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Royal Navy's Reserves in War and Peace, 1903–2003
By Stephen Howarth. 2003
The official volume marking the centenary of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, known as the 'Wavy Navy' because of the…
distinctive wavy gold stripes on the reservists' uniforms, from its formation in 1903 through its unification with the mercantile Royal Reserve in 1958, and on to its present complete integration with the Royal Navy as 'the part-time element of a single naval service'.It charts the difficulties, setbacks and delights of the reservists' peacetime years of service and chronicles their vital contributions during wartime.Since the end of the Cold War and the dramatic near-dissolution of the RNR in 1994, members of the modernized part-time volunteer service have served in many different RN operations at sea, on land and in the air, from the Balkans to the Gulf.This detailed and vivid history which and profusely illustrated is by a distinguished writer of naval history who served in the modern RNR both as a rating and an officer for over eleven years.The Pendulum of Battle: Operation Goodwood, July 1944
By Christopher Dunphie. 2005
Operation Goodwood, the largest tank battle involving British troops ever to have taken place, has been a perpetual subject of…
controversy. Was it intended as a breakout from the Normandy Bridgehead, or not? Was it a success or failure? Did it lead to a severe crisis in confidence over Field Marshal Montgomery's leadership? This book seeks to unearth the true background, reasons, aims and achievement of Goodwood, set in the context of the overall campaign, while bringing the battle to life through personal accounts of some of those involved, both British and German.Code Name Mulberry: The planning Building and Operation of the Normandy Harbours
By Guy Hartcup. 2011
The story of the Mulberry harbours must rank among the most remarkable to emerge from the Second World War. In…
terms of engineering achievement, it is surely one of the greatest of all time.Allied planners correctly anticipated that the Germans would deny, either by destruction or dogged defence, the vital Channel ports in the aftermath of D-Day. If the invading armies could not be kept resupplied, OVERLORD would fail. The only solution was to design, build, transport and install two massive artificial harbours.How this highly ambitious plan was implemented is told with clarity and authority in this superb book. The text, admirably free of unnecessary technical jargon, is well supported with photographs, diagrams and tables, which demonstrate vividly the scale of this great venture. The irony is that the real enemy turned out not to be the Germans but the elements. Code Name Mulberry is a first class account of all aspects of this extraordinary chapter in the history of the Second World War.The World Sea Power Guide
By David Wragg. 2012
Compiled by the author of Janes Air Forces of the World, this book is a must for naval experts and…
enthusiasts. In one volume the reader will find the composition and details of all naval elements of a staggering 137 nations armed forces including paramilitary organizations as the US Coast Guard Service. The book starts with an introduction based on the situation today and the response of the leading maritime powers. This is an interesting period with considerable uncertainty for the Royal Navy following the Strategic Defense Review. Many other countries, including Australia and Spain are boosting their naval strength to achieve strategic reach, while piracy has become a major problem in at least four different areas of the world. In each case, the history is followed by details of current fleet sizes, composition and deployments.Secret Flotillas: Clandestine Sea Operations to Brittany, 1940–44
By Brook Richards. 2012
As the fall of France took place, almost the entire coastline of Western Europe was in German hands. Clandestine sea…
transport operations provided lines of vital intelligence for wartime Britain. These "secret flotillas" landed and picked up agents in and from France, and ferried Allied evaders and escapees. This activity was crucial to the SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) and the SOE (Special Operations Executive). This authoritative publication by the official historian, the late Sir Brooks Richards, vividly describes and analyses the clandestine naval operations that took place during WWII. The account has been made possible through Sir Brooks' access to closed government archives, combined with his own wartime experiences and the recollections of many of those involved.First published in 1996, the original edition included descriptions of naval operations off French North Africa. The history has now been amended and expanded by Sir Brooks and is now published in two volumes. This first volume concentrates on the sea lines to Brittany.This authoritative publication by the official historian, the late Sir Brooks Richards, vividly describes and analyses the clandestine naval operations that took place during World War Two.Operation Goodwood: Operation Goodwood (Over The Battlefield Ser.)
By Ian Daglish. 2005
For the first book in our new series Over The Battlefield, we have chosen Ian Daglish to describe the events…
of Operation GOODWOOD, July 1944, the dramatic attempted British armored breakout from the Normandy bridge-head. This was the greatest armored battle undertaken by the British during the Second World War.What is so special about this book is the discovery and use of superb aerial photos taken during the fighting by the RAF. This amazing imagery makes it possible to trace the course of the battle and to track the movement of the armored regiments and troops of both sides. The effect is sensational and the reader is able to follow history in the making.Dambusters The Forging of a Legend: 617 Squadron in World War II
By Andy Lee. 2018
617 Squadron of 5 Group RAF Bomber Command was without doubt the most famous RAF Squadron in World War II.…
It was formed to carry out the precision low-level attack on the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe Dams, using Barnes Wallaces newly developed rotating mine, now commonly referred to as The Bouncing Bomb. The raid was a tremendous success, although at great cost to the squadron, and proved to be a great moral booster for the war-weary British public. Guy Gibson VC was tasked with organizing the formation and training of the new squadron and the Dambusters have been national heroes ever since. Although several books have previously been written on this epic adventure, this is a new look at their first raid and then the long and envious history of 617 until the end of the war. This new version of the Dams raid within the book, pays particular attention to timings, as it is easy to overlook the fact, that this was a complex three-phase operation, spanning 8 hours and 47 minutes, with action occurring simultaneously at widely dispersed locations. It also attempts to settle finally the circumstances of the losses, by examining the testimony of eyewitnesses on both sides, and presenting arguments to help readers decide for themselves what actually happened where previous accounts are contradictory or at variance. In the later war years 617 suffered greatly during an attack on the Dortmund-Ems Canal but recovered and their list of priority special targets then included the German missile research plant at Peenemunde, Hamburg, the U boat pens at La Pallice and the sinking of the battleship Tirpitz. The legendary Leonard Cheshire VC led the Squadron for much of that period. This newly researched account of 617s wartime record contains many first-hand accounts from squadron members and also German and Dutch witnesses who were present at some of the most spectacular raids and have explained many of the mysterious losses of the Squadrons aircraft.Lengthy appendices contain a Roll of Honour, Commanders, Airfields and aircraft, Operational statistics and Aircraft Histories.Luck on My Side: The Diaries and Reflections of a Young Wartime Sailor 1939–1945
By John Palmer. 2002
Sir John Palmer was at sea for virtually the entire war serving in three ships. During this time he kept…
a secret diary of events and his reactions and emotions which we are now proud to publish. This book vividly describes the author's many wartime exploits. For the worst period of the Battle of the Atlantic, he was on convoy protection duty in the Corvette HMS Clematis and recalls the famous Christmas Day action against the mighty German battle cruiser Hipper.Sadly Sir John died very recently, after a most distinguished life.Malta: The Last Great Siege 1940 - 1943
By David Wragg. 2003
The strategic importance of Malta sitting astride both the Axis and Allied supply routes in the Mediterranean was obvious to…
both sides during WW2. As a result the Island became the focal point in a prolonged and dreadful struggle that cost the lives of thousands of servicemen and civilians. After setting the scene for the action, this book tells the story of the Island's stand against the might of the Axis powers that led to the unprecedented award of the George Cross to the whole island by King George VI. It not only covers the struggle by the British and Maltese forces on the ground but the vicious fighting in the skies above. This was indeed a siege involving every man and woman on the Island.David Wragg tells the story using many first -hand accounts and yet skillfully explains the strategic situation. The result is an inspiring book worthy of the courage shown by the Islanders and their defenders."At the start of World War One the Imperial German Navy had a large number of surface warships deployed around…
the world. These posed a considerable threat to British mercantile interests, particularly the import of food and fuel supplies. Their elimination was a matter of urgency. This book covers the major actions and includes the following: The escape of the Goeben and Breslau to Turkey, where they became units of the Turkish Navy serving in the Black and Aegean Seas. The remarkable cruise of the Emden. Detached from the German East Asia Squadron she sank a Russian cruiser, a French destroyer, 21 merchant ships and destroyed cargo valued at 3 million. She was cornered and sunk by the Australian cruiser Sydney while raiding the Cocos Islands. The mystery of the Karlsruhe, destroyed by an internal explosion. The German East Asiatic Squadron, consisting of the armored cruisers Schanhorst and Gneisienau and several light cruisers made passage across the Pacific to the west coast of South America where they encountered and sank two British cruisers, the Monmouth and Good Hope. The Konigsberg operated from Germanys colony of Tanga. After sinking a British cruiser she hid in the upper reaches of the Rufiji River. After a lengthy naval and air campaign by British forces she was finally destroyed by the indirect fire from two RN Monitors. By the middle of 1915 the high seas had been mostly cleared of German surface warships, but two armed German ships dominated Lake Tanganyika. Two British armed motor boats were shipped to the West African coast from England and made their way by river and overland haulage to the lake, a 400 mile journey. The result was the destruction of the German lake boats and the invasion of Tanganyika by British forces. This operation became the inspiration for CS Foresters novel The African Queen and the film that followed. "US Carrier War: Design, Development and Operations
By Kev Darling. 2011
This book covers all aspects of the operations made by US aircraft carriers, from their introduction into service during WW1…
to the continuing conflicts in the Middle East. America's part in WW1 saw the deployment of US Navy aircraft operating from coastal bases - mainly Curtiss flying boats. In the immediate postwar period the first aircraft carriers were commissioned; Langley, Saratoga and Lexington. After the wreckage had settled in the mud of Pearl Harbor, US Navy fighters engaged the Japanese for the first time at Wake Island. Japan continued its conquest of the Pacific countries and Islands throughout 1941. The USN then went on the offensive when two carriers attacked the Gilbert-Marshall Islands, and the Doolittle raid against Japan was launched from USS Hornet. During the Battle of Coral Sea the US Navy achieved a significant victory. Meanwhile in the Atlantic, US Carriers including Wasp and Ranger undertook escort duties across Atlantic. The latter also helped with the supply of Spitfires to Malta.Post WW2 actions included the War in Korea when the US Navy deployed for operations covering combat on both the east and west coasts. During the War over Vietnam USMC and US Navy aircraft were deployed from carriers against targets in North and South Vietnam. Most recent carrier deployments include both Gulf Wars and continuing middle-eastern conflicts.Appendices include technical details of USN carriers and the aircraft types flown.The RAF's Air War In Libya: New Conflicts in the Era of Austerity
By Dave Sloggett. 2012
The uprising in Libya in the spring of 2011 took the world by surprise. The Gaddafi regimes brutal attempts at…
suppressing the uprising, however, soon prompted the international community to respond. NATO agreed to impose a no-fly zone across Libya, which was led by Britain, France and the USA.For the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, the deployment of RAF and Royal Navy assets in support of UN Resolution 1973, came at a time when severe cuts to the UKs defense spending were in the process of being enacted. With the Royal Navy aircraft carriers and their Harrier jets no longer available, would the UK be able to mount operations 3,000 miles away?In this, the first book to analyze the Libyan campaign, David Sloggett details the causes of the uprising, and examines each stage of the war through to its termination with the death of Colonel Gaddafi.In conclusion, Dr. Sloggett considers the future prospects for a post-Gaddafi Libya and, more significantly, how NATO in general and Britain in particular, will respond to similar events in the future.Sunderland Over Far-Eastern Seas: An RAF Flying Boat Navigator's Story
By Derek K. Empson. 2010
This is the first book to give a detailed, first-hand account of post-World War II RAF Short Sunderland operations in…
the Far East. The author was a navigator with 88 Squadron and later 205 Squadron, flying operations during the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency and many other operations. He was based at Seletar in Singapore, Kaitak in Hong Kong, Iwakuni near Hiroshima and various other operational bases throughout his two and a half year tour. The Sunderland flying boat was a unique aircraft in that each crew was allotted an aircraft which became their floating and airborne home. The crew relied upon all-round cooperation to keep the airplane in top condition, plus the addition of personalized luxuries. The task of long distance navigation in the Far East during the early 1950s relied on the conventional methods of astro navigation and dead reckoning, a difficult task when crossing hundreds of miles of open ocean and encountering monsoon and tropical storm conditions.Amongst the noteworthy events included is a return flight from Singapore to Hong Kong across 1,400 miles of ocean with a VIP passenger, his first operational flight as a 21 year old Pilot Officer navigator. He then undertakes an operation involving a return trip to Scotland which took three months. On moving to Kiatak the Sunderlands provided air cover for search and rescue operations, taking off and landing amongst the port's many small and erratically steered shipping craft. He flew sixty-one missions in support of the United Nations forces fighting in and around Korea, enduring the threat of Chinese fighters over the Yellow Sea. In one operation an engine fire caused the crew to ditch in the Tsushima Strait with serious structural failure and they were rescued by the USS De Haven, a US destroyer. This is a worthy record of some of the legendary Short Sunderland's final roles in the RAF.Swift to Battle: Cold War Operations
By Tom Docherty. 2009
This third of three volumes traces the history of 72 Fighter Squadron, one of the premier squadrons in the Royal…
Air Force. The aircraft flown, operational personnel and missions flown are fully described with first-hand accounts from pilots and both air and ground crew. Having seen active service in the war years this volume covers the period 1947 to 1961 when the squadron was disbanded. During this period the squadron moved into the jet age at first flying de Havilland Vampires and then the Gloster Meteor F8s in 1952 and finally the Gloster Javalin in 1959 until the squadron was disbanded at Leconfield in June 1961.This book tells the tale of the brilliant aerodynamicist Beverley Shenstone MASc, HonFRAes, FAIAA,AFIAS, FCASI, HonOSTIV. As R.J. Mitchells chief…
aerodynamicist, it was Shenstone who designed the Spitfires wing the wing that gave the Spitfire it crucial advantage in the Battle of Britain and beyond. A quiet man, Shenstone never sought glory for his work, yet in recent years he has been credited as the man who persuaded Mitchell to adopt the ellipse a modified ellipse that was unique in its shape and its combined use of two integrated aerofoil sections. Shenstones knife-edge shape reached far back into early aeronautics for its inspiration. This book also names the other forgotten Spitfire design contributors who were Mitchells men Mr Faddy, Mr Fear, Mr Fenner, Mr Shirvall, a Prof Howland and others.Intriguingly, Shenstone had left his native Canada and early training as an RCAF pilot, to study at Junkers and then under the father of the delta wing Alexander Lippisch in Germany in the early 1930s. There, he became immersed in delta wings and flying wings. He also became a glider pilot. The story of how Beverley came to be in the right place at the right time is revealed for the first time. So too are the enigmatic tales of his involvement with the military, the intelligence world, Lord Beaverbrook , the USAF, and Canadian aviation.During the war Shenstone worked at the top secret Wright Patterson air force base and was involved with the Air Ministry and the pro-British movement in America when Shenstone worked for Air Chief Marshal Sir Wilfrid Freeman, the unsung hero behind British defence procurement. Shenstone achieved high office a President of the Royal Aeronautical Society, technical director at BOAC, chief engineer at BEA and a consultant to several aircraft makers. He was courted by Avro, de Havilland and Vickers, and was the force behind the renaissance of human-powered flight.Using exclusive access to his family documents, his unpublished autobiography and many notes and stories, as well as forensic research, this book details for the first time, a new twist to the Spitfires story and the secrets of its advanced science. A tale of design and military intelligence reveals a story of a man whose name should be more widely known in the UK, Canada and the aviation world.Operation Enduring Freedom: The Seeds of War in Afghanistan
By Tim Ripley. 2011
The first six months of the war in Afghanistan were incredibly confused. Few journalists or civilians had access to the…
main events and the result was the creation of many urban myths that persist to this day. This book reveals the truth behind Operation Enduring Freedom, its objectives, successes, failures and consequences. Tim Ripley has discovered what actually happened in the first six months of this US-led intervention. He reveals the clandestine US and UK reconnaissance efforts before hostilities commenced on 7 October 2001, secret US UAV and drone operations, RAF Canberra and U-2 spy flights and details of initial combat between Taliban and Northern Alliance ground forces.This is a definitive account of the first six months of the military campaign in Afghanistan that saw the initial air and special drive to unseat the Taliban regime, the launching of search and destroy operations to hunt down Osama bin Ladens Al Qaeda organization and the setting up of President Hamid Karzais government in Kabul. These events were the catalyst for the subsequent and continuing war in that far-off troubled land.Medieval Siege and Siegecraft
By Geoffrey Hindley. 2009
Great sieges changed the course of medieval history, yet siege warfare, the dominant military activity of the period, is rarely…
given the attention it deserves. Geoffrey Hindley's highly readable new account of this vital but neglected aspect of medieval warfare looks at the subject from every angle. He traces the development of fortifications and siege equipment, explores the psychological dimension and considers the parts played by women and camp followers. He also shows siege tactics in action through a selection of vivid case studies of famous sieges taken from the history of medieval Europe and the Holy Land. His stimulating and accessible study will be fascinating reading for medieval specialists and for anyone who is interested in the history of warfare.RAF Tanker Navigator
By Peter Bodle, Tony Golds. 2008
This book gives a rare insight into the life inside the tanker squadrons of the Royal Air Force, viewed through…
the eyes of Tony Golds, one of the R.A.F. tanker fleets longest serving Navigator/Plotters. During his service career which spanned four decades, he flew in dozens of airplanes, for literally thousands of hours and covered something in excess of two million miles. Initially the prime role of the first tankers (Valiants) was to service the legendary English Electric Lightning interceptor fighters patrolling the North Sea. During his career, Tony served in every continent of the world, including a healthy series of tours at Ascension just after the Falklands War. He was in one of the tanker crews chosen to assist in devising the procedures needed to get both the Vulcans in the Black Buck operation down to the Falklands, and subsequently the Hercules C130 freighters to form the Ascension / Falklands air bridge, so vital for the support of the Falkland Islands, once the shooting war was over.The Viking Wars of Alfred the Great: Campaign Chronicles
By Paul Hill. 2008
In the spring of 878 at the Battle of Edington the tide of English history turned. Alfred's decisive defeat of…
Guthrum the Dane freed much of the south and west of England from Danish control and brought to a halt Guthrum's assault on Alfred's Wessex. The battle was the culmination of a long period of preparation by Alfred in the wilderness - a victory snatched from the jaws of catastrophic defeat. As such, this momentous turning point around which an entire nation's future pivoted, has given rise to legends and misconceptions that persist to the present day. Paul Hill, in this stimulating and meticulously researched study, brings together the evidence of the medieval chronicles and the latest historical and archaeological research to follow the struggle as it swung across southern England in the ninth century. He dispels the myths that have grown up around this critical period in English history, and he looks at Alfred's war against the Vikings with modern eyes.The First Jet Pilot: The Story of German Test Pilot Erich Warsitz
By Lutz Warsitz. 2008
On 27 August 1939, Flugkapitan Erich Warsitz became the first man to fly a jet aircraft, the Heinkel He 178…
and in June of the same year he flew the first liquid-fuel rocket aircraft, the Heinkel He 176. His legendary flying skills enabled him to assist the pioneering German aircraft and engine design teams that included Wernher von Braun and Ernst Heinkel. He repeatedly risked his life extending the frontiers of aviation in speed, altitude and technology and survived many life-threatening incidents.This book is written by Erichs son who has used his fathers copious notes and log books that explain vividly the then halcyon days of German aviation history. Warsitz was feted by the Reichs senior military figures such as Milch, Udet and Lucht and even Hitler keenly followed his experimental flying. Little is known of this pioneer period because of the strict secrecy which shrouded the whole project it is a fascinating story that tells of the birth of the jet age and flight as we know it today. The book includes many unseen photographs and diagrams.