One of the major lessons of World War II was the importance of coastal waters. It was not widely recognised beforehand just how vital the control of such waters would become, both in defending essential convoys as well as attacking those of the enemy, and in paving the way for amphibious landings.While land based aircraft could carry out offshore operations by day and destroyers and cruisers patrolled deeper waters, the ideal craft for use in coastal waters were motor boats armed with torpedoes and light guns. But with the exception of Italy, none of the major powers had more than a handful of these boats operational at the outbreak of war.From a small beginning, large fleets of highly maneuverable motor torpedo boats were built up, particularly by Britain, Germany and the USA. They operated mainly at night, because they were small enough to penetrate minefields and creep unseen to an enemy's coastline and fast enough to escape after firing their torpedoes. They fought in every major theatre of war, but the first real threat came in the North Sea and English Channel from German E-boats, crossing to attack Britain's vital convoys. Ranged against them in the 'battle of the little ships' were British MTBs and MGBs and, later, American PT boats. They often fought hand to hand at closer quarters than any other kind of warship in a unique conflict that lasted right to the end of the war.The E-boat Threat describes the development of these deadly little craft, the training of their crews who were usually volunteers and the gradual evolution of tactics in the light of wartime experience. Methods of defence are also related, which included the use of aircraft and destroyers as well as motor gunboats, sometimes acting under a unified command.
When tanks, the newly invented British weapon, were used for the first time in a mass attack on November 20 1917, they not only achieved one of the most remarkable successes of the First World War but set the pattern for the future of mechanized warfare. For the first time in three years of bloody trench warfare, epitomized by the slaughter at Passchendaele which was then reaching its climax, tanks brought about a breakthrough of the massive German defense system of the Hindenburg Line, followed up by British infantry and cavalry divisions. They were supported for the first time by low flying fighter aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps. The initial victory at Cambrai brought cheering crowds into the streets of London and the ringing of church bells in celebration. In seemed possible that the success might bring about the final defeat of Germany. But the British High Command failed to exploit the success. Generals who still dreamt of massive cavalry charges had not had much faith in this strange new weapon that had been brought to them funded initially by the Royal Navy at the behest of Winston Churchill who was then First Lord of the Admiralty and did see its value. The High Command did not really believe the breakthrough was possible and tragically miscalculated the necessary steps to follow it up. Within days the Germans counterattacked and regained much of the ground that the British had won. What could have been the final victory was delayed for another year.
Failure to exploit the potential of an original idea is a recurring phenomenon in our national history. Few failures, however, can have been so costly in human life as that of our military commanders early in 1916 to appreciate that the tank was a war winning weapon. The slaughter of the Somme, Passchendaele and Ypres salient had to be endured before accepted 'conventional' methods were abandoned and the tank given a chance. Bryan Cooper describes the early tank actions in vivid detail, with many eye-witness accounts. He tells of the courage and endurance of the crews not just in battle but in the appalling conditions in which they had to drive and fight their primitive vehicles. Scalded, scorched and poisoned with exhaust fumes, constantly threatened with being burned to death, these crews eventually laid the foundation for the Allied Victory in World War I. The book is well illustrated with many original photographs which give the present day reader a glimpse of the infancy of a dominant weapon of modern war.
“The story of the division from formation in Ireland in August 1914 to departure from Gallipoli for Macedonia in October 1915. This history covers the period from the raising of the division to its departure from Gallipoli for Macedonia in October 1915. It was the first divisional history to appear in print, and it is a matter for regret that its scope is so narrow a one. As a history its limitation is that it is based mainly on the author’s memory (he served in the division with 5th Connaught Rangers), on other officers’ accounts and on other books in print at the time (February 1917). A later publication would have benefitted from the availability of more official documentation and other material. Nevertheless, this book’s informal style makes it an easy read and it is a tribute to the first Irish Division as such to take its place in the order of battle of the British Army, and the first to go into action. Appendices list Staff officer casualties and infantry officer casualties by battalions; all those mentioned in Hamilton’s despatches of January and February 1916, and those who received honours and awards. The division was the second of Kitchener’s First New Army and began to form in Ireland at the end of August 1914 with battalions from the North and South. It sailed for Gallipoli in July 1915, landed at Suvla on 6th/7th August and went straight into action at the capture of Chocolate hill and later in the fighting for Hill 60. In early October it embarked for Macedonia and by the end of the month it had landed at Salonika, minus its artillery left at Suvla. Casualties at Gallipoli amounted to some 2,100. ”—N&M Press Reprint
The Shamrock and the Red Hand at War Divisions of faith, invasions and occupations over centuries, mean that Britain has long had an uneasy relationship with Ireland. The burdens of this have fallen most painfully upon the Irish and their country, for no Irish army ever ravaged English shires. Objective viewers of the history of the two nations might therefore think it peculiar that there have been so many famous Irish regiments within the British Army-with colours carrying outstanding, hard won, battle honours-or that so many Irishmen have readily supported British causes in conflict. The reasons why this is so are many, and important among them is that the 'Emerald Isle' gives birth to natural warriors who are among the most enthusiastic and able fighting men on earth. This book, published to coincide with centenary of the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, focuses on the Irish at war from two different perspectives. One account deals with the abortive campaign in the Dardanelles and the fighting in Turkey on the Gallipoli peninsula. It is an account of extraordinary heroism combined with the ribald good humour typical of the 'sons of Erin.' The second book concerns the regiments of the Ulstermen of Northern Ireland, descendents of rugged Scottish immigrants, and their hard fought experience of war among the mud, wire and trenches of the Western Front in France. Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.
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