Battle Cruisers - Great Britain: Books - History and Ships (1/2)

British and German Battlecruisers : Their Development and Operations

The fast and formidably-armed battlecruisers of Great Britain and Germany that were developed before and during the First World War are, in this book, compared and contrasted in a way, and at a level of detail, that has never been attempted before.
The authors begin by looking at the relationship and rivalry between Great Britain and Germany and at how foreign policy, strategic and tactical considerations, economic, industrial and technological developments, and naval policies led to the instigation of the battlecruiser programmes in both countries.

Chapters are then devoted to the development of the type in each country, to their design and construction, protection, propulsion plants, weapons, fire control, and communication systems, focussing particularly on the innovative aspects of the designs and on their strengths and weaknesses.

These ships eventually clashed in the North Sea at Dogger Bank, in January 1915, and while neither side suffered losses, the differences in their design and handling were apparent, differences that would be more starkly highlighted a year later at Jutland when three British ships were destroyed.
These actions, and others they took part in, are described and assessed by the authors who then conclude by analysing their strengths and limitations. This is a major work for naval enthusiasts everywhere.

Information

British Battlecruisers 1905 - 1920

The brainchild of Admiral Sir John Fisher, battlecruisers combined heavy guns and high speed in the largest hulls of their era. Conceived as 'super-cruisers' to hunt down and destroy commerce raiders, their size and gun-power led to their inclusion in the battlefleet as a fast squadron of capital ships.

This book traces in detail the development of Fisher's original idea into first battlecruiser Invincible of 1908, through to the 'Splendid Cats' of the Lion class, and culminating in HMS Hood in 1920, the largest warship in the world for the next twenty years. The origins of the unusual 'light battlecruisers' of the Courageous type are also covered.

The well-publicised problems of British battlecruisers are examined, including the latest research throwing light on the catastrophic loss of three of the ships at the Battle of Jutland.
The developmental history is backed by chapters covering machinery, armament and armour, with a full listing of important technical data.
The comprehensive collection of illustrations includes the author's superb drawings and original Admiralty plans reproduced in full colour.

This revised and updated edition of the classic work first published in 1997 will be welcomed by anyone with an interest in the most charismatic and controversial warships of the dreadnought era.

Information

Grand Fleet Battlecruisers 1906-1915 (Ship Craft)

The 'ShipCraft' series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject class, highlighting differences between sister-ships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly-detailed line drawings and scale plans.
The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the ships, 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 volume includes illustrations of the many different designs, from the Invincible of 1906 to the Renowns of 1915, and including the hybrid 'large light cruisers' Courageous, Glorious and Furious.

Information

British Battlecruisers 1914-1918 (Osprey)

Early British battlecruisers were not a failed design as is so often claimed, but a very successful and revolutionary one that was critical to, and instrumental in, Britain winning the naval war of 1914-18.

This book contains new information on these innovative ships, using previously untapped evidence from the wrecks of the sunken battlecruisers and detailed analysis of admiralty records to show why Admiral Fisher's famous battlecruiser concept was a revolution that drew together technological breakthroughs, global communications and intelligence gathering to create the first worldwide rapid-response task force.

Contents: Introduction - Admiral Fisher and the Transformation of the Navy - Committee on Designs, 1904 - British Battlecruisers - Construction - Modifications - Battlecruisers at War - Conclusion - Select Bibliography - Colour Plate Commentary - Index.

Information

British Battlecruiser vs German Battlecruiser - 1914-16 (Osprey)

The rival battlecruisers first clashed in January 1915 at Dogger Bank in the North Sea and although the battle was a British tactical victory with neither side losing any of its battlecruisers, the differences in the designs of the British and German ships were already apparent.
The two sides responded very differently to this first clash; while the Germans improved their ammunition-handling procedures to lessen the risk of disabling explosions, the British drew the opposite lesson and stockpiled ammunition in an effort to improve their rate of fire, rendering their battlecruisers more vulnerable.
These differences were highlighted more starkly during the battle of Jutland in May 1916. Of the nine British battlecruisers committed, three were destroyed, all by their German counterparts. Five German battlecruisers were present, and of these, only one was sunk and the remainder damaged.
Fully illustrated with specially commissioned artwork, this is the gripping story of the clash between the rival battlecruisers of the Royal Navy and the Kaiserliche Marine at the height of World War I.

Information

Schlachtkreuzer der Royal Navy - 1908-1945 (Typenkompass)

The Royal Navy developed the world's first battlecruiser before the First World War and thus also provided the operational concept for this new class of ship. Faster than large battleships, but less armored, they were intended to take care of all smaller warships.
Because the theory did not prove itself in practice, the battlecruiser class of ship was discarded after the First World War.

Ingo Bauernfeind portrays all the battlecruisers that the United Kingdom commissioned between 1909 and 1920 in this richly illustrated Typenkompass. Each type is presented with a photo, a historical description and a technical data sheet.

Information