Background

For directing the 38cm and 15cm guns, Bismarck was equipped with three armored fire control posts (in the conning tower, on the foretop, and on top of the aft superstructure. The main and aft control posts were equipped with 10.5m rangefinders, while the front control post received a 7m rangefinder. Each station was also equipped with optical target givers (Zielgeber C/38 S), two pieces in the aft post and three each in the fore and main posts. Binocular columns were also probably placed in the fire control posts. Veteran Models provides a diagram of the Bismarck showing possible locations for the equipment. The Battleship Bismarck By Stefan Draminski

This book is number 90 in Osprey’s Duel series where they take two opposing forces and compare/contrast them. The two subjects are the Imperial Japanese Navy’s submarines verses the US Navy’s destroyers. The book explains the develop of both these forces before the attack on Pearl Harbor, then goes into greater detail of the next 13 months of fighting until the end of 1942.

The book starts with a four-page introduction detailing Japanese developing submarine tactics of using their force to attack US Navy capital ships in a war of attrition leading up to a decisive grand battle between the fleets. They developed large, fleet submarines that were over 300 feet long and had airplane hangers on them. Whereas, the US Navy’s destroyer force was not training is anti-submarine warfare, but rather using their destroyers surface warfare fighters. These two beginning war strategies did not serve either side well the first year of combat.

Thanks to Osprey Publishing for the review copy and IPMSUSA staff for delivering the book and publishing the review.

Mark Lardas is a real “rocket scientist” who has worked on Space Shuttle analytics and navigation. He is also an accomplished author with at least twelve books on naval topics, and a model maker as well. See his website for more details (www.marklardas.com). He has the gift of dissecting complex subjects (military campaigns) and finding the key fulcrums of change that led to the historical outcomes. He takes a fresh approach to re-analyze with additional information, with an objective, less-jaundiced eye for what really happened. The result is refreshing, especially for something like Tsushima 1905, something naval buffs think they know a lot about.

The Soviet Foxtrot class submarine, known as Project 641, was a diesel-electric powered attack submarine. First commissioned in 1971, they served until 1994 with Soviet and satellite operators. This particular boat first saw service with the Soviet Navy. When the Soviet Union broke up, this boat was in port in Ukraine. The fledgling Ukrainian Navy seized it, becoming the first, and only submarine in Ukraine service. Upon the Russian takeover of the Ukrainian State, the boat reverted to Soviet control. Interesting stuff indeed, and I still can’t pronounce the name!!

Thanks to Osprey Publishing for the review copy and IPMSUSA for the opportunity to review!

This book is a revisit to the naval battles at Narvik, Norway, relatively early in WW2, after the “Phony War” during the winter of 1939-1940. Unlike other Osprey books, this issue is 80 pages (not counting the front/back covers) and packed with expert interpretation and technical facts. The two Battles of Narvik had greater strategic importance than first glance would suggest, but also was the largest scale of destroyer vs. destroyer action in the European theatre.

This book has eleven sections: