Overview

The destroyer's origins are rooted in the proliferation of torpedo boats in the late 19th century. A battle fleet's defence against large flotillas rested upon the quick-firing gun, searchlights and the fleet's own torpedo boat screen. Heavy weather proved the latter to be both unseaworthy and poor as gun platforms. To be effective, hulls were enlarged, their extra size enabling them to become effective killers of smaller craft, and 'torpedo boat destroyers' they became. ""Pouring quarts into pint pots"" became the mark of the successful destroyer designer and, by World War II, massed and co-ordinated torpedo attack finally became a deadly reality. Ironically, the battle fleet was already being supplanted by the aircraft, and the destroyer re-invented itself as the multi-purpose, anti-aircraft orientated escort that we see today. This fully illustrated reference book charts the complete history of destroyers, from the early development of the self-propelled torpedo through to the widespread use of destroyers in World War II and subsequent transformation into multi-purpose escorts 100 years later. It focuses on the main wartime theatres in which destroyers played a significant role, for example the Dardanelles, Jutland, Dover, Narvik, St. Nazaire, Guadalcanal, the North Cape of Norway and Okinawa. Two A-Z directories describe the main characteristics of over 120 destroyers, beginning with the years up to the end of World War I, and then 1918 to date. Each entry, with its expert commentary and high-quality photography, is accompanied by a specification box detailing country of origin, displacement, dimensions, armament, machinery, power, performance and protection. Complete class lists and a useful glossary containing definitions of key naval terms are included at the back of the book. With its superbly-researched text and over 400 photographs, this authoritative volume provides historians and enthusiasts with key information about these important naval vessels.

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9781844768660

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Bernard Ireland spent 30 years in ship research for the Admiralty in the Royal Naval Scientific Service. He has worked as an illustrator for the shipping industry, including companies such as Canadian Pacific and Blue Star Lines. He is the author of over 25 specialist naval books, together with major contributions to numerous partworks and journals on the history of ships.

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