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New 7 by 10 inch softbound book, 48 pages, 41 B/W photographs, 17 color illustrations, 2 diagrams and an index. A must-have for all naval history buffs!
Just $17.95
Copyright 2008 by R.A. Cline Publishing. All rights reserved.
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Illustrated by Tony Bryan
New Softbound edition 7 1/4 X 9 3/4
48 pages, 41 B/W photographs, 17 color illustrations.
New $17.95
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BOOK REVIEWS
"Jim
Christley has written a short (48 page) but masterful history of the
submarines of WWII. Not intended as a comprehensive operational history, but
rather a thumbnail sketch of the development and anatomy of these warships.
After a chapter on the design and development leading up to the Gato-class,
the equipment section starts off with a review of weapons. Sections on
torpedoes and gun outfitting offer succinct summaries of the offensive and
defensive systems of the era. I found the section on guns to be particularly
informative, stepping through the different deck gun models and the range &
weight of the projectiles fired by each. The various periscope, sonar, and
radar installations are covered next. Again, these are brief but
well-written descriptions of each installation and the improvements made
over the war. The next section introduces the Balao-class boat as an
illustrative example of the fleet submarine. This leads off with a
description of paint schemes or measures, and covers Ms 9, 10, and the two
variants of Ms 32. Next, the individual compartments and their functions in
the boat are explored, followed by a discussion of submarine tactics. This
includes informative diagrams of the approach and attack phase. The book
ends with a brief operational history summary of submarines during World War
II. In the limited space, Christley manages to condense as good deal of the
high points of the submarine campaign against Japan.
The book is illustrated with both black & white photos and color plates.
Christley spent time selecting the photos at the Submarine Force Museum &
Library in Groton, CT. The results are pictures that are largely unfamiliar
and fresh, which complement the text. Christley wisely has included a photo
of a key piece of submarine equipment-the coffee urn. The center section of
the book has color plates by Tony Bryan. These include a nice scale
comparison of an S-class boat, the large V-boat Argonaut, and a P
class (Perch) boat. Another plate illustrates different paint
measures, and a two-page plate that has a cut-through diagram of a Balao-class
boat. Other color plates cover examples of Gato & Balao
conning tower fairwater modifications and variants. There are also beautiful
color illustrations of Tang attacking on the surface and Sterlet
at periscope depth. Overall, this slim volume packs an amazing amount of
submarine information. Anyone contemplating building a fleet submarine model
will not only learn more about the "hardware" from this book, but also will
develop an appreciation of the fleet boat in naval history. This little book
is a real gem, and you will want it in your collection, right alongside
Alden's book on fleet submarines (The Fleet Submarine in the US Navy- John
D. Alden). Thomas J. Dougherty
