DOCSLIB.ORG

Book Reviews

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Book Reviews Book Reviews Roger Branfill-Cook. ShipCraft No. sions, crew, engine, speed, guns, and 26: Riverine Craft of the Vietnam Wars. armour. Period black and white photo- Barnsley, S. Yorks: Seaforth Publishing, graphs illustrate full length and design www.seaforthpublishing.co.uk, 2020. details along with scale profile draw- 64 pp., illustrations, bibliography. UK ings for most ships. Those for smaller £14.99, US $24.95, paper; ISBN 978-1- field-modified craft are naturally more 5267-4906-2. rudimentary, and the paired profiles of This work is the twenty-sixth entry original designs versus riverine mod- in the ShipCraft modeling and visu- ification provide the most interesting al reference series, and author Roger detail. Branfill-Cook’s first contribution. A The Model Products section, locat- professional translator used to working ed after the French conversions text, is with French documents, Branfill-Cook divided into four different sections by covers not only the American vessels of scale, with a note on compatible fig- the Vietnam War, but French examples ures at the end. Two vessels are listed from the Indochina War as well. As is as available under unusual ‘Box Scale’ the pattern of the series, Riverine Craft sizes, fifteen for the combined 1:72 and consists of a main text, model products 1:76 scale, five for 1:56, three for 1:48, guide, and model showcase. These and a final twelve for 1:35 scale. Most cover the historical background of ves- listings showcase either the kit’s box art sel types, available kits for representing or a completed example, accompanied various vessels, and fully constructed by a short text on the model’s avail- example models respectively. A single ability, accuracy, and necessary con- page of Selected References listing fin- version notes. Some personal levity is ishes out the work. introduced in this section as well, such The main text of the work is split as the author noting his rare 1:48 RAG roughly in half by the modeling section, Boat kit “had obviously detonated a VC with the first half covering the introduc- mine beneath the engine compartment” tion and French vessel conversions and due to being badly cracked inside the the second half covering South Viet- box (22). namese and American designs. The The 21-page, full colour Modelmak- text is largely used to explain vessel er’s Showcase section is naturally the details for modelers, and as such, there centerpiece of the work, offering mul- is no overt analysis beyond mentioning tiple views of 19 different models con- the effectiveness and service life of the structed by nine different individuals. individual designs. Ship types have Some of these are stand-alone pieces, their name bolded in the text when in- but many are shown in diorama format, troduced, with technical information in either underway or carrying out an op- a side bar listing date of launch, dimen- eration. Perhaps most impressive are The Northern Mariner / Le marin du nord 31, No. 1 (Spring 2021): 79-124 80 The Northern Mariner / Le marin du nord the dioramas of Jan Vererstraeten and black and white, even though many co- Jack Carrico, with the former being a lour images of American vessels exist. highly detailed Riverine Patrol Boat Said images would be helpful to readers and Command and Communications by showing the period colour schemes Boat diorama, and the latter being mul- and markings, rather than just relying tiple detailed pieces created using kits on the models in the showcase section. from Masterpiece Models. Unsurpris- Riverine Craft of the Vietnam Wars is ingly, Branfill-Cook includes many of a decent primer on these vessels and a his own creations in this section, offer- good reference guide for those seeking ing good examples of kit conversions to to model the Indochina and Vietnam represent French and South Vietnamese Wars. While the text may be relative- craft as well as a variety of American ly minimal, there is a good selection of vessels. images and profiles, especially of the In terms of possible improvements, early French conversion efforts often several come to mind. As this is a work overlooked in the historiography. For primarily intended to help model build- modelers, the products section offers a ers, Branfill-Cook’s note that profile good rundown of available kits paired drawings of conversion type vessels are with commentary on their availability “highly speculative” and readers should and accuracy, augmented by the stand- reach out if they have plans should be alone and diorama builds of the Show- located in the introduction rather than case. as an image caption (10). Additionally, Charles Ross Patterson II at least two of the photographs have in- Yorktown, Virginia correct information. One of the 11-me- tre FOM pictures states that the visible weapon is “not a .50 cal Browning, Donald Collingwood. The Captain and is probably a 20 mm Oerlikon,” Class Frigates in the Second World when the weapon is quite clearly an M2 War. Barnsley, S. Yorks: Pen & Sword Browning with the early slotted barrel Maritime, www.pen-and-sword.co.uk, support of the pre-war Colt contracts 2020. 224 pp., illustrations, bibliog- (11). Another identifies the turret used raphy, index. US $26.95, paper; ISBN for the LVT(A)-5 as coming from an M5 978-1-52678-223-6. Originally pub- Light Tank, when it is actually from the lished 1999 and re-released April 2021. M8 ‘Scott’ Howitzer Motor Gun Car- (E-book available.) riage (13). Statements like these could lead to unintentional inaccuracies by Overall, this is a very interesting book modelers. The former Japanese junks describing the history of the Captain used by the French are also not covered -class frigates (destroyer escorts) in the in the main text, though model sugges- Royal Navy during the latter part of the tions are provided in the availability Second World War. The Battle of the section, and there is just a single stern Atlantic, and the U-boat peril, often has photograph of an LSSC when many been described as the only event that re- more profile and detail images exist. ally worried Winston Churchill during The main text also seems heavily bro- the war. Without the machinery of war, ken up by photographs and drawings. raw materials, food and troops from the This may be the style of the work, but United States and Canada, there was no it does affect the flow of information. way of defeating Nazi Germany and it Finally, all period photographs are in all had to come via the Atlantic Ocean. Book Reviews 81 The Nazis equally knew that if they rather than lengthy in-paragraph infor- could stop this seaborne trade and troop mation. These flaws aside, Colling- movements, they could prevent a land wood has produced a readable and in- war on two fronts. Without the Allies formative narrative of life at sea in the winning the battle at sea, there would Captain-class ships on the Atlantic and have been no landings at Normandy and Arctic convoy routes and the English hence, no defeat of Nazi Germany. Channel patrols during the Normandy Convoy escorts were, thus, a vital landings and opening up of the port of part of getting the convoys through and Antwerp. while Britain had the men to operate The author undertook extensive ‘hard such ships, they did not have enough copy’ archival research in the 1980s and ships. Earlier in the war the United 90s to put this history together but also States had loaned 50 old destroyers to uses first-hand information from other the Royal Navy to fill the gap, but by Captain-class personnel who were pres- 1943, new and more capable ships were ent at the many actions in which these required—enter the USS Buckley and ships took part. The story begins in ear- Evart class destroyer escorts (DEs) 78 ly 1943 with the commencement of ship of which eventually served in the Royal construction in US east coast shipyards Navy. While classified as destroyer es- and the overwhelming support provid- corts by the US Navy they were ‘down- ed by the US Navy in getting the ships graded’ to frigates by the Royal Navy ready for sea. Certainly, the high qual- due to weapons fitted. The ships were ity American food and the onboard liv- classified as the Captain class by the ing conditions, such as the use of bunks British and took on the names of former rather than hammocks, were comment- Royal Navy captains from the Napole- ed on by all who commissioned the onic Wars (but with a few from earlier frigates. There were often Royal Navy campaigns). crew shortfalls and some of the frig- Donald Collingwood’s book was first ates were steamed to England by Royal published in 1999 but recently repub- Canadian Navy ‘delivery voyage only’ lished in 2020. Collingwood served as crews. Many of the ships conducted an ordnance artificer in one of the DE’s work-ups off Bermuda before arriving (HMS Cubitt) during the war so had in England where they were assigned to first-hand experience of these ships and various escort groups. easy access to many other ex-Captain- While U-boats were rarely seen in class men. This has its good and bad as- the mid-Atlantic by late 1943, they con- pects throughout the book with rumours tinued to attack Allied convoys right up sometimes becoming fact. until the end of the war and the Cap- The book is written in an easy-going, tains saw their fair share of action.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • To the William Howard Taft Papers. Volume 1
    THE L I 13 R A R Y 0 F CO 0.: G R 1 ~ ~ ~ • P R I ~ ~ I I) I ~ \J T ~' PAP E R ~ J N 1) E X ~ E R IE S INDEX TO THE William Howard Taft Papers LIBRARY OF CONGRESS • PRESIDENTS' PAPERS INDEX SERIES INDEX TO THE William Ho-ward Taft Papers VOLUME 1 INTRODUCTION AND PRESIDENTIAL PERIOD SUBJECT TITLES MANUSCRIPT DIVISION • REFERENCE DEPARTMENT LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON : 1972 Library of Congress 'Cataloging in Publication Data United States. Library of Congress. Manuscript Division. Index to the William Howard Taft papers. (Its Presidents' papers index series) 1. Taft, William Howard, Pres. U.S., 1857-1930.­ Manuscripts-Indexes. I. Title. II. Series. Z6616.T18U6 016.97391'2'0924 70-608096 ISBN 0-8444-0028-9 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price $24 per set. Sold in'sets only. Stock Number 3003-0010 Preface THIS INDEX to the William Howard Taft Papers is a direct result of the wish of the Congress and the President, as expressed by Public Law 85-147 approved August 16, 1957, and amended by Public Laws 87-263 approved September 21, 1961, and 88-299 approved April 27, 1964, to arrange, index, and microfilm the papers of the Presidents in the Library of Congress in order "to preserve their contents against destruction by war or other calamity," to make the Presidential Papers more "readily available for study and research," and to inspire informed patriotism. Presidents whose papers are in the Library are: George Washington James K.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Deadliest American Disasters and Large Loss
    DEADLIEST AMERICAN DISASTERS AND LARGE LOSS-OF-LIFE EVENTS1 Homepage: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/ A Catalog of, and Notes on, Natural and Man-Made Events Causing Ten or More Fatalities in America/The United States and its Territories Since 1492 CHRONOLOGY B. Wayne Blanchard, PhD Blue Ridge Summit, PA April 20, 2020 Copyright August 2017 Go to Homepage to access: Event Typology (e.g. aviation, epidemics, explosions, fires heat, mining, hurricanes, violence). Breakout of Events by States, District of Columbia and Territories. Rank-ordering within Types by State. Spreadsheet. Lines highlighted in Yellow indicate there is a narrative document with more information and sources in the Spreadsheet accessed by clicking on the URL at the end of the entry. 1. 1492-1800 -- North American Native American population decline, esp. disease--~2,800,000 2. 1527 -- Nov, Hurricane, Matagorda Bay, TX -- 200 3. 1538-1539, Unknown epidemic, “Cofitachequi”2 Natives, central SC -- Hundreds 4. 1539 --~Sep 16, Napituca Massacre, Hernando de Soto executes Timucuans, No. Cen. FL-30-200 5. 1540 -- Oct 18, Spanish (de Soto) battle/massacre, with Atahachi, Mabila, AL --2,500-6,000 6. 1541 -- ~Mar 10, Hernando de Soto forces and “Chicasa” battle and “slaughter,” MS3 -- >20? 7. 1541/42 Winter, Coronado’s Expeditionaries burn-at-the-stake Tiwa Natives, NM4 --40-50 1 We use the term “Large-Loss-of-Life Event to denote ten or more deaths. There are a number in instances where, for a variety of reasons, we enter an event with fewer than 10 fatalities. We do not, though, include these in tally.
    [Show full text]
  • Congr.Ession Al Record-House May 23
    9454 CONGR.ESSION AL RECORD-HOUSE MAY 23 VIRGINIA Robert L. Raymond to be postmaster at Campbellsport, Wis., Annie G. Davey to ·be postmastei· at Evington, Va., in place in place of William Mru·tin. Incumbent's commission exph·ed of A. G. Davey. Incumbent's commission expires Jrme 8, 1930. January 29, 1927. William W. Middleton to be po ·tmaster at :Mount Jackson, WYOMING . V1i., ·in place of W. W. Middleton. Incumbent's coinmission Forest H. Gtuney to be po tmaster at Buffalo, Wyo., in place expires June 30, 1930. of P . .A. Gatchell, jr., removed. Mollie H. Gettle to. be postmaster at Rustburg, Va., in place of 1\f. H. Gettle. Incumbent's commission expires June 8, 1930. Ernest a Cro haw to be postmaster at Stony Creek, Va., in HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES place of E. H. Croshaw. Incumbent's commis ion expil;e June 30, 1930. FRIDAY, May £3, 1930 Frank L. Schofield to be postmaster at University of Rich­ The Hou e met at 12 o'clock noon. mond, Va., in place of F. L. Schofield. Incumbent's commission The Chaplain, Rev. James Shera Montgomery, D. D., offerro expired l\fay 4, 1930. the following prayer: W .ASHTNGTON l\Io t Gracious Lord Gotl, bless us with quiet minds and subdue Tyrah D. Logsdon to be postmaster at Endicott, Wash., in restle s wills that hurry to and fro. Enable us to trust Thee place of T. D. Logsdon. Incumbent's commis ion expired J an­ where reason can not under ~ tand. Take the north wind out of uary 13, 1930.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Deadliest American Disasters and Large Loss
    DEADLIEST AMERICAN DISASTERS AND LARGE LOSS-OF-LIFE EVENTS1 Homepage: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/ A Catalog of, and Notes on, Natural and Man-Made Events Causing Ten or More Fatalities in America/The United States and its Territories Since 1492 CHRONOLOGY B. Wayne Blanchard, PhD Blue Ridge Summit, PA Dec 12, 2020 Copyright August 2017 Go to Homepage to access: Event Typology (e.g. aviation, epidemics, explosions, fires heat, mining, hurricanes, violence). Breakout of Events by States, District of Columbia and Territories. Rank-ordering within Types by State. Spreadsheet. Lines highlighted in Yellow indicate there is a narrative document with more information and sources in the Spreadsheet accessed by clicking on the URL at the end of the entry. There are more than 20,000 pages of additional material to be found there. Could be one page or over 100 pages per entry, depending on the event, but usually on order of 3-5 pages. 1. 1492-1800 -- North American Native American population decline, esp. disease--~2,800,000 2. 1527 -- Nov, Hurricane, Matagorda Bay, TX -- 200 3. 1538-1539, Unknown epidemic, “Cofitachequi”2 Natives, central SC -- Hundreds 4. 1539 --~Sep 16, Napituca Massacre, Hernando de Soto executes Timucuans, No. Cen. FL-30-200 5. 1540 -- Oct 18, Spanish (de Soto) battle/massacre, with Atahachi, Mabila, AL --2,500-6,000 1 We use the term “Large-Loss-of-Life Event to denote ten or more deaths. There are a number in instances where, for a variety of reasons, we enter an event with fewer than 10 fatalities. We do not, though, include these in tally.
    [Show full text]
  • A Catalog Of
    CHRONOLOGY DEADLIEST AMERICAN DISASTERS AND LARGE LOSS-OF-LIFE EVENTS1 Homepage: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/ A Catalog of, and Notes on, Natural and Man-Made Events Causing Ten or More Fatalities in America/The United States and its Territories Since 1492 B. Wayne Blanchard, PhD Blue Ridge Summit, PA April 27, 2021 Copyright August 2017 Go to Homepage to access: Event Typology (e.g. aviation, epidemics, explosions, fires heat, mining, hurricanes, violence). https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Typology-v-34_to.pdf States, District of Columbia and Territories Breakout https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/States-v-34_to.pdf Rank-ordering within Types by State https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Rank-Orderingwithin-types-State- v34_to.pdf Mortality Raking (Down to 500 Deaths) https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mortality-v32_to.pdf Spreadsheet. https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/spreadsheet/ Chart showing the State with the highest number of events by type (10 or more deaths) https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Chart-showing-State-with- Highest-Number-of-Events-v31_to.pdf About this project documents: https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/about-project/ 1 We use the term “Large-Loss-of-Life Event to denote ten or more deaths. There are a number in instances where, for a variety of reasons, we enter an event with fewer than 10 fatalities. We do not, though, include these in tally. 1 Lines highlighted in Yellow indicate there is a narrative document with more information and sources in the Spreadsheet accessed by clicking on the URL at the end of the entry.
    [Show full text]
  • Nieuw Amsterdam
    Number 312 • wiNter 2020 PowerT HE M AGAZINE OF E NGINE -P OWERED V ESSELS FRO M T ShipsHE S T EA M SHI P H IS T ORICAL S OCIE T Y OF A M ERICA “Run Away ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Nieuw Amsterdam to Sea” on of 1938: Greatest Passenger Ship P&O-Orient of All? 20 Presidential Yacht USS Mayflower 34 Lines 12 The General Greene to the Rescue 42 The First Floating Nuclear Power Plant 48 EXPERIENCE THE ACTION of WORLD WAR II AFLoaT! Aboard the Liberty Ship JOH N W. BROW N CRUISE from Baltimore on the Chesapeake H H H H H H H H H H H H MAY 30 AUGUST 8 The SS JO HN W. B the great fleet of over 2,700ROW war-built Liberty Ships and the last operational SETEMBER 19 N is one of the last operating survivors from 2020 troopship of World War II. The ship is a maritime museum and a memorial to the shipyard workers who built, merchant mariners who sailed, and the U.S. Navy Armed Guard who defended the Liberty ships during World War II. The Joh W. Bro wn is fully restored and maintained as close as possible to her World War II configuration. Visitors must be able to walk up steps to board the ship. N This exciting 6 hour day cruise period entertainment and flybys (conditions permitting) of wartime aircraft. Tour includes lunch, music of the 40’s, on-board museums, crew quarters, bridge and much more. See the magnificent 140-ton triple-expansion steam engine as it powers the ship through the water.
    [Show full text]
  • Queen Elizabeth 2: Q&A with Publications of Marine Interest, a the Early Years Steamboat Bill
    Number 310 • summer 2019 PowerPowerT HE M AGAZINE OF E NGINE -P OWERED V ESSELS FRO M T ShipsHEShips S T EA M SHI P H IS T ORICAL S OCIE T Y OF A M ERICA Presidential 1880 - Yachts: 1921 20 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Queen The Demise Port of SS Batavia Elizabeth 2: of the Da Nang, Rescues the The Early MV Union Vietnam, Crew of the Years 10 Reliance 30 1966–1967 Bark Charles 38 Ward 50 Thanks to All Who Continue to Support SSHSA June 14, 2019 Fleet Admiral ($50,000+) Admiral ($20,000+) The Dibner Charitable Trust of The Family of Helen & Massachusetts Henry Posner Jr. Heritage Harbor Foundation Maritime Heritage Grant Program n Officers, crew and others on deck of Romance likely while running excursions from Boston to Provincetown. – Benefactor ($10,000+) Acores Collection, SSHSA Archives. The Champlin Foundation Mr. Thomas C. Ragan Mr. Douglas Tilden Leader ($1,000+) Mr. Barry Eager CAPT and Mrs. Roland Parent Mr. Howard Smart Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Ferguson Ms. Mary Payne Mr. John Spofford Amica Companies Foundation Mr. Michael Fisher CAPT Dave Pickering Mr. Donald Stoltenberg Mr. Charles Andrews Mr. Stephen Lash Mr. Richard Rabbett CAPT Eric Takakjian Mr. Jason Arabian Mr. Don Leavitt Mr. Michael Rector Mr. Mark Thomas Mr. Douglas Bryan Mr. Keith Lewis Mr. Stephen Roberts Mr. Joseph White Mr. William Donnell Merriconeag Charitable Fund Mr. Kenneth Schaller Mr. Peregrine White Mr. Thomas Donoghue Dr. Frederick Murray Mr. and Mrs. James Shuttleworth Mr. Henry Fuller Jr. Mr. Alexander Melchert Mr. Richard Scarano Sponsor ($250+) Mr.
    [Show full text]