Portaerei (fino al 1945) - USA: libri di storia illustrati (2/2)

Aircraft Carriers of the United States Navy - Rare photographs from Wartime Archives (Images of War)

In 1922 the US Navy commissioned its first small experimental aircraft carrier. This was followed into service by two much larger and capable carriers in 1927 with five more being built prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor including three large Yorktown class.

To take the offensive against the Japanese Navy, the American Congress funded by far the largest carrier building programme in history based on the Essex class, a larger version of the pre-war Yorktown vessels.
Of the twenty-six ordered, fourteen were commissioned in time to see Second World War service. These were joined by many smaller classes of carriers, including light carriers and escort carriers.

Post-war ever larger and more capable carriers were commissioned. Since 1975, when the first of a fleet of ten nuclear-powered Nimitz class carriers was commissioned, they have epitomized United States superpower status and worldwide power projection. These are due to be replaced in the decades to come with the even more sophisticated nuclear-powered Gerald R. Ford class.

Compiled and written by Michael Green, "Aircraft Carriers of the United States Navy" contains superb images of all the different types of classes of carriers employed by the US Navy since 1922. These and its highly informative text and captions give the reader a broad overview of this fascinating subject.

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Essex Class Aircraft Carriers, 1943-1991 - Rare Photographs from Naval Archives (Images of War)

Essex-class aircraft carriers played an essential role in the victory of the United States over Japan in the Second World War, and Leo Marriott's photographic history is a fascinating introduction to them. Without these remarkable ships, the island-hopping campaign of American forces across the Pacific towards Japan would not have been possible. They also took part in the Korean and Vietnam wars that followed.

During the Second World War they were at the centre of the powerful task groups that could put up hundreds of aircraft to support forces on the ground. They were also prime targets for Japanese air attacks, in particular the kamikaze suicide missions. A total of twenty-four were eventually commissioned including several after the end of the war.

The selection of rare photographs and the expert text cover the evolution of US aircraft carrier design prior to the Second World War and look at the factors which shaped the design and construction of the Essex class.
Included are dramatic action shots of the new breed of naval aircraft that were launched from their flight decks, including Hellcat and Corsair fighters that took on the Japanese and the carrier-borne jets that flew over Korea and Vietnam.

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Essex-Class Aircraft Carriers 1945-91 (Osprey)

A history of the enduring Essex-class ships, the US Navy's finest and most numerous fleet carrier during World War II, which were modernized repeatedly and served with distinction.

The Essex class was the USN's war-winning ship class of the Pacific War. Of the 24 ships completed, 14 saw action, making the Essex class the largest class of fleet aircraft carriers ever built. These ships had a fine balance of striking power, protection, and speed and were modernized during and after the war.
There were five distinct programs carried out, adding not only angled flight decks for jet operations, but repeated upgrades to sensors, weapons, and equipment.

Essex-class carriers were used in a number of roles and provided the vast majority of US Navy air power in the Korean War, and a sizeable proportion of air power in the Vietnam conflict. However, as the "super carriers" began to enter service in the early 1960s, the Essex class was relegated to secondary roles - a single Essex carrier served until 1991 as the US Navy's training carrier.

Using detailed artwork and photos, this book provides an in-depth portrait of this important and enduring class of ship, and looks at its development and modifications while considering the many and varied actions it took part in.

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US Navy Carrier Aircraft vs IJN Yamato Class Battleships - Pacific Theatre 1944-45 (Osprey)

As the Pacific War approached a crescendo, the clashes between swarming US Navy carrier aircraft, and the gigantic Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) Yamato-class battleships became symbolic of the fortunes of the two nations. They also served as a metaphor for the profound changes in naval technology and doctrine that the war had brought about.

The two opposing forces were the most powerful of their kind - the Japanese Yamato and Musashi were the biggest most heavily armored and armed battleships ever built, while US carrier aviation had evolved into a well-oiled, war-winning machine.

With detailed analysis of the technical features of the opposing war machines and a gripping account of the fighting itself, this vividly illustrated work presents views from the cockpits of US Navy Divebombers, and down the sights of IJN anti-aircraft guns, during two of the most dramatic naval engagements ever fought.

Contents: Introduction - Chronology - Design and Development - Technical Specifications - The Strategic Situation - The Combatants - Combat - Statistics and Analysis - Aftermath - Further Reading.

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USN Carriers vs IJN Carriers - The Pacific, 1942 (Osprey)

The IJN was a pioneer in naval aviation, having commissioned the world's first carrier, which was used against the US fleet at Pearl Harbor.
The Americans followed suit, initiating a huge aircraft carrier development program. As the War in the Pacific escalated into the largest naval conflict in history, the role of the carrier became the linchpin of American and Japanese naval strategy as these rival vessels found themselves locked in a struggle for dominance of this critical theater.

This book provides an analysis of the variety of weaponry available to the rival carriers, in particular the embarked aircraft as well as the powerful ship-borne guns.

Contents: Introduction - Chronology - Design & Development - The strategic situation - Technical Specifications - The Combatants - Combat - Statistics & analysis - Aftermath Conclusion - Bibliography.

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USS Intrepid (CV-11/CVA-11/CVS- 11): From World War II, Korea, and Vietnam to Museum Ship (Legends of Warfare)

La USS Intrepid, la "Fighting I, ", è stata una delle portaerei americane con la più lunga carriera operativa. Varata durante la seconda guerra mondiale, la Intrepid e i suoi equipaggi hanno affrontato kamikaze, siluri e tifoni durante tre anni di intensi combattimenti.
Dismessa dopo la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, la Intrepid fu rimessa in servizio nel 1955 e designata come portaerei d'attacco (CVA), e nel 1961 come portaerei per la guerra antisommergibile (CVS). Nei primi anni '60, la Intrepid servì a recuperare alcuni dei primi astronauti americani durante le pionieristiche missioni spaziali Mercury e Gemini.

Nel 1966, l'Intrepid effettuò la prima delle tre missioni nel Golfo del Tonchino per operazioni di combattimento con il Carrier Air Wing 10 durante la guerra del Vietnam.

Nei primi anni '70, la Intrepid navigò nell'Atlantico settentrionale e nel Mediterraneo, pattugliando la zona alla ricerca di sottomarini sovietici nell'ambito delle operazioni antisommergibile durante la Guerra Fredda.

Terminata la sua carriera in mare, la Intrepid ospitò per la prima volta le mostre della Marina durante le celebrazioni del bicentenario degli Stati Uniti nel 1976, prima di trovare una nuova sede come Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum sul lungofiume dell'Hudson a New York.

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USS Lexington (CV/CVA-16) - From World War II to Present-Day Museum Ship (Legends of Warfare)

La USS Lexington (CV-16), membro della celebre classe di portaerei Essex che costituì la spina dorsale della flotta di portaerei della Marina statunitense durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, servì la sua nazione dalla Seconda Guerra Mondiale fino agli anni '90. Con quasi mezzo milione di atterraggi con cavo di arresto registrati, si può affermare che più aviatori navali siano atterrati sui suoi ponti che su qualsiasi altra portaerei al mondo.

Segnata dalle battaglie durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, la Lexington si guadagnò una notevole fama in quel conflitto, partecipando all'affondamento di oltre un milione di tonnellate di navi nemiche e all'abbattimento di centinaia di aerei giapponesi.

La storia di questa celebre nave è presentata attraverso oltre 200 fotografie e la relativa narrazione. Queste immagini, accompagnate da didascalie descrittive e informative, trasportano il lettore sul ponte di questa storica nave da guerra, ripercorrendone la storia.

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Geleitflugzeugträger - USA, England, Japan 1939-1945 (Typenkompass)

During the Second World War, a small auxiliary aircraft carrier supplemented the existing carrier fleet. This was called an escort aircraft carrier or simply an escort carrier.
The USA built by far the largest number, but England and Japan also converted existing ships - often merchant ships - into escort and auxiliary carriers.

Each type is presented in this book with a photo, a historical description and a technical data sheet.

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