A study of the design, development and eventual fates of the uncompleted super-battleships intended to be built before and during World War II.
A study of the design, development and eventual fates of the uncompleted super-battleships intended to be built before and during World War II.
At the start of World War II the battleship was still king, and all the major powers were designing even mightier battleships to surpass their most modern and powerful classes. But when World War II broke out, aircraft carriers would dominate naval warfare, and none of these monster warships were completed.
In this book, naval expert Mark Stille uncovers these lost battleships as they are reconstructed with superb new full-colour artwork. The US Navy wanted five Montana-class ships, based on the Iowas but with a heavier main battery and improved protection, and the Royal Navy began work on three 16in-gun Lion-class fast battleships. The German Navy developed its H-class designs: initially an improved Bismack-class, they became more fantastical, culminating in the 141,500-ton, 20in-gun H-44. The Japanese A-150 was based on the Yamato-class but with 20.1in guns, while the 15 ships planned for the USSR's Sovetsky Soyuz-class would have rivalled the Montanas in size.
Explaining the design, intended roles and fate of these ships, this is the story of the last battleship designs in history.
Arvustused
Excellent. Chosen as their Book of the Month. * Ships Monthly * Super-Battleships of World War II is well-written, illustrated and presented, and provides a fascinating insight into the culmination of battleship design. * The Naval Review *
Muu info
An illustrated study of the design, development and eventual fates of the uncompleted super-battleships intended to be built before and during World War II.
| Introduction |
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4 | (1) |
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Battleship Design Practices |
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5 | (4) |
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The Super-Battleship Classes |
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9 | (35) |
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The United States Navy - the Montana-class |
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The Royal Navy - the Lion-class |
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The Kriegsmarine - the H-class |
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The Imperial Japanese Navy - Design A-150 |
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The Soviet Navy - the Sovetsky Soyuz-class |
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44 | (3) |
| Further Reading |
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47 | (1) |
| Index |
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48 | |
Mark Stille (Commander, United States Navy, retired) received his BA in History from the University of Maryland and also holds an MA from the Naval War College. He has worked in the intelligence community for 35 years, including tours on the faculty of the Naval War College, on the Joint Staff and on US Navy ships. He is currently a senior analyst working in the Washington DC area. He is the author of numerous Osprey titles, focusing on naval history in the Pacific.
Paul Wright has painted ships of all kinds for most of his career, specializing in steel and steam warships from the late 19th century to the present day. Pauls art has illustrated the works of Patrick OBrian, Dudley Pope and C.S. Forester amongst others, and hangs in many corporate and private collections all over the world. A Member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists, Paul lives and works in Surrey.
