Sea of Thunder

Sea of Thunder PDF

Author: Evan Thomas

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2007-11-06

Total Pages: 436

ISBN-13: 0743252225

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Drawing on oral histories, diaries, correspondence, postwar testimony from both American and Japanese participants, and interviews with survivors, Thomas provides this riveting account of the Battle of Leyte Gulf in 1944, the culminating battle of the war in the Pacific. Photos.

Storm Over Leyte

Storm Over Leyte PDF

Author: John Prados

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 402

ISBN-13: 0451473612

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By October 1944, the US Navy had driven the devastated Japanese fleet across the far Pacific. But with each defeat, Japanese commanders became even more determined to destroy the Americans in a final decisive battle. In Storm Over Leyte, acclaimed historian John Prados gives readers an unprecedented look at both sides of this titanic naval clash. Drawing upon a wealth of untapped sources Prados offers up a masterful narrative that breaks new ground in our understanding of the greatest naval clash in history.

The Last Epic Naval Battle

The Last Epic Naval Battle PDF

Author: David Sears

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2005-06-30

Total Pages: 262

ISBN-13: 0313041938

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Often overshadowed by other Pacific War engagements such as Midway or Guadalcanal, the Battle of Leyte Gulf was characterized by some of the most gallant hours in seagoing history: the U.S. Navy's defeat of the combined Japanese fleet during the invasion of the Philippines in October 1944. Involving more ships than even the gargantuan First World War Battle of Jutland and two hundred thousand men, it was the biggest naval battle in world history. It marked the last time that huge capital ships fought within sight and sound of each other. Using the personal accounts of the men who were there, Sears tells this mammoth and compelling story. This moving tale uses personal accounts of the veterans who achieved victory in the biggest and last great naval battle, largely fought with aging ships, untested reserve crews, and teenaged combat aircraft pilots. Often overshadowed by other Pacific War engagements such as Midway or Guadalcanal, the Battle of Leyte Gulf was characterized by some of the most gallant hours in seagoing history: the U.S. Navy's defeat of the combined Japanese fleet during the invasion of the Philippines in October 1944. Involving more ships than even the gargantuan First World War Battle of Jutland and two hundred thousand men, it was the biggest naval battle in world history. It marked the last time huge capital ships fought within sight and sound of each other. Using the personal accounts of the men who were there, Sears tells this mammoth and compelling story. The Battle of Leyte Gulf could have been the Pacific War's Battle of the Bulge. In a space of 12 hours, Japan, a beaten, cornered enemy, was able to devise and execute a strategy that very nearly pierced the heart of America's war machine. The real margin of victory would come from surprising quarters: from aging ships risen from the graveyard of the war's infamous first day; from small, hastily constructed ships with largely untested reserve crews; from fragile support ships never intended to be anywhere near battles of this scale; and from combat aircraft piloted by teenagers.

Great Naval Battles

Great Naval Battles PDF

Author: Helen Doe

Publisher: Arcturus Publishing

Published: 2022-10-01

Total Pages: 214

ISBN-13: 1398818631

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This book recalls 50 of the greatest naval battles to have been fought since medieval times, examining why they took place, who was in command and what impact they had on both the victors and the losers. From the Battle of Flanborough Head in 1779 to Jutland in 1916, Great Naval Battles also considers how changes in technology and battle tactics impact upon the outcome and what makes a decisive victory. Written by the renowned naval historian Dr Helen Doe, this is a fascinating analysis of maritime power through the ages.

Decision at Sea

Decision at Sea PDF

Author: Craig L. Symonds

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2006-10-23

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 9780199754885

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From thunderous broadsides traded between wooden sailing ships on Lake Erie, to the carrier battles of World War II, to the devastating high-tech action in the Persian Gulf, here is a gripping history of five key battles that defined the evolution of naval warfare--and the course of the American nation. Acclaimed military historian Craig Symonds offers spellbinding narratives of crucial engagements, showing how each battle reveals the transformation of technology and weaponry from one war to the next; how these in turn transformed naval combat; and how each event marked a milestone in American history. - Oliver Hazard Perry's heroic victory at Lake Erie, one of the last great battles of the Age of Sail, which secured the Northwestern frontier for the United States - The brutal Civil War duel between the ironclads Monitor and Virginia, which sounded the death knell for wooden-hulled warships and doomed the Confederacy's hope of besting the Union navy - Commodore Dewey's stunning triumph at Manila Bay in 1898, where the U.S. displayed its "new navy" of steel-hulled ships firing explosive shells and wrested an empire from a fading European power - The hairsbreadth American victory at Midway, where aircraft carriers launched planes against enemies 200 miles away--and where the tide of World War II turned in the space of a few furious minutes - Operation Praying Mantis in the Persian Gulf, where computers, ship-fired missiles, and "smart bombs" not only changed the nature of warfare at sea, but also marked a new era, and a new responsibility, for the United States. Symonds records these encounters in detail so vivid that readers can hear the wind in the rigging and feel the pounding of the guns. Yet he places every battle in a wide perspective, revealing their significance to America's development as it grew from a new Republic on the edge of a threatening frontier to a global superpower. Decision at Sea is a powerful and illuminating look at pivotal moments in the history of the Navy and of the United States. It is also a compelling study of the unchanging demands of leadership at sea, where commanders must make rapid decisions in the heat of battle with lives--and the fate of nations--hanging in the balance.

War at Sea

War at Sea PDF

Author: Nathan Miller

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 614

ISBN-13: 0195110382

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From the sinking of the British passenger liner Athenia on September 3, 1939, by a German U-boat (against orders) to the Japanese surrender on board the Missouri on September 2, 1945, War at Sea covers every major naveal battle of World War II. "A first-rate work and the best history of its kind yet written".--Vice Admiral William P. Mack, U.S.N. (Ret.). 30 photos.

Great Naval Battles of the Twentieth Century

Great Naval Battles of the Twentieth Century PDF

Author: Jean-Yves Delitte

Publisher: Naval Institute Press

Published: 2020-10-21

Total Pages: 177

ISBN-13: 1682475638

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In the history of civilizations, sea power has always played a preponderant role. This symbol of a nation's scientific and military genius has very often been the deciding factor during major conflicts, putting the names of several clashes down into legend. With this collection, Jean-Yves Delitte and Giuseppe Baiguera plunge into the heart of three of the twentieth century's greatest naval battles. TSUSHIMA. Newly opened to the world, Japan found itself to be weak and subject to the whims of larger nations. What followed was decades of industrialization and modernization as Japan sought to catch up to advanced nations and control its own destiny. In 1905, when Japan's expansionist policies clashed with the Russian Empire over Korea, Japan was poised to flex its muscle and stun the world using the same naval supremacy that opened its borders half a century earlier. JUTLAND. May 31, 1916: the British Royal Navy and the German Kaiserliche Marine are preparing to confront one another in the North Sea off the Danish coast of Jutland. This will be the final great confrontation of World War I by sea and one of the greatest epic battles in the history of seafaring. Despite heavy losses, which are greater than the Germans', the English reaffirm their naval supremacy over the seas of the world, and Germany, all too conscious of having escaped disaster, will opt to confine the majority of its ships to its ports. MIDWAY. December 7, 1941: the Empire of Japan strikes an early blow against the United States Navy at Pearl Harbor. In just a matter of hours, the era of the battleship would come to an end and the age of the aircraft carrier would begin. In June 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy and its carrier fleet would try to seize the initiative again by attacking the island of Midway. What unfolds is an epic carrier duel, the likes of which the world has never seen. In the end, Japan would never recover from the losses at Midway, and the United States would carry this momentum until Japan's ultimate defeat.

Great Naval Battles of the Ancient Greek World

Great Naval Battles of the Ancient Greek World PDF

Author: Owen Rees

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2018-12-31

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 1473889847

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Naval warfare is the unsung hero of ancient Greek military history, often overshadowed by the more glorified land battles. Owen Rees looks to redress the balance, giving naval battles their due attention. This book presents a selection of thirteen naval battles that span a defining century in ancient Greek history, from the Ionian Revolt and Persian Invasion to the rise of external naval powers in the Mediterranean Sea, such as the Carthaginians.Each battle is set in context. The background, wider military campaigns, and the opposing forces are discussed, followed by a narrative and analysis of the fighting. Finally, the aftermath of the battles are dealt with, looking at the strategic implications of the outcome for both the victor and the defeated. The battle narratives are supported by maps and tactical diagrams, showing the deployment of the fleets and the wider geographical factors involved in battle. Written in an accessible tone, this book successfully shows that Greek naval warfare did not start and end at the battle of Salamis.

Great Naval Battles of the Pacific War

Great Naval Battles of the Pacific War PDF

Author:

Publisher: Frontline Books

Published: 2022-06-20

Total Pages: 472

ISBN-13: 1399011693

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The key naval battles against Imperial Japan in the Pacific during the Second World War have been described many times by numerous diligent and skilful historians. Such histories are, of course, the products of many years, even decades, of accumulated knowledge, but also of a received consensus of how the war played out to its, seemingly, inevitable conclusion. That of course is not how it was perceived at the time. Hindsight, as we know, gives us 20/20 vision. The accounts here, compiled for and on behalf of the Admiralty, were written either during or immediately after the end of the war before historians had begun to give their assessments of these momentous events. These accounts were written for internal consumption, to guide and instruct naval officers. It was never intended that they would be released to the general public. As such, there was no jingoistic drum beating, no axes to grind, no new angles to try and find. The authors of these accounts relate each battle, move by move, as they unfolded, accurately and dispassionately. This makes these accounts so invaluable. They read almost like a running commentary, as action follows action, minute follows minute. This sensation is magnified by the absolute impartiality of the authors, their sole attempt being to provide a thorough but very clear and comprehensible record so that others in the future could understand precisely how each battle was fought. These accounts can never be superseded and never replaced. Written by naval officers of the time for naval officers of the future, they are the permanent record of the great victories, and the sobering defeat in the Java Sea, during the struggle for control of the Pacific which, for many months, hung precariously in the balance.