- Table View
- List View
US Navy and the War in Europe
by Robert C. SternAlthough the defeat of Japan was the US Navys greatest contribution to the Second World War, it also played a significant role in the battle against Hitler. Even before Germany declared war in 1941, US naval vessels were actively engaged in Atlantic convoy battles, and suffered their first casualties long before the Pearl Harbor attack formally pitched America into the conflict. Thereafter the US Navy immediately sent reinforcements to the over-stretched Royal Navy, taking part in attacks on German-occupied Norway, flying aircraft to Malta and Egypt from its carriers and adding protection to the convoys to Russia. Its involvement in the crucial Battle of the Atlantic was also substantial, and the invasions of North Africa and Europe from 1942 onwards would have been unthinkable without the massive US forces. As late as 1945 the crossing of the Rhine by the Allied armies was heavily dependent on US Navy assets and expertise.It is not surprising that the Pacific campaign should have received so much attention from naval historians, but as a result the European effort has been undervalued and largely side-lined. This book is intended to redress the balance not just to chronicle the many little-known US operations in the Atlantic, Arctic and Mediterranean, but to reach a more rounded judgment of the US Navys contribution to victory in Europe.
US Nuclear Submarines: The Fast Attack
by Tony Bryan Jim Christley"Silent but deadly" - Osprey's US Nuclear Submarines: The Fast-Attack takes a fresh look at the controversial design and development of the nuclear submarine of which the United States Navy operates the largest fleet in the world. The advent of nuclear power transformed the submarine from a slow underwater vessel, incapable of staying submerged for long periods, into a weapon of stealth and endurance. Jim Christley, a former submariner, uses his own experience of serving aboard these vessels, and a wealth of technical information, to explore the many engineering issues and trade-offs, as well as the high risks of running a nuclear reactor at sea, which have dominated the intriguing story of the US nuclear submarine.
US Nuclear Weapons Policy After the Cold War: Russians, 'Rogues' and Domestic Division (Routledge Global Security Studies)
by Nick RitchieThis book offers an in-depth examination of America‘s nuclear weapons policy since the end of the Cold War. Exploring nuclear forces structure, arms control, regional planning and the weapons production complex, the volume identifies competing sets of ideas about nuclear weapons and domestic political constraints on major shifts in policy. It provi
US Paratrooper 1941-45
by Carl SmithIn Sicily, Normandy, and in the frozen hills of the Ardennes, America's airborne warriors proved themselves some of the toughest and most determined soldiers of World War II (1939-1945). What made these soldiers so special? How were they recruited, how did they learn to jump and fight? What special tactics and equipment did they use? This title looks at what it was like to be one of the United States' airborne elite, through the experiences of the soldiers themselves. It is the story of the men who invariably led the way; the soldiers who flew to battle and walked home.
US Patrol Torpedo Boats
by Peter Bull Gordon RottmanMotor torpedo boat development began in the early 1900s and the vessels were first put into active service during World War I. However, it was not until the late 1930s that the US Navy commenced the development of their Patrol Torpedo or PT boat program. The PT boat, or the "mosquito boat" as they were sometimes known, was originally envisioned for attacking larger warships with torpedoes using its "stealth" ability, high-speed, and small size to launch and survive these attacks. However, they were actually employed more frequently in a wide variety of other missions, many which were unforeseen by developers and planners, including rescuing General MacArthur and his entourage from the Philippines. Often taking on larger and better armed enemies these craft became famous for punching above their weight and were firmly thrust into the limelight by John F. Kennedy who while serving as a lieutenant on a PT-109 in the Pacific Theater heroically saved his fellow crew members winning him the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. This book examines the design and development of these unique craft, very few of which survive today and goes on to examine their role and combat deployment in both World Wars.From the Trade Paperback edition.
US Special Forces and Counterinsurgency in Vietnam: Military Innovation and Institutional Failure, 1961-63 (Strategy and History)
by Christopher K. IvesThis volume examines US Army Special Forces efforts to mobilize and train indigenous minorities in Vietnam. Christopher K. Ives shows how before the Second Indochina War, the Republic of Vietnam had begun to falter under the burden of an increasingly successful insurgency. The dominant American military culture could not conform to President Kennedy’s guidance to wage 'small wars', while President Diem’s provincial and military structures provided neither assistance nor security. The Green Berets developed and executed effective counterinsurgency tactics and operations with strategic implications while living, training, and finally fighting with the Montagnard peoples in the Central Highlands. Special Forces soldiers developed and executed what needed to be done to mobilize indigenous minorities, having assessed what needed to be known. Combining Clausewitz, business theory and strategic insight, this book provides an important starting point for thinking about how the US military should be approaching the problems of today's ‘small wars’. US Special Forces and Counterinsurgency in Vietnam will be of much interest to students of the Vietnam War, Special Forces operations, military innovation and strategic theory in general.
US Special Operations Forces in Action: The Challenge of Unconventional Warfare
by Thomas K. AdamsArmies in the 1990s are commonly involved in low-level, ill-defined, politically charged, messy situations known collectively as "unconventional warfare". Thomas Adams argues for a shift in expectations with a greater willingness to accept lengthy commitments and incremental progress.
US Special Warfare Units in the Pacific Theater 1941-45
by Gordon RottmanThe bitter fighting in the Pacific Theater required new forms of warfare, and the gathering of detailed intelligence information on the remote and varied islands and their determined defenders. As a result, new scout, raider and reconnaissance units were formed<the pioneers of today's special forces. Some units were small, while others comprised thousands of men. All contributed significantly to the war effort. This book examines a wide range of PTO special-warfare units, including the Alaskan and Alamo scouts, 5217th/1st Recon Battalion, Marine Amphibious Recon and Raider units, Amphibious Scouts, and 6th Ranger Battalion.
US Standard-type Battleships 1941-45
by Mark StilleWritten by US Navy expert Mark Stille, this book offers a unique insight into the Standard-type classes of US battleships in World War II. It provides a detailed investigation into the histories of each of the individual vessels of the Standard-type battleship class, the first three of which, the Nevada, Pennsylvania and New Mexico, formed the US Navy's main force in the inter-war period. The Standard-types reflected a new design philosophy: by designing each class to meet common standards of maneuverability and handling, vessels of different classes could operate as a single tactical unit without being limited by the performance of the slowest and least maneuvrable ship. At the time of their construction, these ships incorporated the latest design features such as triple gun turrets. Although they were rendered increasingly obsolete by evolving naval doctrines and the ascendance of the fast battleship, they served with distinction throughout World War II in both the Pacific and the Atlantic. This study combines analysis of design features and an absorbing narrative of operational histories to offer a comprehensive picture of the Standard- type battleships, from the brutal destruction of the USS Arizona to the triumphant occupation of Japan.
US Standard-type Battleships 1941-45
by Paul Wright Mark StilleThis book completes an authoritative two-part study on the Standard-type US battleships of World War II - ships that were designed to fight a different type of war than the one that unfolded. It gives precise technical details of the design history and features of the Tennessee, Colorado and the unfinished South Dakota and Lexington classes, whilst providing an operational history of the former two. Much like the earlier classes, these ships' design adhered to consistent levels of performance to simplify battle-line operations, but they still incorporated evolutions of technology to match the latest Japanese types for the predicted decisive fleet engagements. In the end it was clear that war at sea would no longer see dreadnoughts slugging it out in open water, and these battleships were mostly utilized for fire support in US amphibious landings in the Pacific. Written by a leading expert on the US Navy in World War II and augmented by contemporary photographs and specially commissioned illustrations, this is the other half of the story of the US Standard-type battleships - from the terrible damage they sustained at Pearl Harbor, to their support of the war-winning landings of the US Marine Corps and US Army.
US Strategic and Defensive Missile Systems 1950-2004
by Chris Taylor Mark BerhowFor 40 years following the end of World War II, the Western democratic governments and the Eastern Bloc Communist powers were locked in the ideological, political, and economic struggle of the Cold War. The United States and the Soviet Union developed missile systems capable of delivering conventional and nuclear explosives against enemy massed bomber formations in the air, and of delivering retaliatory nuclear payloads against ground targets located on distant continents. The missile systems played both a defensive role, and a potential offensive role, which was parlayed to the public as deterrence against attack by the rival bloc. This title provides a detailed overview of the fixed-launch-site strategic missile systems of the United States.
US Strategy in Africa: AFRICOM, Terrorism and Security Challenges (Routledge Global Security Studies)
by David J. FrancisThis book outlines the construction, interpretations and understanding of US strategy towards Africa in the early twenty-first century. No single issue or event in the recent decades in Africa has provoked so much controversy and unified hostility and opposition as the announcement by former President George W. Bush of the establishment of the United Stated Africa Command – AFRICOM. The intensity and sheer scale of the unprecedented unity of opposition to AFRICOM across Africa surprised many experts and lead them to ask why such a hostile reaction occurred. This book explores the conception of AFRICOM and the subsequent reaction in two ways. Firstly, the contributors critically engage with the creation and global imperatives for the establishment of AFRICOM and present an analytical outline of African security in relation to and within the context of the history of US foreign and security policy approaches to Africa. Secondly, the book has original chapter contributions by some of the key actors involved in the development and implementation of the AFRICOM project including Theresa Whelan, the former US Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs. This is not only an attempt to contribute to the academic and policy-relevant debates based on the views of those who are intimately involved in the design and implementation of the AFRICOM project but also to show, in their own words, that ‘America has no clandestine agenda for Africa’. This book will be of interest to students of US foreign policy/national security, strategic studies, international security and African politics. David J. Francis is Chair of African Peace & Conflict Studies in the Department of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford.
US Submarine Crewman 1941-45
by Velimir Vuksic Robert HargisThis book takes a close look at the "Dolphins" of the US Navy submarine force, it covers recruitment, training, service conditions and combat experiences, and discusses the effects of advances in torpedo technology on crew roles. The Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 battered the surface fleet, but the submarine force escaped unharmed. It was up to the "Silent Service" to spearhead the naval war against Japan, cutting her supply routes and neutralizing her naval threat. By August 1945, US Navy submarines had made 488 war patrols. The achievements of the "Silent Service" were not without consequence - 3,500 American crewmen lost their lives.
US Submarines 1900/35
by Peter Bull Jim ChristleyThis book introduces the reader to the early years of US submarine development and operation during the first third of the 20th century. It was in this period of growth and change that the submarine moved from a small vessel of limited range and tactical strength to a far ranging force. It also covers the little-told story of the United State's submarine force during World War I, and the lessons they learned that would be passed on to future generations of submariners.
US Submarines 1941-45
by Tony Bryan Jim ChristleyNaval warfare in the Pacific changed completely with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The strategic emphasis shifted from battleships to much more lethal, far-ranging weapons systems; one of these was the submarine. This book details the design and development, classes, weapons and equipment, tactics and operational history of the US submarine in World War II. Detailed tables, photographs, and superb color plates depict the force that had an effect far beyond its size - the submarine accounted for 55% of all Japanese shipping losses, despite suffering the highest percentage loss of any unit of the United State Armed Forces in World War II.
US Taiwan Policy: Constructing the Triangle
by Øystein TunsjøThe relationship between the United States and China is one of the most important issues in the twenty-first century, and is, ultimately, hostage to conditions across the Taiwan Strait. This book is the first to attempt to trace the historical origin of what is known as theTaiwan issue in US-China relations from a constructivist perspective.
US Tank and Tank Destroyer Battalions in the ETO 1944-45
by Steven ZalogaOvershadowed by the United States Army's armored divisions, the separate tank and tank destroyer battalions had the difficult mission of providing armored support for US infantry divisions in the 1944-45 campaigns. This book details the organizational structures and deployment of these units: the standard tank battalions, tank battalions (light), tank battalions (mine exploder) and tank battalions (special), self-propelled and towed tank destroyer battalions. It also covers the tactics used by these units in their attempts to assist the infantry, as well as providing a listing of all the battalions that took part in the Northwest Europe campaign.
US Troops in Europe (Routledge Library Editions: Cold War Security Studies #59)
by Phil WilliamsThis book, first published in 1984, analyses the contribution of the American military presence to the security of Western Europe; examines the advantages and shortcomings of proposals for strengthening NATO’s conventional capacity; and considers the consequences to the Cold War balance of power of a reduction in the American troop contingent.
US Wartime Aid to Britain 1940–1946 (Routledge Library Editions: WW2 #36)
by Alan P. DobsonThis book, first published in 1986, examines the American economic aid that was a vital factor in enabling Britain’s success in the Second World War. Whilst Lend-Lease did keep the British war effort alive, the agreement was always a source of great friction between the two countries. This book argues that although Lend-Lease solved Britain’s wartime supply problems, the price was the acceptance of a series of burdens that seriously aggravated the country’s long-term economic decline.
US World War II Amphibious Tactics
by Peter Dennis Gordon RottmanOsprey's study of the United States' naval tactics during World War II (1939-1945). The US armed forces were responsible for many tactical innovations during the years 1941-45, but in no field was US mastery more complete than amphibious warfare. In the vast, almost empty battlefield of the Pacific the US Navy and Marine Corps were obliged to develop every aspect of the amphibious assault landing in painstaking detail, from the design of many new types of vessel, down to the tactics of the rifle platoon hitting the beach, and the logistic system without which they could not have fought their way inland. This fascinating study offers a clear, succinct explanation of every phase of these operations as they evolved during the war years, illustrated with detailed color plates and photographs.
US World War II Parachute Infantry Regiments
by Gordon Rottman Mark StaceyFrom North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, to Normandy and Holland, the Battle of the Bulge, into the heart of Nazi Germany, and also in jungle battles in the Pacific the parachute infantry regiments were among the most highly decorated US Army units of World War II, and between them they saw action right across the world. The elite nature of these units led to their being committed to action not only in the way that had been intended; their quality tempted commanders to keep them in the line longer than their light armament justified, and they were tested to the limit. This engaging study traces the story of each of the 17 regiments, from their creation and training in the USA, through their deployments overseas, to their combat jumps and all their battles. It explains their structure and organization, and records their commanding officers and other notable personalities, such as their Medal of Honor recipients. The book is illustrated with wartime photographs, many previously unpublished, and with eight full-color plates detailing the specifics of their uniforms, insignia, and equipment practices - which often differed from unit to unit. Together, these plates offer a comprehensive study of the special clothing and gear worn throughout the US Army's parachute forces.
US World War II and Korean War Field Fortifications 1941-53
by Gordon Rottman Ian PalmerThe US Army and Marine Corps in World War II considered themselves highly mobile, offensive forces. Their mobile-warfare doctrine envisioned field fortifications and obstacles as temporary in nature. As a result, their design was simple and made use of local materials, and they could be constructed comparatively quickly, whilst still providing adequate protection. By the time of the Korean War, only minor changes had been made to field fortification construction and layout, and to small-unit organization, weapons, and tactics. This title addresses field fortifications built by US infantrymen during World War II and in Korea, and covers rifle-platoon positions, trenches, crew-served weapon positions, bunkers, dugouts, shelters, observation posts and anti-tank obstacles.From the Trade Paperback edition.
US-China Strategic Competition: Military Strategy and Contemporary Doctrine
by Muhammad Ali BaigThe book maps the strategic competition between the U.S. and China, its history, and the contemporary outlook of their armed forces. It analyses the wars fought by each of these forces, their military operations, operations other than war, and draws up a comparative analysis between the military doctrines of both nations. The author examines the implications of American and Chinese military doctrine and the varying degrees of cooperation, competition, and potential conflict in the Western Pacific. Finally, the book argues for possibilities of cooperation between the two superpowers and suggests ways of minimising potential future conflict. The volume will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of international relations, military and strategic studies, and Asian studies.
US-China-EU Relations: Managing the New World Order (Asian Security Studies)
by Robert S. RossThis volume brings together a group of leading international scholars to discuss how US-China-EU relations will shape the future of international politics. Arguing that these three powers will play a key role in establishing and managing a new world order, the contributors examine how a future global order is developed by the interaction of these leading actors in the international system. The authors also address how the US, China and the EU promote cooperation and manage conflict of interests on a wide spectrum of issues including new security challenges. By linking the management of international affairs to specific policy issues, the book shows that the US-China-EU triangular configuration is a pivotal relationship for understanding contemporary international relations. This book offers a comprehensive assessment of US-China-EU interactions and will be of great interest to students of Asian politics, US foreign policy, EU politics and security studies and IR in general. Robert S. Ross is Professor of Political Science at Boston College, Associate, John King Fairbank Center for East Asian Research, Harvard University, Associated Professor at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, Senior Advisor, Security Studies Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Øystein Tunsjø is Senior Research Fellow at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies. Zhang Tuosheng is director of the research department and senior fellow at the China Foundation for International and Strategic Studies.
US-Indian Strategic Cooperation into the 21st Century: More than Words (Asian Security Studies)
by Sumit Ganguly Andrew Scobell Brian ShoupIn this edited book, leading scholars and analysts trace the origins, evolution and the current state of Indo-US strategic cooperation. During the Cold War, owing to opposing grand strategies, the two states frequently found themselves at odds. With the end of the Cold War and the demise of the Soviet Union, Indo-US security cooperation started in a fitful fashion, but in recent years it has acquired considerable stability. The armed forces of the two states have participated in exercises on land, sea and air and have also carried out joint humanitarian missions. Drawing on new information and with contributions from both academics and policy makers, this wide-ranging volume analyzes the strategic convergence of the world’s two largest democracies, whilst explaining why important differences do remain. These notably include questions pertaining to the future of India’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, US-Pakistan ties and India’s links with Iran. This volume will be of great interest to students of South Asian politics, Asian security, US foreign policy and security studies in general.