WWI Naval Bibliography

Technology - Books (English)

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• ----------- A Short History of the Revival of the Small Torpedo Boat (C.M.B.s) During the Great War
  John I. Thornycroft LTD, 1918.
  courtesy of Al Ross (alross2@aol.com).
• ----------- British Vessels Lost at Sea 1914-1918
  Patrick Stephens, 1977 (reprint of HMSO publication 1919).
  The official list of all British warship and merchant ships lost during the war.
• ----------- German Warships of World War I
  Naval Institute Press, 1992
  This is a reprint of the Royal Navy's series of Confidential Books, describing what they knew about the Imperial German Navy during the War. There is a wealth of technical information that is still accurate today,
• ----------- Historic Photographs at the National Maritime Museum
  National Maritime Museum, 1995.
  A description of the tremendous photographic collection held by the (British) National Maritime Museum.
• ----------- Naval Machinery
  United States Naval Institute, 1941.
  Though strickly-speaking a manual which describes the engineering systems of the USN as of World War Two, many of the principals explained pertain to the First World War.
• ----------- Navy Ordnance Activities, World War 1917-1918
  (US) Government Printing Office, 1920.
  Lots of information on the organisation of the Bureau, the people, its wartime expansion, and best of all: some detailed technical information.
• ----------- The United States Railway Batteries in France
  Naval Historical Center, 1988.
  courtesy of Brooks Rowlett (brooksar@indy.net).
• Alexander, Roy The Cruise of the Raider Wolf
  Garden City Publishing Co., 1941.
  An account of the armed merchant cruiser by a prisoner. (Courtesy of Kevin Foster (kboatman@erols.com)).
• Alger, Philip R.The Groundwork of Practical Naval Gunnery
  United States Naval Institute (1915, second edition 1917).
  As the book's title page says: "A Study of the Principles and Practice of Exterior Ballistics, as Applied to Naval Gunnery". Lots of mathematical formuale, but of interest to the very technically inclined.
• Arnold-Baker, Richard and Commander George P. Cremos HN AVEROF. The ship that Changed the Course of History
  Akritas Publications, 1990 (ISBN 960-7006-32-1)
  80 pages mainly about Balkan Wars (in English), possibly available from:
  Hellenic Maritime Museum
  Akti Themistokleous
  Freattys
  GR-185 37 Pireus
  Greece
  Tel: 4516264
  Fax: 4516822
  (courtesy of Andreas von Mach (A.vMach@VMACH.M.ISAR.DE)
• Attwood, Edward L. The Modern Warship
  Cambridge University Press, 1914.
  A useful little volume written by a noted naval architect of the day for the general reader, explaining the technicalities of warship design and construction.
• Baird, Bob Shipwrecks of the Forth
  ISBN 1 897995 00 8
  (courtesy of clive fennessy (clive.fennessy@BTINTERNET.COM)) Includes "great information" on the sinking of the Campania in the Firth of Forth, 1918.
• Baumgartner, Lothar and Erwin F. Sieche Austro-Hungarian Warships in Photographs, Volume 1 1848-1895
• Baumgartner, Lothar and Erwin F. Sieche Austro-Hungarian Warships in Photographs, Volume 2 1896-1918
• Bassett, Ronald Battle-Cruisers - A history 1908-48
  Macmillan London, 1981.
• Beeler, John Birth of the Battleship: British Capital Ship Design 1870-1881
  Naval Institute Press, 2001
  A very important book which discusses the predecessors of the predreadnoughts which served in World War One: in particular, this book takes another look and defends the skills of the Director of Naval Construction, Nathaniel Barnaby. Definitely should be read in conjunction with Parke's British Battleships.
• Blundell, W. D. G. Royal Navy Battleships 1895-1946
  Almark Publictions, 1973.
  A class-by-class summary.
• Breyer, Siegried Battleships and Battlecruisers 1905-1970
  Doubleday and Company, 1973.
  (translation) A standard reference on every dreadnought ever planned, illustrating their major alterations and brief histories.
• Bridgland, Tony Sea Killers in Disguise
  Naval Institute Press, 1999.
  A popular history that covers the British "Q Ships" and German surface raiders.
• Brook, Peter Warships for Export: Armstrongs Warships 1867 - 1927
  World Ship Society, 1999. (ISBN 0 905617 89 4)
  Available from: World Ship Society, 11 Beechwood Road, Nailsea, North Somerset BS48 2AF, England.
  (courtesy ofRichard Osborne (DROSBORNE@CABLEINET.CO.UK))This book deals with the products of a single shipbuilder, Armstrongs. In the Pre-Dreadnought and Dreadnought eras Armstrongs were warship builders to the world, supplying most smaller and some major ones with battleships and cruisers. The Elswick Cruiser was the most innovative of the designs, but the firm also designed and built battleships and armoured cruisers, submarines and a few destroyers and torpedo craft. In many cases Armstrongs designers were untrammelled by demands from naval staffs and showed what the naval architect could produce when allowed his head. The book contains design and in-service histories of each ship built from the Rendel gunboats of the 1860s and 1870s to the armoured gunboat for Thailand and the submarines for Yugoslavia completed in the 1920s, desides details of many more of the unbuilt designs, particularly of the Dreadnoughts offered to South American and smaller European navies in the years of the great arms race before the Kaiser War. There is also a history of the firm and biographical details of the Chief Designers. This softbacked book of 243 pages contains 160 photographs (many never published before), 93 line drawings (73 by Ian Sturton which include many of the unbuilt designs), 16 tables including a table of all Armstrongs guns, a full bibliography and a comprehensive index.
• Brooks, John Dreadnought Gunnery and the Battle of Jutland- the Question of Fire Control
  Routledge, 2005.
  A very important book that takes another look at the development of RN Fire Control- it describes in detail the technical characteristics of both the Pollen and Dreyer systems, showing that the Dreyer Table wasn't the inferior product that recent historians have claimed it to be. Moreover, the chapter on Jutland is must reading.
• Brown, D. K. The Grand Fleet
  Chatham Publishing, 1999.
  A superb source on the design and construction of the Dreadnought Battlefleet, as well as the vast number of smaller warships. The third volume following Before the Ironclad and Warrior to Dreadnought.
• Brown, D. K. Nelson to Vanguard
  Chatham Publishing, 2000.
  The follow-on volume to his The Grand Fleet, there are a few tidbits that relate to the (shipbuilding) lessons-learned from WW1, and much valuable information on shipbuilding in general.
• Brown, D. K. Warrior to Dreadnought
  Chatham Publishing, 1997.
  Though only the later classes described by Brown were still around during the War, this is a book full of useful information for the serious student of naval architecture - it explains in great detail the reasons and specifics of the major classes of British warships.
• Bullard, Thomas R The Kaiser's Showboats
  [Oak Park, Ill.]: Thomas R. Bullard (Privately printed), 1991.
  A crudely-printed but useful description of the design and careers of the Brandenburg class battleships. (courtesy of Stephen McLaughlin)
• Burdick, Charles The Frustrated Raider: the Story of the German Cruiser Cormoran in World War I
  Southern Illinois Press, 1979.
  An excellent monograph on a generally undistinguished armed merchant cruiser. (Courtesy of Kevin Foster (kboatman@erols.com)).
• Burt, R. A. British Battleships 1889-1904
  Naval Institute Press, 1988.
  An excellent work on the British pre-Dreadnought.
• Burt, R. A. British Battleships of World War One
  Naval Institute Press, 1986.
  An excellent work on the British Dreadnought. This book and the one above tell an almost complete story of the evolution and service of the RN capital ship of the Great War.
• Burt, R. A. British Battleships 1919-1939
  Arms and Armour Press, 1993.
  Though intended as the history of the modernisation of the RN battlefleet between the wars, this is worth examining to see the effects of First World War combat on naval construction.
• Burt, R. A. British Cruisers in World War One
  Arms and Armour Press, 1987. (part of the Warships Illustrated series).
  A pictorial history, not including battlecruisers.
• Burt, R. A. British Destroyers in World War One
  Arms and Armour Press, 1986.
  Chock full of rare photos: useful for the modeller.
• Burt, R. A. German Battleships 1897-1945
  (Warships fotofax). London; New York, N.Y.: Arms and Armour; Distributed in the USA by Sterling Pub.Co., 1989. [48] p. : ill. ; 25 cm. ISBN: 0853689857
  (courtesy of Stephen McLaughlin)
• Burt, R. A. and Trotter, W. P. Battleships of the Grand Fleet
  Naval Institute Press, 1982.
  "A pictorial review of the Royal Navy's Capital Ships in World War One."
• Buxton, Ian Big Gun Monitors
  World Ship Society and Trident Books, 1978.
  The construction and history of these little known RN vessels, which first saw service in WW1.
• Buxton, Ian Metal Industries- Shipbreaking at Rosyth and Charlestown
  World Ship Society 1992.
  Besides being an account of the company itself, this book describes the final fate of many of the veterans of WW1, including those German warships raised from the depths of Scapa Flow.
• Buxton, Ian & Warlow, Ben To Sail No More (Part I)
  Maritime Books, 1997
  A collection of photographs of post-WW2 shipbreaking in the UK. Very sad end for some proud warships, including a few WW1 battleships.
• Bywater, Hector Cruisers in Battle : Naval 'light cavalry' under fire, 1914-1918
  London : Constable, 1939.
  (courtesy Richard Pelvin (Richard.Pelvin@AWM.GOV.AU))
• Campbell, N. J. M. Battle Cruisers: The Design and Development of British and German Battlecruisers of the First World War Era
  (Warship special, 1), Conway Maritime Press; 1978. ISBN: 0851771300
  (courtesy of Stephen McLaughlin)
• Campbell, John Naval Weapons of World War Two
  Conway Maritime Press, 1985.
  Technical specifics of naval weaponry. Though the title would suggest that it is off-topic, quite a few guns and torpedoes saw action in the First World War.
• Colledge, J. J. Ships of the Royal Navy, 2 volumes
  Greenhill Books, 1987 + 1989.
  One of the standard references, as it lists every warship in the Royal and Commonwealth Navies from the 15th century till the present. Name, type, class, basic details, builder and fate are all there. Volume 1 covers the "major" warships, volume 2 "navy-built trawlers, drifters, tugs and requisitioned ships".
• Conway Maritime Press, Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1860-1905
  Conway Maritime Press, 1979
• Conway Maritime Press, Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906-1921
  Conway Maritime Press, 1985
• Conway Maritime Press, Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-1946
  Conway Maritime Press, 1980
  (all courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) ). Probably *the* single sourcebook of modern data on the World's warships of the era.
• Cornford, L. Cope A Century of Sea Trading 1814-1924 - The General Steam Navigation Company, Limited
  A & C Black, Ltd, London, 1924.
  (courtesy of Charles J Swet (cjemsol@JUNO.COM))
• Couhat, Jean Labayle French Warships of World War 1
  Ian Allan, 1974
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Delgado, James P. Lost Warships: An Archaeological Tour of War at Sea
  Douglas & McIntyre, 2001.
  This is actually an interesting book, looking at warship wrecks through history. The best bits are all pre-1900, and the information from the wrecks of the Great War is negligable (and there are a few typos and small errors as well). Nothing of any interest for the student of World War One.
• Dittmar, F. J. and J. J. Colledge British Warships 1914-1919
  Ian Allen, 1972.
  (courtesy of John Roberts) A complete list of all British warships and auxiliaries of WW1 with basic detail of particulars and construction. This includes all the pendant No's of major warships. Very handy reference. And very hard to find.
• Dulin, Robert and Garzke, William Battleships, 3 volumes: United States Battleships in World War II, Allied Battleships in World War II, and Axis and Neutral Battleships in World War II
  Naval Institute Press, 1976, 1980, and 1985.
  Though these 3 volumes concentrate on the World's Second World War battleships, there is much useful information on capital ship design and construction, much of which evolved from lessons learned during the First World War.
• Evans, David Arming the Fleet - the Development of the royal Ordnance Yards 1770-1945
  English Heritage, 2006
  Similar to his Building the Steam Navy. Dockyards, Technology and the Creation of the Victorian Battlefleet 1830-1906, this well-illustrated book covers all the ordnance installations of the Royal Navy- a wealth of information.
• Evans, David Building the Steam Navy. Dockyards, Technology and the Creation of the Victorian Battlefleet 1830-1906
  Conway Maritime Press, 2004.
  The subject is dockyards and machine tools, bricks and mortar, rather than the ships themselves: the infrastructure that build the ships and kept them in service. Much fascinating material, and worth looking at by any student of the Royal Navy.
• Evans, David C. and Mark R. Peattie Kaigun- Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy 1887-1941
  Naval Institute Press, 1997/
  A very thorough and readable book, it is focussed more on the way in which Second World War Japanese naval theory developed. There is almost nothing specific to Japanese naval operations in World War One, but a wealth of material regarding the evolution of the design of Japanese warships of the era.
• Fitzsimons, Bernard (editor) Warships of the First World War
  BPC Publishing // Marshall Cavendish, 1974
  (part of the "History of the World Wars" series) A decent little "popular" introduction to WW1 naval warfare, repleat with lots of photographs and coloured illustrations. Worth picking up if you can find a copy!
• Fleming, H. M. Le Warships of World War 1
  Ian Allan, 1970
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Fraccaroli, Aldo Italian Warships of World War 1
  Ian Allan, 1970
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Freeman, David J. Canadian Warship Names
  Vanwell Publishing, 2000.
  The background behind naming policy of HMC Ships and Shore Establishments, from the very beginning of the RCN in 1910. A must read for anyone researching Canadian Naval history.
• Friedman, Norman Battleship Design and Development 1905-1945
  Mayflower Books, 1978.
  A technical analysis of the various compromises that went into the building of the World's dreadnoughts.
• Friedman, Norman British Carrier Aviation
  Naval Institute Press, 1988.
  The Royal Navy led the world in shipborn aviation during the War.
• Friedman, Norman Naval Firepower - Batleship Guns and Gunnery in the Dreadnought Era
  Naval Institute Press, 2008.
  This is an important book, that describes, in much detail, the fire control systems of the major navies. Most deals with the Royal Navy, in particular the pre-WWI period and the evolution during that war. Be warned: much is highly technical!
• Friedman, Norman U.S. Battleships - An Illustrated Design History
  Naval Institute Press, 1985.
  A very detailed, technical, history of the capital ships of the USN from the Maine of 1886 until the reconditioning of the Iowa class in the 1980's.
• Gregar, Rene Austro-Hungarian Warships of World War I
  Ian Allan, 1976
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Greger, Rene Battleships of the World
  London: Greenhill Books, 1997
  (courtesy of Stephan McLaughlin)
• Greger, Rene The Russian Fleet, 1914-1917
  Ian Allan, 1972
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Groner, Erich German Warships 1815-1945, 2 volumes
  Naval Institute Press, 1990 + 1991.
  (translation) Every German warship ever built, with basic details and plans.
• Grout, Derek Empress of Ireland - the Story of an Edwardian Liner
  Tempus Publishing, 2001.
  A wonderful ship's history of the liner RMS Empress of Ireland, built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1905. She was lost in May, 1914 and is well-known to divers in Quebec. The book itself is full of information on how passenger liners of the era were run, not to mention a must read for anyone interested in the Empress of Ireland, or her sister Empress of Britain.
• Grover, David H. The San Francisco Shipping Conspiracies Of World War One
  Western Maritime Press (677 Rio Vista Drive Napa, CA, USA), 1995
  (courtesy of Alice Horner (aahorner@pacbell.net))
• Hackmann, Willem Seek & Strike
  HMSO, 1984.
  "Sonar, anti-submarine warfare and the Royal Navy 1914-54". The very early development of both passive and active sonar, and a glimpse into the technical establishment of the RN.
• Hampshire, A. Cecil The Phantom Fleet
  White Lion, 1960.
  The story of the merchant ships which were dressed up to play the part of Royal Navy battleships in both World Wars.
• Hampshire, A. Cecil They Called it Accident
  William Kimber, 1961.
  The loss of HMS Natal to an internal explosion - Hampshire postulates that it was probably sabotage. Reference is made to the similar fates of the battleships Bulwark and Vanguard.
• Hockings, Charles Dictionary of Disasters at Sea During the Age of Steam 1824-1962 (2 volumes)
  Lloyds Register of Shipping
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Hodges, Peter The Big Gun- Battleship Main Armament 1860-1945
  Naval Institute Press, 1981.
  The raison d'etre of the capital ship.
• Hoeling, A. A. Lonely Command, A Documentary, the Epic Story of the Emden
  Thomas Yoseloff Inc, 1957.
  Second book by this prolific author. Employs extended quotations from primary works. (Courtesy of Kevin Foster (kboatman@erols.com)).
• Hoehling, A.A The Great War at Sea, The Dramatic Story of Naval Warfare 1914-1918
  Arthur Barker Ltd., 1965
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Hohenzollern, Prince Franz Joseph Emden
  Herbert Jenkins LTD, no date.
  Account of Emden's entire cruise by her second torpedo officer. He mentions missing "good German beer" several times. (Courtesy of Kevin Foster (kboatman@erols.com)).
• Hone, Thomas C., Norman Friedman, Mark D. Mandeless American + British Aircraft Carrier Development 1919-1941
  Naval Institute Press, 1999.
  An important book for those looking at the performance of these two navies during the Second World War (with further evidence that both navies were very air-minded), there are only brief references to the First World War period.
• Hough, Richard Dreadnought- A history of the Modern Battleship
  Macmillan Publishing, 1975.
  A very good introduction to this fascinating topic.
• Hough, Richard The Big Battleship
  Michael Joseph, 1966.
  The story of HMS Agincourt, taken over by the RN at the start of the First World War. To this day, she holds the record for carrying the largest number of big guns by a dreadnought battleship (14 - 12" guns in 7 twin turrets). Known as the "Gin Palace" by those who served in her.
• Hough, Richard The Great War at Sea 1914-1918
  Oxford University Press, 1984
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Hovgaard, William Modern History of Warships
  Conway Maritime Press, 1978.
  A reprint of a work that appeared in 1920, it is in effect a textbook on the design and construction of warships from the early 1800's till 1919.
• Howarth, Stephen Morning Glory: A History of the Imperial Japanese Navy
  Hamish Hamilton, 1983
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) ) Brooks Rowlett points out that the American edition is entitled The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun.
• Howarth, Stephen To Shining Sea: A History of the United States Navy
  Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1991
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Hoyt, Edwin P. The Last Cruise of the Emden
  The Macmillan Company, 1966.
  A good non-academic narrative of the raiding voyage of the famous light cruiser. (Courtesy of Kevin Foster (kboatman@erols.com)).
• Hughes, Captain Wayne Fleet Tactics: Theory and Practice
  Naval Institute Press, 1986
  Strictly speaking, this text is intended for the "modern" (ie late 20th Century cold warrior) naval officer. Nevertheless, there is some good material in here that any student of naval warfare should ponder, and the section on Jutland, albeit tiny, is worth reading.
• Hurd, Sir Archibald The Merchant Navy (3 volumes)
  John Murray, 1929
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Hyde, Francis E. Cunard and the North Atlantic: 1840-1973
  Macmillan (UK) and Humanities Press of Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey (US), 1975 (ISBN 0-391-00384-4)
  (courtesy of Keith E. Allen (KEACLA1@AOL.COM)) The standard business history of Cunard, "not easy to find."
• Imrie, Alex German Naval Air Service
  Vintage Aviation Fotofax series Arms & Armour Press, 1989
  (courtesy of Rafael Frenandez (rfernandezc.culligan-esp@nexo.es)).
• Jane, Fred T. (and others) Jane's Fighting Ships
  Sampson Low Marston, various years (also reprinted- Arco Press)
  The classic naval annual- the "ultimate catalogue". Very useful, especially for the lesser ships and navies, but it must be remembered that these were based on the information that was released to the public at that time. Much has been superseded by modern works, but these are still collectors items.
• Jane, Fred T. The British Battle-Fleet
  SW Partridge & Company, 1912, reprinted by Conway Maritime Press, 1997.
  Very dated now, but a useful summary of the evolution of the British Battle Fleet.
• Jenkins, Commander C. A. HMS Furious - Aircraft Carrier, 1917-1948, Part 1: the First Eight Years (Warship Profile #23)
  Profile Publications, 1972.
• Jenkins, E. H. A History of the French Navy
  MacDonald and Jane’s, 1973
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Jentschura, Hansgeorg, Jung, Dieter, and Mickel Peter Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1869-1945
  Naval Institute Press, 1978.
  (translation) Every ship, every class in the IJN, illustrated with photos and drawings.
• Jones, Geoffrey Battleship Barham
  William Kimber, 1979.
  A biography of the ship which led the 5th Battle Squadron at Jutland.
• Jones, J. Michael Historic Warships: A directory of 140 Museums and Memorials Worldwide, with Histories
  McFarland & Co, 1993
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Johnson, Brian Fly Navy: The History of Maritime Aviation
  David & Charles, 1981
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Kent, Captain Barrie Signal! A History of Signalling in the Royal Navy
  Hyden House, 1993.
  Very good coverage of the War and Jutland.
• Keys, Dick and Ken Smith Down Elswick Slipways- Armstrongs Ships and People 1884-1918
  Newcastle City Libraries (ISBN 1 85795 037 2)
  (courtesy of Clive Fennessy (clive.fennessy@BTINTERNET.COM))
• King, Cecil H.M.S. - His Majesty's Ships and Their Forbears
  The Studio Publications, 1940 (third edition is 1941).
  A wartime publication that is a popular history of the RN, with a useful appendix showing the antecedents of HM Ships at the start of the Second World War. There are a few pages dealing with the First War, but nothing of particular value.
• Lacroix, Eric and Linton Wells Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War
  Naval Institute Press, 1997.
  Although the emphasis is on the Second World War, there is a tremendous amount of information on the ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy of the World War One era as well as Japanese procedures and tactics. This is a massive book (some 850 pages) well worth it's admittedly massive price. It is an expansion of the series on Japanese "A" Class cruisers, originally published in Warship International.
• Lambert, Nicholas A. Sir John Fisher's Naval Revolution
  University of South Carolina Press, 1999.
  This book is must reading for anyone with a serious interest in the development of the Royal Navy immediately before the outbreak of the war. Lambert shows convincingly that Fisher wanted British naval power to be built on battle cruisers for the open oceans and torpedo craft, both destroyers and submarines, in the narrow seas.
• Langensiepen, Berndt The Ottoman Steam Navy 1828-1923
  Conway Maritime Press, 1992 (ISBN 0-85177-610-8)
  (courtesy of the author himself) 200 photos, 50 line-drawing, map. A list of every Ottoman warship with technical data and fate from battleships downwards. It has been translated into Turkish: Osmanli Donanmasi 1828-1923 (2000 Denizler Kitabevi, Istanbul ISBN 975-94818-2-0), which has a few more photos.
• Larn, Richard The Shipwreck Index of the UK (4 volumes)
  Lloyd's Register of Shipping
  (Courtesy of Barbara Jones (barbara.jones@lr.org), first posted to MARHST-L in 1998)
  The Shipwreck Index of the UK is the result of a lifetime's work of the ex Royal Navy diver Richard Larn. Richard and Bridget Larn have researched and dived upon wrecks around the UK for more than 47 years. Richard is much respected in both the diving and historic maritime community. Some of the UK listers may have seen him recently on the programme on the "Hannover" He has also appeared on programmes on the Goodwin Sand wrecks and East Indiamen. All of Richards work is gradually being added to a database and from that Lloyd's Register are publishing the Shipwreck Index in a number of volumes. Vols 1,2 and 3 are available and Vol 4 will be out in September this year. Vol 1 covers the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, Devon and Dorset. Vol 2 covers Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Sussex and Kent, Vol 3 East Coast of England, Vol 4 Scotland, Vol 5 will probably be the West Coast of England and Wales and Vol 6 Ireland. They hope to fit the Channel Islands in somewhere too. All volumes are available from Lloyd's Register of Shipping MIPG/PPMS - Subscriptions, 100 Leadenhall Street, London EC3A 3BP TEL: 0171 423 2752 FAX: 0171 423 2182
• Lautenschlager, Karl Warship Profile 39 - USS Mississippi (BB23) Greek Kilkis
  Profile Publications, 1973
• Layman, R. D. Before the Aircraft Carrier: The Development of Aviation Vessels 1849-1922
  Conway Maritime Press, 1989
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Layman, R. D. Naval Aviation and the First World War- It's Impact and Influence
  Naval Institute Press, 1996.
  This book is a must-read for anyone interested in aviation and/or Great War naval history. Replete with details and references, Layman demonstrates how the naval officers of most countries were very keen to use aircraft, and that contrary to popular opinion, it was the state of technology rather than "battleship admirals" (a legend which Layman demolishes) which led to the supposed ineffectivness of the naval air arm.
• Layman, R. D. The Cuxhaven Raid: The World's First Carrier Air Strike
  Conway Maritime Press, 1985
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Layman, R. D. and McLaughlin, Stephen The Hybrid Warship
  Conway Maritime Press, 1991.
  "The amalgamation of big guns and aircraft." The early chapters deal with the interesting ideas at the end of and just after the Great War.
• Lochner, R. K. The Last Gentleman of War: The Raider Exploits of the Cruiser Emden
  Naval Institute Press, 1988.
  (translation) A well done modern retelling of the story of Emden. More comprehensive than Hoyt's account (above). (Courtesy of Kevin Foster (kboatman@erols.com)).
• Lyon, David The First Destroyers
  Naval Institute Press, 1996.
  This is a magnificent (and lavishly illustrated) technical history of the first-ever "destroyers"- the Torpedo Boat Destroyers of the Royal Navy. The classes described were obsolete by the beginning of the War, but some did see service: and they are the direct ancestors of those which did fight, on both sides.
• Macpherson, Ken and Burgess, John The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910-1981
  Collins, 1981.
  Every HMC Ship is listed, with a brief summary of her career and photo. The second edition, 1910-1993 was published in 1993.
• Macpherson, Ken and Ron Barrie The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces, 1910-2002
  Vanwell, 2002.
  The third edition of the above book, "SOCNF" as it's known to Canadian naval buffs. Absolutely a must have: It is literally the 'standard reference,' and quite simply deserves to be on the bookshelf of everyone with even a mild interest in Canadian Naval Forces [Bill Schleihauf, 2002].
• Maginley, Charles D. and Collin, Bernard The Ship's of Canada's Marine Services
  Vanwell, 2001.
  A very useful reference on the Canadian government owned ships (other than naval), many of which served in the Great War.
• Manning, T. D. The British Destroyer
  Putnam, 1961
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
  Brooks Rowlett (brooksar@indy.net) adds Manning's THE BRITISH DESTROYER is primarily a listing and photo book. Negligible inormation in the "design history" sense.
• March, Edgar J. British Destroyers 1892-1953
  Naval Institute Press, 1966.
  A well-illustrated history of the various classes of destroyers which served in the Commonwealth Navies. Much good material on the ships which fought during the Great War, as well as their deployments. However, note this comment from Brooks A. Rowlett (brooksar@indy.net):
  I have seen someone describe March's book as a textbook example of how *not* to use Admiralty records, esepecially ship's covers.. The problem with it is that it is very episodic, therefore spotty. It quotes requirements, sometimes, quotes rationale for design decisions, sometimes, often has fascinating anecdotes, but all in all seems poorly organized - yet is filled with gems of data and the occasional very worthy photograph.... Also some of the drawings are reportedly erroneous.
  further supported by Dr. Ian Buxton (I.L.Buxton@NEWCASTLE.AC.UK):

  I agree with Brooks' comments on Edgar March. I met him once in the Admiralty Library in London, with a couple of Ships Covers (official design file on a class) which he was taking back to his home in the Isle of Wight. I asked him how he had got authority to take such official records home. He said Mountbatten had given personal permission.
  Overwhelmed by such access to detailed information, he made little use of any other sources to piece together and tell an integrated story. Hence the very patchy and unsatisfactory nature of his book as a real design history. If it wasn't in the Covers, he wasn't interested. As anyone who has seen Ships Covers (in the National Maritime Museum now) will know, the content depended very much on what the individual constructor pasted in. In general, there is little on post construction history, unless the ship had a major conversion.
  As an example of un-thoroughness, March did not include the launch date of all the destroyers listed, yet they were on hand on the next bookcase in the AL, in the official War Vessels and Aircraft (which had only been declassified up to WW1 then).

• Marder, Arthur J. The Anatomy of British Sea Power
  Frank Cass, 1940.
  "A history of British Naval Policy in the Pre-Dreadnought Era, 1880-1905", furnishing important background to the RN of WW1.
• Marshall, Chris (ed) The Encyclopedia of Ships
  Blitz Editions, 1995.
  A collection of drawings and summaries of some 1,200 ships from pre-history onwards. There are a few famous WW1 veterans included.
• Marshall, Ian Armoured Ships
  Conway Maritime Press, 1990.
  Painting, sketches and some basic narration of the ships of the big gun era.
• McBride, William M. Technological Change and the United States Navy, 1865-1945
  The John Hopkins University Press, 2000.
  Despite a promising title, overall this book is a disappointment. Much revolves around a sort of philosophy of technological evolution, and there is little on the actual details of USN technology (some of which are wrong, anyway). Furthermore, a key hypothesis seems to be the now discredited view of reactionary battleship admirals promoting capital ships despite their being "obsolete" or at least superseded by newer technologies.
• McClement, Fred Guns in Paradise
  McClelland & Stuart, 1968.
  An accurate account of SMS Emden's last and most famous cruise (courtesy of Robert Saldarelli (rjs686@caninet.com)).
• McKee, Fraser The Armed Yachts of Canada
  The Boston Mills Press, 1983.
  These little vessels, thrown into service into the North Atlantic, performed well during both World Wars. McKee has provided a very good volume detailing the origin and services of these little ships.
• McLaughlin, Stephen Russian and Soviet Battleships
  Naval Institute Press, 2003.
  Based on Russian-language sources, this is the English-language book on Russian battleships! The author has provided an errata sheet (Adobe PDF format).
• Messimer, Dwight R. The Merchant U-boat
  Naval Institute Press, 1988.
  The "adventures of the Deutschland", the German merchant submarine.
• Moss, Michael and Iain Russell Range and Vision- the First Hundred Years of Barr & Stroud
  Mainstream Publishing, 1988.
  Written to commemorate the centennial of the noted Scottish engineering firm, there is a great deal of information dealing with the supply of optical equipment, especially rangefinders, to the world's navies.
• Mucke, Kapitanleutnant Hellmuth von The "Ayesha", Being the Adventures of the Landing Squad of the "Emden"
  Ritten and Company, 1917.
  (translation) Told by Emden's first officer, the "Ayesha" tells of separation from Emden when she was sunk at remote Keeling Island, and the schooner's trip across the Indian Ocean and travel overland to Constantinople. (Courtesy of Kevin Foster (kboatman@erols.com)).
• Mucke, Kapitanleutnant Hellmuth von The "Emden"
  Boston, Massachusetts, 1917.
  (translation) History of the light cruiser Emden by her first officer. (Courtesy of Kevin Foster (kboatman@erols.com)).
• Nicholls, Bob The Three-Headed Dog
  Bob Nicholls, 122 Merrigang Street, Bowral NSW 2576 Australia (self-published), 2001
  (bobnich@acenet.com.au)
  A detailed technical history of Her Majesty's Victorian Ship Cerebus, an ancestor of the classic battleship. She was out of service before the start of the Great War, though still in use as a hulk, but her importance warrants inclusion her. A first rate book, too.
• Niezychowski, Count Alfred von The Cruise of the Kronprinz Wilhelm
  Doubleday, Doran & Company, 1931.
  The history of a passenger liner turned successful armed merchant cruiser. When unable to obtain coal she was interned at then neutral Newport News, Virginia (USA). (Courtesy of Kevin Foster (kboatman@erols.com)).
• Padfield, Peter Guns at Sea
  Hugh Evelyn, 1974.
  The story of the "great gun" from the earliest cannon onwards. Useful background information.
• Padfield, Peter The Battleship Era
  Pan Books, 1975.
  A popular account of the development of the battleship.
• Parkes, Dr Oscar British Battleships
  Archon Books, 1970.
  The design, construction, armament and service summaries of all RN capital ships from the 1850s until HMS Vanguard, built during the Second World War. Though some of the information has been superseded with more recent books, this is the original, "classic" reference.
• Patience, Kevin Konigsberg: A German East African Raider
  Published by the author and copyright held by Kevin Patience, P.O. BOX 669, Bahrain (e-mail patience@batelco.com.bh), 1997.
  (courtesy of Edward Wittenberg (ewitten507@aol.com), his comments are: I would recommend "Konigsberg: A German East African Raider" by Kevin Patience. The book has a really interesting section (photographs of Royal Naval Air Service seaplanes included) dealing with the observation flights and bombing raids carried out by RNAS pilots during the period the Koingsberg was hold up in the Rufiji River. I obtained my copy direct from the author as the book is not in wide circulation. His e-mail address is patience@batelco.com.bh. He works as a salvage diver in the Middle East (Bahrain, I think) and he will send you an autographed copy for -- as of January 1998 -- $26.
• Philbin, Tobias R. SMS Konig
  Profile Publications, 1973. (part of the Warship Profile series).
  The history of the German battleship which led the German line at Jutland, and now lies on the bottom of Scapa Flow.
• Pollen, Anthony The Great Gunnery Scandal - The Mystery of Jutland
  Collins, 1980.
  The history of Arthur Pollen's attempt to provide fire control instrumentation to the Royal Navy by his son.
• Power, Hugh Battleship Texas
  Texas A&M University Press, 1993.
  Almost a photo-essay in book form, this is a well-illustrated history of the USS Texas which served with the British Grand Fleet, and is now preserved in Houston.
• Preston, Anthony Destroyers
  Bison Books Ltd,1977.
  (courtesy of Oliver Hawes (willabee@TINET.IE))
• Preston, Anthony Battleships of World War I
  Galahad Books, 1972.
  A useful reference to the capital ships of every country which took part in the War.
• Ranft, Bryan Technical Change and British Naval Policy 1860-1939
  Hodder and Stoughton, 1977
  A compendium of essays (each listed separately under the "Papers" entry) dealing with the introduction of such things as torpedoes, ship design, etc. A very useful source.
• Raven, Alan and Roberts, John Queen Elizabeth Class Battlships
  Bivouac Books, 1975. (part of the Ensign series).
  A technical history of this class of British battleships.
• Rawlinson, John L. China's struggle for naval development, 1839-1895
  Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1967
  (courtesy of Steve McLaughlin) Although this is more of a policy-oriented book, and is quite scholarly, the author does include an appendix of ships known to have served with the Chinese navy in the era studied, with notes as to characteristics and fates -- as well as including the names in Chinese characters.
• Raymond, Brent Tracing the Built Form of HMC Dockyard
  Maritime Museum of the Atlantic // Nova Scotia Museum (Halifax, Nova Scotia), 1999
  A short summary with plans of the naval dockyard in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
• Reilly, John C. and Scheina, Robert American Battleships 1886-1923
  Naval Institute Press, 1980.
  "Predreadnought Design and Construction" according to the dust cover, this is a very good description of some oft overlooked vessels.
• Reynolds, Francis The United States Navy from the Revolution to Date
  P. F. Collier & Son, 1917
  (courtesy of Michael Craig (michaels@mpinet.net))
• Ritchie, Carson I. A. Q-Ships
  Terence Dalton, 1985
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Ritchie, L. A. (editor) The Shipbuilding Industry - A Survey of Historical Records
  Manchester University Press, 1992.
  (courtesy of Malcolm McRonald.(mcronald@PEARTREE.U-NET.COM) ) "It tells you where any known records of all British shipbuilders are kept."
• Roberts, John Battlecruisers
  Naval Institute Press, 1997
  A thorough technical description of the development of the Royal Navy's battlecruisers during World War One - very definitely the source! Despite the broader nature suggested by the title, only British ships are documented, and that ends as of 1918.
• Roberts, John British Warships of the Second World War
  Naval Institute Press, 2000.
  The book looks at sample plans from the National Maritime Museum's collection - some, of course, are of ships that served in the First World War, and there is some useful background information on the design and drawing process of that earlier era.
• Roberts, John The Battlecruiser Hood
  Conway Maritime Press, 1982.
  Hood, of course, was laid down in the First World War and epitomised the thinking of 1916.
• Roberts, John The Battleship Dreadnought
  Conway Maritime Press, 1992. (part of the Anatomy of the Ship series)
  Detailed graphical description of the battleship that gave her name to the term "dreadnought".
• Robinson, Douglas H, The Zeppelin in Combat: A History of the German Naval Airship Division, 1912-1918
  G T Foulis, 1971
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Ropp, Theodore The Development of a Modern Navy, French Naval Policy 1871-1904
  US Naval Institute, 1987.
  (courtesy of Kevin J. Foster (kboatman@EROLS.COM))
• Roskill, Captain S. W. (editor) Documents Relating to the Naval Air Service, volume 1
  Navy Records Society, 1969.
  The origin of British Naval Aviation and the Royal Air Force.
• Roskill, Captain S. W. Naval Policy Between the Wars (2 volumes)
  Collins, 1968 + 1976.
  Much useful information on late WW1 developments, and a very good chapter on the 1919 and onwards intervention in Russia.
• Roskill, Captain S. W. HMS Warspite
  First Futura Publications, 1974.
  A biography of the battleship.
• Ruge, Vice-Admiral Professor F. SMS Seydlitz
  Profile Publications, 1972. (part of the Warship Profile series).
• Ruge, Vice-Admiral Professor F. SMS Torpedoboat B.110
  Profile Publications, 1973. (part of the Warship Profile series).
  The construction and ship's history of the German torpedo boat.
• Ruge, Friedrich Scapa Flow 1919, The End of the German Fleet
  Ian Allan, 1973
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Schmalenbach, Paul German Raiders
  Naval Institute Press, 1979.
  (translation) German auxiliary warships from 1895-1945.
• Silverstone, Paul U. S. Warships of World War I
  Ian Allen (and Doubleday in the US), 1970.
  The only encyclopaedic listing of US ships during the period, based on original research.
• Simpson, Colin The Ship that Hunted Itself
  Stein and Day, 1977.
  German Cap Trafalgar and British Carmania, similar passenger liners, were converted into armed merchant cruisers at the start of the War. They masqueraded as each other, and fought: Carmania sank Cap Trafalgar. (Courtesy of Kevin Foster (kboatman@erols.com)).
• Skulski, Janusz The Battleship Fuso (part of the Anatomy of the Ship series
  Conway Maritime Press // Naval Institute Press, 1998.
  Very data-rich, just like the other "Anatomies". Most of the information pertains to her career in the Second World War, but there is quite a lot about her original design and appearance: one of the more powerful battleships of the Great War era.
• Smith, Peter C. Battleship Royal Sovereign and Her Sister Ships
  William Kimber, 1988.
  Mostly deals with the "R-class" during their service in the Second World War.
• Sondhaus, Lawrence The naval policy of Austria-Hungary, 1867-1918 : navalism, industrial development, and the politics of dualism
  Purdue University Press, 1994.
  (courtesy of Steve McLaughlin (STEVEM@SFPL.LIB.CA.US)).
• Stillwell, Paul Battleship Arizona
  Naval Institute Press, 1991.
  Though this book deals primarily with her service between the wars and final loss at Pearl Harbor, this is a good example of a well-illustrated (popular) ship's history. Arizona only went over to Europe after the Armistice in November, 1918.
• Stockbridge, Frank Parker Yankee Ingenuity in the War
  Harper & Brothers, 1920.
  (Courtesy of Bradley Omanson (homanger@wstcm1.westco.net), this was posted on WW1-L in early 1998).
  Table of Contents: Mobilization of Science & Industry; The Liberty Motor; The Creation of the Airplane Industry; American Military Airplanes; Aerial Photography & Airplane Equipment; The Chemical Conquest of the Air; Potash, Sulphuric Acid & Dyestuffs; Poison Gas; A Revolution in Ship-Building; Some Extraordinary Ship-Building Feats; The "Eagle" Boats; Some Yankee Tricks in Undersea Warfare; The Wonders of War Wireless; Cotton Balloons & Fire-Proof Dirigibles; Motorizing the Army; Yankee Weapons; Camouflage & Counter-Camouflage; Dollar-Saving Discoveries & Devices; Medical & Surgical Achievements. 372 pp.
• Sumida, Jon Tetsuro In Defence of Naval Supremacy
  Unwin Hyman, 1989.
  A most important work describing the "Fisher reforms", gunnery and fire control within the Royal Navy.
• Taprell-Dorling, Captain Swept Channels - Being an Account of the Work of the Minesweepers in the Great War
  London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1935
  (courtesy of Leonard Barnett (Lenny@BARNETTRESEARCH.FREESERVE.CO.UK))
• Tarrant, V. E. Battlecruiser Invincible
  Naval Institute Press, 1986.
  The history of the first battlecruiser - HMS Invincible. Nice selection of photographs.
• Tarrant, V. E. Battleship Warspite
  Naval Institute Press, 1990.
  Standard ship's history of a battleship which saw active service in the two world wars.
• Taylor, John C. German Warships of World War 1
  Ian Allan, 1970
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Taylor, Bruce The Battlecruiser HMS Hood. An Illustrated Biography 1916-1941
  Naval Institute Press, 2005.
  This is almost the final word on Hood, and a book that raises the bar for any author contemplating any ship history. A spectacular book, although obviously the emphasis is on the ship's career and crew well beyond the Great War era. Worth reading by anyone interested in the Royal Navy between 1900 and 1945.
• Turner, Robert The Pacific Princesses
  SoloNis Press, Victoria 1977
  (courtesy of Alistair Deayton (Alistair@DEAYTON.FREESERVE.CO.UK)) May contain a brief mention on the Princess Irene, a former Canadian Pacific liner taken over as a minelayer in 1914.
• Vat, Dan van der The Last Corsair
  Panther Book, published by Granada 1984.
  (courtesy of Tom Kuiper (kuiper@dsnra.jpl.nasa.gov)) "The story of the Emden - an excellent read."
• Vat, Dan van der The Ship that Changed the world: The Escape of the Goeben to the Dardanelles in 1914
  Hodder & Stoughton, 1985
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Vego, Milan N. Austro-Hungarian naval policy, 1904-14
  Frank Cass, 1996
  (courtesy of Steve McLaughlin (STEVEM@SFPL.LIB.CA.US)).
• Watton, Ross The Battleship Warspite
  Naval Institute Press, 1986. (part of the Anatomy of the Ship series)
  A superb, graphical treatment of the famous British battleship.
• Watts, Anthony J The Imperial Russian Navy
  Arms and Armour, 1990
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) )
• Williams, David Wartime Disasters at Sea; Every Passenger Ship Loss in World War I and II
  Patrick Stephens, 1997
  (courtesy of Gordon Smith (gordon.smith4@virgin.net) ) Includes all AMC's.
• Williams, David Naval Camouflage 1914-1945
  Naval Institute Press, 2001
  A must-read for anyone interested in the topic: a full description of all the "patterns" and techniques. NB: only a few ships are actually illustrated.
• Wingate, John HMS Dreadnought
  Profile Publications, 1970. (part of the Warship Profile series).
  Her history.
• Whitfield, Douglas (compiled and edited by Douglas C. Whitfield junior) M.33 A Diary. Written in Action by Douglas WHitfield 1900-1956
  Fareham, Hampshire [Douglas C. Whitfield, Jnr.], 1990.
  (contributed by Steve Mclaughlin (STEVEM@SFPL.LIB.CA.US) The monitor HMS M-33 is currently being restored in HM Dockyard, Portsmouth.
• Wise, S. F. Canadian Airmen and the First World War, volume 1 of The Official History of the Royal Canadian Air Force
  University of Toronto Press, 1981.
  There is a significant amount of information on the use of airpower by the Royal Navy as well as the work of the Royal Naval Air Service.

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