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Air War on the Eastern Front (Casemate Illustrated #Cis0019)
by Mike GuardiaA pictorial history of Nazi Germany’s entire air campaign against the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front in World War II.The Red Air Force versus the Luftwaffe in the skies over Eastern Europe. June 1941: Having conquered most of Western Europe, Adolf Hitler turned his attention to the vast Soviet Union. Disregarding his Non-Aggression Pact with Joseph Stalin, Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, a full-scale invasion of the Soviet homeland . . . aimed squarely at Moscow.In the skies over Russia, the battle-hardened airmen of the Luftwaffe made short work of the Red Air Force during opening days of Barbarossa. To make matters worse, Stalin had executed many of his best pilots during the perennial “purges” of the 1930s. Thus, much of the Red Air Force was destroyed on the ground before meeting the Luftwaffe in the skies. By 1944, however, the Soviet airmen had regained the initiative and fervently wrested air superiority from the now-ailing Axis Powers.“Will be of great interest to both modelers and aircraft historians alike.” —AMPS Indianapolis“This slim survey provides a quick, convenient intro to the deadly totalitarian duel. Make it a launchpad to further study of Eastern Front air combat in WWII.” —Cybermodeler“The prose is smooth and provides a top-level look at WWII German and Soviet air warfare.” —Historical Miniatures Gaming Society
Air Warfare in the Missile Age
by Lon O. NordeenLon O. Nordeen has completely updated his 1985 chronicle of military aviation's evolving role in warfare, now covering the major conflicts of the past four decades. He presents the historical and political background of each conflict and includes in-depth discussions of the aircraft, weapons, tactics, training, new systems, and other factors that influenced the outcome of each war. New and existing chapters have been enhanced with information based on recently declassified material--especially regarding Vietnam--and new sources in Egypt, Israel, and the former Soviet Union. As "smart" bombs have become more successful in reducing the risks for pilots and frontline troops, air-missile warfare has become the central player in military conflicts. Air Warfare in the Missile Age, Second Edition, is a valuable resource for understanding the evolution of modern air warfare.
Air and Darkness (The Books of the Elements)
by David DrakeAir and Darkness, an intriguing and fantastic adventure, is both an independent novel and the gripping conclusion of the Books of the Elements, a four-volume set of fantasies set in Carce, an analog of ancient Rome by David Drake.Here the stakes are raised from the previous novels in an ultimate conflict between the forces of logic and reason and the forces of magic and the supernatural. During the extraordinary time in which this story is set, the supernatural is dominant. The story is an immensely complex journey of adventure through real and magical places. Corylus, a soldier, emerges as one of the most compelling heroic figures in contemporary fantasy. Battling magicians, spirits, gods, and forces from supernatural realities, Corylus and his companions from the family of the nobleman Saxa-especially Saxa's impressive wife Hedia, and his friend (and Saxa's son) Varus-must face constant deadly and soul-destroying dangers, climaxing in a final battle not between good and evil but in defense of logic and reality.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe
by Carl ZimmerThe fascinating, untold story of the air we breathe, the hidden life it contains, and invisible dangers that can turn the world upside downEvery day we draw in two thousand gallons of air—and thousands of living things. From the ground to the stratosphere, the air teems with invisible life. This last great biological frontier remains so mysterious that it took over two years for scientists to finally agree that the Covid pandemic was caused by an airborne virus.In Air-Borne, award-winning New York Times columnist and author Carl Zimmer leads us on an odyssey through the living atmosphere and through the history of its discovery. We travel to the tops of mountain glaciers, where Louis Pasteur caught germs from the air, and follow Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh above the clouds, where they conducted groundbreaking experiments. We meet the long-forgotten pioneers of aerobiology including William and Mildred Wells, who tried for decades to warn the world about airborne infections, only to die in obscurity.Air-Borne chronicles the dark side of aerobiology with gripping accounts of how the United States and the Soviet Union clandestinely built arsenals of airborne biological weapons designed to spread anthrax, smallpox, and an array of other pathogens. Air-Borne also leaves readers looking at the world with new eyes—as a place where the oceans and forests loft trillions of cells into the air, where microbes eat clouds, and where life soars thousands of miles on the wind.Weaving together gripping history with the latest reporting on Covid and other threats to global health, Air-Borne surprises us on every page as it reveals the hidden world of the air.
Air-Conditioning in Modern American Architecture, 1890–1970 (Buildings, Landscapes, and Societies #11)
by Joseph M. SiryAir-Conditioning in Modern American Architecture, 1890–1970, documents how architects made environmental technologies into resources that helped shape their spatial and formal aesthetic. In doing so, it sheds important new light on the ways in which mechanical engineering has been assimilated into the culture of architecture as one facet of its broader modernist project.Tracing the development and architectural integration of air-conditioning from its origins in the late nineteenth century to the advent of the environmental movement in the early 1970s, Joseph M. Siry shows how the incorporation of mechanical systems into modernism’s discourse of functionality profoundly shaped the work of some of the movement’s leading architects, such as Dankmar Adler, Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Gordon Bunshaft, and Louis Kahn. For them, the modernist ideal of functionality was incompletely realized if it did not wholly assimilate heating, cooling, ventilating, and artificial lighting. Bridging the history of technology and the history of architecture, Siry discusses air-conditioning’s technical and social history and provides case studies of buildings by the master architects who brought this technology into the conceptual and formal project of modernism.A monumental work by a renowned expert in American modernist architecture, this book asks us to see canonical modernist buildings through a mechanical engineering–oriented lens. It will be especially valuable to scholars and students of architecture, modernism, the history of technology, and American history.
Air-Conditioning in Modern American Architecture, 1890–1970 (Buildings, Landscapes, and Societies)
by Joseph M. SiryAir-Conditioning in Modern American Architecture, 1890–1970, documents how architects made environmental technologies into resources that helped shape their spatial and formal aesthetic. In doing so, it sheds important new light on the ways in which mechanical engineering has been assimilated into the culture of architecture as one facet of its broader modernist project.Tracing the development and architectural integration of air-conditioning from its origins in the late nineteenth century to the advent of the environmental movement in the early 1970s, Joseph M. Siry shows how the incorporation of mechanical systems into modernism’s discourse of functionality profoundly shaped the work of some of the movement’s leading architects, such as Dankmar Adler, Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Gordon Bunshaft, and Louis Kahn. For them, the modernist ideal of functionality was incompletely realized if it did not wholly assimilate heating, cooling, ventilating, and artificial lighting. Bridging the history of technology and the history of architecture, Siry discusses air-conditioning’s technical and social history and provides case studies of buildings by the master architects who brought this technology into the conceptual and formal project of modernism.A monumental work by a renowned expert in American modernist architecture, this book asks us to see canonical modernist buildings through a mechanical engineering–oriented lens. It will be especially valuable to scholars and students of architecture, modernism, the history of technology, and American history.
Air-Ground Teamwork On The Western Front - The Role Of The XIX Tactical Air Command During August 1944: [Illustrated Edition] (Wings At War #5)
by AnonIllustrated with 6 maps and 1 Illustrations.Air-Ground Teamwork on the Western Front describes close air support and battlefield interdiction in action. A single, month-long campaign-the famous thrust across northern France in August 1944 of Gen. George S. Patton's Third Army and Maj. Gen. O. P. Weyland's XIX Tactical Air Command-became a model for close cooperation between army and aviation forces in future conflicts. This day-by-day, blow-by-blow account shows how the ground forces raced forward, frequently twenty miles per day, because friendly air power protected their flanks, shielded them from the Luftwaffe, and devastated the opposition in front of them.Originally published shortly after key air campaigns, the Wings at War series captures the spirit and tone of America's World War II experience. Eyewitness accounts of Army Air Forces' avia
Air-Launched Doodlebugs: The Forgotten Campaign
by Peter C. SmithThe V 1, or Doodlebug or Flying-bomb came into use in June 1944 and, together with the V 2 Rocket, was Hitlers final hope in face of the advancing Allied forces sweeping across Europe towards Germany. Of the 8,000 that were launched within the first 80 days, some 2,300 reached the London area where they caused more death and destruction to its population and buildings. As the front line moved eastwards, many of the ground-based launch ramps became denied to the German forces and the modest range of the missile meant that other means of launching must be considered to continue the threat. An air-launching system, utilizing the Luftwaffes Heinkel 111 bomber, was developed and operated by the newly formed Kampfgeschwader units. This posed a dramatic new threat to the UK because the V 1s effective range was considerably increased and its mobile firing point offered a much greater target area when fired from an aircraft flying over the North Sea. This is the story of the development and operation of this new form of attack and also of the Allied reaction and defense-measures taken to minimize damage.
Air-To-Ground Battle For Italy [Illustrated Edition]
by Michael MccarthyIncludes over 20 Illustrations.The story of a young fighter pilot from basic training through the end of the war in Europe, this short memoir is a welcome addition to the literature of World War II aviation. It is noteworthy for a number of reasons. It illuminates the world of tactical aviation, which has taken a backseat to stories of strategic bombing and air superiority combat...Perhaps most importantly, it combines the immediacy of contemporary impressions with the reflections possible after a long and distinguished Air Force career.Michael C. McCarthy was part of the first wave of young Americans who joined up in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. His peer group...arrived at the North African front in the spring of 1943 as part of an enormous bow wave of American human and industrial mobilization. His account of flight training is one of the best available anywhere and captures--in microcosm--the huge undertaking required to produce thousands of highly trained combat crews for the Allied war effort. McCarthy and his comrades joined the veterans of the prewar Army Air Corps who had held the line from El Alamein through the desperate battles around Kasserine Pass. McCarthy spent his entire war with the 57th Fighter Group, first flying the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk and later the powerful Republic P-47 Thunderbolt.His battlefield was not in the stratosphere over the Third Reich...His war began with a ferry flight from Lagos, Nigeria, to Cape Bon, Tunisia, after the Axis defeat in North Africa; through the invasion of Sicily in July 1943 and the long slog up the Italian peninsula in 1943-1944 including landings at Salerno, Anzio, and the battles around Monte Cassino, with a brief detour in support of the invasion of southern France. Their unglamorous business was conducting interdiction and close air support, part of a lengthy and costly combined-arms effort to leverage the Germans out of their powerful defensive positions on the Italian peninsula.
Airborne
by Ian GardnerCol. Ed Shames is that rare man who can call himself a true warrior. A member of Easy Company of Band of Brothers fame, Shames saw combat in some of the most ferocious battles of WW2. From jumping behind the lines of Normandy on D-Day with the 101st Airborne Division, to the near victory of Operation Market Garden, to the legendary stand at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, Shames fought his way across Europe and into Germany itself.In Airborne Shames and writer Ian Gardiner (Tonight We Die as Men) tell the gripping true story of what it was like to be at the spear point of WW2 in Europe. Neither the book nor TV series of Band of Brothers ever showed the real Ed Shames. Although he started as a private, combat soon forged Shames into a tough and inspired leader who would win a battle field commission in Normandy. Seemingly to always be where the fighting was, his two goals were to prevail in each fight with the Germans, and to keep his men alive. "Shames, you are the meanest, roughest son of a bitch I've ever had to deal with. But you brought us home," was the highest compliment he received from one of his men.Even though he was wounded in the Ardennes, Ed Shames never stopped fighting until Germany surrendered and the war was won. He has never stopped being a warrior.
Airborne
by Tom ClancyThey are America's front lines--serving proudly in forward areas around the world. Representing the very best from the Army and Air Force, the Airborne Task Force is an unstoppable combination of manpower and firepower. Now, Tom Clancy examines this elite branch of our nation's armed forces. With pinpoint accuracy and a style more compelling than any fiction, the acclaimed author of Executive Orders delivers an fascinating account of the Airborne juggernaut--the people, the technology, and Airborne's mission in an ever-changing world... * Two Tom Clancy "mini-novels"--real world scenarios involving the airborne task force * Airborne's weapons of the 21st century, including the Javelin anti-tank missile, the fiber-optically guided N-LOS fire support system, and the Joint Strike Fighter * 18 weeks: Life in an Airborne Alert Brigade * Exclusive photographs, illustrations, and diagrams PLUS: An in-depth interview with the incoming commander of the 18th Airborne Corps, General John Keen
Airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare: From the First World War to the Present Day
by Michael GlynnThis military history explores more than a century of aerial submarine hunting, from WWI through the Cold War and beyond. U. S. Navy veteran Michael Glynn served as a submarine hunting pilot. Now he chronicles the evolution of this unique combat role from the Great War through the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II and on to secret Cold War confrontations. He traces the parallel evolution of both aircraft and submarine as each side tries to gain advantage. Through his expert analysis, Glynn distills complicated oceanography, operations analysis, and technical theory, helping the reader understand how complex weapons and sensors function. He also examines submarine hunts in action, showing how theory and practice work together to help aviators detected their targets.
Airborne Assault On Holland [Illustrated Edition] (Wings At War #4)
by AnonIllustrated with 4 maps and 2 Illustrations.Airborne Assault on Holland highlights the role of air power as the Allies attempted to penetrate German defenses at the Siegfried Line. The work reflects the circumstances of the time and the desire to find good even in unfortunate circumstances and should be read with this in mind. Allied airborne paratroops and glider-borne units converged on Arnhem. Unfortunately, stiff German resistance forced their eventual withdrawal; Allied tactical air power prevented even heavier friendly losses, but could not turn defeat into victory. This boldly conceived operation involved the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces in a variety of missions: troop transport, fighter escort, flak neutralization, air cover, and resupply of ground forces.
Airborne Combat: The Glider War / Fighting Gliders of WWII (Stackpole Military History Series)
by James E MrazekStories of WWII&’s elite glider troops and their combat operations, including Eben Emael, Normandy, Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, and more. Long pursued by civilian thrill seekers and dare devils, airborne gliding came of age during World War II as one of that conflict&’s most dangerous combat operations. The armed forces of Axis and Allied nations developed gliders—wooden aircraft that bursts of flak could shred and a poor landing could smash—and flew them into battle at Eben Emael, Crete, Normandy, Arnhem, and Bastogne. James E. Mrazek&’s riveting account brings to life both the men who carried out these perilous missions and the gliders that proved vital to the success of airborne attacks.
Airborne Deep Operational Maneuver
by Major Danny M. DavisThe purpose of this paper is to answer two questions. The first question is: Is it feasible to use airborne forces to penetrate enemy airspace and to conduct a vertical envelopment to effect deep operational maneuver? If it is feasible, what are the employment options available for the use of such an airborne force in the conduct of a modern military campaign? To examine these questions, the paper begins with some definitions to provide a common frame of reference. The use of airborne forces in World War II is next examined to determine if the use of airborne forces to effect deep operational maneuver is historically feasible. Next, the contemporary threat is discussed as it is relevant to the employment of airborne forces in a modern context. Next, the feasibility of the use of airborne forces with some limitations to conduct deep operational maneuver is established in the context of the maneuver, firepower, and protection aspects of the combat power model. Next, the theory of deep operations and the use of airborne forces to conduct these kinds of deep maneuvers is examined in the theories of Clausewitz, Jomini, Tukhachevskiy, Triandafillov, and Simpkin. Next, six employment options for the use of airborne forces to conduct deep operations in a modern context are deduced. They are: (1) an airborne force can be used to create a second front within a theater of operations; (2) an airborne force can be used to operationally contain an enemy force targeted for destruction within a theater of operations; (3) an airborne force can be used to seize a "bridgehead"...; (4) an airborne force can conduct coups de main against high value targets within a theater of operations; (5) an airborne force can conduct light operations in a theater of operations to disrupt and disorganize the enemy's rear facilities and networks and have a cumulative operational impact; and (6) an airborne force can conduct expeditionary operations to achieve political, strategic, and operational aims
Airborne Invasion Of Crete, 1941
by Anon Brigadier General Sherman MilesThe fascinating story of the first major airborne operation in history, the swift, bloody tale of the Fallschirmjäger of the German Wehrmacht as they battled and won the battles to capture the island of Crete.The drama of Crete marks an epic in warfare. The concept of the operation was highly imaginative, daringly new. Combat elements drawn from Central Europe moved with precision into funnel shaped Greece. Here they re-formed, took shape as a balanced force, were given wings. The operation had the movement, rhythm, harmony of a master’s organ composition. On 20 May and succeeding days this force soared through space; its elements broke over Crete in thundering crescendos - all stops out. For the first time .in history airborne troops, supplied and supported, by air, landed in the face of an enemy, defeated him. For the first time an air force defeated a first-rate Navy, inflicted such staggering losses that the fleet was ordered back to Alexandria three days after the battle started.
Airborne Landing to Air Assault: A History of Military Parachuting
by Nikolaos TheotokisA complete history of paratroopers and their role in modern war, including a glossary and photos.Many books have been written about military parachuting, particularly about famous operations like Crete and Arnhem in the Second World War and notable units like the British Parachute Regiment and the US 101st Airborne Division, but no previous book has covered the entire history of the use of the parachute in warfare. In this valuable study, Nikolaos Theotokis traces in vivid detail the development of parachuting over the last hundred years and describes how it became a standard tactic in twentieth-century conflicts. As well as depicting a series of historic parachute operations all over the world, he recognizes the role of airmen in the story, for they were the first to use the parachute in warfare when they jumped from crippled planes in combat conditions.Adapting the parachute for military purposes occurred with extraordinary speed during the First World War and, by the time of the Second World War, it had become an established technique for special operations and offensive actions on a large scale. The range of parachute drops and parachute-led attacks was remarkable, and all the most dramatic examples from the world wars and lesser conflicts are recounted in this graphic and detailed study. The role played by parachute troops as elite infantry is also a vital part of the narrative, as is the way in which techniques of air assault have evolved since the 1970s.
Airborne Maritime Surveillance in the North Atlantic: Norwegian and Allied Patrols, 1945 to the Present-day (Cass Series: Naval Policy and History)
by John O. BirkelandThis book offers a comprehensive examination of historical Norwegian and allied airborne maritime surveillance operations in the North Atlantic, after World War II until the present.Russia’s resurgent naval and submarine activity in the High North needs to be closely observed. Norway, together with her closest allies, have monitored such activity in the High North since the end of World War II. One of the key instruments in that effort has been Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA), with their Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capabilities. However, after the Cold War, in many nations an atrophy took place within the MPA communities of knowledge, resources, and experience with airborne ASW. This occurred just as the concept of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) came to play an increasingly important role in modern warfare, but without sufficient attention being paid to the specific challenges of maritime airborne surveillance and reconnaissance. This book addresses that gap and examines the entwined evolution of airborne maritime surveillance by MPA and ASW in the High North, both during and after the Cold War, with the main focus being on Norway. The discussion identifies the fundamental ‘building blocks’ of these historical surveillance operations through a portrayal of the development of airborne surveillance and reconnaissance operations. These building blocks are then applied to make recommendations for the future for maritime surveillance in the High North.This book will be of much interest to students of naval history, strategic studies, intelligence studies, Nordic studies and International Relations.
Airborne Operations In World War II, European Theater [Illustrated Edition]
by Dr John C. WarrenIncludes 12 maps, 12 photos and 2 charts.THE seminal study of the Allied large scale airdrops of the Second World War in the European Theater."The first combat airborne missions in history were flown by the Germans in 1940. Recognizing the possibilities of such operations, the British and Americans followed suit. The first British mission was flown in February 1941, and the first American mission was flown from England to Oran, Algeria, on 8 November 1942 as part of the Anglo-American invasion of North Africa. Other, later missions, principally in the Mediterranean region, provided the American troop carriers with an apprenticeship in airborne warfare. However, until the summer of 1944 no force larger than a reinforced regimental combat team was flown into action in any Allied mission. In World War II the only Allied airborne operations employing more than one division took place in the invasion of Normandy, the unsuccessful attempt to win a bridgehead across the Rhine at Arnhem, and the successful crossing of the Rhine at Wesel. Consequently the study of airborne missions in the European Theater of Operations is of particular importance for the light it throws on the planning and performance of large-scale airborne assaults."
Airborne Warfare
by General James Maurice Gavin William C. LeeTo every member of the 82nd Airborne Division who dropped as part of the American paratroop landings during World War Two, they breathed a little easier knowing their commander "Jumpin' Jim" Gavin would be dropping with them. General Gavin would drop into the fierce fighting along with his men in Sicily, Normandy on D-Day and during the abortive attempt to capture the Rhine bridges during Operation Market-Garden. He shared the risks of all his men dropping into enemy territory, often only armed with his GI issue rifle and accompanied by a handful of men, leading from the front his memoirs are an outstanding addition to the literature of the Airborne in World War II.General Gavin had been at the forefront advancing the use of airborne troops in the US army, writing the first field manual for their combat use. In this volume of memoirs General Gavin recounts his many experiences in the Airborne and also writes of the need and use of airborne troops in the future.
Airborne in 1943: The Daring Allied Air Campaign Over The North Sea
by Kevin WilsonA gripping account of the heroism of bomber planes in 1943—the year the “Dambusters” embarked on a campaign to try to win World War II in one quick stroke. The year 1943 saw the beginning of an unprecedented bombing campaign against Germany. Over the next twelve months, tens of thousands of aircrews flew across the North Sea to drop bombs on German cities. They were opposed not only by the full force of the Luftwaffe, but by a nightmare of flak, treacherously icy conditions, and constant mechanical malfunction. Most of these courageous crews were either shot down and killed or taken prisoner by an increasingly hostile enemy. This is the story of the everyday heroism of these crews in the days when it was widely believed that the Allies could win the Second World War by air alone. American pilots had a special role in the “Dambusters” campaign in particular. Even before the attacks on Pearl Harbor, scores of eager pilots travelled across the Canadian border to train with other future “Dambusters,” all eager to take part. Authoritative and gripping, Airborne in 1943 brings these remarkable men and women to vivid life.
Airborne: A Combat History of American Airborne Forces
by Edward M. Flanagan Jr.A combat history of American airborne forces up to the Gulf War.
Airbrushing and Finishing Scale Models
by Brett GreenA convincing paint finish is essential for any model, be it military or civilian, aircraft, vehicles, figures or even background items such as terrain or buildings - and good airbrushing and finishing techniques can be the key to creating a superior model. Over the last few years there have been huge strides made in the development of airbrushes, paints and thinners, and consequently, this new book will provide up-to-date practical information and illustrated techniques to take full advantage of these new technologies.Brett Green details the prerequisites of airbrushing, including the different types of spray equipment and air sources available, offering advice on appropriate thinners, paint ratios and air pressures to ensure the most appropriate paint coverage across a range of different airbrushing applications. He then examines various airbrushing techniques across a wide range of models. Ten step-by-step, illustrated case studies ranging from heavily weathered military aircraft to pristine, high gloss motor vehicles, science fiction models, fantasy figures, groundwork and buildings will complete this in-depth guide to getting the best results on your models.From the Hardcover edition.
Airbus A380 (Flight Craft #23)
by Robert Jackson Glen Ashley“A great addition to the highly popular Flight Craft Series. This book reviews the history of . . . an iconic and important aircraft in civil aviation.” —FiretrenchOn April 27 2005, an aircraft under the power of six massive Rolls-Royce Trent 900 turbofan engines was making its first flight, and it was making history. For this was the Airbus A380, the largest passenger aircraft in the world. With air traffic continuing to double every fifteen years, the A380 was designed by Airbus Industrie to meet the needs of the passengers and airports, while also delivering the level of efficiency necessary to protect the environment for future generations. The design incorporated two full-length decks with wide-body dimensions, meaning its two passenger levels offered an entire deck’s worth of additional space compared to the next largest twin-engine jetliner. With more seats than any other aircraft, the A380 offered solutions to overcrowding; needing fewer journeys to carry 60 percent more passengers, making it the perfect solution to airport congestion, fleet planning optimization and traffic growth. Typical seating capacity was 525, although the aircraft was certified to carry up to 853 passengers. Production of the A380 peaked at thirty aircraft per year in 2012 and 2014. Then, in February 2019, the biggest customer, Emirates, announced that it was to reduce its latest order by thirty-nine aircraft in favour of two other Airbus Models, the A350 and A330neo, a version using the same engines as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. For Airbus, it was the last act. The Company announced that production of the A380 would cease by 2021.“Full of great information.” —Airport Spotting
Aircraft Carrier Victorious: Detailed in the Original Builders' Plans
by David HobbsThe technical details of British warships were recorded in a set of plans produced by the builders on completion of every ship. Known as the as fitted general arrangements, these drawings represented the exact appearance and fitting of the ship as it entered service. Intended to provide a permanent reference for the Admiralty and the dockyards, these highly detailed plans were drawn with exquisite skill in multi-coloured inks and washes that represent the acme of the draughtsmans art.Today they form part of the incomparable collection of the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, which is using the latest scanning technology to make digital copies of the highest quality. This book is one of a series based entirely on these draughts which depict famous warships in an unprecedented degree of detail complete sets in full colour, with many close-ups and enlargements that make every aspect clear and comprehensible. Extensive captions point the reader to important features to be found in the plans, and an introduction covers the background to the design.HMS Victorious was a ship with two almost separate incarnations as built in 1941 she was one of a new type of armoured carrier which saw strenuous wartime service; post-war the ship underwent a massive reconstruction lasting nearly eight years that saw her recommission in1958 as one of the best equipped carriers in the world, ready for another decade of duty. Both these phases of the ships life are fully documented, which allows this novel form of anatomy to cover two generations of carrier design.