Library Results | Royal Museums Greenwich

Nelson's Arctic voyage : the Royal Navy's first polar expedition 1773 /Peter Goodwin. "In the summer of 1773 the 14-year old Horatio Nelson took part in an expedition to the Arctic, which came close to ending his naval career before it had begun. The expedition was to find a navigable northern passage between the Atlantic and Pacific, and was supported by the Royal Society and King George III. Two bomb vessels HMS Racehorse and Carcass were fitted out and strengthened under the command of Captain Hon. Constantine Phipps. It was an extremely cold Arctic summer and the ships became locked in ice far from Spitzbergen and were unable to cut their way out until days later when the wind changed and the ice broke up. The ships were extricated and returned home. On the trip, the young Nelson had command of one of the smaller boats of the ships, a four-oared cutter manned by twelve seamen. In this he helped to save the crew of a boat belonging to the Racehorse from an attack by a herd of enraged walruses. He also had a more famous encounter with a polar bear, while attempting to obtain a bearskin as a present for his father, an exploit that later became part of the Nelson legend. Drawing on the ship's journals and expedition commander Phipps' journal from the National Archives, the book creates a picture of the expedition and life on board. Using the ships' muster books it also details the ship's crews giving the different roles and ranks in the ships. The book is illustrated using some of the ship's drawings and charts and pictures of many objects used on the ship, while a navigational chart of the route taken has been created from the logbooks. The book also looks at the overall concept of naval exploration as set in train by Joseph Banks and the Royal Society. The fact that the expedition failed as a result of poor planning with potentially tragic results demonstrates the difficulties and uncertainties of such an expedition. It also looks at a great naval commander at the earliest stage of his career and considers how the experience might have shaped his later career and attitudes. Other great captains and voyages are discussed alongside Nelson, including Captain Cook and his exploration of the south seas and the later ill-fated northern journeys of Franklin and Shackleton."--Provided by the publisher 2018. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 910.4(98)

Naval and military memoirs of Great Britain, from 1727 to 1783 / Beatson, Robert. 1804. Beatson, Robert 1804. • RARE-BOOK • 18 copies available. 094:355.48"1727/1783"

naval biography of Great Britain : consisting of historical memoirs of those officers of the British Navy Ralfe, J 1828 • FOLIO • 9 copies available. 92:355.33(42)"17/18"

German and Italian aircraft carriers of World War II / Douglas C. Dildy and Ryan K. Noppen ; illustrated by Paul Wright. "This book explains the role of naval aviation in the two powers' rearmament programs, and how wartime experience proved how challenging it is for even a powerful navy to build and operate aircraft carriers. Packed with new artwork and archive photos, it tells the history of the Graf Zeppelin, the Italian attempts to convert the liners Roma and Augustus, and other German and Italian carrier conversion projects which never left the shipyard or the drawing board." 2022. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.8255094309044

Convoy PQ13 : unlucky for some /Morris O. Mills. The author's autobiography focusing on his experiences during ther Second World War. Mills joined the SS New Westminster City as a deck apprentice in 1940 at the age of 16 and sailed on the first arctic convoy, leaving Liverpool on 12 August 1940, as part of Operation Dervish, and returning in convoy QP1. Mills sailed on his second arctic convoy (PQ13) in March 1942, but having arrived in Murmansk, he was on board the New Westminster City when it was hit during a German bombing raid. Mills was seriously injured and hospitalised in Murmansk before leaving for Britain on HMS Edinburgh as part of QP11. HMS Edinburgh was then itself sunk during the voyage as a result of a torpedo attack and although rescued, Mills was returned to hospitals in both Murmansk and Archangel before finally being repatriated on HMS Gossamer and USS Tuscaloosa. Mills details his experiences both on board ship and in hospital. Discharged as medically unfit in 1943, Mills retrained as an electrician and served with the RAF at USAAF Alconbury before joining the Merchant Navy Reserve Pool. 2000. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92MILLS

Transactions of the Naval Dockyards Society. [ed. Ray Riley]. 2007. • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 623.81(946.82)

Captain Carteret and the voyage of the Swallow / H.G. Mowat. An account of the voyage of HMS Swallow to the South Pacific from 1766 -1769 under the command of Lieutenant Philip Carteret (1793-1796). Carteret, born in Jersey, joined the Navy at the age of 14, first serving in HMS Salisbury. Later, he served as lieutenant in HMS Dolphin under Captain John Byron on his voyage of circumnavigation in 1764-1766. Tasked with exploring the Pacific in the Swallow to search for the great southern continent thought to exist there, Carteret was critical of the ship's capabilities for such a voyage and doubted whether this was in fact, the planned destination. Initially sailing in the company of the faster HMS Dolphin under the command of Captain Samuel Wallis, the ships were parted shortly after sailing through the Strait of Magellan. Carteret and the Swallow continued on independently resulting in the discovery of the Pitcairn Islands. Beset by illness on board and a lack of supplies, Swallow arrived back in England ten months after HMS Dolphin. 2011. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92CARTERET:910.4(93/96)"17"

Tales from the Captain's Log : from Captain Cook to Charles Darwin, Blackbeard and Nelson - accounts of great events at sea from those who were there "For centuries, ships' commanders kept journals that recorded their missions. These included voyages of discovery to unknown lands, engagements in war and sea and general trade. Many of their logs, diaries and letters were lodged at The National Archives and give a vivid picture of the situations that they encountered. Entries range from Captain James Cook's notes of his discovery of the South Pacific and Australia, to logs of the great naval battles, such as Waterloo and Trafalgar. From the ships that attempted to stop piracy in the Caribbean, to the surgeons who recorded the health of the men they tended and naturalists who noted the exotic plants and animals they encountered, comes a fascinating picture of life at sea, richly illustrated with maps, drawings and facsimile documents found alongside the logs in the archives."--Provided by the publisher. 2017. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 910.4(100)

Churchill and Fisher : titans at the Admiralty /Barry Gough. "A vivid study in the politics and stress of high command, this book describes the decisive roles of young Winston Churchill as political head of the Admiralty and the ageing Admiral 'Jacky'Fisher as professional master and creator of Dreadnought, locked together in perilous destiny. Upon these Titans at the Admiralty rested Allied command of the sea at the moment of its supreme test, the challenge presented by the Kaiser's navy under the dangerous Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz. Churchill and Fisher exhibited vision, genius, and energy, but the war unfolded in unexpected ways. German cruisers escaped to Constantinople bringing Turkey into the war, and though Coronel's disaster was redeemed at the Falklands, Jellicoe's Grand Fleet was forced to seek refuge from U-boats; the torpedo and mine became prominent, to German advantage. There were no Trafalgars, no Nelsons. Press and Parliament became battlegrounds for a public expecting decisive victory at sea. Then the ill-fated Dardanelles adventure, 'by ships alone' as Churchill determined, on top of the Zeppelin raids brought about Fisher's departure from the Admiralty, in turn bringing down Churchill. Wilderness years followed, with Churchill commanding a battalion on the Western Front and Fisher chairing an inventions board seeking an electronic countermeasure to the lethal U-boat. This dual biography, based on fresh and thorough appraisal of the Churchill and Fisher papers, is a story for the ages. It is about Churchill's and Fisher's war & how each fought it, how they waged it together, and how they fought against each other, face to face or behind the scenes. It reveals a strange and unique pairing of sea lords who found themselves facing Armageddon and seeking to maintain the primacy of the Royal Navy, the guardian of trade, the succour of the British peoples, and the shield of Empire."--Provided by the publisher. 2017. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92CHURCHILL

Britannia Royal Naval College 1905-2005 : a century of officer training at Dartmouth /Jane Harrold and Richard Porter. "In 2005 Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) celebrated one hundred years of officer training and education at the shore-based establishment in Dartmouth. As part of the year long commemorations of the centenary of BRNC, Dr Jane Harrold and Dr Richard Porter have written a definitive history of the College, the genesis of Royal Naval Officers throughout the twentieth and into the twenty-first century. The story of BRNC is recounted focusing on the people and events that have shaped the College and the Royal Navy over a hundred years. The book starts by looking back at life for the cadets on board the College's predecessors HMS Britannia and HMS Hindostan, before exploring the Edwardian architecture of Aston Webb's College, using photographs of its unique architectural details. The development of naval education is examined, from the Selborne-Fisher Scheme of 1902, through the introduction of an all eighteen year old entry in the 1950s, up to present day restructuring of the syllabus and academic faculty. The College has also enjoyed a close association with the Royal Family, three twentieth century monarchs having received a Dartmouth education, in addition to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duke of York. The two World Wars also left their mark on the College and their impact is assessed. The first conflict saw the mobilisation of the College for war, while the second witnessed the bombing of the College itself. Finally the day-to-day life of the College, throughout a century punctuated by change, is examined to prove that the fundamental values of tradition, respect and leadership remain as valid today as one hundred years ago."--Provided by the publisher. 2005. • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 359.00711423592

Striking the hornets' nest : naval aviation and the origins of strategic bombing in World War I /Geoffrey L. Rossano, Thomas Wildenberg. "This book is much more than just a history of the Navy's struggle during World War I to develop methods to destroy the German U-boat bases in Belgium. Underlying the story is the struggle among competing interests, both within and among the Allies and within the American Expeditionary Forces, for scarce resources. The authors have written a book that will become the definite study of the Northern Bombing Group. This unit's history needs to be read, for the men of the group laid the foundation for how U. S. Striking the Hornets' Nest provides the first extensive analysis of the Northern Bombing Group (NBG), the Navy's most innovative aviation initiative of World War I and one of the world?s first dedicated strategic bombing programs. Very little has been written about the Navy's aviation activities in World War I and even less on the NBG. Standard studies of strategic bombing tend to focus on developments in the Royal Air Force or the U.S. Army Air Service. This work concentrates on the origins of strategic bombing in World War I, and the influence this phenomenon had on the Navy's future use of the airplane. The NBG program faced enormous logistical and personnel challenges. Demands for aircraft, facilities, and personnel were daunting, and shipping shortages added to the seemingly endless delays in implementing the program. Despite the impediments, the Navy (and Marine Corps) triumphed over organizational hurdles and established a series of bases and depots in northern France and southern England in the late summer and early fall of 1918. Ironically, by the time the Navy was ready to commence bombing missions, the German retreat had caused abandonment of the submarine bases the NBG had been created to attack. The men involved in this program were pioneers, overcoming major obstacles only to find they were no longer needed. Though the Navy rapidly abandoned its use of strategic bombing after World War I, their brief experimentation directed the future use of aircraft in other branches of the armed forces. It is no coincidence that Robert Lovett, the young Navy reserve officer who developed much of the NBG program in 1918, spent the entire period of World War II as Assistant Secretary of War for Air where he played a crucial role organizing and equipping the strategic bombing campaign unleashed against Germany and Japan. Rossano and Wildenberg have provided a definitive study of the NBG, a subject that has been overlooked for too long."--Provided by the publisher. 2015 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 359.38(42:73)"1914/1918"

Evolution's captain : the tragic fate of Robert Fitzroy, the man who sailed Charles Darwin around the world A biography of Robert Fitzroy (1805-1865). Joining the navy at the age of 12, Fitzroy became a skilled hydrographer and was given command of the Beagle in 1828. This book concentrates on the two voyages undertaken by Fitzroy on the Beagle and their impact on him, particularly in the light of his later suicide. Fitzroy returned from his first voyage to survey the southern coastlines of South America with four Feugian captives with the intention of educating them in Christian values. He returned to South America on the second voyage (1831-1836) with the three surviving Feugians, this time also accompanied by Charles Darwin. On their return to England, Fitzroy, a devout Christian, became increasingly estranged from Darwin as their views on evolutionary theory diverged. Fitzroy was also a Member of Parliament and briefly Governor of New Zealand before his assignment to the new Meteorological Office within the Marine Department of the Board of Trade. Establishing the fundamental techniques of weather observation and early coastal weather stations, his work went largely unrecognised and his daily forecasts were often ridiculed. He died after committing suicide in 1865. 2003 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.82BEAGLE

Jutland letters, June-October 1916 : from Commodore C.E. Le Mesurier RN, 4th Light Squadron ('John Jellicoe's own') to his wife Florence, from the Grand Fleet in Scapa Flow with a recollection by their son, E.K. Le Mesurier RN, Captain of the HMS Belfast 1948-1950 /edited by Harriet Bachrach ; foreward by Major General Julian Thompson CB OBE. The letters of Commodore C. E. Le Mesurier, Commander of HMS Calliope, written to his wife from 1 June 1916 - 17 October 1917 following the Battle of Jutland and edited by his granddaughter. The 4th Light Cruiser Squadron consisted of HMS Calliope, Caroline, Constance, Comus and Royalist. The letters sent from HMS Calliope provide an insight into the naval actions taken at Jutland and include a list of those injured and killed on board, with their addresses so that Florence Le Mesurier could write to members of their families. The letters also provide an insight into life in the Royal Navy at the time as well as social history. 2006. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92LEMESURIER

The letters of George & Elizabeth Bass / Miriam Estensen. In August 1800, George Bass returned to England after five years in the British colony of New South Wales. Gifted, ambitious and impatient with the limitations of a naval career, he took leave from the navy to purchase a ship of his own and organise a commercial venture to Sydney. He also met Elizabeth Waterhouse, and fell very much in love. They were married on 8 October 1800. On 9 January 1801, George Bass sailed for Australia. For the next two years, and across two oceans, letters were the only link between George and Elizabeth Bass. His were brief, dashed across the page with an impatient hand, embedded with tantalising references to his life at sea or the colony of New South Wales and filled with love for his wife. Hers were many pages of small, neat script with news of her friends and family, her own thoughts and pursuits, and her yearning for a husband who would never return. The separate worlds in which George and Elizabeth lived also come to life in their letters: an England of domestic chatter and streets filled with soldiers awaiting a Napoleonic invasion; the hot humid coastal towns of Brazil, where Bass sought to sell his merchandise and took on board firewood, fresh water and tobacco; Sydney society and the disappointment of the ladies in Elizabeth not having come with her husband to join their small social circle; the exotic and languid Pacific islands where trade was difficult and ship labour hard. 2009. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92BASS

Ship models from the age of sail : building and enhancing commercial kits /Kerry Jang. "The vast majority of period ship models are built from kits, usually primarily of wood with some ready-made fittings. Although these commercial offerings have improved significantly in recent years, all of them can be enhanced in accuracy or detail by an experienced modelmaker. This book, by an expert ship modeller, distils lessons gleaned from a lifetime practising the hobby to the highest standards, setting out methods of improving basic kits and gradually developing the skills and confidence to tackle the construction of a model from scratch. Using a variety of kits as the starting point, each chapter demonstrates a technique that can be readily improved or a feature that can be replaced to the advantage of the finished model. Topics include hull planking, representing copper sheathing, many aspects of more accurate masting and rigging, and how to replace kit parts and fittings from scratch. Ultimately, the impact of a period model depends on its accuracy, and the book also provides guidance on plans and references, where to find them and how they are best used. The plank-on-frame model, sometimes with exposed frames in the Navy Board style, has always been considered the crowning achievement of period ship modelling, and this book concludes with coverage of the very latest kits that put fully framed models within the reach of ordinary mortals. Offering advice, expertise and inspiration, Ship Models from the Age of Sail has something for anyone interested in building a period ship model, whatever their level of skill."--Provided by the publisher. 2022. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.8203

My time at sea / Eden S. Mathews (aka Tony). Autobiography by Eden S. Matthews detailing his career as a merchant sailor. Beginning with Matthews's training in HMS Cornwall in the 1950s, the book proceeds with detailed accounts of his apprenticeship with the Blue Funnel line in Asia and Australasia, travels to Africa and America with Elder Dempster Lines, his return to merchant navy service with Ocean Fleets in the 1970s, and brief stint on board the 'banana boats' travelling back and forth between the West Indies and UK, as well as a brief section on his childhood in Kenya, Tanzania, and the UK. 2010. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92MATHEWS

At the crossroads between peace and war : the London naval conference of 1930 /edited by John Maurer and Christopher M. Bell. "This volume provides fresh perspectives on the international strategic environment between the two world wars. At London in 1930, the United States, Great Britain, and Japan concluded an important arms control agreement to manage the international competition in naval armaments. In particular, the major naval powers reached agreement about how many heavy cruisers they could possess. Hailed at the time as a signal achievement in international cooperation, the success at London proved short-lived. France and Italy refused to participate in the treaty. Even worse followed, as within a few years growing antagonisms among the great powers manifested itself in the complete breakdown of the interwar arms control regime negotiated at London. The resulting naval arms race would set Japan and the United States on a collision course toward Pearl Harbor. "-- 2014. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 355.019.2"1930"

Voyages with a merchant prince : secrets of the Ripley diary /J.M. & M.F. Hutchinson. "If it should be a pirate, we had a fine ship, well armed and plenty of men to use the arms, what had we to fear? Accordingly, all hands were set to make preparations for defence against an enemy. The bosun got ready the great guns, the arms chest was unlocked - muskets, swords, handspikes, pistols, all in demand ...' The Ripley Diary, 12th July 1830. A sailing ship on a voyage that would make a fortune. On board - an ambitious shipowner, his flirtatious young wife, and a crew on the verge of mutiny. Smuggling, piracy and shipwreck are all encountered on this amazing journey. For the first time, the remarkable Ripley Diary is in print. It documents an astonishing voyage to a secret destination in China. This original nineteenth-century text is unique, revealing the early days of free trade in defiance of the edicts of the Emperor of China. It is a national treasure. Enjoy the story of Thomas Ripley, hailed by the Liverpool Chronicle as 'one of our most successful merchant princes', a man who rose from rags to riches. Share the thrill of watching whales and dolphins, the excitement of racing a rival ship to Java, and the delights of exotic locations. If you want to know the truth about life on a sailing ship in the nineteenth century, then read this book. Find out why some of the men were pressed into the British Navy and others were clapped in irons. Discover for yourself the secrets of the Ripley Diary, secrets hidden for 180 years."--Back cover. 2012. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92RIPLEY

A carrier at risk : Argentine aircraft carrier and anti-submarine operations against the Royal Navy's attack submarines during the Falklands/Malvinas war, 1982 /Mariano Sciaroni. "The naval warfare of the last few decades appears dominated by operations of fast missile craft and a wide diversity of other minor vessels in so-called 'littoral warfare'. On the contrary, skills and knowledge about antisubmarine warfare on the high seas - a discipline that dominated much of the World War II, and once used to be the reason for existence of large fleets of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and of the Warsaw Pact - appear nearly extinct. Indeed, it seems that no armed conflicts involving this form of naval warfare have been fought for a significant time. As so often, the reality is entirely different. Submarine and antisubmarine warfare remain one of most sophisticated forms of armed conflicts to this day. Unsurprisingly, considering the amount of high-technology equipment necessary for their conduct, they are shrouded behind a thick veil of secrecy. This is why the operations of the sole Argentinean aircraft carrier - ARA 25 de Mayo - during the much-publicized war in the South Atlantic of 1982 remain largely unknown until this very day. It is well-known that the United Kingdom deployed the largest task force its Royal Navy had assembled since the Korean War over 12,000 kilometers away from home. It is well-known that the operations of this task force proved decisive for the outcome of the war: it not only brought the air power that established itself in control of the air space over the battlefield, but also hauled all the troops and supplies necessary to recover the islands that were the core of the dispute. However, the impression created very early during this conflict - and largely maintained until today - is that ARA 25 de Mayo and other elements of the accompanying Task Force 79 of the Argentinean Navy were forced into a hurried withdrawal by the sheer presence of multiple nuclear attack submarines of the Royal Navy. Based on years of research, including extensive investigation into naval operations of both sides of the conflict, A Carrier at Risk is a vibrant and lucid account of a week-long cat-and-mouse game between antisubmarine warfare specialists on board ARA 25 de Mayo, and multiple nuclear attack submarines of the Royal Navy: an entirely unknown, yet crucial aspect of the South Atlantic War. Illustrated by over 100 photographs, maps, and color profiles, this volume closes one of the major gaps - though also a crucially important affair - in the coverage of this conflict."--Provided by the publisher 2019 • FOLIO • 1 copy available. 355.48"1982"(829)

The naval tracts of Sir William Monson Monson, William, Sir 1902-1914 • BOOK • 11 copies available. 355.49"15/16"

Battleships : WWII evolution of the big guns : rare photographs from wartime /Philip Kaplan. Beginning with a pictorial essay on battleship construction in the 1930s and 1940s, this new book looks at the various design facets of the last great capital ships of the world's navies. Kaplan offers us a glimpse into those massive American and German navy yards and construction facilities that were put to use during this time, acquainting us with the arenas in which these final examples of battleship technology were laid down, built up, launched, fitted out, commissioned and taken out to sea. The book roots itself in a period of monumental change within the history of contemporary warfare. With the baton being passed from the battleship community to that of the aircraft carrier, the iconic battleship was gradually superseded by a new and even more threatening weapons system. It was destined to be consigned to the history books, whilst newer, slicker and more efficient fighting machines took precedence. This publication serves as a tribute to a lost legend of naval warfare. There is a look at some of modern history's most significant battleships, relaying their thrilling stories, defining characteristics and eventual fates. Ships featured include Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Warspite, Tirpitz and Yamato. The book is completed with 'Fast and Last', a visit on board the four final examples of battleship technology and design, the last serving battleships USS Iowa, USS New Jersey, USS Wisconsin, and USS Missouri. Their Second World War careers are recounted, as are the qualities that made them special. 2015. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 623.821.2(100)"1939/1945"

Under a yellow sky : a tale of the sea and coming of age /Simon J. Hall. Autobiography by Simon Hall recounting his experiences as a junior officer in the British Merchant Navy in the early 1970s. The book provides candid descriptions of life and work as a Deck Cadet in the early 1970s, from the earliest days of training, to naval college, to serving on board numerous voyages across the Pacific and South China Sea. Includes black and white photos throughout. [2013]. • BOOK • 1 copy available. 92HALL S

Leaves from memory's log-book and jottings from old journals Recollections of Rear Admiral Frederick Byng Montresor (1811-1887) covering his naval career, firstly as a midshipman on board the Cambridge, Ramilies, Gloucester, Ocean, Isis, Southampton and HMS Zebra and then as a lieutenant, his duties in the West Indies on the President, Wasp, Magnificent, Forte, Melville, Champion and Winchester. Later chapters cover his command of HMS Pickle, Wanderer, Cygnet, Calypso and Severn. His voyages included passages to the West Indies, South America, Africa, Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand, India, Japan, China and Hong Kong. His encounters with the people he met and his observations on trading patterns are also described. Reflecting on visits in 1832 to New Zealand, Tahiti and Tonga, the author, for example, recollects meeting missionaries such as Henry Williams, Maori, the Tahitian Queen and Royal Family, and the King of Tonga. His many anecdotes include the story of Jack Rio, a former slave turned sailor from Brazil, who after a career of seven years with the Navy was revealed as a woman. Also included is a description of the author's visit to the Pitcairn Islands in the 1860s where he met descendants of the Bounty mutineers. 1887 • BOOK • 1 copy available. 355.124(42)"18"

The private papers of John, Earl of Sandwich, first lord of the admiralty 1771-1782 Montagu, John 1932-1938 • BOOK • 7 copies available. 92Montagu

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