British Warship Recognition: Volume Ⅶ: Convoy Escorts, Mine Warfare Vessels and Naval Auxiliaries, 1860-1939

摘要

The final volume of this remarkable series is another hefty affair, with a price to match. It is also, perhaps inevitably, the least immediately attractive sounding of the titles, dealing as it does with a large number of rather unglamorous ships that served with the Royal and Dominion Navies during the period. While the bulk of the series has followed Perkins' original arrangement, there have been exceptions where it has made sense to re-order things somewhat. This book is one such, for it actually contains a mixture of material from three of the original volumes, with the final part of Volume Ⅵ (convoy escorts of assorted types, and minesweepers), and then the whole of Volumes Ⅶ and Ⅷ (all manner of minor vessels, harbour craft and auxiliaries). Thus the reader is presented with a huge range of vessels, including sloops from the WWⅠ-era 'Flower' class through to the immediately pre-WWⅡ Bitterns, minesweepers, survey ships, converted minelayers, depot ships, tugs, dredgers, assorted lighters (powered and un-powered), coaling hulks, launches, sailing barges, RNVR drill ships, and so on. The drawings are accompanied by a number of extensive tables of class differences, disposition of ships, and so on.