Author: Gordon Williamson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472859618
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 82
Book Description
An examination of the 'small boat' war between the Germans and the British in the English Channel. During the Second World War, German E-Boats were so active in the English Channel that the narrow stretch of water became known as 'E-Boat Alley'. To counter the threat of these E-Boats, Britain brought its coastal forces to bear – flotillas of small Motor Torpedo and Gun Boats (MTBs and MGBs) and Motor Launches (MLs). As the Germans sought to maintain their supremacy in Channel waters, they continued to develop their E-Boat designs to accommodate more armor and more firepower. Rather than matching the newer E-Boats for armament, the British developed several types to fulfill the varied roles for which the Kriegsmarine were attempting to use the E-Boat. Illustrated with high-quality photographs and battlescene artworks, this book details this developing conflict, examining the evolution of the boats involved, and covering their battles from fights in the Thames Estuary to the build-up for D-Day.
E-Boat vs MTB
Author: Gordon Williamson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472859618
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 82
Book Description
An examination of the 'small boat' war between the Germans and the British in the English Channel. During the Second World War, German E-Boats were so active in the English Channel that the narrow stretch of water became known as 'E-Boat Alley'. To counter the threat of these E-Boats, Britain brought its coastal forces to bear – flotillas of small Motor Torpedo and Gun Boats (MTBs and MGBs) and Motor Launches (MLs). As the Germans sought to maintain their supremacy in Channel waters, they continued to develop their E-Boat designs to accommodate more armor and more firepower. Rather than matching the newer E-Boats for armament, the British developed several types to fulfill the varied roles for which the Kriegsmarine were attempting to use the E-Boat. Illustrated with high-quality photographs and battlescene artworks, this book details this developing conflict, examining the evolution of the boats involved, and covering their battles from fights in the Thames Estuary to the build-up for D-Day.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472859618
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 82
Book Description
An examination of the 'small boat' war between the Germans and the British in the English Channel. During the Second World War, German E-Boats were so active in the English Channel that the narrow stretch of water became known as 'E-Boat Alley'. To counter the threat of these E-Boats, Britain brought its coastal forces to bear – flotillas of small Motor Torpedo and Gun Boats (MTBs and MGBs) and Motor Launches (MLs). As the Germans sought to maintain their supremacy in Channel waters, they continued to develop their E-Boat designs to accommodate more armor and more firepower. Rather than matching the newer E-Boats for armament, the British developed several types to fulfill the varied roles for which the Kriegsmarine were attempting to use the E-Boat. Illustrated with high-quality photographs and battlescene artworks, this book details this developing conflict, examining the evolution of the boats involved, and covering their battles from fights in the Thames Estuary to the build-up for D-Day.
The E-Boat Threat
Author: Bryan Cooper
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473827833
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 137
Book Description
One of the major lessons of World War II was the importance of coastal waters. It was not widely recognised beforehand just how vital the control of such waters would become, both in defending essential convoys as well as attacking those of the enemy, and in paving the way for amphibious landings.??While land based aircraft could carry out offshore operations by day and destroyers and cruisers patrolled deeper waters, the ideal craft for use in coastal waters were motor boats armed with torpedoes and light guns. But with the exception of Italy, none of the major powers had more than a handful of these boats operational at the outbreak of war.??From a small beginning, large fleets of highly maneuverable motor torpedo boats were built up, particularly by Britain, Germany and the USA. They operated mainly at night, because they were small enough to penetrate minefields and creep unseen to an enemy's coastline and fast enough to escape after firing their torpedoes. They fought in every major theatre of war, but the first real threat came in the North Sea and English Channel from German E-boats, crossing to attack Britain's vital convoys. Ranged against them in the 'battle of the little ships' were British MTBs and MGBs and, later, American PT boats. They often fought hand to hand at closer quarters than any other kind of warship in a unique conflict that lasted right to the end of the war.??The E-boat Threat describes the development of these deadly little craft, the training of their crews who were usually volunteers and the gradual evolution of tactics in the light of wartime experience. Methods of defence are also related, which included the use of aircraft and destroyers as well as motor gunboats, sometimes acting under a unified command.
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473827833
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 137
Book Description
One of the major lessons of World War II was the importance of coastal waters. It was not widely recognised beforehand just how vital the control of such waters would become, both in defending essential convoys as well as attacking those of the enemy, and in paving the way for amphibious landings.??While land based aircraft could carry out offshore operations by day and destroyers and cruisers patrolled deeper waters, the ideal craft for use in coastal waters were motor boats armed with torpedoes and light guns. But with the exception of Italy, none of the major powers had more than a handful of these boats operational at the outbreak of war.??From a small beginning, large fleets of highly maneuverable motor torpedo boats were built up, particularly by Britain, Germany and the USA. They operated mainly at night, because they were small enough to penetrate minefields and creep unseen to an enemy's coastline and fast enough to escape after firing their torpedoes. They fought in every major theatre of war, but the first real threat came in the North Sea and English Channel from German E-boats, crossing to attack Britain's vital convoys. Ranged against them in the 'battle of the little ships' were British MTBs and MGBs and, later, American PT boats. They often fought hand to hand at closer quarters than any other kind of warship in a unique conflict that lasted right to the end of the war.??The E-boat Threat describes the development of these deadly little craft, the training of their crews who were usually volunteers and the gradual evolution of tactics in the light of wartime experience. Methods of defence are also related, which included the use of aircraft and destroyers as well as motor gunboats, sometimes acting under a unified command.
Fairmile 'D' Motor Torpedo Boat
Author: John Lambert
Publisher: Conway
ISBN: 9781844860067
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The Fairmile Type D was designed to combat the known advantages of German S-boats (Schnellboote - but always called 'E-boats' by the Allies) over previous British coastal craft designs. Designed for 31 knots at 80 tons' displacement, the Fairmile Ds were the most potent and heavily-armed coastal forces type of any navy. They fulfilled various roles, from the original MTB/MGB role to anti-submarine and mine operations. This book is the most comprehensive body of information available anywhere in a single volume on this important type. This book provides the finest documentation of these uniquely fast small warships ever produced, through a complete set of superbly executed line drawings offering enthusiasts a novel insight into ship design and construction. In addition, it includes a service and design history and a pictorial section emphasising close-up and on-board photographs.
Publisher: Conway
ISBN: 9781844860067
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The Fairmile Type D was designed to combat the known advantages of German S-boats (Schnellboote - but always called 'E-boats' by the Allies) over previous British coastal craft designs. Designed for 31 knots at 80 tons' displacement, the Fairmile Ds were the most potent and heavily-armed coastal forces type of any navy. They fulfilled various roles, from the original MTB/MGB role to anti-submarine and mine operations. This book is the most comprehensive body of information available anywhere in a single volume on this important type. This book provides the finest documentation of these uniquely fast small warships ever produced, through a complete set of superbly executed line drawings offering enthusiasts a novel insight into ship design and construction. In addition, it includes a service and design history and a pictorial section emphasising close-up and on-board photographs.
Information Bulletin
British Fishing-Boats and Coastal Craft
Author: E. W. White
Publisher: Read Books Ltd
ISBN: 1473391555
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 121
Book Description
A historical account of fishing boats and coastal craft of the British Isles. Includes descriptive historical survey of the types of vessels found in all areas of the UK. Contents include: The East Coast of England, The Thames and Its Estuary, The South Coast of England, The West Coast of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
Publisher: Read Books Ltd
ISBN: 1473391555
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 121
Book Description
A historical account of fishing boats and coastal craft of the British Isles. Includes descriptive historical survey of the types of vessels found in all areas of the UK. Contents include: The East Coast of England, The Thames and Its Estuary, The South Coast of England, The West Coast of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
German E-boats 1939–45
Author: Gordon Williamson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1780966628
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 50
Book Description
By the outbreak of World War II, Germany had done much to replace the Kaiser's High Seas Fleet, which was scuttled following their surrender at the end of World War I. Forced to build anew, the Kriegsmarine possessed some of the most technically advanced warships in existence. Although the heavy units of the fleet were too small in number to pose much of a threat, Germany was particularly well served by her Navy's smaller vessels, in particular the U-Boats and the S-Boats. Known to the allies as the E-Boats ('Enemy'), they performed sterling duties in the Black Sea and English Channel, where they became a particular scourge.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1780966628
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 50
Book Description
By the outbreak of World War II, Germany had done much to replace the Kaiser's High Seas Fleet, which was scuttled following their surrender at the end of World War I. Forced to build anew, the Kriegsmarine possessed some of the most technically advanced warships in existence. Although the heavy units of the fleet were too small in number to pose much of a threat, Germany was particularly well served by her Navy's smaller vessels, in particular the U-Boats and the S-Boats. Known to the allies as the E-Boats ('Enemy'), they performed sterling duties in the Black Sea and English Channel, where they became a particular scourge.
E-Boat Alert
Author: James F. Tent
Publisher: US Naval Institute Press
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 344
Book Description
Combining newly released top-secret Admiralty reports, rare photographic materials, and extensive interviews with eyewitnesses from three nations, James Tent has produced a comprehensive study of a little-known episode of World War II - the campaign to defend the Normandy invasion fleet from Germany's high-performance motor torpedo boats or Schnellboote, known to the Allies as "E-boats". Besides presenting a detailed account of naval operations at a crucial stage of the war in Europe, this history integrates many facets of modern warfare: the development of fast coastal craft; the creation of precision bombing units; the interaction of naval, air, and ground forces among both the Allies and the Germans; the harnessing of science and technology to meet changing military needs; and the use of various forms of intelligence - cryptanalysis, prisoner interrogation, photoreconnaissance, and photo-interpretation. While tracing these important technical considerations, the study also examines the human dimension of the forces arrayed against each other. In addition, it offers historical precedents for weapons and warships in which there is now renewed interest, namely, deep-penetration bombs and high-speed coastal combatants.
Publisher: US Naval Institute Press
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 344
Book Description
Combining newly released top-secret Admiralty reports, rare photographic materials, and extensive interviews with eyewitnesses from three nations, James Tent has produced a comprehensive study of a little-known episode of World War II - the campaign to defend the Normandy invasion fleet from Germany's high-performance motor torpedo boats or Schnellboote, known to the Allies as "E-boats". Besides presenting a detailed account of naval operations at a crucial stage of the war in Europe, this history integrates many facets of modern warfare: the development of fast coastal craft; the creation of precision bombing units; the interaction of naval, air, and ground forces among both the Allies and the Germans; the harnessing of science and technology to meet changing military needs; and the use of various forms of intelligence - cryptanalysis, prisoner interrogation, photoreconnaissance, and photo-interpretation. While tracing these important technical considerations, the study also examines the human dimension of the forces arrayed against each other. In addition, it offers historical precedents for weapons and warships in which there is now renewed interest, namely, deep-penetration bombs and high-speed coastal combatants.
Admiralty Salvage in Peace and War 1906–2006
Author: Tony Booth
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1781596271
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 285
Book Description
The importance of marine salvage during armed conflict has been vastly underestimated since becoming a vital Naval arm during the First World War. Between 1915 and 1918 the Admiralty Salvage Section saved nearly 400 merchant vessels, desperately needed to bring food and war materials into Britain.During the Second World War, some two million tons of shipping was successfully recovered. From D-Day onwards Admiralty salvage men cleared many stricken craft from the Normandy beaches alone, often under heavy shellfire. Then, as the Germans retreated back across Europe, salvage teams undertook vital port clearance duties.During the Suez Crisis, Falklands Conflict and even the Gulf War the same story can be told. And their peacetime operations have also been important. Drawing on a wealth of official documents, Admiralty Salvage is the first book to explore in depth the courage, personal sacrifice and invaluable contribution these forgotten heroes have made during both peace and war.
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1781596271
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 285
Book Description
The importance of marine salvage during armed conflict has been vastly underestimated since becoming a vital Naval arm during the First World War. Between 1915 and 1918 the Admiralty Salvage Section saved nearly 400 merchant vessels, desperately needed to bring food and war materials into Britain.During the Second World War, some two million tons of shipping was successfully recovered. From D-Day onwards Admiralty salvage men cleared many stricken craft from the Normandy beaches alone, often under heavy shellfire. Then, as the Germans retreated back across Europe, salvage teams undertook vital port clearance duties.During the Suez Crisis, Falklands Conflict and even the Gulf War the same story can be told. And their peacetime operations have also been important. Drawing on a wealth of official documents, Admiralty Salvage is the first book to explore in depth the courage, personal sacrifice and invaluable contribution these forgotten heroes have made during both peace and war.
British Coastal Forces
Author: Norman Friedman
Publisher: Seaforth Publishing
ISBN: 1399018612
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 402
Book Description
The Royal Navy invented the fast motor torpedo boat during the First World War, and used it and other small coastal craft to great effect during the Second. This book tells the dramatic story of British coastal forces, both offensive and defensive, in both World Wars and beyond. In the Second World War, British coastal forces fought a desperate battle to control the narrow seas, particularly the Channel and the North Sea, and took the war to the coasts of German-occupied Europe, fighting where larger warships could not be risked. They also made a significant contribution to victory in the Mediterranean, but it was primarily warfare in home waters that shaped wartime British Coastal Forces and left lessons for postwar development. In this book, Norman Friedman uniquely connects the technical story of the coastal craft and their weapons and other innovations with the way they fought. In both world wars much of the technology was at the edge of what was feasible at the time. Boats incorporated considerable British innovation and also benefited from important US contributions, particularly in supplying high-powered engines during World War II. In contrast with larger warships, British coastal forces craft were essentially shaped by a few builders, and their part in the story is given full credit. They also built a large number of broadly similar craft for air-sea rescue, and for completeness these are described in an appendix. This fascinating, dramatic story is also relevant to modern naval thinkers concerned with gaining or denying access to hostile shores. The technology has changed but the underlying realities have not. This book includes an extensive account of how coastal forces supported the biggest European example of seizing a defended shore, the Normandy invasion. That was by far the largest single British coastal forces operation, demanding a wide range of innovations to make it possible. Like other books in this series, this one is based very heavily on contemporary official material, much of which has not been used previously like the extensive reports of US naval observers, who were allowed wide access to the Royal Navy as early as 1940. Combined with published memoirs, these sources offer a much more complete picture than has previously appeared of how Coastal Forces fought and of the way in which various pressures, both operational and industrial, shaped them.
Publisher: Seaforth Publishing
ISBN: 1399018612
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 402
Book Description
The Royal Navy invented the fast motor torpedo boat during the First World War, and used it and other small coastal craft to great effect during the Second. This book tells the dramatic story of British coastal forces, both offensive and defensive, in both World Wars and beyond. In the Second World War, British coastal forces fought a desperate battle to control the narrow seas, particularly the Channel and the North Sea, and took the war to the coasts of German-occupied Europe, fighting where larger warships could not be risked. They also made a significant contribution to victory in the Mediterranean, but it was primarily warfare in home waters that shaped wartime British Coastal Forces and left lessons for postwar development. In this book, Norman Friedman uniquely connects the technical story of the coastal craft and their weapons and other innovations with the way they fought. In both world wars much of the technology was at the edge of what was feasible at the time. Boats incorporated considerable British innovation and also benefited from important US contributions, particularly in supplying high-powered engines during World War II. In contrast with larger warships, British coastal forces craft were essentially shaped by a few builders, and their part in the story is given full credit. They also built a large number of broadly similar craft for air-sea rescue, and for completeness these are described in an appendix. This fascinating, dramatic story is also relevant to modern naval thinkers concerned with gaining or denying access to hostile shores. The technology has changed but the underlying realities have not. This book includes an extensive account of how coastal forces supported the biggest European example of seizing a defended shore, the Normandy invasion. That was by far the largest single British coastal forces operation, demanding a wide range of innovations to make it possible. Like other books in this series, this one is based very heavily on contemporary official material, much of which has not been used previously like the extensive reports of US naval observers, who were allowed wide access to the Royal Navy as early as 1940. Combined with published memoirs, these sources offer a much more complete picture than has previously appeared of how Coastal Forces fought and of the way in which various pressures, both operational and industrial, shaped them.
Sand and Steel
Author: Peter Caddick-Adams
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190601906
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1070
Book Description
Peter Caddick-Adams's account of the Allied invasion of France in June 1944 matches the monumental achievement of his book on the Battle of the Bulge, Snow and Steel, which Richard Overy has called the "standard history of this climactic confrontation in the West." Sand and Steel gives us D-Day, arguably the greatest and most consequential military operation of modern times, beginning with the years of painstaking and costly preparation, through to the pitched battles fought along France's northern coast, from Omaha Beach to the Falaise and the push east to Strasbourg. In addition to covering the build-up to the invasion, including the elaborate and lavish campaigns to deceive Germans as to where and when the invasion would take place, Caddick-Adams gives a full and detailed account of the German preparations: the formidable Atlantikwall and Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's plans to make Europe impregnable-plans not completed by June 6. Sand and Steel reveals precisely what lay in wait for the Allies. But the heart of the book is Caddick-Adams' narratives of the five beaches where the terrible drama played out--Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword, and the attempt by American, British, and Canadian soldiers to gain a foothold in Europe. The Allied invasion of Europe involved mind-boggling logistics, including orchestrating the largest flotilla of ships ever assembled. Its strategic and psychological demands stretched the Allies to their limits, testing the strengths of the bonds of Anglo-American leadership. Drawing on first-hand battlefield research, personal testimony and interviews, and a commanding grasp of all the archives and literature, Caddick-Adams's gripping book, published on the 75th anniversary of the events, does Operations Overlord and Neptune full justice.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190601906
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1070
Book Description
Peter Caddick-Adams's account of the Allied invasion of France in June 1944 matches the monumental achievement of his book on the Battle of the Bulge, Snow and Steel, which Richard Overy has called the "standard history of this climactic confrontation in the West." Sand and Steel gives us D-Day, arguably the greatest and most consequential military operation of modern times, beginning with the years of painstaking and costly preparation, through to the pitched battles fought along France's northern coast, from Omaha Beach to the Falaise and the push east to Strasbourg. In addition to covering the build-up to the invasion, including the elaborate and lavish campaigns to deceive Germans as to where and when the invasion would take place, Caddick-Adams gives a full and detailed account of the German preparations: the formidable Atlantikwall and Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's plans to make Europe impregnable-plans not completed by June 6. Sand and Steel reveals precisely what lay in wait for the Allies. But the heart of the book is Caddick-Adams' narratives of the five beaches where the terrible drama played out--Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword, and the attempt by American, British, and Canadian soldiers to gain a foothold in Europe. The Allied invasion of Europe involved mind-boggling logistics, including orchestrating the largest flotilla of ships ever assembled. Its strategic and psychological demands stretched the Allies to their limits, testing the strengths of the bonds of Anglo-American leadership. Drawing on first-hand battlefield research, personal testimony and interviews, and a commanding grasp of all the archives and literature, Caddick-Adams's gripping book, published on the 75th anniversary of the events, does Operations Overlord and Neptune full justice.