From the huge 15-inch guns carried by the Bismarck to the smallest machine gun used by coastal forces, this comprehensive encyclopedia covers every German artillery piece mounted afloat during World War II. All marks and variations of these weapons are described individually, including their mountings and the ammunition fired, along with extensive tabular data. The feature that makes this book unique, however, is the range and detail of the illustrations, including close-up photos, three-view drawings, and computer-generated full-color representations of the guns from every angle, making this the most complete reference available.

The history of naval artillery is a long and complex one and this highly-illustrated, single-volume work sets out to present a coherent story which will appeal both to the enthusiast as well as to the scholar and expert. It starts with the earliest guns, the bronze-cast cannon, which were cast employing the same technology as used for making church bells. A plethora of guns were soon to develop and along with them a multiplicity of names: basilisk, bombard, culverin, drake, minion, saker, passavolante, serpentine, and many others. By the end of the seventeenth century this muzzle-loading, smoothbore weapon had pretty well reached the zenith of its development and not until the introduction of armour and the explosive shell in the nineteenth century was there any fundamental change. With the development of breech loading and rifled barrels the rate of fire, range and accuracy improved dramatically. Today the navies of the world have fully automatic guns which load, train, lay and fire themselves with deadly accuracy.

An in-depth reference to the naval weapons used by Britain, Germany, the US, and the other combatants in the Great War, with photos: “Superb…invaluable.”—History of War Although the Great War might be regarded as the heyday of the big-gun at sea, it also saw the maturing of underwater weapons, the mine and torpedo, as well as the first signs of the future potency of air power. Between 1914 and 1918 weapons development was both rapid and complex, so this book has two functions: on the one hand it details all the guns, torpedoes, mines, aerial bombs and anti-submarine systems employed during that period; but it also seeks to explain the background to their evolution: how the weapons were perceived at the time and how they were actually used. This involves a discussion of tactics and emphasizes the key enabling technology of fire control and gun mountings. In this respect, the book treats the war as a transition from naval weapons which were essentially experimental at its outbreak to a state where they pointed directly to what would be used in World War II. Based largely on original research, this sophisticated book is more than a catalogue of the weapons, offering insight into some of the most important technical and operational factors influencing the war at sea.

There is no shortage of reference books on the warships that fought the Second World War, but the weapons they carried have been largely ignored. This situation is entirely rectified in this classic work, which is encyclopaedic in scope and largely based on original research. Divided by country (including minor powers not directly involved in the war), the book covers all the major weaponry of the period. Weapons of earlier vintage that were employed during the war, and those that were at an experimental, trial or design stage in 1945 are also included. The size, scope and originality of this work make it one of the most important reference works available on naval warfare during the Second World War.

This book does for naval anti-aircraft defence what the author's Naval Firepower did for surface gunnery ‰ÛÒ it makes a highly complex but historically crucial subject accessible to the layman. It chronicles the growing aerial threat from its inception in the First World War and the response of each of the major navies down to the end of the Second, highlighting in particular the widely underestimated danger from dive-bombing. Central to this discussion is an analysis of what effective AA fire-control required, and how well each navy's systems actually worked. It also takes in the weapons themselves, how they were placed on ships, and how this reflected the tactical concepts of naval AA defence. As would be expected from any Friedman book, it offers striking insights ‰ÛÒ he argues, for example, that the Royal Navy, so often criticised for lack of 'air-mindedness', was actually the most alert to the threat, but that its systems were inadequate not because they were too primitive but because they tried to achieve too much.??The book summarises the experience of WW2, particularly in theatres where the aerial danger was greatest, and a concluding chapter looks at post-1945 developments that drew on wartime lessons. All important guns, directors and electronics are represented in close-up photos and drawings, and lengthy appendices detail their technical data. It is, simply, another superb contribution to naval technical history by its leading exponent.

World War I was the Golden Age of the railway gun. Even though at the start of the conflict none of the armies possessed any railway artillery pieces and the very idea was comparatively new, more railway guns were used during this war than in any other conflict. Designed to break the stalemate of trench warfare, the first railway guns were simple, improvised designs made by mounting surplus coastal defence, fortress, and naval guns onto existing commercial railway carriages. As the war dragged on, railway artillery development shifted to longer range guns that could shell targets deep behind enemy lines. This change of role brought much larger and more sophisticated guns often manufactured by mounting long-barrel naval guns to specially-designed railway carriages. This book details the design and development of railway guns during World War I from the very first basic designs to massive purpose built "monster" railway guns. Accompanying the text are many rare, never-before-published, photographs and colour illustrations depicting how these weapons were used during World War I.

Germany's World War I- and World War II-era submachine guns are all featured in this fully illustrated book. Early Bergmann models are presented first showing their development from the MP18, through to the MP35, followed by discussions of the Schmeisser MP28, Steyr MP34, and Erma "EMP." An extensive chapter on the famous MP38/40 features a close look at production numbers, manufacturers, and markings. Foreign and late-war models are also presented, showing the wide variety of SMGs used by the Wehrmacht during WWII. The book concludes with the legendary and influential MKb42, MP43/1, MP44, and StG44 series of assault rifles. Their wartime use is shown in superb period photography and clear, up-close color images. Accessories such as magazines, ammunition, pouches, and silencers are featured throughout the book, as well as rarely seen WWI- and WWII-related uniform and equipment items.

Often written during imprisonment in Allied War camps by former German officers, with their memories of the World War fresh in their minds, The Foreign Military Studies series offers rare glimpses into the Third Reich. In this study Oberst a.D. Wilhem Willemar discusses his recollections of the climatic battle for Berlin from within the Wehrmacht. “No cohesive, over-all plan for the defense of Berlin was ever actually prepared. All that existed was the stubborn determination of Hitler to defend the capital of the Reich. Circumstances were such that he gave no thought to defending the city until it was much too late for any kind of advance planning. Thus the city’s defense was characterized only by a mass of improvisations. These reveal a state of total confusion in which the pressure of the enemy, the organizational chaos on the German side, and the catastrophic shortage of human and material resources for the defense combined with disastrous effect. “The author describes these conditions in a clear, accurate report which I rate very highly. He goes beyond the more narrow concept of planning and offers the first German account of the defense of Berlin to be based upon thorough research. I attach great importance to this study from the standpoint of military history and concur with the military opinions expressed by the author.”-Foreword by Generaloberst a.D. Franz Halder.

“The best reference there is to this day about the guns and ammunition used by the German armed forces in WW2.” —Military Modelling The complete story of German artillery during World War Two, this illustrated volume is divided into sections according to the weapon classes: Infantry, Mountain and Field Artillery, Heavy Field Artillery, Heavy Artillery, Railway Artillery, Anti-Aircraft Artillery, Anti-Tank Artillery, Coastal Artillery and Recoilless Artillery. German Artillery of World War Two also contains details of the general organization of the German artillery arm, together with development histories of the weapons and their ammunition. In addition, the book contains a series of comprehensive data tables, and appendices including a glossary of technical terms. The first edition of this book, published over twenty years ago, is highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts today. This new edition brings an enduring classic to a new generation of readers. “A classic on modern artillery by Ian V. Hogg, this volume is well-established and must be regarded as a standard reference work on the subject.” —Gun Mart “This is both a valuable reference book and an absorbing read.” —British Army Review

The Paris Gun, first published in 1930, is a detailed account of the design, construction, and operation of the several German long-range cannons used to bombard Paris in 1918. While not accurate, the guns were used to instill terror in the civilian population and over 300 of the massive shells were fired on the city between March 23 and August 9, 1918. After the war, author Henry Miller, a U.S. Army ordnance officer, interviewed German artillery officers who were directly involved in the project, providing a unique, first-hand look at these weapons. Included are 38 pages of illustrations and maps.