In the late months of 1944, seventy-one men climbed aboard a runt of a ship only one-hundred-fifty-feet long and twenty-three feet wide, and headed toward the sound of gunfire. The ship carried an arsenal of weapons equal to those of ships twice its height and weight. Its shallow draft made it capable of maneuvering to within a few feet of any Pacific island beach. It was unique to all other crafts and earned its title of ""gunboat"" and fell in among the ranks of its sisters known as ""Mighty Midgets."" To the U.S. marines and soldiers landing on Japanese held islands in that final year of World War II, it became a guardian angel. Packed tight within the bulkheads of the tiny craft was a crew of men, diverse and contrasting, who would, over the course of the next several months, become as close as brothers. They came from every occupation: farmers, students, wagon loaders, cooks, teachers, and many more. They ranged from the very young at seventeen to the very noticeable middle-agers. They were black, white and brown; first-generation Americans and grandsons of western pioneers. A few had already seen combat in the Atlantic and the Pacific, while some only knew violence from watching a calf being born. But the ship made them all the same; she treated them with total disregard for their indiscretions, their flaws, their color and their religions. She kept them alive and they reciprocated by protecting her to their last breath. When the war finally ended and their mission was complete, they, the crew of Landing Craft Support 52 would hold her and their shipmates forever dear within their hearts and souls. They would carry with them the scars of war and most would see the day when the old 52 would go to the bottom without them. One by one they, like all the veterans of that war, would pass into distant history; most would never bear the pain of telling their war stories. The only reminders left to us of their courage and selfless sacrifice: weathered photos of men posing at their ominous guns, and drunken sailors on conquered beaches. Their smiles are sometimes lying and their eyes sometimes too truthful for those who have never met great fear or held a dying friend. It is from these cracked and saffron-colored photos that the foundation for building the story of LCS 52 and her crew began. Shipmates is the story of those brave men who served their country abroad a little known naval vessel during World War II, and it is the story of survivors who returned and built lives and families. They should never be forgotten though they are no longer here to give their own account.

HMS Conqueror is Britain's most famous submarine. It is the only sub since World War Two to have sunk an enemy ship. Conqueror's sinking of the Argentine cruiser Belgrano made inevitable an all-out war over the future of the Falkland Islands, and sparked off one of the most controversial episodes of twentieth century politics. The controversy was fuelled by a war-diary kept by an officer on board HMS Conqueror, and as a young TV producer in the 1980s Stuart Prebble scooped the world by locating the diary's author and getting his story on the record. But in the course of uncovering his Falklands story, Stuart Prebble also learned a military secret which could have come straight out of a Cold War thriller. It involved the Top Secret activities of the Conqueror in the months before and after the Falklands War. Prebble has waited for thirty years to tell his story. It is a story of incredible courage and derring-do, of men who put their lives on the line and were never allowed to tell what they had done. This story, buried under layers of official secrecy for three decades, is one of Britain's great military success stories and can now finally be told.

An influential work on naval strategy, The Influence of Sea Power on History (1890) by Alfred Mahan, an American naval officer, had been instrumental in reshaping military tactics in navies all around the world. Its central idea was that a nation's success was determined by its 'sea power' - its ability to command the oceans with a large fleet. Frederick Thomas Jane (1865-1916), the founding editor of All the World's Fighting Ships and All the World's Airships (which continue to this day), here recounts historical battles to argue that other factors were as crucial, if not more, in determining military outcomes. In this daring and astute critique of Mahan's work, Jane proposes that 'fitness to win' played an essential role in securing victory. First published in 1906, this work is a thought-provoking contribution to the debate that influenced the naval arms race in the period before the First World War.

More than one hundred years after the battle of Jutland, the first and largest engagement of Dreadnoughts in the twentieth century, historians are still fighting this controversial and misunderstood battle. What was in fact a strategic victory stands out starkly against the background of bitter public disappointment in the Royal Navy and decades of divisive acrimony and very public infighting between the camps supporting the two most senior commanders, Jellicoe and Beatty. This book not only re-tells the story of the battle from both a British and German perspective based on the latest research, but it also helps clarify the context of Germany's inevitable naval clash. It then traces the bitter dispute that ensued in the years after the smoke of war had cleared; right up to his death in 1935, Admiral Jellicoe was embroiled in what became known as the Jutland Controversy. Nick Jellicoe is uniquely placed to tell the story of Jutland. His naval connections are strong: his father, the second Earl served as First Lord of the Admiralty while his grandfather, Sir John Jellicoe commanded the Grand Fleet for the first two years on the war, from 1914 to 1916, and was famously described by Churchill as being the only man who could have lost the war in an afternoon. This new paperback edition has been completely revised and offers the best and most balanced account of the battle available and can be read alongside the author's interactive website. 'This is a marvellously enthralling account . . that combines academic thoroughness with a unique element of personal observation. I found it totally absorbing and cannot recommend it highly enough.' _Warship World_

Charles Napier (1786 1860) served in the Royal Navy for sixty years. A brave yet controversial commander, he became one of the most popular naval officers in Britain for his role in many battles during the Napoleonic, Anglo-American, Syrian and Crimean wars. He also served as an MP in Parliament. In this two-volume work, originally published in 1836, Napier gives a first-hand account of the Portuguese Civil War, in which he was a key participant. Between 1828 and 1834, a conflict of succession occurred between two brothers, the progressive constitutionalist Don Pedro and the authoritarian absolutist Don Miguel. In 1833, Napier led the Liberal fleet which defeated Don Miguel. He remained in Portugal for some time after the surrender to fight pockets of Miguelite resistance. In Volume 1, Napier explains the origins of the war and takes the story through to the victory of Don Pedro.

Charles Napier (1786 1860) served in the Royal Navy for sixty years. A brave yet controversial commander, he became one of the most popular naval officers in Britain for his role in many battles during the Napoleonic, Anglo-American, Syrian and Crimean wars. He also served as an MP in Parliament. In this two-volume work, originally published in 1836, Napier gives a first-hand account of the Portuguese Civil War, in which he was a key participant. Between 1828 and 1834, a conflict of succession occurred between two brothers, the progressive constitutionalist Don Pedro and the authoritarian absolutist Don Miguel. In 1833, Napier led the Liberal fleet which defeated Don Miguel. In Volume 2, Napier recalls his post-victory campaign to defeat pockets of Miguelite resistance in the north of the country.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor changed the lives of almost every American, and began the process of putting 17 million of them in uniform to fight in World War II. Yet in the long and fascinating body of literature about this terrible event, most historians have neglected the compelling and moving accounts of the surviving military personnel and civilians who were on Oahu at the time of the attack, at dawn on December 7, 1941. Eyewitness to Infamy is their story-the astonishing oral history of the brutal attack that pushed the United States into WWII on the side of the Allies: the British, French, and Russians. With the help of the Pearl Harbor Survivors' Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the American Legion, Paul Travers collected more than 200 eyewitness accounts from which he painstakingly selected those critical to this behind-the-scenes narrative account. With breathtaking clarity, the narratives cover the full range of military activity on the island, along battleship row, and around the harbor, while portraying the human side of the event-the heroic, the tragic, and the terrible reality of the assault.

In 1921 Rear Admiral William Sowden Sims won the Pulitzer prize in history for Victory at Sea. The commander of U.S. naval forces operating in European waters during the WWI, Sims offers an authoritative account of the U.S. Navy's role in the war. Rear Admiral Sims explains the significance of submarine warfare, and its role in the defeat of Germany. The U.S. Navy's campaign was shrouded in secrecy at the time. Admiral Sims, head of the Naval War College when WWI broke out, was a brilliant gunnery reformer and noted Anglophile whose service in London ideally suited him to compose this history of the naval campaigns of the Great War. He was placed in charge of American naval forces in Europe for the duration of the war. Sims was born of American parents in Port Hope, Canada, 15 October 1858. Educated at Annapolis from 1876 to 1880, he first won fame as a lieutenant on duty in China in 1902. After being rebuffed by his superiors when he made suggestions for improvement in gunnery practice, he is reported to have gone over their heads and claimed directly to President Theodore Roosevelt that American gunnery was hopelessly inaccurate. Roosevelt called him back to become inspector of naval target practice.

On 2 July 1812, Captain David Porter raised a banner on the USS Essex proclaiming 'a free trade and sailors rights', thus creating a political slogan that explained the War of 1812. Free trade demanded the protection of American commerce, while sailors' rights insisted that the British end the impressment of seamen from American ships. Repeated for decades in Congress and in taverns, the slogan reminds us today that the second war with Great Britain was not a mistake. It was a contest for the ideals of the American Revolution bringing together both the high culture of the Enlightenment to establish a new political economy and the low culture of the common folk to assert the equality of humankind. Understanding the War of 1812 and the motto that came to explain it - free trade and sailors' rights - allows us to better comprehend the origins of the American nation.

On 2 July 1812, Captain David Porter raised a banner on the USS Essex proclaiming 'a free trade and sailors rights', thus creating a political slogan that explained the War of 1812. Free trade demanded the protection of American commerce, while sailors' rights insisted that the British end the impressment of seamen from American ships. Repeated for decades in Congress and in taverns, the slogan reminds us today that the second war with Great Britain was not a mistake. It was a contest for the ideals of the American Revolution bringing together both the high culture of the Enlightenment to establish a new political economy and the low culture of the common folk to assert the equality of humankind. Understanding the War of 1812 and the motto that came to explain it - free trade and sailors' rights - allows us to better comprehend the origins of the American nation.

While numerous studies have examined Woodrow Wilson's policy of neutrality prior to U.S. entry into World War I, none has focused on the actual merchant ship losses that created the final casus belli. This work focuses on what the president knew and when he knew it concerning the loss of ten ships between February 3 and April 4, 1917. By looking at the specifics, Rodney Carlisle offers new explanations for the reasons that led the president, the cabinet, the public, and Congress to decide for war. Sovereignty at Sea not only adds much to our understanding of maritime and diplomatic history during the First World War period but also speaks to contemporary concerns with issues surrounding the U.S. justification for wars.

Connecticut privateer Nathaniel Fanning (1755-1805) was captured by the British during the Revolutionary War. Upon his release, he joined the Continental Navy and sailed as a midshipman under Admiral John Paul Jones during his most famous battles. Fanning later obtained his own command, sailing from French ports to prey upon British warships. This new edition of Fanning's memoir-first published in 1806-provides a vivid account of wartime peril and hardship at sea, and a first-hand character study of Jones as an apparent tyrant and narcissist. Vocabulary, spelling and narrative style have changed in the more than two centuries since Fanning's chronicle, and some details clash with historical and geographical data. The editor has updated and annotated the text for modern readers.

Sir Howard Douglas (1776 1861) fought in the Napoleonic wars in Spain, taught at the Royal Military College, served as lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick, lord high commissioner of the Ionian Islands, and as a Conservative M.P. for Liverpool. A military scholar, fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and Royal Society and associate of the Institution of Naval Architects, he wrote widely on bridges, systems of defence and attack, and on Britain's North American provinces. Written in retirement, when Douglas became an unofficial advisor to a succession of prime ministers, this work addresses the use of steam to propel ships, with detailed analysis of design, steering, propeller and paddle engineering and considerations of speed and manoeuvrability. The book goes on to examine tactics, including breaking the line, fuel economy and fleet arrangement. Built upon by others, this important work, first published in 1858, remains of interest to military historians.

Paul Harris Nicolas (1790 1860) served as a second lieutenant in the Royal Marines at the Battle of Trafalgar. Promoted to first lieutenant in 1808, he took part in the Battle of the Basque Roads in 1809. For these actions he would later be awarded the Naval General Service Medal with two clasps. After effectively retiring from military life in 1814, he picked up both paintbrush and pen, producing a notable watercolour of the scene at Trafalgar, and publishing an engaging account of the battle in 1829. His most important work, however, is this comprehensive two-volume history of the Royal Marines, based on diligent research and first published in 1845. Volume 1 begins with the genesis of the corps in the late seventeenth century. The bulk of the volume covers the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic period, concluding with the opening phase of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Paul Harris Nicolas (1790 1860) served as a second lieutenant in the Royal Marines at the Battle of Trafalgar. Promoted to first lieutenant in 1808, he took part in the Battle of the Basque Roads in 1809. For these actions he would later be awarded the Naval General Service Medal with two clasps. After effectively retiring from military life in 1814, he picked up both paintbrush and pen, producing a notable watercolour of the scene at Trafalgar, and publishing an engaging account of the battle in 1829. His most important work, however, is this comprehensive two-volume history of the Royal Marines, based on diligent research and first published in 1845. Volume 2 continues the narrative of the Battle of Trafalgar and mainly covers the period of the Napoleonic Wars. The rest of the volume takes the story through to the end of the First Opium War in 1842.

A gripping account of the epic hunt for Hitler's most terrifying battleship - the legendary Tirpitz - and the brave men who risked their lives to attack and destroy this most potent symbol of the Nazi's fearsome war machine. Tirpitz was the pride of Hitler's navy. To Churchill, she was 'the Beast', a menace to Britain's supply lines and a threat to the convoys sustaining Stalin's armies. Tirpitz was said to be unsinkable, impregnable -no other target attracted so much attention. In total 36 major Allied operations were launched against her, including desperately risky missions by human torpedoes and midget submarines and near-suicidal bombing raids. Yet Tirpitz stayed afloat. It was not until November 1944 that she was finally destroyed by RAF Lancaster Bombers flown by 617 Squadron - the Dambusters - in a gruelling mission that tested the very limits of human endurance. The man who led the raid - Willie Tait - was one of the most remarkable figures of the war, flying missions almost continuously right from the start. Until now his deeds have been virtually unknown. With exclusive co-operation from Tait's family, Patrick Bishop reveals the extraordinary achievement of a man who shunned the spotlight but whose name will be renowned for generations to come. The book is a magnificent, accessibly written wartime adventure, perfect for fans of Ben Macintyre's 'Agent Zigzag' or 'Operation Mincemeat'.

By any standards Mick Stoke's experiences in the Royal Navy during the Second World War were remarkable. Aged nineteen, he was 'Mentioned in Despatches' and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his courage during incessant bombing during the Siege of Tobruk. He survived multiple torpedo attacks, firstly serving on the cruiser Glasgow, which was hit twice; on the battleship Queen Elizabeth at sea and blown up by human torpedoes at Alexandria; and on HMS Hardy, struck in January 1944, while escorting Russian Arctic Convoy JW56B. In 1942, he was serving on HMS Carlisle during the fiercely fought Malta convoys and took part in the Battle of Sirte. Later that year he was awarded the MBE 'for outstanding bravery, resource and devotion to duty during very heavy bombing' at the port of Bone during Operation TORCH. He went on to serve at D-Day and later in the Pacific on HMS Rajah. It is a privilege to read Mick Stoke's graphic and modest account of his naval service in the Second World War. Readers will appreciate and understand how he became 'The Most Highly Decorated Midshipman in the Royal Navy'.

Two of Jane Austen's brothers made successful careers in the Navy: Francis (1774 1865) rose to the rank of Admiral; Charles (1779 1852) to Rear-Admiral. Jane's naval heroes, most notably Captain Wentworth in Persuasion, as well as much of her knowledge of naval life and contemporary affairs during the Napoleonic Wars, owe much to the stories and letters of her brothers. Written by Francis Austen's grandson John Hubback and his daughter Edith, this double biography is informed by family tradition as well as research into contemporary documents. The Hubbacks, with their unique insight, suggest many family anecdotes and characteristics as possible sources for Jane's novels. Beyond its interest as a record of how her brothers' naval careers influenced her work, this book, first published in 1906, also remains of great interest to historians of the Navy in the first half of the nineteenth century.

Whilst maritime studies tend to reflect the dominance of large navies, history shows how relatively small naval forces can have a disproportionately large impact on global events. From Confederate commerce raiders in the nineteenth century, to Somali pirates today, even the most minor of maritime forces can become a key player on a global stage. Examining a broad range of examples, this volume addresses the roles and activities of small navies in the past and the present at the national, regional and international level. In particular, it focusses on the different ways in which such forces have identified and addressed national and international security challenges and the way in which they interact with other navies and security agencies. In addition the collection also investigates the relationship of such navies with non-governmental organisations, institutions and bodies in pursuit of broader maritime goals, be they political, financial or environmental. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach drawing on the best new research from the fields of international relations, security studies, strategic studies and maritime history, the book examines the diversity of experience amongst different smaller navies and also establishes areas of similarity. Divided into two sections, part one begins with a number of chapters that are theoretical in nature, whilst part two provides case studies that offer a more regional focus, including analysis of the challenges facing contemporary navies and historical case studies designed to reveal the experience of small navies over time. By adopting an approach that combines historical considerations with analysis of current events, the collection offers a unique perspective on the role that small navies have played in wider nautical affairs and their continued impact upon global maritime strategies.

Sir Herbert Richmond (1871-1946) was a prominent naval officer and historian who wrote extensively on maritime history. Originally published in 1920, this book forms part two of Richmond's three-volume series on the role of the Navy during the War of Jenkins' Ear, a prolonged conflict between Britain and Spain that lasted from 1739 to 1748. The text offers a detailed analysis of developments and engagements in the war from approximately 1743 to 1746. Appendices and a variety of illustrative material are also provided. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in naval history and eighteenth-century history in general.

Originally published in 1914, this book uses the reports of Courts Martial to provide a description of conditions in the British Navy from 1680 down to the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Through carefully selected quotations and rigorous analysis, the text reveals the development of a coherent system of justice within the Navy, one which was instrumental in its progressive modernization. Illustrations are provided, including a page of text and signatures from a report of Court Martial in 1694. This is a highly informative volume that will be of value to anyone with an interest in naval history.

Sir Herbert Richmond (1871-1946) was a prominent naval officer and historian who wrote extensively on maritime history. Originally published in 1920, this book forms part one of Richmond's three-volume series on the role of the Navy during the War of Jenkins' Ear, a prolonged conflict between Britain and Spain that lasted from 1739 to 1748. The text offers a detailed analysis of the initial stages of the conflict and the reasons for the outbreak of war. Appendices and a variety of illustrative material are also provided. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in naval history and eighteenth-century history in general.

The Soviet Navy that faced the German onslaught in 1941 boasted a mixture of modern warships, often built with foreign technical assistance, and antiquated warships from the Tsarist era that were modernised for the conflict. Some Soviet naval vessels saw limited involvement in the war against Finland in 1939-1940, but the main action occurred after the German invasion, when these destroyers escorted convoys, fought battles against other destroyers and the deadly threat posed by attacking aircraft, and provided fire support for Soviet troops. From the Gnevny class of the pre-war period to the specialist destroyer leaders of the Leningrad class and the unique Tashkent, Soviet Destroyers of World War II is a detailed guide to the often forgotten destroyers of the Soviet Navy .

The 'Yamato' and her sister ship the 'Musashi' represented the ultimate development in the battleship. Together, the two ships were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed. Named after the Yamato Province, 'Yamato' was designed to counter the numerically superior fleet of the US Navy. Built amongst a shroud of secrecy and deception and commissioned shortly after the outbreak of the war in the Pacific she was present at a number of engagements including the Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Despite having been designed to engage and sink enemy surface vessels, the 'Yamato' would only fire her unrivalled 18.1-inch guns at an enemy surface target on one occasion, in October 1944 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. In the final months of the war, as Kamikaze aircraft targeted American landing fleets off Okinawa, the 'Yamato' herself embarked on a one way mission of sacrifice, in a last desperate roll of the dice in an attempt to wreak havoc on the landing forces around Okinawa, the last stepping stone prior to an invasion of the Japanese Home Islands. Despite being products of war from the moment of their construction the 'Yamato' and 'Musashi' occupied a unique which continues to this day.