of the war at sea as it affected all nations and all theaters of war. A work of this scope is unprecedented. Organized into seven chapters, the authors first introduce the technology, weapons, ships, and the doctrine that governed naval warfare in 1914. The next five chapters explore each year of the war and are subdivided into sections corresponding to major geographic areas. This arrangement allows the massive sweep of action to be presented in a structured and easy to follow format that includes engagements fought by the Austro-Hungarian, British, French, German, Ottoman, and Russian Navies in the Adriatic, Aegean, Baltic, Black, Mediterranean, and North Seas as well as the Atlantic, India, and Pacific Oceans. The role of surface combat in the Great War is analyzed and these actions are compared to major naval wars before and after. In addition to providing detailed descriptions of actions in their historical perspectives, O'Hara and Heinz advance several themes, including the notion that World War I was a war of navies as much as a war of armies. They explain that surface combat had a major impact on all aspects of the naval war and on the course of the war in general. Finally, Clash of Fleets illustrates that systems developed in peace do not always work as expected in war, that some are not used as anticipated, and that others became unexpectedly important. There is much for today's naval professional to consider in the naval conflict that occurred a century ago.

This work presents a selective review of naval power, changes in power that have occured over time, and the employment of that power during peace and war times. The volume arose from Hooper's concern over national military policies that seem to ignore the lessons of the past and demonstrate a lack of understanding of the continued relevance of naval power. Hooper pays particular attention to naval policy; naval capabilities and mission; determinants and influence of naval power; management of naval affairs; exercise of command over operating forces; and interservice relationships.

"United States Naval Power in a Changing World" presents a selective review of naval power, changes in power that have occured over time, and the employment of that power during peace and war times. The volume arose from Hooper's concern over national military policies that seem to ignore the lessons of the past and demonstrate a lack of understanding of the continued relevance of naval power. Hooper pays particular attention to naval policy; naval capabilities and mission; determinants and influence of naval power; management of naval affairs; exercise of command over operating forces; and interservice relationships.

The third volume of The U.S. Navy Warship Series covers the fifty-year period from 1883-1922. In 1883, Congress authorized the first ships of the "New Navy" and ordered removal of all obsolete ships. All US Navy ships since that time have stemmed from these first three cruisers. The numbering system in effect since 1920 was effectively begun in 1886. The ships built during the next few years fought in the Spanish-American War. The success and popularity of the naval victories of that war together with the acquisition of overseas territories were the impetus for a large naval shipbuilding program. The voyage around the world of the "Great White Fleet" was a prime example of the excitement felt by the American people about the Navy. This led naturally into the fleet of World War I and its vast expansion, terminating with its demobilization after the war and the succeeding naval disarmament treaty of 1992. This book will be arranged following the standard format with sections on Capital Ships, Cruisers, Destroyers, Submarines, Mines Vessels, Patrol Vessels, Tenders, Supply & Transport Ships, Naval Overseas Transportation Service (NOTS), and other government departments (Coast Guard, etc.). A further article about Paul Silverstone and the Navy Warships series can be found at: http://www.thejc.com/home.aspxParentId=m11s18s180&SecId=180&AId=58892&ATypeId=1

Storm Clouds over the Pacific begins the story long before Pearl Harbor, showing how the war can only be understood if ancient hatreds and long-standing geopolitics are taken into account. Peter Harmsen demonstrates how Japan and China’s ancient enmity grew in the late 19th and early 20th centuries leading to increased tensions in the 1930s which exploded into conflict in 1937. The battles of Shanghai and Nanjing were followed by the battle of Taierzhuang in 1938, China’s only major victory. A war of attrition continued up to 1941, the year when Japan made the momentous decision for all-out war; the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor catapulted the United States into the war, and the Japanese also overran British and Dutch territories throughout the western Pacific. It is the first volume in the War in the Asia Pacific series, a trilogy of books comprising a general history of the war against Japan. Unlike other histories, it expands the narrative beginning long before Pearl Harbor and encompasses a much wider group of actors to produce the most complete narrative yet written and the first truly international treatment of the epic conflict. Peter Harmsen uses his renowned ability to weave together complex events into an entertaining and revealing narrative, including facets of the war that may be unknown to many readers of WWII history, such as the war in Subarctic conditions on the Aleutians, or the mass starvations that cost the lives of millions in China, Indochina, and India, and offering a range of perspectives to reflect what war was like both at the top and at the bottom, from the Oval Office to the blistering sands of Peleliu.

'Beguiling' The Times 'Compelling' Wall Street Journal 'A vivid portrait' Daily Mail Buried in the history of our most famous jail, a unique story of captivity, violence and race. British redcoats torch the White House and six thousand American sailors languish in the world's largest prisoner-of-war camp, Dartmoor. A myriad of races and backgrounds, with some prisoners as young as thirteen. Known as the 'hated cage', Dartmoor wasn't a place you'd expect to be full of life and invention. Yet prisoners taught each other foreign languages and science, put on plays and staged boxing matches. In daring efforts to escape they lived every prison-break cliche - how to hide the tunnel entrances, what to do with the earth... Drawing on meticulous research, The Hated Cage documents the extraordinary communities these men built within the prison - and the terrible massacre that destroyed these worlds. 'This is history as it ought to be - gripping, dynamic, vividly written' Marcus Rediker

Exploring the professional and political ideas of Newfoundland naval governors during the French Wars, this book traces the evolution of the Naval Governorship and administration of the region, shedding a light on a critical period of its early modern history. Contextualising Newfoundland as part of Britain’s broader Atlantic Empire, Morrow focuses on the years 1793-1815 as it transitioned from a largely migratory fishery and ‘nursery of seaman’ to a colonial settlement with a resident British and Irish population. With a diversifying economy and growing demography amidst the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, the governors of Newfoundland faced a unique set of challenges. Drawing upon various primary and secondary sources, Morrow provides a comprehensive account of their responses to the perceived needs of those they governed - both settler and indigenous - and reveals the professional attitudes and attributes they brought to bear on both their civil and military responsibilities.

This is fourth in mulit-volume series covering United States Navy patches from World War II to the present-each volume contains over 1000 patches in full color. This new volume covers: Activities, Bases, Centers, Commands, Communications, Cruises, Depots, Division, Facilities, Fields, Fleets, Flotillas, Forces, Groups, Medical, Missiles, Schools, Shipyards, Squadrons, Stations, Teams, Units, and Miscellaneous units. (See page 40 for previous volumes).

This book, first published in 1990, presents a fundamental reassessment of maritime strategy. It analyses the lessons of twentieth-century naval warfare and examines in detail the changing face of naval warfare, both in terms of the weapons used and the platforms from which they are launched and controlled. It looks at the evolving uses of the seas, both economic and military, and sets sea power against the developing world environment, political, legal and economic, discussing those factors that stimulate nations to exert power at sea and those that limit their naval capabilities. It also develops a theoretical framework for future thinking about maritime strategy and forces, revises and updates Mahan's classical analysis of the foundations of sea power, and discusses thinking about naval tasks.

Steve Bond is back with the final volume in this popular series. Unlike his previous three tomes, with their focus on air/rotorcraft, this book is uniquely dedicated to the personnel of the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) themselves. Each chapter will concentrate on the memories of contributors who served in a range of roles, including those below the flight deck. Accounts will focus on the everyday life upon an aircraft carrier as well as the extraordinary challenges faced during operations. There is a fascinating chapter covering exchange services with the RAF and other navies including the French and US; and also insight into the Indian navy’s experience with the Sea Hawk and Sea Harrier. Within the previous volumes, we met some remarkable characters and there is a chapter devoted to people’s memories of them. The closing section entitled ‘Thoughts’ sees contributors reflect on their FAA career with many deeply moving responses and discourses on the future of the service. The book is heavily illustrated throughout in colour and black and white with personal photographs from the contributors, artwork and tongue-in-cheek cartoons for which the FAA is famous. Volume Four is the perfect conclusion to the ongoing post-war story of a truly astounding branch of the armed forces.

The first and only scholarly book in English about the French Navy during the reign of the Vichy government, "The Cyrano Fleet" is a revisionist study presenting the French version of the events of 1940 through 1942. Captain Koburger's use of French sources has allowed him to put forth evidence that contradicts and often corrects our understanding of this complex period of French maritime history. In particular, he attacks the Anglo-American conception of the Vichy navy as fascist'. His findings shed new light on the often strained relations between NATO and the French armed forces. This carefully researched book will interest students and scholars of twentieth century history, political science, foreign affairs, and military studies.

It is now half a century since the Allies--the Grand Alliance of the Second World War--managed one way or another to destroy France's Navy. This Navy had been first an important ally, then a neutral force, and finally the instrument of its own destruction. It is now about time that we re-examined the record, and finally took steps to set it straight? So writes Captain Koburger in the introduction to "The Cyrano Fleet," a book that, all these years later, sets the record straight about the Vichy French Navy.

This narrative history of the French Navy in Indochina from 1945 to 1954 draws on recently published French language sources, as well as English sources, to create a detailed, highly readable account of the critical first ten years of the 30-year war in the maritime crossroads of Southeast Asia. Captain Charles W. Koburger, Jr. examines the specific naval organization, equipment, and skills demanded by coastal and riverine warfare, focusing on the unique French-developed naval infantry assault divisions called, in a convenient French acronym, dinassauts. The French development of such river assault groups, their successful performance, whether on coastal patrol, river patrol, or river assault--and a review of some of their tactics, techniques, and battles, compose the bulk of the book. The authoritative text is complemented by maps of the area, photographs of naval craft used in the campaigns, and tables pertaining to battles and military organization. Appendixes survey Indochinese geography and weather as well as ships and craft.

Early chapters narrate the historical situation in French Indochina in August and September 1945, emphasizing the naval picture. The heart of the book, covering the periods 1946-50, 1951, and 1952, holds the story of the dinassauts' early development and their later expanded operations as well as the naval strategies employed. The final chapters trace the last years of the French in Indochina, describing the culmination of dinassaut organization and highlighting their last operations necessitated by the communist victory in China, and made possible by U.S. aid. The French Navy in Indochina addresses historians, naval officers, diplomats, government officials, and war gamers, but informed general readers will find it an entertaining and useful read as well.