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Since the American Civil War, torpedoes have been an essential part of American naval capabilities, enabling the US Navy to defend and protect American interests at sea. The torpedo, then as now, is the ultimate close-range weapon for sinking ships; a mission that remains essential today.This book, published in 1890 by the United States Naval Torpedo Station (Newport, R.I.), was a comprehensive guide on how to connect, prime, and test spar torpedoes; fill them with gun-cotton; connect the wires using circuit-closers, and more. Spar torpedoes were attached to a spar on the bow of the ship and meant to detonate on contact with an enemy. Needless to say, the nature of the weapon presupposed that it would be deployed. By bold and skillful seamen.In this manual readers will discover a detailed overview of torpedo technology as well as helpful instructions for every stage of handling these powerful weapons. The step-by-step approach makes it easy to understand even complex topics like wiring diagrams and primers that may be too confusing otherwise. The US Naval Torpedo Station experts provided their expertise on topics that range from basic torpedo assembly checkout procedures all the way up to intricate explosion mechanisms. This document reflects well on the technical capabilities of the US Navy at the end of the 19th Century. But it also sheds light on the requirements for naval success at the beginning of the 21st Century. As war machines become more advanced, the knowledge of how to reliably destroy them at close range has retained its importance. Includes 18 color plates; a Foreword by Jellicoe [AI], Contributing Editor for Naval Affairs and History; a variety of abstracts including scientific style, tldr, tldr one word, Explain It to Me Like I'm Five Years Old, Action Items, MAGA Perspectives, and Red Team Critique; a recursive summary with synopsis; and interior mood art by artist herb.loc['ai']

Keble Chatterton turns his attention to the history of HMS Severn, a British monitor that duelled with the Konigsberg in the Rufijiand and also took part in the attack on Tanga and other operations in East Africa until the end of the war.

In his vivid writing style, Keble Chatterton gives a full and well-illustrated history of a naval operation that was plagued by inept planning and command.

A brilliant recounting of the Battle of the Atlantic, Canada's longest continuous military engagement of the Second World War and the key to its victory In the twentieth century's greatest war, one battlefield held the key to victory or defeat?the North Atlantic. It took 2,074 days and nights to determine its outcome, but the Battle of the Atlantic proved the turning point of WWII.For five and a half years, German surface warships and submarines attempted to destroy Allied transatlantic convoys, most of which were escorted by Royal Canadian Navy destroyers and corvettes, as well as aircraft of the Royal Canadian Air Force.Throwing deadly U-boat wolf packs in the paths of Merchant Navy convoys, the German Kriegsmarine nearly strangled this vital lifeline to a beleaguered Great Britain and left any hope of liberating Europe in doubt. In 1939, Canada's navy went to war with exactly thirteen warships and about 3,500 sailors. During the desperate Atlantic crossings, the RCN grew to 400 fighting ships and over 100,000 men and women in uniform. By VE Day in 1945, it had become the fourth largest navy in the world. The Battle of the Atlantic proved to be Canada's longest continuous military engagement of WWII. The story of the country's naval awakening in the bloody battle to get convoys to Britain is a Canadian wartime saga for the ages.

Hospital ships. Where did the concept of medical facilities afloat come from? Well, the idea is not exactly new. As early as 400 B.C. the city-state of Athens used them with their sizeable sea-going armada as Greece expanded its territory throughout the Mediterranean. Caesar's conquering armies used them as the Roman Empire extended its colonies and acquisitions in all directions. They were found among the fleets of the Crusaders and the Italian republics in the Middle Ages. Both the British and French navies had hospital ships during the naval wars of the eighteenth century. Of course, the methods, equipment, and facilities in use then were quite primitive, but the idea of shipboard medicine was born and would grow and improve in the future.Centuries later in our own country a small 60-foot sailboat, the Intrepid was converted into a hospital ship in 1804 to serve in that capacity for the small American Navy. During the Civil War when the Union forces captured a Confederate passenger steamer it was converted into a well equipped hospital ship and served commendably throughout the war. It also had the distinction of being the first hospital ship to carry female nurses as part of the ship's crew.The Navy operated four hospital ships during the First World War and into the 1920's, during which time they began using the new designator AH (auxiliary, hospital) to indicate their function. The Relief was AH-1 followed by Solace, Mercy and Comfort. In the 1930's due to the Depression and budget cuts, Solace, Mercy and Comfort were decommissioned. However, a new Solace was added to replace the old one. Thus when World War II broke out the Relief (AH-1) and Solace (AH-5) were the only hospital ships on active duty in the United States Navy.The Solace was at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked on December 7, 1941, and did a commendable job in helping to care for the casualties of the sneak attack, good enough to be awarded the Navy Commendation Award by the Secretary of the Navy.When America entered World War II, providing medical attention that its fighting forces would require was high on the priority list. Shipyards began turning out hospital ships and eventually 13 of them (Benevolence, Bountiful, Comfort, Consolation, Haven, Hope, Mercy, Relief, Rescue, Samaritan, Sanctuary, Solace, and Tranquility) would end up serving in the combat zones of the Pacific.This book is respectfully dedicated to the Navy crew members, the Army 205th Hospital Ship Complement, and the American Red Cross hospital staff aides of the USS Comfort (AH-6), who bravely sailed into harms way to bring medical treatment to the casualties resulting from our war against Japan.

The Convoy represents a fresh approach to the story of the Battle of the Atlantic. It is also the first to deal with the more spectacular story of HG-76, a major turning point in the naval war.HG-76 sailed from Gibraltar to Britain in December 1941 and was specially targeted by the Germans. A wolfpack of U-boats was sent against it, and the Luftwaffe was heavily committed too in a rare example of German inter-service cooperation. German intelligence agents in Gibraltar and Spain also knew every detail of HG-76 before it had even sailed, seemingly stacking the odds in favour of the Kriegsmarine. Despite this the convoy fought its way through. Improved radar and sonar gave the convoy's escorts a slight edge over their opponents, while the escort group was led by Commander Walker, an anti-submarine expert who had developed new, aggressive U-boat hunting tactics. Previous Gibraltar convoys had been mauled by Luftwaffe bombers operating from French airfields. This time, though, HG-76 would be accompanied by HMS Audacity, the Royal Navy's first escort carrier - a new type of warship purpose-built to defend convoys from enemy aircraft and U-boats. Following seven days and nights of relentless attack, the horrors of which are brought home through a series of first-hand accounts, the convoy finally reached the safety of a British port for the loss of only two merchant ships. Its arrival was seen as the first real convoy victory of the war. Brought to life by expert naval historian Angus Konstam, The Convoy combines the story of the technical and tactical developments that won the Battle of the Atlantic for the Allies along with a narrative that reveals both the terror and the stubborn determination that defined the experiences of those that served on convoy duties.

Featuring evocative artwork plates and carefully selected photographs, this book assesses the US Marines and Japanese troops who contested the islands of Tarawa, Roi-Namur, and Eniwetok during 1943-44. On November 20, 1943, amphibious vehicles carrying Marines of the 2d Marine Division reached the shores of Betio Island in the Tarawa Atoll, defended by a determined Japanese garrison that would fight to the last man. This began a test by combat of over two decades of US studies, analyses, and planning for capturing and defending naval bases in Micronesia. The Tarawa assault was followed in February 1944 by the rapid capture of the Kwajalein and Eniwetok atolls in the Marshall Islands. In these battles US Marines fought a mix of Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army ground units. All but a handful of the defenders, whether they were organized ground combat troops or infantry improvised from aviators and service troops, were determined to die for the Emperor while killing as many of the enemy as possible. In this study, Gregg Adams shows how the US Marine Corps and US Navy drew upon these pivotal actions to improve their tactics, organization, and equipment for the next round of amphibious operations. He also explains how their Japanese opponents - realizing that isolated island garrisons were doomed to destruction or isolation if the Imperial Japanese Navy could not defeat the US Navy at sea - moved from seeking to repel an invasion to one inflicting maximum American casualties through prolonged defensive fighting.

The first ever illustrated study of the largest and most significant clash between the Royal Navy and the Italian Regia Marina.The Battle of Matapan witnessed the first use of decisive new technologies to bring about a stunning British victory over the Italian Navy. The Allies had tapped into the Ultra coded messages sent by the Axis powers, and the battle witnessed the use of radar and carrier-based air strikes to bring about a critical night action. The result was the most decisive engagement of the Mediterranean naval war.Written by renowned naval historian Angus Konstam, this book offers for the first time a unique and fully illustrated exploration of the battle. It also examines why, despite the emphatic and decisive Royal Navy victory, the Allies failed to capitalize on the strategic advantage earned in the months that followed. Battlescene artworks bring to life the cruiser clashes early on 28 March off Gavdos, the Fleet Air Arm attacks on the Italian fleet, and the 28/29 March night action that resulted in the destruction of Admiral Carlo Cattaneo's ships - Italy's worst naval defeat. The progress of the action from the initial Operation Gaudo sweep by Italy's powerful battle fleet towards Crete (aimed at disrupting Allied convoys) to the events of the climactic battle itself is revealed in detailed maps.

An illustration-packed new account of the powerful Royal Navy fleet that fought alongside the US Navy throughout the last year of the Pacific War.The British Pacific Fleet was the Royal Navy's primary contribution to the direct defeat of Japan in 1945, and is among the most powerful fleets Britain has ever sent into action. With naval supremacy in home waters achieved by 1944, many of the best and most modern ships in the Royal Navy could be sent to the Pacific, including battleships, submarines, light forces, replenishment groups, and shore establishment. However, the main striking force was the fast carrier force.Illustrated throughout with dramatic new artwork, 3D diagrams, maps and archive photos, this book explains how the Royal Navy joined the Pacific carrier war, and how the fleet adopted the US Navy's ruthlessly effective fast carrier doctrine. With ships optimized for short-range operations in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, the BPF had to rapidly adapt to the long-range, high-tempo warfare of the Pacific, and the story is often one of inspired improvisation. The BPF shared the US Navy's terrifying experience of kamikaze strikes, and famously its armoured carriers proved tougher than the US counterparts. With discussion of the ships, their technology, how the fleet was organized and commanded, and how it fought the campaign, this book is a fascinating exploration of the Royal Navy's part in the victory over Japan.

A superbly illustrated new account of how Germany's High Seas Fleet was built, operated and fought, as it challenged the world's most powerful navy in World War I.Seven years before the outbreak of World War I, the Imperial German Navy rebranded its Home Fleet as the Hochseeflotte, or High Seas Fleet. It was a force designed to take on the Royal Navy, then the world's most powerful, and for the next four years the North Sea would be their battleground.Drawing on extensive research, Angus Konstam offers the reader a concise, fully illustrated account of how the entire High Seas Fleet was designed and built, how it operated, and how it fought. The fleet was a modern, balanced force of dreadnought battleships, battlecruisers, cruisers and torpedo boats, using Zeppelins and U-boats for reconnaissance. The ultimate test between them came in May 1916, when they clashed at Jutland.Packed with spectacular original artwork, maps, 3D diagrams and archive photos, it explains how and why the fleet was built, its role, and how and why it fought as it did. From fighting doctrine and crew training to intelligence, logistics, and gunnery, this book is an essential guide to the Kaiser's audacious bid for naval glory.

Launching Osprey's new Fleet series, this is a spectacularly illustrated, concise and comprehensive account of the Imperial Japanese Navy's striking force at the height of its power.The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) entered the Pacific War as one of the most formidable navies in the world, and its combat power was concentrated into one force, the Combined Fleet. In the months that followed Pearl Harbor it enjoyed an unrivaled string of victories, shattering American, British, Australian, and Dutch naval forces. This period of expansion and constant victories ended at the Battle of Midway, after which the Combined Fleet was forced onto the defensive. In this book, Mark Stille draws on his decades of IJN research to explain what made the Combined Fleet the fighting force that it was. Packed with superb original artwork, explanatory 3D diagrams and maps, it examines the fleet's doctrine, innovative tactics and powerful warships. It also details the qualities and importance of IJN leadership, logistics, naval infrastructure, and Japan's shipbuilding capability, and gives an account and analysis of the IJN's combat performance during these crucial months - not just in the famous carrier battles, but also exploring lesser-known elements such as IJN amphibious forces and land-based aviation.

A fascinating story of a key turning point in the War in the Mediterranean, as the island of Malta was thrown a vital lifeline. Since 1940, the island of Malta had been a thorn in the Axis' side. It sat astride the direct sea route between Italy and its North African colonies, and from 1941 the Royal Navy had used the island as a base for its attacks on Axis convoys. The island, though, relied on convoys to survive, and from early 1941 these came under increasingly heavy air and submarine attack. As the situation became critical in 1942, the decision was made to send through a heavily protected convoy, carrying fuel and supplies, in an effort to save the island. This mission was codenamed Operation Pedestal. This fascinating work describes how, after leaving Britain on 2 August 1942, the convoy was repeatedly pummeled by Axis air and submarine attacks as it ground its way towards Malta, with most of the merchant ships sunk during the passage, along with an aircraft carrier and two cruisers. It also explores how despite this grim toll, the sacrifice was worth it.The specially commissioned illustrations in this work cover the progress of the convoy step by step, the submarine and surface naval actions during Pedestal's voyage, the Stuka attack on the carrier Indomitable and the air attacks against the convoy, and the broader strategic situation in the Western Mediterranean. The result is a unique visual exploration of one of the most famous episodes of the war in this theatre.

An detailed illustrated exploration of the Japanese raid into the Indian Ocean in April 1942 - one of the largest operations conducted by the Imperial Navy during the war.In the wake of Japan's conquest of Burma in early 1942, plans were formed by the Imperial high command to capture Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka) to consolidate Japan's defensive perimeter and disrupt British shipping lanes to India, Australia, and the Middle East. The Imperial Japanese Army, however, could not release sufficient troops for an invasion, and so in response the Japanese Navy developed Operation C, an aggressive raid by the Combined Fleet into the Indian Ocean. The key objective was to destroy the British Eastern Fleet in port.Expert naval historian Mark Stille documents the high point of Japanese naval air power as its carriers struck Ceylon - the heart of British naval power in the East - sinking several Allied ships. He describes the Allied air attempts to destroy Admiral Chuichi Nagumo's force, and the Japanese attacks against British shipping and the cities along the Indian coast.Specially commissioned battlescenes bring to life the sinking of British carrier Hermes, the Bristol Blenheim attacks on the Japanese carrier force, and a Zero vs Hurricane dogfight over Colombo on 5 April. Easy to follow maps and diagrams reveal the strategic situation at the start and end of the campaign, and track the movements of the Japanese carrier task force and the British Eastern Fleet throughout. Details of weaponry, equipment, personnel and the events of the fascinating battles that took place are revealed in over 60 photographs, many of which are from Japanese sources.