Depth Charge: Royal Naval Mines, Depth Charges & Underwater Weapons, 1914-1945

by Chris Henry

Overview

The history of weapons and warfare is usually written about from the point of view of the battles fought and the tactics used. In naval warfare, in particular, the story of how these weapons were invented, designed and supplied is seldom told. Chris Henry, in this pioneering study, sets the record straight. He describes how, to counter the extraordinary threat posed by the U-boats in the world wars, the Royal Navy responded with weapons that kept open the vital supply routes of the Atlantic Ocean. He also celebrates the remarkable achievements of the engineers and inventors whose inspired work was essential to Britain's survival.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526796431
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	06/14/2021
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.25(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Chris Henry has pursued a career in military museums since 1991. He first worked at the Tower of London, Curator of Artillery at the Royal Armouries Fort Nelson in Portsmouth, head of collections at the Royal Artillery Museum in Woolwich and director of the Museum of Naval Firepower in Gosport. He is now director of the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses at Fraserburgh. His many publications include: The Battle of the Ebro, The Battle of the Coral Sea, Shield of Empire, British Napoleonic Field Artillery, British Napoleonic Siege and Coastal Artillery, The 25 Pounder Field Gun and Napoleonic Naval Armaments.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements vi

Chapter 1 Introduction 1

Chapter 2 Herbert Taylor and the Experimental Mining School at HMS Vernon 18

Chapter 3 Breakthrough! The invention of the depth charge 33

Chapter 4 Depth charges, throwers and pistols 59

Chapter 5 Mines and their complexities 80

Chapter 6 Underwater weapons in other navies 105

Chapter 7 Interest from across the Pond 122

Chapter 8 Between the wars 131

Chapter 9 Prima donnas, crackpots and misfits 141

Chapter 10 Ahead-throwing weapons 156

Chapter 11 X-craft and their charges 171

Chapter 12 Conclusion 181

Appendix: Herbert Taylor's inventions 184

Bibliography 186

Notes 189

Index 194

Editorial Reviews

"...a good literary gateway for delving deeper into this often-arcane maritime history topic."

The Northern Mariner