Battleships: WWII Evolution of the Big Guns
Battleships: WWII Evolution of the Big Guns

Author: Philip Kaplan

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2015-06-15

Total Pages: 145

ISBN-13: 1783463074

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Beginning with a pictorial essay on battleship construction in the 1930s and 1940s, this new book looks at the various design facets of the last great capital ships of the world's navies. Kaplan offers us a glimpse into those massive American and German navy yards and construction facilities that were put to use during this time, acquainting us with the arenas in which these final examples of battleship technology were laid down, built up, launched, fitted out, commissioned and taken out to sea. The book roots itself in a period of monumental change within the history of contemporary warfare. With the baton being passed from the battleship community to that of the aircraft carrier, the iconic battleship was gradually superseded by a new and even more threatening weapons system. It was destined to be consigned to the history books, whilst newer, slicker and more efficient fighting machines took precedence. This publication serves as a tribute to a lost legend of naval warfare. There is a look at some of modern history's most significant battleships, relaying their thrilling stories, defining characteristics and eventual fates. Ships featured include Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Warspite, Tirpitz and Yamato. The book is completed with 'Fast and Last', a visit on board the four final examples of battleship technology and design, the last serving battleships USS Iowa, USS New Jersey, USS Wisconsin, and USS Missouri. Their Second World War careers are recounted, as are the qualities that made them special.

Big Gun Battles
Big Gun Battles

Author: Robert C. Stern

Publisher: Seaforth Publishing

Published: 2015-01-30

Total Pages: 535

ISBN-13: 1473849357

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This naval history of WWII explores the advancing technology and tactics of battleships through a fascinating survey of ship-to-ship duels. While many naval battles of the Second World War were decided by the torpedo or the aerial bomb, there was a surprising number of traditional ship-to-ship engagements involving the big guns of battleships and cruisers. Big Gun Battles recounts some of the most significant and technically fascinating of these gunfire duels in a narrative that combines lively storytelling with an in-depth understanding of the factors influencing victory or defeat. Covering all theatres of the naval war from 1939 until the Japanese surrender, the selected incidents demonstrate the changing face of surface warfare under the influence of rapidly improving fire-control systems, radar, and other technologies. By 1945, battleships achieved the pinnacle of gunnery excellence.

Big Guns in the Atlantic
Big Guns in the Atlantic

Author: Angus Konstam

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2021-08-19

Total Pages: 81

ISBN-13: 1472845978

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At the outbreak of World War II the German Kriegsmarine still had a relatively small U-boat arm. To reach Britain's convoy routes in the North Atlantic, these boats had to pass around the top of the British Isles - a long and dangerous voyage to their "hunting grounds". Germany's larger surface warships were much better suited to this kind of long-range operation. So, during late 1939 the armoured cruiser Deutschland, and later the battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were used as commerce raiders, to strike at Allied convoys in the North Atlantic. These sorties met with mixed results, but for Germany's naval high command they showed that this kind of operation had potential. Then, the fall of France, Denmark and Norway in early 1940 dramatically altered the strategic situation. The Atlantic was now far easier to reach, and to escape from. During 1940, further moderately successful sorties were made by the cruisers Admiral Scheer and Admiral Hipper. By the end of the year, with British mercantile losses mounting to surface raiders and U-Boats, plans were developed for a much larger raid, first using both cruisers, and then the two battlecruisers. The climax of this was Operation Berlin, the Kriegsmarine's largest and most wide-ranging North Atlantic sortie so far. Scharnhorst and Gneisenau remained at sea for two months, destroying 22 Allied merchant ships, and severely disrupting Britain's lifeline convoys. So, when the operation ended, the German commander, Admiral Lütjens was ordered to repeat his success - this time with the brand new battleship Bismarck. The rest, as they say, is history. These earlier Atlantic raids demonstrated that German surface ships could be highly effective commerce raiders. For those willing to see though, they also demonstrated just how risky this strategy could be. Covering a fascinating and detailed analysis of the Kriegsmarine's Atlantic raids between 1939 and 1941, this book will appeal to readers interested in World War II and in particular in Germany's naval operations.

King George V-Class Battleships
King George V-Class Battleships

Author: Daniel Knowles

Publisher: Fonthill Media

Published: 2022-04-08

Total Pages: 510

ISBN-13:

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Following the First World War the major naval powers entered into an agreement restricting the construction of capital ships and limiting the numbers that signatories were allowed to maintain, so numerous ships were scrapped or disposed of and the majority of planned vessel were either cancelled whilst being built or never laid down. By the late 1920s the Royal Navy’s battle force comprised of the two Nelson-class ships, the battlecruisers ‘Hood’, ‘Renown’ and ‘Repulse’, and ‘Revenge’ and Queen Elizabeth-class ships, all designed before the First World War. In 1928 the Royal Navy began planning a new class of battleships which was put on hold with the signing of the Treaty of London. In 1935, realising its battle fleet was becoming dated as other nations laid down new classes of battleships, the Royal Navy recommenced planning capital ships within treaty limitations. The result was the King George V-class battleships. Regarded by some as the worst new-generation battleships in the Second World War the King George V-class were Britain’s most modern battleships during the conflict and saw action in some of the most famous engagements from the sinking of the ‘Bismarck’ in 1941 to the surrender of Japan in 1945. This book charts the story of the King George V-class from its conception and design through to the operational history of the ships in the class.

The Eclipse of the Big Gun
The Eclipse of the Big Gun

Author: David K. Brown

Publisher: Conway Maritime Press

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13:

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'The Eclipse of the Big Gun' covers the history of the warship from 1906 to 1945. The chronology spans both of the 20th century's world wars. This was an era of rapid transition, as well as considerable operational experience, thanks to a series of major technological developments.

HMS Hood
HMS Hood

Author: Daniel Knowles

Publisher: Fonthill Media

Published: 2019-07-15

Total Pages: 456

ISBN-13:

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For over twenty years the battlecruiser HMS 'Hood' toured the world as the most iconic warship in the Royal Navy. Unmatched in her beauty and charisma, 'Hood' is one of history's greatest warships. During the twilight years of the British Empire the 'Hood 'toured the world showing the flag as a symbol of British power. As the Royal Navy's show-ship, 'Hood' came to command a special place in the hearts and minds of the British public. Such was the regard for HMS 'Hood' that her destruction in the Denmark Strait on the morning of 24 May 1941 by the German battleship 'Bismarck' created dismay across the world. Within minutes of entering battle 'the Mighty Hood' as she was affectionately known, was destroyed by a catastrophic explosion which had echoes of Jutland a quarter of a century earlier. Out of a crew of a crew of 1,418, only 3 survived. The sinking of HMS 'Hood' was the single largest disaster ever sustained by the Royal Navy. This book charts the life and death of this legendary battlecruiser in both peace and war from her early origins, through the interwar years, to her destruction.

The World's Most Powerful Battleships
The World's Most Powerful Battleships

Author: David Ross

Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc

Published: 2016-12-15

Total Pages: 229

ISBN-13: 1499465998

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The World’s Most Powerful Battleships features 52 of the greatest warships to have sailed and fought in the last 500 years. Beginning with King Henry VIII’s flagship, the book covers all the main periods of battleship development, including the great sail ships, steam-driven warships, and the great battleships of the two world wars. Each entry includes a brief description of the battleship’s development and history, a profile view, key features, and specifications. Packed with more than 200 artworks and photographs, The World’s Most Powerful Battleships is a colorful guide for the military historian and naval warfare enthusiast.

German Naval Guns
German Naval Guns

Author: Mirosław Zbigniew Skwiot

Publisher: US Naval Institute Press

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781591143116

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From the huge 15-inch guns carried by the Bismarck to the smallest machine gun used by coastal forces, this comprehensive encyclopedia covers every German artillery piece mounted afloat during World War II. All marks and variations of these weapons are described individually, including their mountings and the ammunition fired, along with extensive tabular data. The feature that makes this book unique, however, is the range and detail of the illustrations, including close-up photos, three-view drawings, and computer-generated full-color representations of the guns from every angle, making this the most complete reference available.

Battleships: WWII Evolution of the Big Guns
Battleships: WWII Evolution of the Big Guns

Author: Philip Kaplan

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2015-06-15

Total Pages: 219

ISBN-13: 147384357X

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A pictorial history of American, Japanese, German, and British battleships in World War II. Beginning with a pictorial essay on battleship construction in the 1930s and 1940s, this book looks at the various design facets of the last great capital ships of the world’s navies. Kaplan offers us a glimpse into those massive American and German navy yards and construction facilities that were put to use during this time, acquainting us with the arenas in which these final examples of battleship technology were laid down, built up, launched, fitted out, commissioned and taken out to sea. The book roots itself in a period of monumental change within the history of contemporary warfare. With the baton being passed from the battleship community to that of the aircraft carrier, the iconic battleship was gradually superseded by a new and even more threatening weapons system. It was destined to be consigned to the history books, whilst newer, slicker and more efficient fighting machines took precedence. This publication serves as a tribute to a lost legend of naval warfare. There is a look at some of modern history’s most significant battleships, relaying their thrilling stories, defining characteristics and eventual fates. Ships featured include Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Warspite, Tirpitz and Yamato. The book is completed with ‘Fast and Last,’ a visit on board the four final examples of battleship technology and design, the last serving battleships USS Iowa, USS New Jersey, USS Wisconsin, and USS Missouri. Their Second World War careers are recounted, as are the qualities that made them special. Praise for Battleships: WWII Evolution of the Big Guns “The author does an excellent job providing insight into the design and building of particular battleship classes. . . . The pictures of battleships that grace this book are one of its chief strengths. . . . this volume provides new information, insights, and images that even some well- read “experts” might find enlightening.” —Naval Historical Foundation