U-boat Prey: Merchant Sailors at War, 1939-1942

U-boat Prey: Merchant Sailors at War, 1939-1942

Author: Philip Kaplan

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2014-05-31

Total Pages: 130

ISBN-13: 1783462949

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ñThe Merchant Seaman never faltered. To him we owe our preservation and our very livesî - The Right Hon. Alfred Barnes, Minister of War Transport.??During the first stages of the Second World War, all forces were rallied in an attempt to support the Allied effort. With trade and supply routes to Britain suddenly being placed at great risk, a stalwart team of merchant sailors were required to protect vital supplies for the British people, as well as shipping vital army necessities back and forth. The efforts of the sailors involved really can't be overstated. Despite the fact that they didn't wear uniforms, and few were rewarded with medals or memorials, they were certainly as worthy of the title 'front-line warrior' as the guardsmen and fighter pilots to whom they transported necessary combat supplies. Indeed, many are in agreement that their efforts stood between the might of German forces and the domination of the world. ??Over 30,000 men fell victim to the German U-boats between 1939 and 1945. This publication serves as a tribute to their efforts, and will be followed by a second volume covering the final stages of the war, from 1943-45. Images of some of the most imposing merchant ships feature, accompanied by a lucid narrative describing the various roles enacted by the sailors on board and the wartime context in which they worked.


Armoured Warfare in the Korean War

Armoured Warfare in the Korean War

Author: Anthony Tucker-Jones

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2012-01-01

Total Pages: 145

ISBN-13: 1848845804

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After the Second World War, military analysts thought that the only place significant armored forces were ever likely to confront each other again was in central Europe where the Nato alliance would fend off the Soviet Red Army. Then during the Korean War of 1950-53 both sides deployed large numbers of armored fighting vehicles, and this neglected aspect of the conflict is the subject of Anthony Tucker-Jones s photographic history. Korea, with its rugged mountains, narrow passes, steep valleys and waterlogged fields was not ideal tank country so the armor mainly supported the infantry and rarely engaged in battles of maneuver. Yet the wide variety of armor supporting UN and North Korean forces played a vital if unorthodox role in the swiftly moving campaigns. For this fascinating book over 180 contemporary photographs have been selected to show Soviet-built T-34/85s and Su-76s, American M4 Shermans, M26 Pershings and M46 Pattons, and British Cromwells and Centurions in action in one of the defining conflicts of the Cold War."


Battle at Sea

Battle at Sea

Author: R.G. Grant

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2011-01-03

Total Pages: 362

ISBN-13: 0756657016

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Battle at Sea looks at every aspect of the story of warfare on, above, and under the sea, including classic naval engagements daring raids carried out on ships in harbor, and landing operations such as D-Day, where control of the sea was essential to transport land forces to new battlefronts. Special features within the book include: graphic and dramatic battle catalogs relating the stories of the men, ships, and organizations behind history’s greatest naval conflicts; spectacular 3D digital artworks following the crucial stages of key battles, step by step; profiles of naval crew — the captain, officers, gunners, quartermaster, surgeon, cooks, and boatswains — exploring their changing roles throughout history; eyewitness accounts recreatingthe experience of the opposing forces in key battles, whether preparing for conflict, in the heat of battle, or dealing with the aftermath of an engagement; photographic tours revealing the intricate details of surviving or reconstructed warships—from an Ancient Greek trireme to a nuclear-powered submarine; features on weapons and technology highlighting developments in naval warfare, from boarding equipment to sonar, cannons to missiles, and propulsion through steam to nuclear power. Battle at Sea is organized into five chapters that are arranged in chronological order. Ancient Wars covers the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, and the great naval battles between warring Chinese dynasties; Medieval Battles charts the era from the fall of Rome to 1500CE; Gun, Sail, and Empire chronicles the European powers setting out on voyages of exploration and colonization; Iron Wars ends with World War II; Technology and Terrorism outlines how naval forces played a crucial role in the balance of terror during the Cold War and still have avital part to play in the uncertainties of the modern world.


Ways of War

Ways of War

Author: Matthew S. Muehlbauer

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-11-26

Total Pages: 697

ISBN-13: 1136756116

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From the first interactions between European and native peoples, to the recent peace-keeping efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, military issues have always played an important role in American history. Ways of War comprehensively explains the place of the military within the wider context of the history of the United States, showing its centrality to American culture and politics. The chapters provide a complete survey of the American military's growth and development while answering such questions as: How did the American military structure develop? How does it operate? And how have historical military events helped the country to grow and develop? Features Include: Chronological and comprehensive coverage of North American conflicts since the seventeenth century and international wars undertaken by the United States since 1783 Over 100 maps and images, chapter timelines identifying key dates and events, and text boxes throughout providing biographical information and first person accounts A companion website featuring an extensive testbank of discussion, essay and multiple choice questions for instructors as well as student study resources including an interactive timeline, chapter summaries, annotated further reading, annotated weblinks, additional book content, flashcards and an extensive glossary of key terms. Extensively illustrated and written by experienced instructors, Ways of War is essential reading for all students of American Military History.


Understanding The American Promise, Volume 2: From 1865

Understanding The American Promise, Volume 2: From 1865

Author: James L. Roark

Publisher: Macmillan

Published: 2011-02-15

Total Pages: 527

ISBN-13: 0312645201

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In response to the ever-changing challenges of teaching the survey course, Understanding the American Promise combines a newly abridged narrative with an innovative chapter architecture to focus students' attention on what's truly significant. Each chapter is fully designed to guide students' comprehension and foster their development of historical skills. Brief and affordable but still balanced in its coverage, this new textbook combines distinctive study aids, a bold new design, and lively art to give your students a clear pathway to what's important.


Steel Boat, Iron Hearts

Steel Boat, Iron Hearts

Author: Hans Goebeler

Publisher: Savas Beatie

Published: 2005-01-19

Total Pages: 281

ISBN-13: 1611210070

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The story of the German submarine U-505 and its dramatic capture by the US Navy during WWII—told by one of its crewmen. Hans Goebeler is known as the man who “pulled the plug” on U-505 in 1944 to keep his beloved U-boat out of Allied hands. Steel Boat, Iron Hearts is his no-holds-barred account of service aboard a combat U-boat. It is the only full-length memoir of its kind, and Goebeler was aboard for every one of U-505’s war patrols. Using his own experiences, log books, and correspondence with other U-boat crewmen, Goebeler offers rich and very personal details about what life was like in the German Navy under Hitler. Because his first and last posting was to U-505, Goebeler’s perspective of the crew, commanders, and war patrols paints a vivid and complete portrait unlike any other to come out of the Kriegsmarine. He witnessed it all: from deadly sabotage efforts that almost sunk the boat to the tragic suicide of the only U-boat commander who took his life during WWII; from the terror and exhilaration of hunting the enemy to the seedy brothels of France. The vivid, honest, and smooth-flowing prose calls it like it was and pulls no punches. U-505 was captured by Captain Dan Gallery’s Guadalcanal Task Group 22.3 on June 4, 1944. Trapped by this “Hunter-Killer” group, U-505 was depth-charged to the surface, strafed by machine gun fire, and boarded. It was the first enemy ship captured at sea since the War of 1812. Today, hundreds of thousands of visitors tour U-505 each year at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Includes photos and a special Introduction by Keith Gill, Curator of U-505, Museum of Science and Industry


The Second World War

The Second World War

Author: A. W. Purdue

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2011-08-25

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 0230344194

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The Second World War ended the Nazi attempt to establish Germany as the dominant power in Europe and the world; and Japan's aim of controlling South East Asia and the Pacific. It also resulted in the creation of two super-powers and led to the Cold War. A. W. Purdue provides one of the most concise yet comprehensive accounts of the entire course of World War Two, covering both the European and the Asian Pacific conflicts. Thoroughly revised and updated in the light of the latest scholarship, this second edition of an established text: - Challenges accepted views and reassesses the war, rejecting the simplistic concept of a 'war against fascism' - Discusses the historiography and critically analyses key themes and issues, as well as examining current debates - Considers changes in popular attitudes to the Second World War Ideal for students and general readers alike, this is an essential introduction to the causes, nature and significance of World War Two from the perspective of the twenty-first century.


World War II

World War II

Author: Alisha Bains

Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc

Published: 2016-07-15

Total Pages: 307

ISBN-13: 1680483609

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Lingering resentments from the First World War, economic unease, and the sweeping racist agenda of Germany’s Nazi Party are just some of the many factors that shaped the trajectory of the Second World War. This far-reaching volume examines the major battles, events, and agreements of World War II, the Final Solution, and the legacy of the war from political and diplomatic angles. Readers will learn how European imperialism, American isolationism, the German policy of Anschluss, and much more impacted global approaches to the war and how the boundaries determined by postwar agreements have influenced the geopolitical landscape of today.


Montgomery in the Good War

Montgomery in the Good War

Author: Wesley Phillips Newton

Publisher: University of Alabama Press

Published: 2010-04-16

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 0817356320

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Montgomery in the Good War is a richly textured account of a southern city and its people during World War II. Using newspaper accounts, interviews, letters, journals, and his own memory of the time, Wesley Newton reconstructs wartime-era Montgomery, Alabama--a sleepy southern capital that was transformed irreversibly during World War II. The war affected every segment of Montgomery society: black and white, rich and poor, male and female, those who fought in Europe and the Pacific and those who stayed on the home front. Newton follows Montgomerians chronologically through the war from Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima as they experience patriotism, draft and enlistment, rationing, scarcity drives, and the deaths of loved ones. His use of small vignettes based on personal recollections adds drama and poignancy to the story. Montgomery in the Good War is an important reminder that wars are waged at home as well as abroad and that their impact reverberates well beyond those who fight on the front lines. Those who came of age during the war will recognize themselves in this moving volume. It will also be enlightening to those who have lived in times of relative peace.


Iron Coffins

Iron Coffins

Author: Herbert A. Werner

Publisher: Da Capo Press

Published: 2002-06-06

Total Pages: 388

ISBN-13: 9780306811609

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The former German U-boat commander Herbert Werner navigates readers through the waters of World War II, recounting four years of the most significant and savage battles. By war's end, 28,000 out of 39,000 German sailors had disappeared beneath the waves.