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Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence > Naval forces & warfare

The Royal Navy and German Naval Disarmament 1942-1947 (Hardcover): Chris Madsen The Royal Navy and German Naval Disarmament 1942-1947 (Hardcover)
Chris Madsen
R4,370 Discovery Miles 43 700 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The formulation and implementation of the Royal Navy's policy towards German naval disarmament after world War II is examined here. The British sought no less than the complete elimination of German naval power though a comperehensive programme of control, disbandment and demilitarization.

The Grey Wolves of Eriboll (Paperback, 2nd Enlarged edition): David M. Hird The Grey Wolves of Eriboll (Paperback, 2nd Enlarged edition)
David M. Hird
R601 R549 Discovery Miles 5 490 Save R52 (9%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

The surrender of the German U-boat fleet at the end of World War II was perhaps the principal event in the war's endgame which signified to the British people that peace really had arrived. This revised, updated and expanded new edition gives career details of not only the 33 commanders who accompanied their boats to Loch Eriboll but also of a further 23 previous commanders of those U-boats, including four who might be considered 'Aces' because of the damage they inflicted, sinking and disabling Allied shipping. The book also features an analysis of the Allied naval operation under which the surrendering U-boats were assembled in Scotland and Northern Ireland; asks who first contacted those U-boats after the capitulation - armed British trawlers, frigates of the Allied navies or aircraft of the Royal Air Force; and discloses how U-boats spared destruction were distributed to the navies of the USA, France, USSR and the Royal Navy. Also revealed are more unpublished recollections of British and German naval personnel present at the Loch Eriboll surrenders and how 116 surviving U-boats came to be sunk in the waters of the Western Approaches in the winter of 1945/46.The Grey Wolves of Eriboll includes a wealth of historical insights including the German Surrender Document; detailed descriptions of the construction, service careers and circumstances of each surrendered U-boat; details of the frigates that supervised the surrenders, contemporary newspaper reports and descriptions of the naval Operations Pledge, Commonwealth, Cabal, Thankful and Deadlight, each of which involved Eriboll U-boats. The mysteries surrounding Hitler's yacht and the alleged 'Norwegian Royal Yacht' (which did not exist at the time) are also explored. The pivotal role played by Loch Eriboll in ending the U-boat menace is little-known and lesser celebrated - this book rights that wrong.

The Royal Navy and German Naval Disarmament 1942-1947 (Paperback): Chris Madsen The Royal Navy and German Naval Disarmament 1942-1947 (Paperback)
Chris Madsen
R1,866 Discovery Miles 18 660 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The formulation and implementation of the Royal Navy's policy towards German naval disarmament after world War II is examined here. The British sought no less than the complete elimination of German naval power though a comperehensive programme of control, disbandment and demilitarization.

Modern Aspects Of The Laws Of Naval Warfare And Maritime Neutrality (Hardcover): Politakis Modern Aspects Of The Laws Of Naval Warfare And Maritime Neutrality (Hardcover)
Politakis
R7,754 Discovery Miles 77 540 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

At a time when experts agree that the laws of naval warfare and maritime neutrality are obsolete and must be reformed, Politakis critically explores international laws governing naval operations. He considers the influence of the UN Charter on traditional military law, and discusses selected topics such as morality and chivalry in the domain of the laws of war and the paradox of today's electronic combat environment.

Maritime Strategy and Continental Wars (Paperback, Annotated Ed): Rear Admiral K. Raja Menon Maritime Strategy and Continental Wars (Paperback, Annotated Ed)
Rear Admiral K. Raja Menon
R1,472 Discovery Miles 14 720 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Rear Admiral Raja Menon contends that nations embroiled in Continental wars have historically had poor maritime strategies. After an analysis of existing literature on this subject and a discussion of case studies, he develops the argument that those navies that have been involved in such wars have made poor contributions to the overall politial objectives. Government neglect, inadequate funding and structures that are more appropriate to purely maritime wars are symptomatic of a universal strategic dilemma that arises from inadequate strategic theory.

Warships of the Soviet Fleets, 1939-1945 (Hardcover): Przemyslaw Budzbon, Jan Radziemski, Marek Twardowski Warships of the Soviet Fleets, 1939-1945 (Hardcover)
Przemyslaw Budzbon, Jan Radziemski, Marek Twardowski
R1,432 R1,136 Discovery Miles 11 360 Save R296 (21%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

Seventy-five years after the end of the Second World War the details of Soviet ships, their activities and fates remain an enigma to the West. In wartime such information was classified and after a brief period of glasnost ( openness') the Russian state has again restricted access to historical archives. Therefore, the value - and originality - of this work is difficult to exaggerate. It sees the first publication of reliable data on both the seagoing fleets and riverine flotillas of the Soviet Navy, listing over 6200 vessels from battleships to river gunboats, and mercantile conversions as well as purpose-built warships. Divided into three volumes, this first covers major surface warships down to MTBs and armoured gunboats, as well as submarines. For every class there is a design history analysing strategic, tactical and technical considerations, and individual ship detail includes construction yard, key building dates, commissioning, fleet designations, relocations and ultimate fate. Once a closely guarded secret, the wartime loss of every ship and boat (over 1000) is described. Furthermore, the confusion caused by frequent name changes is clarified by indexes that run to 16,000 items. By following the ships through both their wartime and earlier history, the book reveals many aspects of Russian history that remain highly sensitive: clandestine co-operation with Weimar Germany and fascist Italy, the NKVD-enforced closure of Soviet borders, the Gulag Fleet', the faked Metallist sinking that excused the military occupation of Estonia, and the ill-conceived pact with Nazi Germany. Restrictions recently imposed on historical publications in Russia mean this book could certainly not have been published there - as proven by the fact that most of the authors' Russian collaborators preferred not to disclose their identities. This is undoubtedly one of the most important naval reference works of recent years and will be welcomed by anyone with an interest in warships, the Soviet Navy or wider maritime aspects of the Second World War.

The Japanese Cruiser Asama (Paperback): Aleksander Suchaniewicz The Japanese Cruiser Asama (Paperback)
Aleksander Suchaniewicz
R603 Discovery Miles 6 030 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

"Azuma" was one of the six armored cruisers built under the programme. Four of them were built by the British Armstrong shipyard, but "Azuma" was ordered in France, and its sister vessel, the "Yakumo", in Germany. Both cruisers were to carry British guns, making them compatible with units built in hazy Albion. The contract for the construction of "Azuma" was signed on 12th of October, 1897, with Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire. On 1st of February, 1898, the keel was laid at the concern's shipyard in St. Nazaire. The launch took place on 24th of June, 1899. The construction was completed on 28th of July, 1900. The next day, the cruiser left St. Nazaire and went to Japan, reaching Yokosuka on 29th of October 29 of that year.

The Mother of All Hooks - Story of the U.S.Navy's Tailhooks Scandal (Hardcover, New): William H McMichael The Mother of All Hooks - Story of the U.S.Navy's Tailhooks Scandal (Hardcover, New)
William H McMichael
R3,833 Discovery Miles 38 330 Ships in 9 - 15 working days

The Mother of All Hooks is a richly detailed description of the United States government's attempts to punish naval officers for sexual misconduct committed at the 1991 Tailhook Association convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. Journalist William H. McMichael describes the institutionalized mind-set that led to that misconduct and, in the face of an oppressive, politically charged investigation, to a large-scale failure to cooperate with government agents. This failure led to further investigative and prosecutorial excesses that ultimately doomed the effort to bring the guilty to justice; many of the guiltiest, hi fact, were given immunity to testify, and escaped severe punishment. At the same time, McMichael makes clear that Tailhook misconduct had been largely condoned for decades, but that senior officials failed to take responsibility for allowing such an atmosphere to flourish. This powerful expose is a shocking, eye-opening read for psychologists, criminologists, criminal justice professionals, and members of the U.S. military. The Tailhook Association convention had become infamous in naval circles for heavy drinking, hard partying, and sexual promiscuity. The most notable such ac-tivity was the "gauntlet"-a hallway lined by men through which selected women were forced to pass, only to be fondled. McMichael provides a rich narrative ac-count of how the United States Navy and the Pentagon mishandled investigation of events at the 1991 convention and subsequent hearings. In addition to exposing that approach's dramatic shortcomings, McMichael also provides insight into the Navy's history of open sexuality by its members while overseas, the fighter pilot psyche, and the larger issue of whether the Navy should be permitted to investigate its own transgressions. While more than thirty admirals eventually received what amounted to a hand slap, more than twenty junior officers received career-killing punitive letters of reprimand in closed-door administrative hearings. The Mother of All Hooks provides absorbing new details for all who think they "know" what hap-pened because of Tailhook-and why.

The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club - Naval Aviation in the Vietnam War (Paperback): Thomas McKelvey Cleaver The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club - Naval Aviation in the Vietnam War (Paperback)
Thomas McKelvey Cleaver
R506 R417 Discovery Miles 4 170 Save R89 (18%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

This book tells the full story of the US Naval air campaign during the Vietnam War between 1965 to 1975, where the US Seventh Fleet, stationed off the Vietnamese coast, was given the tongue-in-cheek nickname 'The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club'. On August 2, 1964, USS Maddox became embroiled in the infamous 'Gulf of Tonkin incident' that lead directly to America's increased involvement in the Vietnam War. Supporting the Maddox that day were four F-8E Crusaders from the USS Ticonderoga, signalling the start of the US Navy's commitment to the air war over Vietnam. The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club was the nickname for the US Navy's Seventh Fleet, Task Force 77, stationed off the coast of Vietnam which, at various points throughout the war, comprised as many as six carriers with 70-100 aircraft on board. The Seventh Fleet played an essential role in supporting operations over Vietnam, providing vital air support to combat troops on the ground and taking part in major operations such as Rolling Thunder and Linebacker I and II. Serving with the US Seventh Fleet during this period and involved in the dramatic history of The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club was author Tom Cleaver, who was a 20-year-old member of Commander Patrol Forces Seventh Fleet which had operational control over Maddox and Turner Joy. His use of dramatic first-hand experiences from interviews with both American and Vietnamese pilots plus official Vietnamese accounts of the war provides a balanced and personal picture of the conflict from both sides. Detailing the very earliest incident in the Gulf of Tonkin through to the final evacuation of US nationals in 1975, he brings the story of US air intervention into Vietnam vividly to life.

The Polish Navy 1918-45 - From the Polish-Soviet War to World War II (Paperback): Przemyslaw Budzbon The Polish Navy 1918-45 - From the Polish-Soviet War to World War II (Paperback)
Przemyslaw Budzbon; Illustrated by Paul Wright
R358 R289 Discovery Miles 2 890 Save R69 (19%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

Packed with illustrations, this is a study of the Polish warships such as the Grom-class destroyers that were developed and built in the interwar years. Newly independent Poland's naval force was created in 1920, initially with six ex-German torpedo boats. However, after German-Soviet exercises off the Polish coast in 1924, funding for warships was hastily allocated. Two destroyers and three submarines were built in France but, disappointed with their quality, Poland ordered new ships, mostly from British and Dutch shipyards. By summer 1939, the Polish Navy comprised four destroyers, five submarines, one minelayer, six minesweepers and a handful of lesser ships. Although the Grom-class destroyers were two of the fastest and best-armed destroyers of the war, the tiny Polish fleet would stand little chance against the Kriegsmarine, and on 30 August three destroyers were dispatched to Britain, followed by two submarines that escaped internment. The remaining Polish surface fleet was sunk by 3 September. In exile, the Polish Navy operated not only their own ships, but also Royal Navy warships, including a cruiser, destroyers, submarines and motor torpedo boats which fought alongside the Allies in the Battle of the Atlantic, the Arctic Convoys, and at the Normandy landings. This detailed account not only describes the Polish Navy's contribution to the Allied war effort but also the episode of the Polish destroyer Piorun which took on the Bismarck in a lone gun duel leading to the sinking of the great German battleship.

The German Navy in the Nazi Era (RLE Nazi Germany & Holocaust) (Paperback): Charles S. Thomas The German Navy in the Nazi Era (RLE Nazi Germany & Holocaust) (Paperback)
Charles S. Thomas
R1,365 Discovery Miles 13 650 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The German navy's experiences under the Third Reich are explored in depth in this comprehensive history (originally published in 1990) of the Kriegsmarine. The author draws on a wide range of sources to illuminate for the first time the crucial relationship between the naval officer corps, one of the traditional elites of Germany and the National Socialist Party. The book begins by describing the navy's frustrating experiences in the First World War, when inactivity on the part of the surface fleet and poor communication with the other armed services led to a revolutionary atmosphere by 1918. It then analyses the navy's often troubled relationship with the parties of the Weimar Republic and the admirals' fear of subversion by the Germany Communist Party which contributed to their changing relationship with National Socialism before 1933. .

Austro-Hungarian Naval Policy, 1904-1914 (Paperback): Milan Vego Austro-Hungarian Naval Policy, 1904-1914 (Paperback)
Milan Vego
R1,473 Discovery Miles 14 730 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This unique and comprehensive account describes the interplay of internal and external factors in the emergence of the Austro-Hungarian Navy from a coastal defence force in 1904 to a respectable battle force capable of the joint operations with other Triple Alliance fleets in the Mediterranean by the eve of World War I. By 1914 the Austro-Hungarian Navy was the sixth largest navy in the world and the quality of its officers and men was widely recognised by most European naval observers at the time. The book describes the relationships between naval leaders, the heir to the throne Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and the Parliament in shaping the dual Monarchy's naval policy. It also shows how the changes in foreign policy in Italy and underlying animosities between Rome and Vienna led to a naval race in the Adriatic that eventually bolstered Germany's naval position in respect to Great Britain in the North Sea.

Far-flung Lines - Studies in Imperial Defence in Honour of Donald Mackenzie Schurman (Paperback, annotated edition): Greg... Far-flung Lines - Studies in Imperial Defence in Honour of Donald Mackenzie Schurman (Paperback, annotated edition)
Greg Kennedy, Keith Neilson
R1,766 Discovery Miles 17 660 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

These studies show how the British Empire used its maritime supremacy to construct and maintain a worldwide defence for its imperial interests. They rebut the idea that British defence policy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was primarily concerned with the balance of power in Europe.

The Anglo-Dutch Wars of the Seventeenth Century (Paperback): J.R. Jones The Anglo-Dutch Wars of the Seventeenth Century (Paperback)
J.R. Jones
R1,553 Discovery Miles 15 530 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This study of the Anglo--Dutch Wars (1652-54, 1665-67, 1672-74) sets them in their naval, political and economic contexts. Competing essentially over trade, both governments were crucially influenced by mercantile interests and by the representative institutions that were central to England and the Dutch Republic. Professor Jones compares the effectiveness of the governments under pressure - English with Dutch, Commonwealth with restored monarchy, Republican with Orangist - and the effects on their economies; and examines the importance of the wars in accelerating the formation of a professional officer corps and establishing battle tactics that would endure throughout the age of sail.

Barents Sea 1942 - The Battle for Russia's Arctic Lifeline (Paperback): Angus Konstam Barents Sea 1942 - The Battle for Russia's Arctic Lifeline (Paperback)
Angus Konstam; Illustrated by Adam Tooby
R485 R394 Discovery Miles 3 940 Save R91 (19%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

A gripping examination of the Battle of the Barents Sea, fought in the near darkness and icy cold of the northern winter, in which the Kriegsmarine sought to sever the crucial Allied Arctic Convoy route once and for all. The Arctic convoys that passed through the cold, dangerous waters of the Barents Sea formed a vital lifeline - a strategic link in tanks, supplies and above all goodwill between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union. In December 1942, under Operation Regenbogen (Rainbow), the German Kriegsmarine sought to strike a crippling blow on the Arctic convoys and finally sever this all-important sea route. In this fascinating work, renowned naval expert Angus Konstam documents the fate of the Allied Convoy JW 51B as it came under attack from some of the Kriegsmarine's most powerful surface warships - a pocket battleship, a heavy cruiser and six destroyers. Illustrated with stunning battlescene artworks, maps, 3D diagrams and photographs, it explores the David and Goliath struggle between the Allied ships defending the convoy and the powerful German force, until the arrival of the two British cruisers tipped the balance of power. The Battle of the Barents Sea, fought amid snowstorms and the darkness of the Arctic night, would prove to be a turning point in the hard-fought war in northern waters, and would test Hitler's patience with his surface fleet to the limit.

The Kamikaze Campaign 1944-45 - Imperial Japan's last throw of the dice (Paperback): Mark Lardas The Kamikaze Campaign 1944-45 - Imperial Japan's last throw of the dice (Paperback)
Mark Lardas; Illustrated by Adam Tooby
R457 R372 Discovery Miles 3 720 Save R85 (19%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

An illustrated history of how Japan devised and launched a new kind of air campaign in late 1944 - the suicidal assaults of the kamikaze units against the approaching Allied fleets. As summer changed to autumn in 1944, Japan was losing the war. Still unwilling to surrender, Japan's last hope was to try to wear down US resolve enough to reach a negotiated settlement. Extraordinary measures seemed necessary, and the most extraordinary was the formation of Special Attack Units - known to the Allies as the kamikazes. The concept of organized suicide squadrons was first raised on June 15, 1944. By August, formations were being trained. These formations were first used in the October 1944 US invasion of the Philippine Islands, where they offered some tactical success. The program was expanded into a major campaign over the rest of the Pacific War, seeing a crescendo during the struggle for Okinawa in April through May 1945. This highly illustrated history examines not just the horrific missions themselves, but the decisions behind the kamikaze campaign, how it developed, and how it became a key part of Japanese strategy. Although the attacks started on an almost ad hoc basis, the kamikaze soon became a major Japanese policy. By the end of the war, Japan was manufacturing aircraft specifically for kamikaze missions, including a rocket-powered manned missile. A plan for a massive use of kamikazes to defend the Japanese Home Islands from invasion was developed, but never executed because of Japan's surrender in August 1945. Packed with diagrams, maps and 3D reconstructions of the attacks, this book also assesses the Allied mitigation techniques and strategies and the reasons and the degree to which they were successful.

Scapa - Britain's Famous Wartime Naval Base (Paperback, New edition): James Miller Scapa - Britain's Famous Wartime Naval Base (Paperback, New edition)
James Miller
R488 Discovery Miles 4 880 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Scapa Flow was one of the world’s great naval bases and the scene of many of the major events of twentieth-century naval history. During both World Wars, the Royal Navy made Scapa the home for its capital ships, and thousands of servicemen and women were posted to Orkney. From here the Grand Fleet sailed for Jutland in 1916, from here the escorts for the Russian convoys set off, and it was in this beautiful, bleak anchorage that the German High Seas fleet committed the greatest act of suicide ever seen at sea – ‘The Grand Scuttle’ – before being later raised and scrapped in the most astonishing feat of maritime salvage in history. It was also in Scapa that the last photographs of Kitchener were taken as he boarded HMS Hampshire, shortly before she was sunk by mine off Marwick Head. Scapa is also the grave of many who fought for their country in both World Wars. In its silent waters lie the wrecks of the battleship Vanguard, blown apart by an explosion in 1917, and the Royal Oak, sunk by U-47 in a spectacular raid at the beginning of World War II . Here the first Luftwaffe raids on Britain occured, here too Italian prisoners-of-war built both the spectacular Churchill causeways and the exquisite chapel on the island of Lamb Holm. In this book, illustrated with over 130 archive photographs, James Miller traces the story of this remarkable place, weaving together history, eyewitness accounts and personal experience to capture the life and spirit of Scapa Flow when it was home to thousands of service personnel and the most powerful fleet in the world.

Britain's War At Sea, 1914-1918 - The war they thought and the war they fought (Hardcover, New edition): Greg Kennedy Britain's War At Sea, 1914-1918 - The war they thought and the war they fought (Hardcover, New edition)
Greg Kennedy
R4,212 Discovery Miles 42 120 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

In Britain, memory of the First World War remains dominated by the trench warfare of the Western Front. Yet, in 1914 when the country declared war, the overwhelming expectation was that Britain's efforts would be primarily focussed on the sea. As such, this volume is a welcome corrective to what is arguably an historical neglect of the naval aspect of the Great War. As well as reassessing Britain's war at sea between 1914 and 1918, underlining the oft neglected contribution of the blockade of the Central Powers to the ending of the war, the book also offers a case study in ideas about military planning for 'the next war'. Questions about how next wars are thought about, planned for and conceptualised, and then how reality actually influences that thinking, have long been - and remain - key concerns for governments and military strategists. The essays in this volume show what 'realities' there are to think about and how significant or not the change from pre-war to war was. This is important not only for historians trying to understand events in the past, but also has lessons for contemporary strategic thinkers who are responsible for planning and preparing for possible future conflict. Britain's pre-war naval planning provides a perfect example of just how complex and uncertain that process is. Building upon and advancing recent scholarship concerning the role of the navy in the First World War, this collection brings to full light the dominance of the maritime environment, for Britain, in that war and the lessons that has for historians and military planners.

If a Pirate I Must Be - The True Story of Black Bart, "King of the Caribbean Pirates" (Paperback): Richard Sanders If a Pirate I Must Be - The True Story of Black Bart, "King of the Caribbean Pirates" (Paperback)
Richard Sanders
R396 Discovery Miles 3 960 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

In a page-turning tale brimming with adventure, author Richard Sanders tells of the remarkable exploits of Bartholomew Roberts (better known as Black Bart), the greatest of the Caribbean pirates. He drank tea instead of rum. He banned women and gambling on his ships. He never made his prisoners walk the plank, instead inviting them into his cabin for a friendly chat. And during the course of his extraordinary two-and-a-half-year career as a pirate captain, he captured four hundred prizes and brought trade in the eastern Caribbean to a standstill. In If a Pirate I Must Be..., Richard Sanders tells the larger-than-life story of Bartholomew Roberts, a.k.a. Black Bart. Born in a rural town, Roberts rose from third mate on a slave ship to pirate captain in a matter of months. Before long, his combination of audaciousness and cunning won him fame and fortune from the fisheries of Newfoundland to the slave ports of West Africa. Sanders brings to life a fascinating world of theater and ritual, where men (a third of whom were black) lived a close-knit, egalitarian life, democratically electing their officers and sharing their spoils. They were highly (if surreptitiously) popular with many merchants, with whom they struck incredibly lucrative deals. Yet with a fierce team of Royal Navy pirate hunters tracking his every move, Roberts' heyday would prove a brief one, and with his capture, the Golden Age of pirates would pass into the lore and legend of books and movies. Based on historical records, journals and letters from pirates under Roberts' command, and on writings by Roberts himself, If a Pirate I Must Be... is the true story of the greatest pirate ever to sail the Caribbean. Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Arcade, Good Books, Sports Publishing, and Yucca imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. Our list includes biographies on well-known historical figures like Benjamin Franklin, Nelson Mandela, and Alexander Graham Bell, as well as villains from history, such as Heinrich Himmler, John Wayne Gacy, and O. J. Simpson. We have also published survivor stories of World War II, memoirs about overcoming adversity, first-hand tales of adventure, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

D-Day: Then and Now (Volume 1) (Hardcover): Winston G. Ramsey D-Day: Then and Now (Volume 1) (Hardcover)
Winston G. Ramsey
R1,006 R877 Discovery Miles 8 770 Save R129 (13%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

This is the first of a two volume set exploring the inception, planning and preparation of the offensive to liberate Europe, Operation Overlord, culminating in its launch on D-Day.

Warships in the Baltic Campaign 1918-20 - The Royal Navy takes on the Bolsheviks (Paperback): Angus Konstam Warships in the Baltic Campaign 1918-20 - The Royal Navy takes on the Bolsheviks (Paperback)
Angus Konstam; Illustrated by Adam Tooby
R358 R290 Discovery Miles 2 900 Save R68 (19%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

A fascinating look at the British naval intervention in the Baltic in 1918-20, and at the British, Soviet and Baltic nationalist fleets that fought. Following the Russian Revolution of October 1917, the Baltic states became a battleground between Russian Reds and Whites, German troops and emerging Baltic independence forces. In November 1918, the British government decided to intervene, to protect British interests and to support the emerging Baltic states. This initial small force of cruisers and destroyers was eventually augmented by other British warships, including aircraft carriers, a monitor, as well as a handful of submarines and torpedo boats. Opposing them was the far more powerful Russian Baltic Fleet, now controlled by the Bolsheviks. The campaign that followed involved naval clashes between the two sides, the most spectacular of which was an attack on the Soviet naval base of Kronstadt in June 1919 by a force of small British torpedo boats. They torpedoed and sunk the Russian cruiser Oleg, an action which effectively bottled the Baltic fleet up in port for the remainder of the campaign. Finally, in early 1920, the British squadron was withdrawn, following Soviet recognition of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. This New Vanguard title explores the naval side of this little-known but strategically crucial campaign fought by the war-weary navies of Britain and Russia and by warships of the emerging Baltic states. Describing the political background to the conflict, and the key points of the naval campaign as well as the warships involved, this is a concise and fascinating account of an overlooked naval campaign that helped reshape the map of Europe.

Essex-Class Aircraft Carriers 1945-91 (Paperback): Mark Stille Essex-Class Aircraft Carriers 1945-91 (Paperback)
Mark Stille; Illustrated by Adam Tooby
R358 R290 Discovery Miles 2 900 Save R68 (19%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

A history of the enduring Essex-class ships, the US Navy's finest and most numerous fleet carrier during World War II, which were modernized repeatedly and served with distinction. The Essex class was the USN's war-winning ship class of the Pacific War. Of the 24 ships completed, 14 saw action, making the Essex class the largest class of fleet aircraft carriers ever built. These ships had a fine balance of striking power, protection, and speed and were modernized during and after the war. There were five distinct programs carried out, adding not only angled flight decks for jet operations, but repeated upgrades to sensors, weapons, and equipment. Essex-class carriers were used in a number of roles and provided the vast majority of US Navy air power in the Korean War, and a sizeable proportion of air power in the Vietnam conflict. However, as the "super carriers" began to enter service in the early 1960s, the Essex class was relegated to secondary roles- a single Essex carrier served until 1991 as the US Navy's training carrier. Using detailed artwork and photos, this book provides an in-depth portrait of this important and enduring class of ship, and looks at its development and modifications while considering the many and varied actions it took part in.

The Invergordon Mutiny - A Narrative History of the Last Great Mutiny in the Royal Navy and How It Forced Britain off the Gold... The Invergordon Mutiny - A Narrative History of the Last Great Mutiny in the Royal Navy and How It Forced Britain off the Gold Standard in 1931 (Hardcover)
Alan Ereira
R3,180 Discovery Miles 31 800 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

In September 1931 the Royal Navy experienced its biggest modern mutiny. The largest warships in the Atlantic Fleet were gathering in Cromarty Firth, for their autumn exercises. Meanwhile Ramsay MacDonald's newly formed national Government announced its emergency budget, introducing means tests, cutting umeployment benefit and reducing public sector pay. On arrival at Invergordon the sailors discovered the scale of the cuts they were supposed to bear. Their resulting strike, co-ordinated from ship to ship, swiftly achieved its objective. The Navy was badly shaked by the extraordinary efficiency of the action, and Britiains' financial credit was so seriously damaged that within a few days the country was forced off the Gold Standard. Until this book was published little of the story was known; officially dexcribed as a case of 'unrest' it was hushed up and no Courts-Martial or Commission of Inquiry followed. This is the first detailed account of the Invergordon mutiny based on the personal testimony of those involved on the lower deck. Particular attention is given to the way the affair was organized, both centrally and in individual ships, to the structure of command and to the flash points when the use of force was considered and attempted. The dramatic story is hereput into its historical context: the background to the budget crisis of 1931, the implications of the cuts imposed, the conditions of the Fleet at the time: themes which remain as pertinent today as they were in 1931.

The Naval War in the Mediterranean - 1914-1918 (Hardcover): Paul G. Halpern The Naval War in the Mediterranean - 1914-1918 (Hardcover)
Paul G. Halpern
R4,271 Discovery Miles 42 710 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This volume, originally published in 1987, fills a gap in a neglected area. Looking at the entire war in the Mediterrean, the volume examines the war from the viewpoint of all the important participants, making full use of archives and manuscript collections in Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Austria and the United States. A fascinating mosaic of campaigns emerges in the Adriatic, Straits of Otranto and the Eastern Aegean. The German assistance to the tribes of Libya, the threat that Germany would get her hands on the Russian Black Sea Fleet and use it in the Mediterreanean, and the appearance and influence of the Americans in 1918 all took place against a background of rivalry between the Allies which frustrated the appointment of Jellicoe in 1918 as supreme command at sea in a role similar to that of Foch on land.

No More Heroes - The Royal Navy in the Twentieth Century: Anatomy of a Legend (Hardcover): Charles Owen No More Heroes - The Royal Navy in the Twentieth Century: Anatomy of a Legend (Hardcover)
Charles Owen
R3,188 Discovery Miles 31 880 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This book, originally published in 1975 and authored by an ex-Naval officer, assesses the performance and management of the Royal Navy in the twentieth century. It examines the nature and tasks of the twentieth century Navy, by tracing the fortunes of it under successive First Sea Lords. It examines how the higher echelons of the service have altered and how and why naval policy has changed. Among other issues the book discusses the actions of Beresford and Fisher, Beaty and Jellifcoe, Chatfield, Pound and Mountbatten. It appraises Churchill, the Invergordon Mutiny and the strains fo the 1930s; discusses the Navy's role in two World Wars and post-war disarmament.

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