French Battleships 1922-1956

French Battleships 1922-1956 PDF Author: John Jordan
Publisher: Seaforth Publishing
ISBN: 1848320345
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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Book Description
The battleships of the Dunkerque and Richelieu classes were the most radical and influential designs of the interwar period, and were coveted by the British, the Germans and the Italians following the Armistice of June 1940. After an extensive refit in the USA, Richelieu went on to serve alongside the Royal Navy during 1943-45. Using a wealth of primary-source material, some of which has only recently been made available, John Jordan and Robert Dumas have embarked on a completely new study of these important and technically interesting ships. A full account of their development is followed by a detailed analysis of their design characteristics, profusely illustrated by inboard profiles and schematic drawings. The technical chapters are interspersed with operational histories of the ships, with a particular focus on the operations in which they engaged other heavy units: Mers el-Kebir, Dakar and Casablanca. These accounts include a detailed analysis of their performance in action and the damage sustained, and are supported by specially-drawn maps and by the logs of Strasbourg and Richelieu. Twenty-two colour profile and plan views illustrate the ships' appearance at the various stages of their careers.

French Battleships 1922-1956

French Battleships 1922-1956 PDF Author: John Jordan
Publisher: Seaforth Publishing
ISBN: 1848320345
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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Book Description
The battleships of the Dunkerque and Richelieu classes were the most radical and influential designs of the interwar period, and were coveted by the British, the Germans and the Italians following the Armistice of June 1940. After an extensive refit in the USA, Richelieu went on to serve alongside the Royal Navy during 1943-45. Using a wealth of primary-source material, some of which has only recently been made available, John Jordan and Robert Dumas have embarked on a completely new study of these important and technically interesting ships. A full account of their development is followed by a detailed analysis of their design characteristics, profusely illustrated by inboard profiles and schematic drawings. The technical chapters are interspersed with operational histories of the ships, with a particular focus on the operations in which they engaged other heavy units: Mers el-Kebir, Dakar and Casablanca. These accounts include a detailed analysis of their performance in action and the damage sustained, and are supported by specially-drawn maps and by the logs of Strasbourg and Richelieu. Twenty-two colour profile and plan views illustrate the ships' appearance at the various stages of their careers.

French Cruisers, 1922–1956

French Cruisers, 1922–1956 PDF Author: Jean Moulin
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473814456
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 536

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Book Description
A technical analysis and pictorial history of the French navy cruisers built in the early to mid-twentieth century. The French produced some of the most striking and innovatory interwar cruiser designs. A large amount of new information about these ships has become available over the past twenty years in France, but this book is the first to make this accessible to an English-speaking readership. Part I explains the design philosophy behind each of the classes built after 1922, and outlines the characteristics of each type, accompanied by detailed data tables and a comprehensive set of specially-drawn plans based on official documents, as well as carefully-selected photographs. Coverage includes the De Grasse, laid down in August 1939 and completed postwar as an AA cruiser, and also the heavy cruisers of the Saint Louis class intended to follow her, about which little has been published. Part II deals with the historical side, covering not only the eventful careers of these ships, but also explaining the peacetime organization of the Marine Nationale, the complex politics of this turbulent period and their impact on the navy. Like its highly successful predecessor, French Battleships, this beautifully presented book subtly blends technical and historical analysis to produce what must become the standard reference work. Praise for French Cruisers “A clearly-written and excellently presented book which, particularly with respect to its technical descriptions, explains its chosen subject area in a convincing and comprehensive fashion. The authors are to be commended for their achievement in bringing knowledge of a previously sparsely-covered subject to an English language readership.” —Warship Annual 2014

French Cruisers

French Cruisers PDF Author: John Jordan
Publisher: Seaforth Publishing
ISBN: 1848321333
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
The French produced some of the most striking and innovatory interwar cruiser designs. A large amount of new information about these ships has become available over the past twenty years in France, but this book is the first to make this accessible to an English-speaking readership. Part I explains the design philosophy behind each of the classes built after 1922, and outlines the characteristics of each type, accompanied by detailed data tables and a comprehensive set of specially-drawn plans based on official documents, as well as carefully-selected photographs. Coverage includes the De Grasse, laid down in August 1939 and completed postwar as an AA cruiser, and also the heavy cruisers of the Saint Louis class intended to follow her, about which little has been published. Part II deals with the historical side, covering not only the eventful careers of these ships, but also explaining the peacetime organisation of the Marine Nationale, the complex politics of this turbulent period and their impact on the navy. Like its highly successful predecessor, French Battleships, this beautifully presented book subtly blends technical and historical analysis to produce what must become the standard reference work.

French Destroyers

French Destroyers PDF Author: John Jourdan
Publisher: Seaforth Publishing
ISBN: 1848321988
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 297

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Book Description
Between the wars the French produced some of the largest, and certainly the fastest, destroyers in the world. Known as Contre-Torpilleurs, these striking and innovatory super-destroyers form the core of this book, but the more conventional Torpilleurs d'Escadre are also covered. This history combines the technical and service material published in French-language monographs over the past two decades with the authors' own research from primary sources. The structure of the book follows that of the highly successful French Cruisers, with Part I devoted to the design of each of the classes built after 1922. The text is accompanied by detailed data tables and illustrated by a comprehensive set of specially-drawn plans and schemas based on official documents, as well as carefully-selected photographs from French naval sources and from private collections. Coverage runs down to the Le Hardi class, the last pre-war design.. Part II deals with the historical side, covering the eventful careers of these ships before, during and after the war. This section is illustrated by maps specially drawn for the book, and by contemporary photographs. Like its highly successful predecessors, French Battleships and French Cruisers, this beautifully presented book blends technical and historical analysis to produce what must become the standard English-language reference work.

French Battleships of World War One

French Battleships of World War One PDF Author: John Jordan
Publisher: Seaforth Publishing
ISBN: 9781848322547
Category : Battleships
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
When war broke out in August 1914 France had only two dreadnoughts in service, with a second pair running trials. The main body of the elite Arm e Navale was made up of the eleven battleships of the _Patrie_ and _Danton_ classes, both of which were intermediate designs with two main gun calibres. Older ships included survivors of the notorious _Flotte d echantillons_ ('fleet of samples') of the 1890 programme and their successors designed during the 1890s. This book traces the development of French battleships from 1890 to 1922, and also covers the extensive modifications made to the survivors during the interwar period. The structure follows that of previous books in this highly successful series, with Part I by John Jordan devoted to design, followed by historical chapters by Philippe Caresse covering 1900 to 1945\. It is liberally illustrated throughout with line drawings and labelled schematics, plus photographs from the extensive Caresse collection, many of which are previously unpublished. This is the most comprehensive account of these ships published in English or in French, and is destined be the standard reference for many years to come. AUTHORS: John Jordan is the Editor of the _Warship_ annual and a lifelong student of French naval history. His previous three books on French Battleships, Cruisers and Destroyers were critical and commercial successes. Philippe Caresse, his collaborator on this book, is a leading authority on late 19th-century French warships.

French Armoured Cruisers, 1887–1932

French Armoured Cruisers, 1887–1932 PDF Author: John Jordan
Publisher: Seaforth Publishing
ISBN: 1526741210
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 274

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Book Description
“Offers a fascinating look at the French Navy during the years leading up to World War I . . . an excellent addition to any naval library.” —Naval Historical Foundation Of all the threats faced by the Royal Navy during the first years of the twentieth century, the one which stood out was the risk to Britain’s sea lines of communication posed by France’s armoured cruisers. Fast, well-armed and well-protected, these ships could have evaded any attempted blockade of the French ports and, supported by a worldwide network of overseas bases, could potentially have caused havoc on the trade routes. Between 1898 and 1901 the French laid down thirteen ships, and completed nine in 1903–4 alone. This book has as its subject the French armoured cruisers built from the late 1880s until shortly before the outbreak of the Great War, beginning with the revolutionary Dupuy-de-Lôme, the world’s first modern armoured cruiser, and ending with the impressive six-funnelled Edgar Quinet and Waldeck-Rousseau. The primary focus of the book is on the technical characteristics of the ships. Detailed and labelled drawings based on the official plans are provided by John Jordan, and each individual class of ship is illustrated by photographs from the extensive personal collection of Philippe Caresse. The technical section is followed by a history in two parts, covering the Great War (1914–18) and the postwar years, during which the surviving ships saw extensive deployment as “station” cruisers overseas and as training ships. This is the most comprehensive account published in English or in French, and is destined be the standard reference for many years to come. “Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.” —War History Online

Mussolini's Navy

Mussolini's Navy PDF Author: Maurizio Brescia
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473816505
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 561

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Book Description
“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

French Battleships 1914–45

French Battleships 1914–45 PDF Author: Ryan K. Noppen
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472818210
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 49

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Book Description
On September 1, 1910, France became the last great naval power to lay down a dreadnought battleship, the Courbet. The ensuing Courbet and Bretagne-class dreadnoughts had a relatively quiet World War I, spending most of it at anchor off the entrance to the Adriatic, keeping watch over the Austro-Hungarian fleet. The constraints of the Washington Naval Treaty prevented new battleships being built until the 1930s, with the innovative Dunkerque-class and excellent Richelieu-class of battleships designed to counter new German designs. After the fall of France in 1940, the dreadnoughts and fast battleships of the Marine Nationale had the unique experience of firing against German, Italian, British, and American targets during the war. This authoritative study examines these fascinating ships, using detailed colour plates and historical photographs, taking them from their inception before World War I, through their service in World War II including the scuttling of the French fleet at Toulon in 1943, and the service of Richelieu in the war against Japan.

French Destroyers

French Destroyers PDF Author: John Jordan
Publisher: Seaforth Publishing
ISBN: 184832359X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 628

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Book Description
“A superb book that will keep any reader happy for months as they discover stories and episodes in French naval destroyer design and history.”—Warship World Between the wars the French produced some of the largest, and certainly the fastest, destroyers in the world. Known as Contre-Torpilleurs, these striking and innovatory super-destroyers form the core of this book, but the more conventional Torpilleurs d’Escadre are also covered. This history combines the technical and service material published in French-language monographs over the past two decades with the authors’ own research from primary sources. The structure of the book follows that of the highly successful French Cruisers, with Part I devoted to the design of each of the classes built after 1922. The text is accompanied by detailed data tables and illustrated by a comprehensive set of specially drawn plans and schemas based on official documents, as well as carefully selected photographs from French naval sources and from private collections. Coverage runs down to the Le Hardi class, the last pre-war design. Part II deals with the historical side, covering the eventful careers of these ships before, during and after the war. This section is illustrated by maps specially drawn for the book, and by contemporary photographs. Like its highly successful predecessors, French Battleships and French Cruisers, this beautifully presented book “fills a significant gap in the English library about French warships. Apart from that the book will absolutely be a treasure on the bookshelves of collectors, historians, ships modelers and all other devotees of maritime history” (Go2War2.nl).

The Littorio Class

The Littorio Class PDF Author: Ermingo Bagnasco
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473819474
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 657

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Book Description
“An important work for anyone interested in warship design, the naval side of World War II in the Mediterranean, or modern Italian history.”—New York Military Affairs Symposium For its final battleship design Italy ignored all treaty restrictions on tonnage and produced one of Europe’s largest and most powerful capital ships, comparable with Germany’s Bismarck class, similarly built in defiance of international agreements. The three ships of the Littorio class were typical of Italian design, being fast and elegant, but also boasting a revolutionary protective scheme—which was tested to the limits, as all three were to be heavily damaged in the hard-fought naval war in the Mediterranean; Roma had the unfortunate distinction of being the first capital ship sunk by guided missile. These important ships have never been covered in depth in English-language publications, but the need is now satisfied in this comprehensive and convincing study by two of Italy’s leading naval historians. The book combines a detailed analysis of the design with an operational history, evaluating how the ships stood up to combat. It is illustrated with an amazing collection of photographs, many fine-line plans, and colored artwork of camouflage schemes, adding up to as complete a monograph on a single class ever published. Among warship enthusiasts, battleships enjoy a unique status. As the great success of Seaforth’s recent book on French battleships proves, that interest transcends national boundaries, and this superbly executed study is certain to become another classic in the field. “A very impressive piece of work.”—History of War “An essential book for all naval history enthusiasts.”—Firetrench