From War to Peace tells the story of the adaptation from White Ensign to Red Ensign, and to flags of other nations, of the numerous classes of naval ships mainly built during the two world wars and surplus to requirements with the advent of peace. It also describes ships sourced from the United States Navy and elsewhere that were converted for commercial use.\nThe most successful classes to transfer to the merchant service were the Hunt-class minesweepers of the Great War, Landing Craft, Tank, the salvage tugs of World War Two, and the wooden-hulled Fairmile launches which became familiar at seaside resorts in the 1950s and ‘60s; and, of course, the MFV classes that helped the fishing industry in the postwar years. The story includes the successful commercial conversions of many of the Flower and Castle Class corvettes and River Class frigates, notably the 1954 conversion of HMCS Stormont to a luxury yacht for the Greek shipping magnate Onassis. It describes why HMS Charybdis became a passenger liner in the Great War, and how HMS Albatross nearly became a luxury liner after World War Two, but in fact was transformed into a very unpopular emigrant ship and ended her days as a floating casino based at Cape Town.\nThe author reveals the military antecedents of numerous commercial vessels that many would have thought were built especially for the service that they later maintained, and it illustrates just how many Royal Navy vessels ended up in private ownership. And the question is asked: if the military had not built so many ships that were eminently suitable for commercial adaptation, would the technical development of merchant shipping have progressed at a faster rate than it did? The answer is a definite ‘no’, and is illustrated in several ways. It was former naval vessels that promoted the early development of the Ro-Ro ferry; former naval ships introduced numerous design innovations, for example, the raised foredeck common for so many years on salvage tugs, and, above all, stripped of their military hardware, ex naval ships provided opportunities for modest investment where otherwise there would have been none.\nCopiously illustrated throughout, the book tells a fascinating story of invention and ingenious ship conversion, and of pragmatic adaptation in the financially stringent years after two world wars.

From War to Peace: The Conversion of Naval Vessels After Two World Wars

History

ROBINS, Nick

Military

Seaforth Publishing

On a map the Azores appear as nine tiny specks in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, but their location was to prove strategically vital in two world wars The Atlantic became a crucial battleground twice within the space of 25 years, as the US ‘arsenal of democracy’ sent firstly stores, arms and equipment, followed by many thousands of troops to fight in Europe. In both desperate and closely fought struggles at sea, Germany sought to stem the flow and thereby win the war, by cutting this vital lifeline, using a new weapon – the ocean-going submarine. In the First World War the Azores became a mid-Atlantic refuelling location, a base for US and Portuguese naval vessels and – in a hugely innovative contribution to the anti-submarine war – for the patrol seaplanes and flying boats of the US Marine Corps. Portugal was neutral during the Second World War but when Winston Churchill invoked a treaty dating from 1373, permission was given in 1943 for an RAF Coastal Command base to be very rapidly established at Lagens. From there convoys could be protected and U-boats could be harried and sunk, so closing the notorious mid-Atlantic gap. Later, it also became an important staging post for US aircraft, as it had been in the previous conflict. The significance of the Azores has been overlooked in most military histories, but this extensively researched and copiously illustrated book from historian Guy Warner provides a detailed but balanced appraisal. The author has had access to archives and photographic collections in the UK, USA, Portugal and the Azores, consulting with local historians to produce a book that sheds much new light on a hitherto under-appreciated facet of twentieth-century history.

Atlantic Linchpin: The Azores in Two World Wars

Guy Warner

The Harwich Force has made its name and will not be forgotten during the future annals of history’; so said Rear Admiral Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt on Armistice Day 1918. But that fame has not endured. Yet for the whole duration of the First World War, the Harwich Striking Force was the front line of the Royal Navy, a force of cruisers and destroyers defending the seas for the Allies.\nUnder a charismatic and aggressive leader, Reginald Yorke Tyrwhitt, U-boats, German cruisers, destroyers and light craft all met their ends at the hands of the Force, as did enemy seaplanes and Zeppelin airships. The Harwich ships were at sea almost daily throughout the war, haunting the German coast and the Friesian Islands, pioneering aerial attack from the sea, developing naval carrier aviation and combined air/sea operations, and hunting for enemy submarines and minelayers in the North Sea. The Harwich Force also took part in major naval battles alongside the Grand Fleet’s battlecruisers, and protected merchant ships operating in the dangerous waters around Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and Britain.\nThe author also assesses the role played by the other Royal Navy formations at Harwich: submarines, auxiliary minesweeping and patrol vessels, the Felixstowe seaplane base and the town itself. And when the war was finally won, the Force gained further fame when the German U-boat fleet was surrendered there.\nLavishly illustrated, this book is an enthralling account of the men of the Harwich Force, of their grit and brave sacrifice and the key part that they played in the final Allied victory against Germany.

The Harwich Striking Force: The Royal Navy's Front Line in the North Sea 1914–1918

Dunn, Steve

Europe

Favourite of Fortune: Captain John Quilliam, Trafalgar Hero

Biographies & Memoirs

Bond, Andrew

Cowin, Frank

Lambert,Andrew

Leaders & Notable People

"Gorgeous color photos of the models abound, showing the exceptional work of master ship modelers who have customized several models to produce lifelike renderings of the ill-fated vessel." ― National Maritime Historical Society\nThe ‘ShipCraft’ series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warships. Previously, these have generally covered plastic and resin models of 20th century subjects but, like the previous volume on Nelson’s Victory, this is a radical departure – not only a period sailing ship but one for which kits are available in many different materials and scales. This requires some changes to the standard approach, but the main features of the series remain constant.\nBounty, a merchant vessel purchased to undertake a special mission to the South Pacific, will always be remembered for the drama of the mutiny against Captain Bligh and his epic open-boat voyage that followed. The events inspired many books, and at least three major movies, and make the ship one of the most popular of all ship modeling subjects. Despite the ship’s fame, and the vast range of kits it has inspired, there are question marks over many aspects of the vessel’s fitting and, especially, how it was painted. This volume tackles these questions, reconstructing convincing color schemes for the ship both as a merchant vessel and in naval service. The modeling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit, including the complexities of rigging. This is followed by an extensive photographic gallery of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and coverage concludes with a section on research references – books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites.\nFollowing the pattern of the series, this book provides an unparalleled level of visual information – paint schemes, models, line drawings and photographs – and is simply the best reference for anyone setting out to model this imposing three-decker.

Bounty: HM Armed Vessel, 1787 (ShipCraft)

Jang, Kerry

World

Seaforth World Naval Review: 2024

Unknown, Author

British and Commonwealth Warship Camouflage of WWII: Volume I - Destroyers, Frigates, Sloops, Escorts, Minesweepers, Submarines, Coastal Forces and Auxiliaries

George Wright, Malcolm

During the Second World War navies developed low visibility camouflage for their ships, on both the vertical and horizontal surfaces, in order reduce visibility by blending in with the sea, or confuse the identity of a ship by applying more obtrusive patters. In this the second volume by maritime artist Mal Wright, both the official and unofficial paint schemes that adorned the capital ships of the Royal Navy and Commonwealth are depicted in detail, along with discussions on changes of armament and electronics that effected the outward appearance of each ship. Beginning with the Royal Sovereign class, the book goes on to cover all the other battleship classes as well as the battlecruisers, monitors, the first and second generation carriers as well as light and escort carriers. Where possible both sides of the ship are depicted, and there are multiple images of the ships where armament or equipment changes had a fundamental impact on a ships appearance. Overhead views are also included. With 525 full color illustrations, arranged by ship type rather than camouflage scheme, this book concentrates the clearest possible information into a single volume to provide a one-stop reference source.Many schemes would be difficult for the reader to have found other than with the most intensive research so that historians, collectors, modelmakers and wargamers will find this unique reference source absolutely invaluable."With 525 full color illustrations, all of named vessels, this book concentrates an astonishing level of information regarding paint colors, schemes and patterns into a single volume to provide a unique one-stop reference source." - Model Boats Magazine

British and Commonwealth Warship Camouflage of WWII: Volume II - Battleships & Aircraft Carriers

During the Second World War navies developed low visibility camouflage for their ships, on both vertical and horizontal surfaces, in order reduce visibility by blending in with the sea, or confuse the identity of a ship by applying more obtrusive patters. In this the second volume by maritime artist Mal Wright, both the official and unofficial paint schemes that adorned the cruisers of the Royal Navy and Commonwealth are depicted in detail, along with discussions on changes of armament and electronics that effected the outward appearance of each ship. Beginning with the older cruisers, the book goes on to cover all the other cruiser classes, taking in heavy cruisers, prewar and wartime cruisers; the author then covers minelayers. Where possible both sides of the ship are depicted, and there are multiple images of the ships where armament or equipment changes had a fundamental impact on a ships appearance. Overhead views are also included. With 800 full color illustrations, arranged by ship type rather than camouflage scheme, this book concentrates the clearest possible information into a single volume to provide a one-stop reference source. Many schemes would be difficult for the reader to have found other than with the most intensive research so that historians, collectors, model makers and wargamers will find this unique reference source absolutely invaluable.

British and Commonwealth Warship Camouflage of WW II: Volume III - Cruisers, Minelayers and Armed Merchant Cruisers (British and Commonwealth Warship Camouflage of Ww II, 3)

Wright, Malcolm

This is the first of two volumes covering Royal Navy 6-inch cruisers of the 1930s and later, this one devoted to three related designs armed with twin mountings. The 'ShipCraft' series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeler through a brief history of the subject, highlighting differences between ships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring color profiles and highly detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modeling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the subjects, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic gallery of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references - books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites.This is the first of two volumes covering Royal Navy 6-inch cruisers of the 1930s and later, this one devoted to three related designs armed with twin mountings. This group includes some of the most celebrated ships of the Second World War, like Ajax, Achilles, Penelope and the Australian Sydney. The next volume will feature the later classes armed with the triple 6-inch mounting - the 'Towns', 'Colonies' and their derivatives.With its unparalleled level of visual information - paint schemes, models, line drawings and photographs - this book is simply the best reference for any modelmaker setting out to build one of these famous cruisers.

British Light Cruisers: Leander, Amphion and Arethusa Classes (ShipCraft)

BROWN, Les

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