Although the war in the Pacific is usually considered a carrier war, it was the cruisers that dominated the early fighting. This thrilling duel presents the cruiser clashes during the battles for Guadacanal , highlighting the Battle of Savo Island and the Battle of Cape Esperance. The first was a Japanese victory that resulted in the loss of four Allied cruisers. However, in the latter, the Americans managed to turn the tables despite the battle being fought throughout the night. This book presents a view of the design and development of the opposing weapons systems, illustrated with newly commissioned digital artwork. It uses firsthand accounts to bring the battles to life and explain why the Americans suffered early on, but eventually had their revenge.

The Imperial Japanese Navy went to war with 17 light cruisers and another three cruiser-sized training ships. Of these, most were 5,500-ton ships designed to act as destroyer squadron flagships. This made them much different in capabilities and mission from their American counterparts. During the war, the Japanese built another five light cruisers, all but one of which maintained the design premise of being able to serve as destroyer squadron flagships. During the war, Japanese light cruisers were active throughout the Pacific performing many missions in addition to their flagship duties. Mark Stille continues Osprey's coverage of the IJN of WWII with this concise and complete study of all 25 ships, from their design and development to their ultimate fates. Detailed Osprey artwork and rare period photographs from the Fukui collection held in Kure, Japan illustrate this discussion.

Designed with little more than a passing nod to the international naval treaties of the inter-war period, the Imperial Japanese Navy's heavy cruisers were fast and heavily armed. Like the other vessels of the Japanese Navy, the heavy cruisers were technologically superior to and far more innovative than their Allied rivals, whom they met in many of the major Pacific Theatre battles, including Midway and Leyte Gulf. Mark Stille continues his study of the IJN of WWII with this fascinating topic, addressing the design and development of all 18 ships in the six heavy cruiser classes, from pre-war construction and mid-war alterations, to their operational histories and eventual fates.

This superbly illustrated study explores the epic clashes of British and German heavy cruisers at the beginning of World War II. The opposing heavy cruisers of the German Kriegsmarine and the Royal Navy engaged in a global game of cat and mouse during the opening years of World War II. This was a period in which the heavy cruiser still reigned supreme in open waters, with the opposing sides reluctant to risk their battleships, and aircraft yet to dominate the seas. These swift vessels fought each other in the South Atlantic, North Atlantic, the frigid waters of the Denmark Strait and the Arctic approaches to Russia, capturing the public imagination in the process. This fascinating and beautifully illustrated book examines the design, development and technical performance of these opposing warships, and explores the clashes between them at the Battle of the River Plate in December 1939, the Christmas Day Battle 1940 and the Battle of the Denmark Strait in May 1941. The ships examined include the Deutschland-class Panzerschiffe and Admiral Hipper-class cruisers, and the Royal Navy County- and York-class heavy cruisers.

During World War II, the United States built 72 light cruisers of various classes. In response to the severe air threat that surface ships faced, new cruisers were designed with increasingly heavy antiaircraft weaponry as well as the traditional 6in guns. With the speed and range to keep up with aircraft carriers, and their considerable antiaircraft capability, they were a mainstay of the carrier escorts. This book examines every US light cruiser produced, including those of the Fargo and Worcester classes, which were actually complete after World War II had ended, tracing their design, development and evolution throughout the war and beyond.

The IJN was a pioneer in naval aviation, having commissioned the world's first carrier, which was used against the US fleet at Pearl Harbor. The Americans followed suit, initiating a huge aircraft carrier development program. As the War in the Pacific escalated into the largest naval conflict in history, the role of the carrier became the linchpin of American and Japanese naval strategy as these rival vessels found themselves locked in a struggle for dominance of this critical theater. This book provides an analysis of the variety of weaponry available to the rival carriers, in particular the embarked aircraft as well as the powerful ship-borne guns. Study the design and development of these revolutionary ships and 'live' the experiences of the rival airmen and gun crews as they battled for victory in a duel of skill, tenacity and guts.

Although the war in the Pacific is usually considered a carrier war, it was the cruisers that dominated the early fighting. This thrilling duel presents the cruiser clashes during the battles for Guadacanal , highlighting the Battle of Savo Island and the Battle of Cape Esperance. The first was a Japanese victory that resulted in the loss of four Allied cruisers. However, in the latter, the Americans managed to turn the tables despite the battle being fought throughout the night. This book presents a view of the design and development of the opposing weapons systems, illustrated with newly commissioned digital artwork. It uses firsthand accounts to bring the battles to life and explain why the Americans suffered early on, but eventually had their revenge.