A History of the Royal Navy: World War II

A History of the Royal Navy: World War II PDF Author: Duncan Redford
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0857723456
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
The Royal Navy's operations in World War II started on 3 September 1939 and continued until the surrender of Japan in August 1945 - there was no 'phoney war' at sea. The navy played a central role in the evacuation of the retreating British army at Dunkirk, and later orchestrated the sinking of Germany's mighty battleship and Hitler's pride, the Bismarck. Without the Royal Navy's attention to the defence of Britain's seaborne trade - especially in the struggle against German U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic - there would not have been food for the country, fuel for the RAF's operations or supplies to keep the army fighting in Europe, North Africa and the Far East. Yet the outstanding naval contribution to Britain's survival and eventual victory came at a heavy cost in terms of ships and to the men who had to face not just the violence of the enemy, but also the violence of the sea. This book argues that World War II was, effectively, a maritime war; it was the Royal Navy's war.

A History of the Royal Navy: World War II

A History of the Royal Navy: World War II PDF Author: Duncan Redford
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0857723456
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 256

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Royal Navy's operations in World War II started on 3 September 1939 and continued until the surrender of Japan in August 1945 - there was no 'phoney war' at sea. The navy played a central role in the evacuation of the retreating British army at Dunkirk, and later orchestrated the sinking of Germany's mighty battleship and Hitler's pride, the Bismarck. Without the Royal Navy's attention to the defence of Britain's seaborne trade - especially in the struggle against German U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic - there would not have been food for the country, fuel for the RAF's operations or supplies to keep the army fighting in Europe, North Africa and the Far East. Yet the outstanding naval contribution to Britain's survival and eventual victory came at a heavy cost in terms of ships and to the men who had to face not just the violence of the enemy, but also the violence of the sea. This book argues that World War II was, effectively, a maritime war; it was the Royal Navy's war.

A History of the Royal Navy: World War I

A History of the Royal Navy: World War I PDF Author: Mike Farquharson-Roberts
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0857726978
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
World War I is one of the iconic conflicts of the modern era. For many years the war at sea has been largely overlooked; yet, at the outbreak of that war, the British Government had expected and intended its military contribution to be largely naval. This was a war of ideologies fought by and for empires. Britain was not defending simply an island; it was defending a far flung empire. Without the navy such an undertaking would have been impossible. In many respects the Royal Navy fought along the longest 'front' of any fighting force of the Great War, and it acted as the leader of a large alliance of navies. The Royal Navy fought in the North and South Atlantic, in the North and South Pacific, its ships traversed the globe from Australia to England, and its presence extended the war to every continent except Antarctica. Because of the Royal Navy, Britain could finance and resource not only its own war effort, but that of its allies. Following the naval arms race in the early 20th century, both Britain and Germany were equipped with the latest naval technology, including revolutionary new vessels such as dreadnoughts and diesel-powered submarines. Although the Royal Navy's operations in World War I were global, a significant proportion of the fleet's strength was concentrated in the Grand Fleet, which confronted the German High Seas Fleet across the North Sea. At the Battle of Jutland in 1916 the Royal Navy, under the command of Admiral Jellicoe, fought an iconic, if inconclusive battle for control of shipping routes. The navy might not have been able to win the war, but, as Winston Churchill put it, she 'could lose it in an afternoon'. The Royal Navy was British power and prestige. 43,244 British navy personnel would lose their lives fighting on the seas in World War I. This book tells their story and places the Royal Navy back at the heart of the British war effort, showing that without the naval dimension the First World War would not have been a truly global conflict.

Engage the Enemy More Closely

Engage the Enemy More Closely PDF Author: Correlli Barnett
Publisher: Faber & Faber
ISBN: 9780571300396
Category : World War, 1939-1945
Languages : en
Pages : 1104

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Book Description
The accepted interpretation of Britain's wartime role as an island sea power is challenged by Correlli Barnett's brilliant demonstration that the dependence on seashore imports of food and raw materials, together with the obligations of Empire, were less a form of strength to Britain than a weakness. Topics discussed in this book range from strategic debates in London and Washington to gripping descriptions of the Royal Navy in action: the remorseless struggle against the U-boat in the Atlantic, the desperate convoy battles in the Mediterranean and the Arctic, and the battles in the Far East. It weaves in the rivalry between Allied and German technology and the all-important secret war of the cryptographers. 'This outstanding military historian has turned to maritime war and written an authoritative, meticulously researched and stirring account of the Royal Navy's part in World War II.' Admiral of the Fleet Lord Lewin of Greenwich, KG, GCB, LVO, DSC

The Royal Navy's Home Fleet in World War 2

The Royal Navy's Home Fleet in World War 2 PDF Author: J. Levy
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0230511562
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
This book marks the first comprehensive history of Britain's naval bulwark, the Home Fleet. It illuminates the vital role that fleet played in preserving Britain as a base of operations against Hitler. We see portrayed the hard days of blockade, patrol, and battle that encompassed the Home Fleet's war. And we see how that war was made harder by weaknesses at the Admiralty and by the damaging interference of the Minister of Defence - Winston Churchill.

The Great War at Sea

The Great War at Sea PDF Author: Lawrence Sondhaus
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107036909
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 419

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Book Description
New naval history of the First World War which reveals the contribution of the war at sea to Allied victory.

The Royal Navy

The Royal Navy PDF Author: Duncan Redford
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0857723464
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Book Description
Since 1900, the Royal Navy has seen vast changes to the way it operates. This book tells the story, not just of defeats and victories, but also of how the navy has adjusted to over 100 years of rapid technological and social change. The navy has changed almost beyond recognition since the far-reaching reforms made by Admiral Fisher at the turn of the century. Fisher radically overhauled the fleet, replacing the nineteenth-century wooden crafts with the latest in modern naval technology, including battleships (such as the iconic dreadnoughts), aircraft carriers and submarines. In World War I and World War II, the navy played a central role, especially as unrestricted submarine warfare and supply blockades became an integral part of twentieth-century combat. However it was the development of nuclear and missile technology during the Cold War era which drastically changed the face of naval warfare - today the navy can launch sea-based strikes across thousands of miles to reach targets deep inland. This book navigates the cross currents of over 100 years of British naval history. As well as operational issues, the authors also consider the symbolism attached to the navy in popular culture and the way naval personnel have been treated, looking at the changes in on-board life and service during the period, as well as the role of women in the navy. In addition to providing full coverage of the Royal Navy's wartime operations, the authors also consider the functions of the navy in periods of nominal peace - including disaster relief, diplomacy and exercises. Even in peacetime the Royal Navy had a substantial role to play. Covering the whole span of naval history from 1900 to the present, this book places the wars and battles fought by the navy within a wider context, looking at domestic politics, economic issues and international affairs. It will be essential reading for anyone interested in naval history and operations, as well as military history more generally.

British Battleships of World War One

British Battleships of World War One PDF Author: R.A. Burt
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
ISBN: 1612519555
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 359

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Book Description
This new edition of a classic work on British battleships is the most sought after book on the subject. Containing many new photographs from the author's exhaustive collection this superb reference book presents the complete technical history of British capital ship design and construction during the dreadnought era. Beginning with Dreadnought, all of the fifty dreadnoughts, 'super-dreadnoughts' and battlecruisers that served the Royal Navy during this era are described and superbly illustrated with photographs and line drawings.

An Illustrated History of the Royal Navy

An Illustrated History of the Royal Navy PDF Author: John Winton
Publisher: Anova Books
ISBN: 9781844860074
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 246

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Book Description
This text is a comprehensive, authoritative, and illustrated history of the Royal Navy from its earliest times to the present day. This edition is updated to include recent operations in the first and second Gulf wars.

German Warships of World War 1

German Warships of World War 1 PDF Author:
Publisher: US Naval Institute Press
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 424

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Book Description
Fully illustrated, this reference is compiled from a series of confidential books produced by British Intelligence during World War I.

Khaki Jack

Khaki Jack PDF Author: E. C. Coleman
Publisher: Amberley Publishing Limited
ISBN: 1445634090
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
One of the most famous fighting divisions of the British Army in World War One was the Royal Naval Division. Ernie Coleman tells its story, from training at Crystal Palace to the Zeebrugge Raid.