The Merchant Navy Seaman Pocket Manual 1939 1945

A view into the world of the intrepid but often forgotten seamen who helped the Allies win WWII. They may not have worn gold braid or medals, but the Allied Merchant Navies in World War II provided a vital service to their countries’ war efforts. Hundreds of thousands of British and American sailors—some as young as fourteen—faced considerable risks to maintain an essential flow of armaments, equipment, and food: submarines, mines, armed raiders and destroyers, aircraft, kamikaze pilots, and the weather itself. Life on board a merchant ship could be tense, with hour after hour spent battling high seas, never knowing if a torpedo was about to hit. In the Arctic convoys, sailors had to cope with extreme cold and ice. But there was also comradeship and more open society than was the norm at the time, free of distinctions of class, race, religion, age, or color, and a mixture of nationalities, especially in the British fleet. The Merchant Navy Seaman Pocket Manual provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of these brave sailors, many of whom did not return. Drawing on documents, diagrams, and illustrations from British and American archives, it combines information on training, gunnery, convoys, and antisubmarine techniques with dramatic personal accounts. Covering the Battle of the Atlantic, the Arctic Convoys, and the Pacific, this book pitches the reader into the heart of this vital but often forgotten arena of WWII.

Submarine commanders in WWII dealt with both enormous risk and responsibility; charged with sinking enemy shipping whilst avoiding detection, they had to correctly locate and identify enemy craft, getting close enough to strike whilst attempting to safeguard the lives of their crew. It was a deadly game; the Germans lost over 600 U-boats during the war, and one in five submariners in the US Navy were killed, the highest proportion of any of the services. This volume gives a fascinating insight into life beneath the waves, and what was required to operate a submarine, from diving and surfacing to attack strategies and evading detection.

The shocking story of Nazi Germany’s naval assault in American waters, told through the eyes of seafarers who experienced it off the Jersey Shore. It is January 1942. Six weeks after the United States entered World War II, Imperial Japan is annihilating American forces across the Far East while the Nazis stand triumphant over much of Europe. Adolf Hitler’s forces are about to commence an assault along the East Coast of the United States, but this “Atlantic Pearl Harbor” would prove far more devastating than Japan’s attack on Hawaii. The wolves are closing in, and few Americans realize their beaches and coastal cities are about to witness the worst naval defeat in American history. The Western Hemisphere holds the key to victory for the beleaguered Allies, but only if the vast economic and military resources of North and South America can be carried across the Atlantic by Allied merchant ships. These civilian-manned cargo vessels are the backbone of the American war economy and the lifeline enabling Britain and the Soviet Union to survive—but Hitler’s favorite admiral also knows this, and he has set in motion a plan of unprecedented boldness. Germany’s dreaded submarines, or “U-boats,” are going to the United States. The fiery months that followed would pit American servicemen against German U-boat sailors in a desperate struggle that stained East Coast waters with oil and blood. In the crosshairs of this deadly cat-and-mouse game was a stalwart contingent of civilian mariners who crewed the tankers and freighters supplying the war against the Axis Powers. Thousands of them would perish as hundreds of merchant ships were sunk. Every American coastal state became a battlefront in 1942, and the events that transpired off New Jersey illustrate the perils and brutality of this forgotten campaign. The seafloor along the Garden State is today strewn with shipwrecks that bear witness to the innumerable ways to die faced by friend and foe alike only miles from the boardwalk. Though these seafarers’ lives were forfeit, the battle they fought would decide the fates of millions.

The ships and men of the Allied merchant navies. Without the British Merchant Navy, the American Merchant Marine and the Canadian Merchant Navy, Britain could not have survived even a few weeks of war.

This is a complete handbook for merchant seamen, covering every phase of good seamanship and all navigation necessary to prepare for the third mate's license. In addition, of course, it is a first-rate reference work. "For Seamen By Seamen, " this classic manual was first published in 1938 and has gone through a number of revisions. New for the 2001 reprint is the addition of an extensive glossary of nautical terms.

The Merchant Marine is composed of all the commercial ships of a country and the personnel that man them. The American Merchant Seaman's Manual has been the primary seamanship text and reference book for the American Merchant Marine for more than sixty years. Merchant mariners going to sea for the first time need to know as much about their new job, their ship, the sea, and the Merchant Marine as they can. This manual is designed to provide the knowledge that these new seamen need to embark upon their careers at sea. Since the sixth edition was published in 1981, many changes have been made in each new printing. Changes in this new edition include a new chapter on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, data on merchant fleets throughout the world, a revised chapter on wire rope, and a bibliography for sources of additional reading.

In this remarkable book, now reissued in paperback, Brian Lavery examines every aspect of the Royal Navy, both ashore and at sea, during the Second World War, and casts a lucid eye over the strengths and weaknesses of an organisation that was put under acute strain during the period, yet rose to the challenge with initiative and determination. Divided into twelve sections, the book delves into the structure of naval power from the Board of Admiralty and shore commands to officers and crews, their recruitment and training, daily life and discipline. The roles of the Reserves, Merchant Navy, Royal Marines and Wrens within this structure are also explained. Developments in ship design and technology, as well as advances in intelligence, sensors and armament are all discussed and set in context. The different divisions are dealt with one by one, including the Submarine Service, Fleet Air Arm, Coastal Forces, and Combined Operations. The text is complemented by over 300 illustrations and the personal accounts of those who served.