Warships (WW 2) - Germany: Books - History (1/2)

German Capital Ships of the Second World War : The Ultimate Photograph Album

Few warship types have had as much written about them as the Kriegsmarine's capital ships - Deutschland, Admiral Scheer, Graf Spee, Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Bismarck and Tirpitz continue to generate intense interest among warship enthusiasts, despite the fact that no new source of information has been unearthed in decades.
What has come to light, however, is a growing number of photographs, many from private albums and some that lay forgotten in obscure archives. These include many close-ups and onboard shots, of great value to modelmakers, and rare action photos taken during wartime operations.

This book is a careful selection of the best of these, but on a grand scale, with around 100 images devoted to each ship, allowing in-depth coverage of its whole career, from launching and fitting out to whatever fate the war had waiting for it.
For sake of completeness, there are even sections reproducing the various design studies that led to each class, while an appendix covers the uncompleted Graf Zeppelin, Germany's only attempt to build an aircraft carrier, the type that during the war clearly displaced the battleship as the capital ship of the world's navies.

Essays on the technical background and design origins by the well-known expert Siegfried Breyer and explanatory captions by Miroslaw Skwiot draw out the full significance of this magnificent collection of photos.

Information

Author:	Siegfried Breyer, Miroslaw Skwiot
Details:	432 pages, 29 x 24.5 cm / 11.4 x 9.7 in, hardback
Illustrations:	700 b&w photos
Publisher:	Seaforth Publishing (GB, 2012)
ISBN:	9781848321434

German Commerce Raider vs British Cruiser - The Atlantic and the Pacific 1941 (Osprey)

During World War II, the Kriegsmarine armed a number of merchant vessels with concealed guns and torpedo tubes for surprise attacks against Allied shipping. To counter this deadly threat, the Royal Navy employed cruisers and their intelligence-gathering apparatus to find and destroy the disguised German commerce raiders. This Duel title covers the deadly game of cat and mouse, fought by these surface vessels during World War II.

Contents: Introduction - Design and development - Technical Specifications - The Combatants - Combat - Statistics and Analysis - Conclusion - Further Reading.

Information

Author:	Robert Forczyk
Details:	80 pages, 24.5 x 18.5 x 0.7 cm / 9.7 x 7.3 x 0.28 in, paperback
Illustrations:	photos and drawings (in b&w and colour)
Publisher:	Osprey Publishing (GB, 2010)
Series:	Duel (27)
ISBN:	9781846039188

German Naval Guns - 1939-1945

This hugely comprehensive encyclopaedia covers every German artillery piece mounted afloat during the Second World War, from the huge 15-inch (380mm) guns carried by the Bismarck to the smallest machine gun used by coastal forces.

All marks and variations of these weapons are described individually, including their mountings and the ammunition fired, with extensive tabular data, but the feature that makes this book unique is the range, precision and detail of the illustrations.
Almost every known close-up photo of these weapons is included, usually reproduced large enough to see every detail, plus accurate three-view drawings perfect for modelling purposes.

However, the most spectacular element of the illustration is provided by computer-generated full colour representations of the guns and their mountings, seen from every conceivably useful angle.
The number of illustrations of all kinds totals well over 1000, making this the most thorough and complete reference available to modelmakers, enthusiasts and naval historians.

Information

Author:	Miroslaw Skwiot
Details:	416 pages, 30 x 22 x 3.1 cm / 11.8 x 8.7 x 1.22 in, hardback
Illustrations:	1000 photos and drawings
Publisher:	Seaforth Publishing (GB, 2010)
ISBN:	9781848320802

Deutsche Kriegsschiffe - Grosskampfschiffe, Zerstörer, Torpedoboote 1933-1945

After the First World War, many German warships were destroyed or handed over to the Allies. The Treaty of Versailles limited the number, armament and tonnage of new ships.
However, the further development of the diesel engine and the production and processing of steel created the basis for the construction of a new fleet under the National Socialists.

Jak P. Mallmann-Showell gives an overview of the German Navy in World War II: battleships, ironclads, light and heavy cruisers, destroyers and torpedo boats as well as the aircraft carrier "Graf Zeppelin" are described with technical data, facts and pictures.

Information

Author:	Jak P. Mallmann Showell
Details:	160 pages, 26.5 x 23 cm / 10.4 x 9.1 in, hardback
Illustrations:	160 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Motorbuch Verlag (D, 2019)
ISBN:	9783613041516

Deutsche Marine-Artillerie - Schiffs- und Küstenartillerie bis 1945

Between the 18th and 19th centuries, a naval battle was a simple matter: the enemy fleets formed up in a line and sailed past each other, firing at each other from a short distance with their guns.
Later, calibers and ranges increased, and naval battles took place over greater distances. Large calibers could no longer be used on ships.

In this volume, Hans Karr devotes himself to all the guns that were used on the high seas as well as on the coast. A comprehensive overview of the technical features and types of all calibers that the German Navy used.

Information

Author:	Hans Karr
Details:	128 pages, 29 x 21.5 x 1.5 cm / 11.4 x 8.5 x 0.59 in, hardback
Illustrations:	150 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Motorbuch Verlag (D, 2022)
ISBN:	9783613044555