Submarine The Ultimate Naval Weapon

Traces the development of undersea warfare and explains its importance in current global strategy.

The author of more than twenty books on scientific and historical subjects, David Owen presents an authoritative yet highly readable account of the ongoing battle between naval forces above and below the sea's surface. Without question, the submarine was the most potent purely naval weapon of the twentieth century, yet the fact that it was usually defeated is an important part of the story described in this book. With the support of nearly 200 illustrations, the author examines both the successful innovations and the inevitable counter-measures made by each side in their lethal struggle for supremacy. Known for picking just the right incident to illustrate a point, Owen fills his book with examples of individual heroism and devotion to duty along with accounts of the ingenuity, originality of tactical thought, and technological advances to provide a complete picture. He shows clearly that development was not a straight line--wrong ideas and assumptions sometimes led to defeat and disaster. Concluding the book is a survey of recent ASW developments carried out by teams of scientists, engineers, commanders and crews of ASW aircraft, ships, and other submarines working together to defeat the current threat of hostile raiders who hide in the ocean depths.

The fascinating story of the submarine's evolution from its ancient beginnings to its culmination as the deadliest vessel ever invented.

Only the author of The Hunt for Red October could capture the reality of life aboard a nuclear submarine. Only a writer of Mr. Clancy's magnitude could obtain security clearance for information, diagrams, and photographs never before available to the public. Now, every civilian can enter this top secret world...the weapons, the procedures, the people themselves...the startling facts behind the fiction that made Tom Clancy a #1 bestselling author.

"The Story of the Submarine" by Farnham Bishop is a comprehensive and enlightening account that delves into the history and development of submarines. Bishop's work provides readers with a detailed overview of the evolution of submarine technology, from early prototypes to modern submarines. The book explores the challenges, innovations, and significant contributions made by individuals and nations in the realm of underwater warfare and exploration. It is an essential read for those interested in naval history and the fascinating world of submarines.

The first comprehensive technical history on the subject, with photos: “A must-read for all professionals, designers and scholars of modern submarines.” —Australian Naval Institute The Royal Navy’s greatest contribution to the Allied success in World War II was undoubtedly the defeat of the U-boat menace in the North Atlantic, a victory on which all other European campaigns depended. The underwater threat was the most serious naval challenge of the war, so it was not surprising that captured German submarine technology became the focus of attention for the British submarine service after 1945. It was quick to test and adopt the schnorkel, streamlining, homing torpedoes, and, less successfully, hydrogen-peroxide propulsion. Furthermore, in the course of the long Atlantic battle, the Royal Navy had become the world’s most effective anti-submarine force and was able to utilize this expertise to improve the efficiency of its own submarines. However, in 1945 German submarine technology had also fallen into the hands of the Soviet Union—and as the Cold War developed it became clear that a growing Russian submarine fleet would pose a new threat. Britain had to go to the US for its first nuclear propulsion technology, but the Royal Navy introduced the silencing technique that made British and US nuclear submarines viable anti-submarine assets, and it pioneered in the use of passive—silent—sonars in that role. Nuclear power also changed the role of some British submarines, which replaced bombers as the core element of British Cold War and post-Cold War nuclear deterrence. As in other books in this series, this one shows how a combination of evolving strategic and tactical requirements and new technology produced successive types of submarines. It is based largely on unpublished and previously classified official documentation, and to the extent allowed by security restrictions, also tells the operational story—HMS Conqueror is still the only nuclear submarine to have sunk a warship in combat, but there are many lesser-known aspects of British submarine operations in the postwar era.

A part-sequel to Through a Canadian Periscope (Dundurn 1995 and 2014), the second edition of Deeply Canadian explains why the RCN needs submarines and tells the story of how Canada nearly lost her submarine service in the 1990s after decades of dedicated duty. The book ends with the process to acquire four Victoria class submarines in the 1990s and their service to 2014, the year of the Canadian submarine service's centenary. Available as an e-book only and is best read on a tablet to enjoy the new and restored images.