Xxii 1 Book Reviews
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
BOOK REVIEWS Erminio Bagnasco and Augusto de Toro Italian naval policy in the post-First World (Raphael Riccio, trans.). The Littorio Class: War era. They offer an interesting Italy’s Last and Largest Battleships, 1937- assessment from an unusual perspective, of 1948. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, the requirements and problems created by www.nip.org, 2011. 356 pp., illustrations, the various naval treaties, and Italy’s charts, plans, drawings, tables, appendices, ongoing efforts to be at least equal to France sources, bibliography, index. US $85.00, in those negotiations. Italy had several cloth; ISBN 978-1-59114-445-8. battleships remaining from the war, and made major modifications to some, from Many years ago I ordered from the Italian replacing entire propulsion units to Ministry of Marine two of their official rebuilding bows and sterns. Eventually, it histories, I Cacciatorpediniere Italiana on became obvious that to be a major player in the history of their torpedoboats and the naval game they required a new destroyers, and Gli Incrociatori Italiani on battleship design. The naval staff came up their cruisers. Both were superlatively with, in my opinion, probably the most produced, large and useful references, handsome of the battleship designs among although I was appalled at the cost—about all the nations—U.K., U.S.A., France, Japan 4,000 lire. I was much relieved to discover and Germany—the Littorio Class. Only that it amounted to about $8.00 Canadian! three ships were ever completed— Littorio, This volume, published by the Naval Vittorio Venito and Roma. The latter was Institute Press and printed in China, still sunk by German aircraft after the armistice retains the quality of the earlier series, the with the Allies in mid-1943 on the way to original Italian edition being published in an assembly point. The fourth ship, 2010. Notably, the translation by Raphael Imperio, was launched as a hull, but never Riccio is also skilful, literate and, as far as I completed. Littorio was badly damaged by noted, flawless in idiomatic English. It is torpedo during the Taranto raid, as were two the quality one might expect from a book on older battleships. Italian art and literature. With two fold-out The second section of the book charts illustrating changes in the ships’ covers design details, all technical camouflage over time, external views of specifications, construction development two of the ships, hull lines, longitudinal and trials, including large tables of gunnery sections, and three-dimensional views of firing records—hits, misses, failures, and two of the fighter aircraft carried, this is even, for gunners, “spread” and timing. For quite a remarkable publication. It should model-makers there are extensive close-up assuredly be taken as a guide for others to photos of upper deck and bridge details, copy, whatever the national ships. paravane layouts on the foc’s’le, and Apart from its impressive perspective drawings at various cut-away appearance, the story of these three unique sections of the whole typical hull. The ships is complete and logically told. The narrative text is excellent, even for a non- authors open with a section on developing The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord, XXII No. 1, (January 2012), 67-111 68 The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord constructor, being neither tiresomely exhaustive research. So do the five pages of detailed nor too sketchy. More finely references, with materials from Italian detailed drawings and many photos, for archives and elsewhere. There is a minimal instance, show such arcane locations as use of footnotes, both on the pages shell storage in the magazines, etc. themselves and as source references, which Probably of more interest to a given the detail of the text and the authority general naval reader is the detailed of the authors are nowhere needed. There is operational history of each of the three even a series of marvellous coloured photos vessels put into service. This includes both of a large model of Roma in 1/100 scale, in narrative and dated charts of their every fact a whole chapter of “Modelling Notes.” movement and the ships’ various Altogether, this is a fascinating and commanders, useful if one is checking on valuable book, certainly well worth the cost. where these threats to the Allies forces in It need not be read continuously, but rather the Mediterranean were at any moment dipped into and taken up for entertainment during the war. The accompanying text is and education. “Coffee table” indeed. in chronological sequence, with adequate Fraser McKee reference to larger events that influenced Toronto, Ontario Italian operational decisions. Included are the Italian views of the Fleet Air Arm attack on Taranto, the battle off Sirte, one of the Carlo Beltrame and Renato Gianni Ridella few actual fleet engagements with Admiral (eds.). Ships and Guns: The Sea Ordnance th Sir Andrew Cunningham’s Mediterranean in Venice and Europe between the 15 and th fleet, and other encounters. All of this 17 Centuries. Oxbow Books, distributed information is supported by a multitude of in Canada by The David Brown Book photos, charts of the actions, and tables of Company, www.dbbconline.com, 2011. 132 results. The book ends with a very readable pp., illustrations, notes, index. US $60.00, 11-page Comparisons and Conclusions, paper; ISBN 978-1-84217-969-7. which give purpose to the whole. This book consists of 15 short papers, Comparisons are made and charted with the written by experts in historical artillery and RN’s King George V Class, the German underwater archaeology, about naval Bismarcks, the USN’s various classes, and ordnance in Europe from the fifteenth to the monstrous Japanese Yamato Class. The seventeenth centuries based on archival and Littorios tended to be very “short-legged” in maritime archaeological sources. The RN terms, that is, distance available for fuel papers are grouped in three sections of load, not a major problem for the Italian equal length: Venetian (sixteenth to Navy. Their battleships were not intended eighteenth century), Italian (fifteenth to to be employed world-wide. Despite seventeenth century), and finally, European criticism in previous narrative histories, the ordnance of the fifteenth to seventeenth Littorios’ speed was about average for their century. The use of many unfamiliar terms comparative group. A few small items are makes the book difficult to read and, interesting, such as these ships’ auxiliary because the papers are concise, a strong rudder systems in case the main rudder was prior knowledge of the topic is required. damaged. Note bene Bismarck! Fortunately, the sections are well illustrated Most of the photos are of good by photos and drawings of the various quality, and given the subject, rarely seen pieces and details. The papers are in elsewhere. The drawings of battle damage chronological order and, in general, support from shell and bomb hits reflect the authors’ Book Reviews 69 each other. The book reminds us that the The second section surveys “classic” muzzle-loading naval guns of the Genoese, Florentine and Italian ships, type familiar from the many popular films which, like those of Venice, were divided depicting the “zenith” of fighting sail in the into two categories: sailing freighters and 1700s and the Napoleonic wars were the oared galleys. In the last half of the product of centuries of development. fifteenth century, oared ships served only as The first section on the Venetian warships, while sailing vessels carried out pieces begins with the breech-loaded civilian functions, but could be armed or wrought-iron swivel gun made by hoop- used as transports. The Italians began and-stave technique. This type was in use experimenting with the thickness of the gun for more than three centuries. Each gun had barrel and reserved the thinner ones for more than one chamber, so firing was faster ships because of weight constraints and the than for normal pieces. The first paper fact they were expected to fire only a few looks at the morphology and construction shots prior to boarding. By the last quarter techniques of Venetian artillery of the of the sixteenth century, specific naval sixteenth to seventeenth centuries. Venetian pieces began to appear, but with a lack of nomenclature for early artillery differs from uniformity in the ordnance equipment. that of other states, which causes problems Field pieces, mostly bronze, were also taken when trying to relate them to other on board to fill various needs. At the European weapons. Venetian pieces of the beginning of 1580s, cast-iron ordnance same calibre varied in length and weight; began to replace bronze guns; this was the lighter pieces were for naval use, while particularly true aboard merchant ships, the heavier pieces protected fortresses and since iron guns cost only one-fifth as much walled towns. as a bronze piece of the same weight. A work printed in 1486 includes The last section looks at the main probably the oldest known image of an European combatants that we are more artillery –armed galley, in this case with a familiar with, such as Spain, Britain and hooped bombard at the stern. Since the France. In the mid-1540s, the British began galley was the main military vessel on the to regularly produce long, cast-iron muzzle- Mediterranean Sea during the period, its loading guns, similar to bronze pieces. characteristics are discussed. Galleys were Cast-iron guns were not better guns, but normally fitted with two masts carrying they were cheaper, and merchant ships triangular lateen sails, but oars were used preferred them. The sixteenth century during battles, in manoeuvres to enter and witnessed the greatest changes in ship’s exit harbours, and in case of windless armament in the British navy.