U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History
Norman Friedman is a prominent international defense analyst and historian specializing in the intersection between policy, strategy, and technology. He has published more than forty books, including The Fifty-Year War, an award-winning history of the Cold War; a history of naval fighter aircraft; and design histories of many U.S. and British warships.
U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History
TheBuckley-Class Destroyer Escorts by Bruce Hampton Franklin - a greatreferencefor this common class of Destroyer Escorts, which included the famousEngland(DE-635). Photos of every ship in the class, and a nice designhistory,along with useful detail photos.
This illustrated design history contains more than 100 photographs and more than 100 line drawings, including specially commissioned artwork from technical illustrator James L. Christley. These exclusive illustrations, along with the incisive text, capture the excitement of a revolutionary period in submarine development. Enthusiasts and professionals alike will welcome the abundance of information offered.In this revised edition, Norman Friedman explores what has happened since the Cold War, which means both new classes and new technology (some of it applied to existing submarines). New material includes weapons and sensors as they have developed since 1995. This new technology is explained in the context of very different post-Cold-War priorities. In addition, Friedman includes new information that has become available on submarines described in the earlier edition.
An illustrated study of the design, development and eventual fates of the uncompleted super-battleships intended to be built before and during World War II.Before the start of World War II, the battleship was still king, and all the major powers were designing even mightier battleships to surpass their most modern and powerful classes. But when war broke out, aircraft carriers would dominate naval warfare, and none of these monster warships would ever be completed. In this book, naval expert Mark Stille uncovers these lost battleships as they are reconstructed with the help of superb new full-colour artwork and photos. The US Navy planned five Montana-class ships, based on the Iowas but with a heavier main battery and improved protection, while the Royal Navy began work on three 16in-gun Lion-class fast battleships. The German Navy began to develop its H-class designs, initially an improved Bismarck-class which became more fantastical, culminating in the 141,500-ton, 20in-gun H-44. The Japanese A-150 was based on the Yamato-class but with 20.1in guns, while the 15 ships planned for the USSR's Sovetsky Soyuz-class would have rivalled the Montanas in size. Explaining the design, intended roles and fate of these ships, this is the story of the last super-battleship designs in history.
An illustrated history of the long Cold War careers of the US Navy's last gun destroyers, from the modernized World War II-era Fletcher-class to the Forrest Sherman-class. The finest American destroyers of World War II had surprisingly long careers into the Cold War and the missile age. The 175-strong Fletcher-class was the largest class of US Navy destroyers ever built, and most received some modernization after World War II. A handful were converted into ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) escorts and one was even converted into the US Navy's first guided missile destroyer. Many Sumner-class destroyers were also kept in service, with the last decommissioned in 1973. The Gearing class was the classic US Navy wartime destroyer to have a second Cold War career, some being modified into picket ships and others into ASW escorts. Ninety-five were extensively modernized under the Fleet Modernization and Rehabilitation (FRAM) program which allowed them to serve until 1980. The majority of these ships then saw service with foreign navies. However the story of Cold War gun destroyers is not just one of World War II relics. Commissioned in the 1950s, the 18 ships of the Forrest Sherman class were the US Navy's last all-gun destroyers, and were considered to be the pinnacle of US Navy gun-destroyer design. Later in their careers, most were modernized for ASW and antiair warfare. The virtually unknown Norfolk class was originally built as a destroyer leader and maximized for ASW but only two were modernized and the other three retired early. Many of these ships, such as USS Edson, Cassin Young, and Turner Joy, still survive as museum ships today.Using battlescene artwork, detailed illustrations and photos, this book explores the careers, modernizations, and roles of all these unsung Cold War stalwarts, the last gun destroyers of the US Navy. 041b061a72