Submarines and the War at Sea, 1914-18

Submarines and the War at Sea, 1914-18 PDF Author: Richard Compton-Hall
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Submarines and the War at Sea, 1914-18

Submarines and the War at Sea, 1914-18 PDF Author: Richard Compton-Hall
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Submarines at War 1914-1918

Submarines at War 1914-1918 PDF Author: Richard Compton-Hall
Publisher: Periscope Publishing Ltd.
ISBN: 9781904381211
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 380

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Book Description
This work is a landmark history of submarine warfare during World War I. An-ex submariner, the author captures the essence of what is what like to operate in these new and lethal craft. This periscope eye view introduces the reader to the great submarine commanders, the tactics they employed and the often-futile attempts made to sink them.

The German Submarine War 1914-1918

The German Submarine War 1914-1918 PDF Author: R.H. Gibson
Publisher: Periscope Publishing Ltd.
ISBN: 9781904381082
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 526

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Book Description
This account of the U-boat campaign in the World War I represents the official British history of the war against the German submarine attack on shipping. From a few fragile craft, the U-boats grew to become the greatest menace to Britain's survival.

The U-Boat War, 1914–1918

The U-Boat War, 1914–1918 PDF Author: Edwyn Gray
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473820049
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 367

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Book Description
A history of Germany’s usage of submarine warfare during World War I, by the author of Operation Pacific. In 1914, U-Boats were a new and untried weapon, and when such a weapon can bring a mighty empire to the brink of defeat there is a story worth telling. Edwyn Gray’s The U-Boat War is the history of the Kaiser’s attempt to destroy the British Empire by a ruthless campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare. It opens with Germany’s first tentative experiments with the submarines and climaxes with the naval mutiny that helped bring down the Kaiser. In between is a detailed account of a campaign of terror which, by April, 1917, had the British Empire on the verge of surrender. The cost in lives and equipment was staggering. On the German side, 4,894 sailors and 515 officers lost their lives in action; 178 German Submarines were destroyed by the allies; 14 were scuttled and 122 surrendered. According to the most reliable sources, 5,708 ships were destroyed by the U-Boats and 13,333 non-combatants perished in British Ships. World figures for civilian casualties were never released. The U-Boat War is a savage but thrilling account of men fighting for their lives beneath the sea, and of the boats that changed the face of naval warfare.

Imperial War Museum Book of the War at Sea 1914-18

Imperial War Museum Book of the War at Sea 1914-18 PDF Author: Julian Thompson
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 0330540769
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 452

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Book Description
Based on gripping first-hand testimony from the archives of the Imperial War Museum, this book reveals what it was really like to serve in the Royal Navy during the First World War. It was a period of huge change – for the first time the British navy went into battle with untried weapon systems, dreadnoughts, submarines, aircraft and airships. Julian Thompson blends insightful narrative with never-before-published stories to show what these men faced and overcame. Officers and men, from admirals down to the youngest sailors faced the same dangers, at sea in often terrible weather conditions, with the ever-present prospect of being blown to pieces, or choking to death trapped in a compartment or turret as they plunged to the bottom of the sea. In their own words they share their experiences, from from long patrols and pitched battles in the cold, rough water of the North Sea to the perils of warfare in the Dardanelles; from the cat-and-mouse search for Vice-Admiral Graf von Spee in the Pacific to the dangerous raids on Ostend and Zeebrugge. We see what it was like to spend weeks in the cramped, smelly submarines of the period, or to attack U-boats from unreliable airships.

British Submarines at War

British Submarines at War PDF Author: Edwyn Gray
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 147385346X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 203

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Book Description
Originally published in 1970 and out of print for nearly thirty years, this book has already earned its place as a classic of submarine history by an author with an international reputation for being second-to-none in evoking the claustrophobic horror of war beneath the waves. Accurate in detail, yet written with humanity and humour, it tells the story of Britains pioneer submarines during the 1914-1918 War during which their crews battled courageously in atrocious conditions against a skilled and ruthless enemy and an equally unforgiving sea.2001 marks the centenary of Britains Submarine Service introduced into the Royal Navy in the face of opposition from virtually every flag officer in the fleet. The dedicated enthusiasts who made up their crews were derided as members of The Trade but they fought the Edwardian Naval Establishment as fiercely as they were later to fight the enemy; And Victory was their reward on both occasions. Freshly illustrated, this second edition is a timely tribute to the gallant pioneers who created the legacy of dogged courage, determination, and standards of excellence which remain the proud hallmarks of the Royal Navys submarine service today.

Secret Victory

Secret Victory PDF Author: Liam Nolan
Publisher: Mercier Press Ltd
ISBN: 1856356213
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
A study of the often overlooked role that Ireland played in assisting Britain in World War I.

The Naval War in the Mediterranean, 1914-1918

The Naval War in the Mediterranean, 1914-1918 PDF Author: Paul G. Halpern
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 664

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The Underwater War; Submarines, 1914-1918

The Underwater War; Submarines, 1914-1918 PDF Author: Edwyn Gray
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : World War, 1914-1918
Languages : en
Pages : 276

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Book Description
This is the story of the development by the British of a primitive, unreliable and highly dangerous contraption, turning it into a formidable fighting machine. Edwyn Gray describes the inception and early days of the Submarine Service, its struggle against the naval bureaucracy and political machinations, its experiments with early submarines, the terrible disasters it suffered and the dramatic successes it achieved. Above all, he brings to life the men who took the risks in these fragile boats and whose courage and endurance enabled the to smash German shipping to help make the strategic blockade of Germany a success. --from back cover.

Q Ship vs U-Boat

Q Ship vs U-Boat PDF Author: David Greentree
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 9781782002840
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
At the start of World War I a new and potent threat to Britain's naval supremacy took shape in the form of the Kaiser's Imperial German submarines, thanks to their recently acquired ability to submerge and stalk their adversaries. A submarine's crew could not board and capture a merchant ship, however, and at first the German leadership was reluctant to order their U-boat captains to use gunfire or torpedoes to sink merchantmen - crewed by civilian seamen - because of the expected hostile reaction of neutral countries such as the United States. Instead, U-boat captains were ordered to surface, then check the manifest of merchantmen and allow their crews to take to lifeboats before sinking the cargo vessels, rendering the U-boat highly vulnerable to attack. This enabled the Royal Navy to counter the submarine threat with vessels whose outward appearance was that of a merchantman, but which kept hidden an arsenal of weapons that would spring to life if a U-boat surfaced - the Q-ships. Q-ships came in all shapes and sizes - coastal steamer, trawler, barque, yacht or schooner - but all had to look harmless in order to lure opponents to the surface and encourage them to attack. Armaments differed according to ship size; steamers commonly had 4in guns mounted amidships and in the bow, trawlers 3-pdrs and sailing ships 12-pdrs. Those who served on Q-ships had to accept that their U-boat opponents would be able to strike first. Q-ship captains kept ready a 'panic crew', which was trained to act out an elaborate evacuation to convince the U-boat commander that the ship was being abandoned by its crew. The Q-ship captain would remain behind with a handful of other crewmen manning the guns, which remained hidden until the most opportune time to unmask and engage the U-boat. These deceptions did not go unnoticed, however; German captains learnt to be cautious, and frequently would engage with their guns at longer range and later in the war with torpedoes. U-boat boatswain's mate Christof Lassen view of Q-ships as the 'most unpleasant object we could hope to meet' was commonly held. As the Allies condemned the sinking of merchantmen, the Germans vilified Q-ships as a crude deceit manned by pirates and contrary to the rules of civilized warfare. Encounters were often fought with bitterness and little quarter was given. The Q-ship suited the Royal Navy's preference for offensive action to counter the submarine. The Q-ship concept had emerged early in the war when no other method seemed likely to counter the U-boat threat, and flourished until new technologies and tactics were developed, tested and implemented. Q ships instilled wariness into a previously bold and seemingly invincible enemy. The usefulness of Q-ships waned as they lost their surprise factor, but they helped mitigate the U-boat menace until more effective and efficient means of defence were adopted. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork and drawing upon the latest research, this engaging study brings to life the deadly duel between these two very different vessels at the height of World War I.