Incrociatori - USA: libri di storia illustrati

US Cruisers 1883-1904 - The birth of the steel navy (Osprey)

By the end of the Civil War the US Navy was the most advanced in the world, but in subsequent years America's naval might dwindled. However, in the 1880s a 'New Navy' was born and at the forefront of its fleet were the mighty cruisers.
Naval historian Lawrence Burr details how these cruisers allowed America to rebuild their navy, exploring the design and development of these ships. Placing these advances in context, through vivid accounts of how US cruisers performed in the Spanish-American War of 1898, notably at Manila Bay and Santiago, he investigates the emergence of the US Navy as a major power.

Illustrated with early photographs and full-colour artwork, this is a concise history of the birth and development of a modern navy that was the precursor to the development of modern steel fleets around the world.

Contents: Introduction - A Naval Renaissance - Design and Construction - The Ships - Cruisers in Action - Pointing the Guns - USS Olympia - Conclusion - Select Bibliography - Appendix - Index.

Dettagli del libro

US Heavy Cruisers 1941-45 - Pre-war Classes (Osprey)

Progettati e prodotti secondo le normative del Trattato navale di Washington, gli incrociatori pesanti delle classi Pensacola, Northampton, Portland, New Orleans e Wichita rappresentavano un compromesso. Pur possedendo un armamento molto pesante - i Pensacola, ad esempio, erano dotati di una batteria principale di dieci cannoni da 8 pollici.

Con l'evoluzione delle classi, questi difetti iniziarono a essere corretti, riducendo la potenza dell'armamento principale e rafforzando la protezione delle aree vitali della nave. Nonostante questi inconvenienti, gli incrociatori pesanti prebellici si distinsero per il loro servizio durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale.

Indice: Introduzione - Strategia navale statunitense e ruolo dell'incrociatore pesante - Progettazione e sviluppo dell'incrociatore pesante statunitense e impatto dei trattati navali di Washington e Londra - Armamento - Radar - Le classi di incrociatori pesanti - Analisi e conclusione.

Dettagli del libro

US Heavy Cruisers 1943-75 : Wartime and Post-war Classes (Osprey)

Le versatili navi da guerra, gli incrociatori pesanti della classe Baltimore e i loro successori delle classi Oregon City e Des Moines, furono comunemente impiegate come scorte alle portaerei durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, ma svolsero anche compiti di bombardamento a supporto degli sbarchi anfibi.
Nel dopoguerra, gli incrociatori pesanti continuarono a essere impiegati, principalmente in Corea e in Vietnam.

Anche dopo la fine dell'epoca d'oro degli incrociatori pesanti, queste navi continuarono a prestare servizio: diverse furono convertite nei primi esempi di incrociatori lanciamissili, creando un'eredità duratura nella Marina degli Stati Uniti.
Realizzato da un affermato esperto di storia navale statunitense e del Pacifico, questo volume rappresenta una risorsa preziosa, riccamente illustrata con disegni e fotografie.

Questo volume fa seguito a un libro complementare dedicato agli incrociatori pesanti statunitensi costruiti prima della guerra, e insieme costituiscono la guida definitiva alle classi di incrociatori pesanti degli Stati Uniti.

Dettagli del libro

US Navy Armored Cruisers 1890-1933 (Osprey)

At the dawn of the "Steel Navy" era, the rapidly expanding US Navy's fleet of capital ships consisted not only of battleships but also armored cruisers, the forerunner of the battlecruiser.
Armored cruisers sacrificed the battleship's superlative firepower and protection for superior speed and range but, as this study shows, their role was not always easy to define. Controversial because they were as large and expensive as battleships but not able to withstand a battleship in battle, contemporary strategists pointed out that, "naval wars are not won by running away from stronger ships."

Despite being produced at great expense, tactically they never really had a legitimate mission-traditional deployments were commerce raiding and protection, but despite this, author Brian Lane Herder illustrates how successful the use of armored cruisers was for the US Navy.
After 1906, some replaced US battleships in the Pacific, functioning as oversized gunboats, most notably, the modified armored cruiser Pennsylvania which witnessed the first landing of an airplane on a ship.
On November 5, 1915, North Carolina became the first cruiser to launch an aircraft from a catapult while underway. After the war, surviving US armored cruisers represented the US Navy on their Asiatic station until the final cruiser was scuttled in 1946.

Using detailed, color artwork and photos, this fascinating book describes the development and deployment of these controversial but intriguing ships, providing examples of the key service they played in the US Navy in a variety of defensive and escorting roles.

Dettagli del libro

US Navy Cold War Guided Missile Cruisers (Osprey)

Faced with an increasingly formidable anti-ship cruise missile threat from the Soviet Union in the early days of the Cold War, and with the recent memory of the kamikaze threat from World War II, the USN placed a great priority on developing air defence cruise missiles and getting them to sea to protect the fleet.
The first of these missiles were sizable, necessitating large ships to carry them and their sensors, which resulted in the conversion of a mix of heavy and light cruisers. These ships, tasked with protecting carrier groups and acting as flagships, entered service from 1955 and served until 1980.

The cruisers served in the front lines of the Cold War and many saw combat service, engaging in surface actions from Vietnam to the Persian Gulf. Complementing the conventionally-powered missile cruisers was a much smaller number of expensive nuclear-powered cruisers, including the Long Beach, the USN's largest-ever missile cruiser.
Until replaced by the Ticonderoga and Burke classes of Aegis ships, the USN's 38 missile cruisers were the most capable and important surface combatants in the fleet and served all over the globe during the Cold War.

Using specially commissioned artwork and meticulous research, this illustrated title explores the story of these cruisers in unparalleled detail, revealing the history behind their development and employment.

Dettagli del libro

US Navy Light Cruisers 1941-45 (Osprey)

Durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, gli Stati Uniti costruirono 72 incrociatori leggeri di varie classi. In risposta alla grave minaccia aerea che le navi di superficie dovevano affrontare, i nuovi incrociatori furono progettati con armamenti antiaerei sempre più pesanti, oltre ai tradizionali cannoni da 6 pollici. Grazie alla velocità e all'autonomia necessarie per tenere il passo con le portaerei, e alla loro considerevole capacità antiaerea, divennero un pilastro delle scorte delle portaerei.

Questo libro esamina ogni incrociatore leggero statunitense prodotto, compresi quelli delle classi Fargo e Worcester, che furono effettivamente completati dopo la fine della Seconda Guerra Mondiale, ripercorrendone la progettazione, lo sviluppo e l'evoluzione durante il conflitto e oltre.

Dettagli del libro

US Navy Protected Cruisers 1883-1918 (Osprey)

After the American Civil War, the powerful US Navy was allowed to decay into utter decrepitude, and was becoming a security liability. In 1883, Congress approved four new steel-constructed vessels called the "ABCD" ships.
The three protected cruisers Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago were the first steel warships built for the US Navy, whose 1880s-1890s technological and cultural transformation was so total it is now remembered as the "New Navy". This small fleet was joined by a succession of new and distinctive protected cruisers, culminating in the famous and powerful Olympia.

These 11 protected cruisers formed the backbone of the early US steel navy, and were in the frontline of the US victory in the 1898 Spanish-American War. It was these warships that fought and won the decisive Battle of Manila Bay. These cruisers also served faithfully as escorts and auxiliaries in World War I before the last were retired in the 1920s.

Written by experienced US naval researcher Brian Lane Herder, and including rare photographs, this book explores the development, qualities, and service of these important warships, and highlights the almost-forgotten Columbia-class, designed as high-speed commerce raiders, and to mimic specific passenger liners.
All 11 protected cruisers are depicted in meticulously researched color illustrations with one depicting the Olympia deploying her full sail rig.

Dettagli del libro

USN Cruiser Vs IJN Cruiser : Guadalcanal 1942 (Osprey)

Although the war in the Pacific is usually considered a carrier war, it was the cruisers that dominated the early fighting. This thrilling duel presents the cruiser clashes during the battles for Guadacanal , highlighting the Battle of Savo Island and the Battle of Cape Esperance. The first was a Japanese victory that resulted in the loss of four Allied cruisers.
However, in the latter, the Americans managed to turn the tables despite the battle being fought throughout the night.

This book presents a view of the design and development of the opposing weapons systems, illustrated with newly commissioned digital artwork. It uses firsthand accounts to bring the battles to life and explain why the Americans suffered early on, but eventually had their revenge.

Dettagli del libro

USS Indianapolis (CA-35): From Presidential Cruiser, Delivery of the Atomic Bombs, to Tragic Sinking in WW II (Legends of Warfare)

Nonostante le limitazioni imposte dal Trattato navale di Washington, la USS Indianapolis era un'imponente nave da guerra. Negli anni '30 fu ampiamente utilizzata da personalità di spicco statunitensi, tra cui il presidente Franklin D. Roosevelt, che vi salpò numerose volte.
Dopo lo scoppio della Seconda Guerra Mondiale, prestò servizio vicino all'Alaska prima di essere trasferita in acque più vicine alle isole principali del Giappone. Lì, fu colpita da un kamikaze e costretta a tornare negli Stati Uniti per le riparazioni.

Al termine delle riparazioni, l'Indianapolis fu scelta per trasportare i componenti della bomba atomica "Little Boy" dagli Stati Uniti continentali a Tinian, nelle Isole Marianne. Durante il viaggio di ritorno, fu silurata e affondata da un sottomarino giapponese, diventando l'ultima grande nave da guerra persa dagli Stati Uniti durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale.
Il ritardo nella missione di recupero dei membri dell'equipaggio sopravvissuti ha causato la più grande perdita di vite umane a bordo di una singola nave in mare nella storia della Marina degli Stati Uniti. L'affondamento dell'Indianapolis rimane avvolto dalle controversie e il relitto è stato localizzato solo nel 2017.

Dettagli del libro

USS Olympia - Herald of Empire

The USS Olympia is the oldest extant steel-hulled warship in the world. Constructed as part of a congressionally mandated program to build a modern fleet prior to the turn of the 19th century, she became famous as Adm. George Dewey's flagship at the Battle of Manila Bay. Today she is part of a naval shrine at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia.

This is a flesh-and-steel history of a pivotal warship that straddled the eras of commerce raiding and battle fleet confrontation in naval warfare. From her conceptual beginnings on drawing boards in Washington to the battle to protect her against age, scrapping, and the advent of big-gun battleships, this landmark study celebrates one of America's classic historic ships.

Dettagli del libro