German Light Cruisers of World War II

German Light Cruisers of World War II

Author: Gerhard Koop

Publisher: Seaforth Publishing

Published: 2014-07-22

Total Pages: 409

ISBN-13: 1473850096

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“An immensely interesting look” at the Emden, Königsberg, Karlsruhe, Köln, Leipzig, and Nürnbergships “from drawing board to destiny” (War History Online). The warships of the World War II era German Navy are among the most popular subject in naval history with an almost uncountable number of books devoted to them. However, for a concise but authoritative summary of the design history and careers of the major surface ships it is difficult to beat a series of six volumes written by Gerhard Koop and illustrated by Klaus-Peter Schmolke. Each contains an account of the development of a particular class, a detailed description of the ships, with full technical details, and an outline of their service, heavily illustrated with plans, battle maps and a substantial collection of photographs. These have been out of print for ten years or more and are now much sought after by enthusiasts and collectors, so this new modestly priced reprint of the series will be widely welcomed. This volume is devoted to the six ships from Emden to Nürnberg that were built between the wars. They were primarily intended for commerce-raiding, but the war gave them few opportunities for such employment, although they did provide useful support for key naval operations in the Baltic and North Sea. Two were lost in the 1940 Norway campaign, but the remainder survived for most of the conflict. “A ship-by-ship history of the cruisers. The text is supported by an excellent collection of plans and photographs. Overall this is a very impressive history of a fairly unimpressive set of warships.”—HistoryOfWar.org


German Heavy Cruisers vs Royal Navy Heavy Cruisers

German Heavy Cruisers vs Royal Navy Heavy Cruisers

Author: Mark Lardas

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2021-08-19

Total Pages: 81

ISBN-13: 147284310X

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This superbly illustrated study explores the epic clashes of British and German heavy cruisers at the beginning of World War II. The opposing heavy cruisers of the German Kriegsmarine and the Royal Navy engaged in a global game of cat and mouse during the opening years of World War II. This was a period in which the heavy cruiser still reigned supreme in open waters, with the opposing sides reluctant to risk their battleships, and aircraft yet to dominate the seas. These swift vessels fought each other in the South Atlantic, North Atlantic, the frigid waters of the Denmark Strait and the Arctic approaches to Russia, capturing the public imagination in the process. This fascinating and beautifully illustrated book examines the design, development and technical performance of these opposing warships, and explores the clashes between them at the Battle of the River Plate in December 1939, the Christmas Day Battle 1940 and the Battle of the Denmark Strait in May 1941. The ships examined include the Deutschland-class Panzerschiffe and Admiral Hipper-class cruisers, and the Royal Navy County- and York-class heavy cruisers.


German Cruisers of World War II in Action

German Cruisers of World War II in Action

Author: Robert C. Stern

Publisher:

Published: 2005-01-01

Total Pages: 50

ISBN-13: 9780897474856

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Cruisers that fought in WWII descended from sail-powered frigates of the 18th and 19th century. These vessels were designed for long-range independent operation (cruising) to gain information about the movement of an enemy, to raid the enemy's commerce, or to track down enemy commerce raiders. This title covers Germany's WWII Light and Heavy Cruisers of the Kriegsmarine. Included are the Light Cruisers Emden, Karlshuhe, Koln, Konigs, Leipzig and Nurnberg, and the Heavy Cruisers Admiral Hipper, Blucher, and Prinz Eugen. Also covers 'Z' Plan and Shipboard Aircraft. Illustrated with 120 b/w photos, 6 color profiles, 19 b/w line drawings; 50 pages.


German Capital Ships of World War Two

German Capital Ships of World War Two

Author: M. J. Whitley

Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 9780304357079

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The most complete--and immensely readable--operational history yet published of the German navy's seven great World War II capital ships. Even greatly outnumbered by the Royal Navy, these fast, powerful, well armored and armed ships created havoc. Researched from the original German sources and from post-war Allied analyses and reports, profusely illustrated with line drawings, maps and photographs, the technical chapters cover planning, design, construction, and modifications.


German Light Cruisers 1939–45

German Light Cruisers 1939–45

Author: Gordon Williamson

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-04-20

Total Pages: 98

ISBN-13: 1780966202

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The German Navy of World War II was small in number, but contained some of the most technologically advanced capital ships in the world. This meant that although the Kriegsmarine never felt capable of encountering the might of the British Navy in a fleet action, her ships were individually more than a match for the outdated vessels of the Royal Navy. Nowhere was this more the case than in Germany's fleet of light cruisers. There were only six vessels in this fleet: the Emden, Leipzig, Köln, Königsberg, Karlsruhe and Nurnberg. This book describes their design, development and varied operational history throughout the course of the Second World War.


The Hunt for Hitler's Warship

The Hunt for Hitler's Warship

Author: Patrick Bishop

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2013-04-08

Total Pages: 444

ISBN-13: 162157069X

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Winston Churchill called it "the Beast." It was said to be unsinkable. More than thirty military operations failed to destroy it. Eliminating the Tirpitz, Hitler's mightiest warship, a 52,000-ton behemoth, became an Allied obsession. In The Hunt for Hitler's Warship, Patrick Bishop tells the epic story of the men who would not rest until the Tirpitz lay at the bottom of the sea. In November of 1944, with the threat to Russian supply lines increasing and Allied forces needing reinforcements in the Pacific, a raid as audacious as any Royal Air Force operation of the war was launched, under the command of one of Britain's greatest but least-known war heroes, Wing Commander Willie Tait. Patrick Bishop draws on decades of experience as a foreign war correspondent to paint a vivid picture of this historic clash of the Royal Air Force's Davids versus Hitler's Goliath of naval engineering. Readers will not be able to put down this account of one of World War II's most dramatic showdowns.


German Battlecruisers of World War One

German Battlecruisers of World War One

Author: Gary Staff

Publisher: Seaforth Publishing

Published: 2014-11-29

Total Pages: 1161

ISBN-13: 1848323077

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The most comprehensive English-language study of the German Imperial Navy’s WWI battlecruisers, fully illustrated with drawings, diagrams and photographs. In this in-depth study, naval historian and author of Battle on the Seven Seas Gary Staff presents a full analysis of Imperial Germany’s battlecruisers. Known as Panzerkreuzer, the eight ships of this class were involved in several early North Sea skirmishes before their historic victory against the Royal Navy in the Battle of Jutland. Staff details the design and construction of these ships, and traces the full-service history of each one, recounting their actions, largely from first-hand German sources and official documents. Detailed line drawings and maps augment the text throughout, as do a wealth of contemporary photos that depict the vessels at sea as well as in dock, where many aspects of their design—as well as damage sustained in action—can be viewed in close up. A superb series of full-color computer graphics show full length profiles and top-down views of each ship in precise and clear detail. German Battle Cruisers of World War One presents a major contribution to German naval history in the English language. It is a must-have volume for Great War historians and enthusiasts, as well as battlecruiser modelers.