Granville, Wilfred and Kelly, Robin A.,

INSHORE HEROES - The Story of HM Motor Launches in two World Wars.

W. H. Allen, London, 1961 1st. edn., 320pp, half tone photo frontis, 12pp half tone photo ills., 3 in text maps, red cloth lettered in gilt at spine, coloured pictorial dustwrapper by Alan Plummer, a history of the development and operational use of the Royal Navy's motor launches during WW1 (pp 13-59) including Zeebrugge, and WW2 (pp 63-295), with the emphasis on RN Coastal Forces of WW2 when the MLs and HDMLs formed the 'maids-of-all-work' of routine naval duties including escort, minelaying, minesweeping, etc. whilst the faster MGBs and MTBs had much of the glamour, covering the design development of the early vessels, the training programme for their officers and crews at HMS St Christopher (Fort William), further training in anti-submarine duties at HMS Sea Hawk (Ardrishaig), engineer training and drafting at HMS Attack (Portland) and working up crews at into operational units at HMS Bee (Weymouth), with accounts of their exploits in home waters including the operation againt St. Nazaire, in the Mediterranean, the naval contribution to the invasion of Normandy and in the far east, with appendices of vessel specifications, strength and losses in each war, an uncommon title, upper edge dusty, all edges tanned, dustwrapper: price clipped, a little rubbed and creased at extrems., slight loss at tail of spine and flap folds, repaired to reverse, very goood in a very good dustwrapper,

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Book number: 44140

Catalogue: WW2 - Navy - Coastal Forces, Clandestine Naval Ops and Landing Craft

Keywords: war ww2 navy coastal forces zeebrugge st nazaire 43132

Gretton, Vice-Admiral Sir Peter, KCB, DSO, OBE, DSC,

CONVOY ESCORT COMMANDER.

Cassell, London, 1964, 2nd edn., xvi, 224pp, 20pp half tone photo ills., 4 charts in text, dark blue cloth lettered in gilt at spine, coloured pictorial dustwrapper, at the outbreak of WW2 the author held the rank of Lieutenant and was 1st Lieutenant of a East Coast escort destroyer HMS Vega and then HMS Cossack during her Narvik involvement, before his first command, the destroyer HMS Sabre, then HMS Brocklesby (briefly, escorting Channel convoys), HMS Wolverine and Escort Group B7. The account covers the development of convoy protection and tactics against the u-boats, as well as details of the Atlantic convoys HX231, ONS5, SC130, ON206, ONS20, ON207, ON208 and HX263.edges tanned and lightly foxed, ink stamp 'store' on title, prelims. numbered by hand in ink, several in text corrections to layout, probably the publisher's or printers library copy used to prepare the amendments for a subsequent edition, dustwrapper: surface rubbing and soiling, ink stamp 'store' on upper panel, very good in a good dustwrapper,

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Book number: 45348

Catalogue: WW2 - Navy

Keywords: war ww2 navy destroyer vega cossack altmark sabre brocklesby wolverine convoy operation pedestal malta submarine gibralter frigate b7 group tay hx231 duncan ons5 sc130 on206 ons20 on207 on208 hx263 sunflower

Guttman, John,

DEFIANCE AT SEA - Dramatic Naval War Action.

Cassell, London, 1998, 1st in imprint, trade paperback, 192pp, 16pp half tone photo ills., pictorial upper wrapper, in the Cassell Military Classics series, account of 14 naval actions from 1591-1982, from Grenville's battle in 'Revenge' with multiple Spanish galleons to the Argentinian Navy's submarine San Luis in the Falklands, with further actions including two from WW1 and six from WW2, faint vertical creasing at spine and upper hinge, lightly rubbed at tips, edges tanned, very good plus,

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Book number: 41973

Catalogue: WW2 - Navy

Keywords: war ww1 ww2 navy naval history

Hampshire, A. Cecil,

LILLIPUT FLEET.

William Kimber, London, 1957, 1st edn., 204pp, frontis and 8pp half tone photo ills., [iv] ads., blue/black cloth lettered in gilt at spine, pictorial dustwrapper by W. R. Dalzell, an account of the setting up of the Royal Naval Patrol Service at Lowestoft in 1939, first known as Pembroke 'X' and then as HMS Europa, of the requisition of numerous buildings in the town, of the fighting force of trawlers and drifters converted into warships and the later purpose built Motor and British Yard Minesweepers, engaged in mine-sweeping, hunting u-boats and taking part in all landings from Madagascar to Normandy, with details of a number of incidents involving RNPS vessels including the winning of a VC at Namsos, slightly cocked, gilding dull at spine, edges tanned, dustwrapper: price clipped, rubbed with slight loss at extrems., repaired to reverse, light soiling mainly to lower panel, very good in a very good dustwrapper,

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Book number: 45370

Catalogue: WW2 - Navy - RN Patrol Service, Mines and Minesweeping

Keywords: war ww2 sea navy rnps a/s royal naval patrol service trawler mine minesweeper

Hampshire, A. Cecil,

LILLIPUT FLEET.

New English Library, London, 1976, 1st in imprint, paperback, 204pp, [iv] ads., wraparound coloured pictorial wrappers by Chris Mayger, an account of the setting up of the Royal Naval Patrol Service at Lowestoft in 1939, first known as Pembroke 'X' and then as HMS Europa, of the requisition of numerous buildings in the town, of the fighting force of trawlers and drifters converted into warships and the later purpose built Motor and British Yard Minesweepers, engaged in mine-sweeping, hunting u-boats and taking part in all landings from Madagascar to Normandy, with details of a number of incidents involving RNPS vessels including the winning of a VC at Namsos, edges tanned, old labels lower wrapper, very good plus,

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Book number: 45801

Catalogue: WW2 - Navy - RN Patrol Service, Mines and Minesweeping

Keywords: war ww2 sea navy rnps a/s royal naval patrol service trawler mine minesweeper

Hampshire, A. Cecil,

LILLIPUT FLEET.

New English Library, London, 1976, 1st in imprint, paperback, 204pp, [iv] ads., wraparound coloured pictorial wrappers by Chris Mayger, an account of the setting up of the Royal Naval Patrol Service at Lowestoft in 1939, first known as Pembroke 'X' and then as HMS Europa, of the requisition of numerous buildings in the town, of the fighting force of trawlers and drifters converted into warships and the later purpose built Motor and British Yard Minesweepers, engaged in mine-sweeping, hunting u-boats and taking part in all landings from Madagascar to Normandy, with details of a number of incidents involving RNPS vessels including the winning of a VC at Namsos, edges tanned, rerminder groove upper edge, label lower wrapper, very good,

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Book number: 45802

Catalogue: WW2 - Navy - RN Patrol Service, Mines and Minesweeping

Keywords: war ww2 sea navy rnps a/s royal naval patrol service trawler mine minesweeper

Hampshire, A. Cecil,

THE SECRET NAVIES.

Sphere, London, 1980, 1st in imprint, paperback, 318pp, 8pp, half tone photo ills., maps and diagram in text, [i] ads., coloured pictorial montage upper wrapper, an account of three naval units specialising in clandestine activities during WW2: the 15th Motor Gunboat Flotilla which, apart from the RAF, was the principal means of maintaining communication with occupied Europe; the Royal Marine Boom Patrol Detachment, a cover name for a unit specialising in attacking ships in harbour; and the Intelligence Assault Unit, designated as 30 Commando, which, with and sometimes ahead of the advance troops, sought to gather German secret and technical documents and material before they could be destroyed, edges tanned, spine slightly sunned, very good plus,

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Book number: 45803

Catalogue: WW2 - Navy - Coastal Forces, Clandestine Naval Ops and Landing Craft

Keywords: war ww2 navy marines intelligence commando rncf sabotage coastal forces

Hardy, A. C.,

WARSHIPS AT WORK.

Penguin, Harmonsworth, 1941 reprint, paperback, 144pp, numerous in text line drawings by Lawrence Dunn, landscape format, {4 x 7 inches approx.], pictorial wrappers, a Naval Notebook explaining in text and with line drawings and silhouettes the principal types of warships, describing their different purposes, which at this stage of WW2 were likely to be subject to change, faint foxing to wrappers and prelims, rubbed at extrems., edges well tanned, good,

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Book number: 44324

Catalogue: WW2 - Navy

Keywords: war ww2 navy

Harrison, W.,

SWORDFISH AT WAR.

Ian Allan, Shepperton, 1987, 1st edn., 128pp, half tone photo pictorial double title, half tone photo ills. throughout, diagrams, line drawings and facsimiles in text, oversize (11.5 x 8.5 inches approx.), blue cloth lettered in gilt at spine, pictorial montage dustwrapper, an account of the Fairey Swordfish, designed to meet an Air Ministry requirement for a folding wing two-seat torpedo bomber/fleet spotter for the Royal Navy (RAF personnel still serviced and flew aircraft from ships at the time), the prototype flew in 1934 and the aircraft went into service in 1936, serving as a Fleet Air Arm carrier-borne and catapult mounted aircraft throughout WW2, notably in action at Taranto against the Italian fleet (1940), against the Bismarck (1941) and against the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen in their dash through the English Channel from Brest to Germany (1942), with technical notes, three view drawings, etc., lightly rubbed at tips, dustwrapper: lightly rubbed at tips, near fine in a near fine dustwrapper,

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Book number: 40275

Catalogue: WW2 - Navy

Keywords: war ww2 air ministry raf royal navy fleet air arm fairey swordfish biplane torpedo bomber spotter reconnaisance floatplane norway norwegian campaign taranto italian fleet bismarck ark royal channel dash scharnhorst gneisenau prinz eugen vf45

Harrisson, Lt Cdr J. A. B. and Galsworthy, Lt Cdr H. J.,

P.A.D. or Minesweeper Nonsense Verse.

Warren and Son, Winchester, ND [1944], 55pp, line drawings in text, dark blue paper covered bds. gilt and ruled on upper board, fore- and lower edges uncut, plain lettered dustwrapper, a selection of exchanges of signals, mainly between the commanding officers of two motor minesweepers, U3U and U7U in 1944, with a few others included, in verse and illustrated with line drawings. Subtitled by the author as 'nonsense verse' it is more than that being an example of the banter between vessels working under stress, which sweeping mines undoubtedly was, and is quite uncommon, lightly rubbed at tips, edges of boards a little sunned, edges and enpapers tanned, small coloured bookplate front free endpaper, dustwrapper: tanned and a little foxed, several chips and nicks to edges, repaired to reverse, very good in a very good dustwrapper,

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Book number: 40205

Catalogue: WW2 - Navy

Keywords: war ww2 navy mms mines minesweeping signals verse rnps

Hashimoto, Mochitsura (trans. Commander E. H. M. Colegrave, RN),

SUNK - The Story of the Japanese Submarine Fleet 1942-1945.

Panther Books, London, 1955, 1st in imprint, paperback,192pp, line drawings and map in text, coloured pictorial upper wrapper, an account of the submarine service of the Japanese Navy during WW2 by the former Submarine Commanding Officer, including the attempt by midget submarines at Pearl Harbour, supplying the Guadal Canal garrison, 'Kaitens' - the suicide human torpedo units and the sinking of the Indeanapolis, with appendices of submarines in existence at the outbreak and produced during WW2 with technical details, a little rubbed at extrems., light creasing to wrappers, edges tanned, very good,

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Book number: 45566

Catalogue: WW2 - Navy

Keywords: war ww2 japan navy submarine pacific hawaii pearl harbor harbour guadal canal solomans indeanapolis kaitens human torpedo

Haskell, W. A.,

SHADOWS ON THE HORIZON - The Battle of Convoy HX-233.

Chatham Publishing, London, 1998, 1st edn., 192pp, numerous half tone photo ills and line drawings, plans and diagrams, very dark grey cloth lettered in gilt at spine, col'd pictorial dustwrapper by Peter Hogan, more than an account of an Atlantic eastbound convoy in Spring 1943, a description of the men and vessels involved on both sides, the successes and failures (depending on the viewpoint), the saga of U-175 and the action involving her sinking, with appendices of the composition and progress of the convoy, ills. include USCG Cutters Spencer and Duane, HMCS Skeena and Arvida, HMS Byrony, Offa, Bergamot, Penn, Impulsive and Panther, fine in a fine dustwrapper,

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Book number: 26805

Catalogue: WW2 - Navy

Keywords: war ww2 navy battle atlantic convoy hx233 destroyer corvette submarine u-boat skeena a/s

Haskell, W. A.,

SHADOWS ON THE HORIZON - The Battle of Convoy HX-233.

Chatham Publishing, London, 1998, 1st edn., 192pp, numerous half tone photo ills and line drawings, plans and diagrams, very dark grey cloth lettered in gilt at spine, col'd pictorial dustwrapper by Peter Hogan, more than an account of an Atlantic eastbound convoy in Spring 1943, a description of the men and vessels involved on both sides, the successes and failures (depending on the viewpoint), the saga of U-175 and the action involving her sinking, with appendices of the composition and progress of the convoy, ills. include USCG Cutters Spencer and Duane, HMCS Skeena and Arvida, HMS Byrony, Offa, Bergamot, Penn, Impulsive and Panther, tiny bump upper tip upper board, dustwrapper: short repaired tear upper edge upper panel and several light surface scratches, very good plus in a very good dustwrapper,

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Book number: 28949

Catalogue: WW2 - Navy

Keywords: war ww2 navy battle atlantic convoy hx233 destroyer corvette submarine u-boat skeena a/s

Hastings, Max,

OPERATION PEDESTAL - The Fleet that Battled to Malta 1942.

William Collins, London, 2021, 1st edn., 428 pp., 32pp half tone photo ills., maps at endpapers, black cloth lettered in silver at spine, decorative head and tail bands, photo montage dustwrapper, an epic new account of the attempt to relieve the beseiged island of Malta in 1942 when it was close to starvation. A supply convoy loaded with food and medicsal supplies , ammunition and fuel, fought its way through Italian submarines and German aircraft and was finally successful despite horrifying losses of ships and men, lightly rubbed at tips, dustwrapper: lightly rubbed at tips, near fine in a near fine dustwrapper,

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Book number: 45775

Catalogue: WW2 - Navy

Keywords: war ww2 navy mediterranean convoy pedestal malta ohio eagle manchester cairo foresight

Hichens, Antony,

GUNBOAT COMMAND - The Life of 'Hitch' Lieutenant Commander Robert Hichens DSO*, DSC** RNVR 1909-1943.

Pen and Sword, Barnsley, 2008, reprint, xviii, 348pp, 16pp half tone photo ills., maps in text, black cloth lettered in gilt at spine, coloured pictorial montage dustwrapper, a biography of the author's father, the Cornish country soliicitor who became famous for his exploits in Coastal Forces during WW2 and based on his diaries and his account "We Fought them in Gunboats", Robert Hichens joined the Royal Navy as an experienced yachtsman in October 1939 and found himself commissioned as a Sub-Lt. in the RNV(Supplementary)R, posted to King Alfred for training he passed out in December and was appointed to the fleet minesweeper HMS Halcyon as a Lieutenant, later HMS Niger taking control of gunnery. The biography covers his experiences from his time on the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940 to his death in 1943 when he held the rank of Lt. Cdr., DSO and bar, DSC and 2 bars, in command of the 8th Motor Gun Boat flotilla, and was acknowledged as having made a considerable contribution to the development of the armaments and tactics of the MGB's of RN Coastal Forces, very slightly cocked, dustwrapper: tiny rub at tail of spine, near fine in a near fine dustwrapper,

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Book number: 44166

Catalogue: WW2 - Navy - Coastal Forces, Clandestine Naval Ops and Landing Craft

Keywords: war ww2 navy rncf cornwall coastal forces biography halcyon niger dunkirk beehive