Rebuilding the Royal Navy

by D. K. Brown
Rebuilding the Royal Navy
Author: D. K. Brown
Publisher: Seaforth Publishing
Total Pages: 208
Release: 2012-07-30
Genre: History
ISBN: 1848321503
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This design history of post-war British warship development, based on both declassified documentation and personal experience, is the fourth and final volume in the author’s masterly account of development of Royal Navy’s ships from the 1850s to the Falklands War. In this volume the author covers the period in which he himself worked as a Naval Constructor, while this personal knowledge is augmented by George Moore’s in-depth archival research on recently declassified material. The RN fleet in 1945 was old and worn out, while new threats and technologies, and post-war austerity called for new solutions. How designers responded to these unprecedented challenges is the central theme of this book. It covers the ambitious plans for the conversion or replacement of the bigger ships; looks at all the new construction, from aircraft carriers, through destroyers and frigates, to submarines (including nuclear and strategic), to minesweepers and small craft. The authors pay particular attention to the innovations introduced, and analyses the impact of the Falklands War. At the start of the twenty-first century the Royal Navy is still a powerful and potent force with new and a number of innovative classes, both surface and sub-surface, coming on stream. This book offers a fascinating insight into how the post-war fleet developed and adapted to the changing role of the Navy.

The Master Shipwright's Secrets

by Richard Endsor
The Master Shipwright's Secrets
Author: Richard Endsor
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 307
Release: 2020-03-05
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1472838394
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AWARDED THE ANDERSON MEDAL 2020 Inspired by the recent discovery of mathematically calculated digital plans for a fourth-rate ship by the Deptford master shipwright, John Shish, The Master Shipwright's Secrets is an illustrated history of Restoration shipbuilding focused on the Tyger, one of the smaller but powerful two-deck warships of the period. It examines the proceedings of King Charles II in deciding the types of ship he wanted and his relationship with his master shipwrights. This fascinating book reveals the many secrets of Charles II's shipwrights through an analysis of John Shish's plans for the Tyger, revealing innovative practical calculations which differ significantly from the few contemporary treatises on the subject and the complicated process of constructing the moulds necessary to make the ship's frame. All the other duties performed by the master shipwrights, such as repairing ships, controlling their men and keeping up with the latest inventions are also discussed in detail. The Master Shipwright's Secrets is replete with beautiful and detailed illustrations of the construction of the Tyger and explores both its complicated history and its complex rebuilding, complete with deck plans, internal sections, and large-scale external shaded drawings. The title also explores associated ships, including another fourth-rate ship, the Mordaunt, which was purchased into the Navy at the time and underwent a dimensional survey by John Shish. A rare contemporary section drawing of another fourth-rate English ship and constructional drawings of Shish's later fourth-rate ship, St Albans, are also included.

Nelson to Vanguard

by D. K. Brown
Nelson to Vanguard
Author: D. K. Brown
Publisher: Seaforth Publishing
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2012-07-30
Genre: History
ISBN: 159114602X
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Nelson to Vanguard is the third volume in D K Brown’s bestselling series on warship design and development looks at the Royal Navy’s response to the restrictions placed on it by the Washington Naval Treaties in the inter-war years, and analyses the fleet that was constructed to fight the Second World War. He focusses on the principal pre-war developments such as the first purpose-built aircraft carriers and the growing perception of the threat of air attack to warships. All the wartime construction programmes are covered, such as the massive expansion in escort ships to counter the U-boat menace, and the development of the amphibious warfare fleet for the D-Day landings in 1944. Full analysis is also provided of the experience of wartime damage, as well as the once top secret pre- and post-war damage trials. Illustrated throughout with a superb collection of contemporary photographs and numerous line drawings, this now classic work is required reading for naval historians and enthusiasts.

Building the Kaiser's Navy

by Gary E. Weir
Building the Kaiser's Navy
Author: Gary E. Weir
Publisher: US Naval Institute Press
Total Pages: 330
Release: 1992
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN:
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His considerable talents as a politician, shipbuilder, strategist, propagandist and manager were to a great degree responsible for the High Seas Fleet encountered by the Royal Navy at Jutland. Ironically, von Tirpitz never commanded the navy he built. Weir does not fail to delineate the shortcomings of his naval system, which was responsible for the fact that those in charge of the fleet's operations played little part in its creation. Von Tirpitz's system also resulted in a disregard of the significance of U-boat potential and a lack of geographic, strategic, and operational considerations. Nevertheless, his profound influence in the navy persisted through the Weimar Republic and into the Third Reich, in the policies of Admiral Erich Raeder, veteran of Jutland.

British Destroyers & Frigates

by Norman Friedman
British Destroyers & Frigates
Author: Norman Friedman
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Total Pages: 799
Release: 2012-10-22
Genre: History
ISBN: 1473812798
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“A comprehensive survey of the design history and development of the Royal Navy's greyhounds of the sea.”—WARSHIPS Magazine Since World War II, the old categories of destroyer and frigate have tended to merge, a process that this book traces back to the radically different “Tribal” class destroyers of 1936. It deals with the development of all the modern destroyer classes that fought the war, looks at the emergency programs that produced vast numbers of trade protection vessels—sloops, corvettes and frigates—then analyzes the pressures that shaped the post-war fleet, and continued to dominate design down to recent years. Written by America's leading authority and featuring photos and ship plans, it is an objective but sympathetic view of the difficult economic and political environment in which British designers had to work, and benefits from the author's ability to compare and contrast the US Navy's experience. Norman Friedman is renowned for his ability to explain the policy and strategy changes that drive design decisions, and his latest book uses previously unpublished material to draw a new and convincing picture of British naval policy over the previous seventy years and more. Includes photos

The Royal Navy Since 1815

by Eric Grove
The Royal Navy Since 1815
Author: Eric Grove
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 312
Release: 2017-03-11
Genre: History
ISBN: 0230802184
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This book fills an important gap in the literature on the history of the modern Royal Navy. Eric Grove provides the only up-to-date, single-authored short history of the service over the last two hundred years, synthesizing the new work and latest research on the subject which has radically transformed our understanding of the story of British naval development. Grove offers a concise and authoritative account of Royal Navy policy, structure, technical development and operations from the end of the Napoleonic Wars to the close of the eventful twentieth century. Ideal for both specialist and general readers, this essential introduction explains how the Royal Navy maintained its pre-eminent position in the nineteenth century and how it coped with the more difficult problems of the twentieth, in times of peace and war.

Mussolini's Navy

by Maurizio Brescia
Mussolini's Navy
Author: Maurizio Brescia
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Total Pages: 561
Release: 2012-09-30
Genre: History
ISBN: 1473816505
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“A simply magnificent book describing the Italian Navy of the Second World War, profiling all classes of vessels, from battleships . . . [to] submarines.” —Pegasus Archive This book is a complete guide to the Regia Marina, the navy with which Italy fought the Second World War. Starting with the historical background, it describes how the navy developed, how it was organized, the facilities that supported it, and the operations it conducted both before and after the armistice in 1943. It also details all its ships, with full technical particulars, plans and photos. Furthermore, there are chapters on special topics like camouflage; uniforms, decorations and insignia; and a “who’s who” of important naval personalities; and the reference value of the book is enhanced by a comprehensive bibliography and guide to sources. The illustration is a noteworthy feature of the book as the author’s collection of naval photographs is one of the best in Italy. He is also a fine draughtsman, and his ship plans and color illustrations are both detailed and accurate, adding a particular appeal for modelmakers. Of all the main combatant navies of this era, the Italian is probably the most poorly represented in English publications, so this comprehensive handbook will be especially welcomed by the naval community. “An overview of the wartime Italian Navy, including its bases and organization, ships and aircraft . . . an enjoyable book.” —Warships International Fleet Review “A major achievement and a milestone in the renaissance of Italian Naval history . . . [the] book is a gem and is thoroughly recommended.” —The Navy Vol 75

Fishermen, the Fishing Industry and the Great War at Sea

by Robb Robinson
Fishermen, the Fishing Industry and the Great War at Sea
Author: Robb Robinson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 216
Release: 2019
Genre: History
ISBN: 1786941759
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Recent discussion, academic publications and many of the national exhibitions relating to the Great War at sea have focussed on capital ships, Jutland and perhaps U-boats. Very little has been published about the crucial role played by fishermen, fishing vessels and coastal communities all round the British Isles. Yet fishermen and armed fishing craft were continually on the maritime front line throughout the conflict; they formed the backbone of the Auxiliary Patrol and were in constant action against-U-boats or engaged on unrelenting minesweeping duties. Approximately 3000 fishing vessels were requisitioned and armed by the Admiralty and more than 39,000 fishermen joined the Trawler Section of the Royal Naval Reserve. The class and cultural gap between working fishermen and many RN officers was enormous. This book examines the multifaceted role that fishermen and the fish trade played throughout the conflict. It examines the reasons why, in an age of dreadnoughts and other high-tech military equipment, so many fishermen and fishing vessels were called upon to play such a crucial role in the littoral war against mines and U-boats, not only around the British Isles but also off the coasts of various other theatres of war. It will analyse the nature of the fishing industry's war-time involvement and also the contribution that non-belligerent fishing vessels continued to play in maintaining the beleaguered nation's food supplies.

The RNAS and the Birth of the Aircraft Carrier 1914-1918

by Ian M. Burns
The RNAS and the Birth of the Aircraft Carrier 1914-1918
Author: Ian M. Burns
Publisher:
Total Pages: 208
Release: 2014
Genre: Aircraft carriers
ISBN: 9781781553657
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The Royal Naval Air Service's origins were as the Naval Wing of the Royal Flying Corps in April 1912, but did not become a separate service until 1 July 1914. On the outbreak of war in 1914, the service expanded to include service on land, providing support of the Royal Naval Division in Belgium, to the RFC and as one of the early practitioners of strategic bombing. Yet, from its early days, the RNAS had set out to create a force operating aircraft in support of and in association with the Fleet. The RNAS and the Birth of the Aircraft Carrier 1914-1918 traces the development and operational use of aircraft serving with the fleet. It follows the training of personnel and the struggle to produce suitable aircraft and weapons, including the evolution of the aircraft carrier. Nonetheless, the constant thread throughout is the operational history of the RNAS over the North Sea with both the Grand Fleet and Harwich Force. Commencing over Cuxhaven on Christmas Day 1914 and ending with two pivotal operations which determined the future of naval aviation.