Often called the Afridi-class, this destroyer began the tradition of gunnery over torpedoes. However, the class had a frightening lack of anti-aircraft defences, especially against dive-bombers. Th...
The Type 1936 was a large and very powerful design mounting 5.9-inch guns, based on the general layout of the Type 1934. The intended twin turrets were not available in time, so planned armament w...
Although the United States of America contains a vast area of land, almost all of its allies and trading partners are overseas, and those interests require a powerful navy to support them.
The US ...
Submarines: The Gato-class of submarine was the first mass production US submarine class of the Second World War, forming the majority of the United States Navy’s submarine fleet of the war. It wa...
USS Chester supported the landing on Samoa (18-24 January 1942), and after repairs joined TF 17 for the Guadalcanal-Tulagi raid, the attack on Misima Island and the Battle of the Coral Sea, defend...
Built during World War Two, USS Essex was the lead of her class of aircraft carriers. She was commissioned in December 1942 and went on to serve in several campaigns in the Pacific Theatre of oper...
Originally conceived as a light cruiser, USS Houston (second of her name) was reclassified as a heavy cruiser early in her life, serving in the 1930s to protect American interest in the China-Japa...
USS Idaho, the third of three ships of the New Mexico-class of Battleship, was the fourth vessel to bear the name. She was launched in June 1917 and commissioned in March 1919. She was armed with a...
USS New Mexico (BB-40) was the lead of her class of battleship and served with the United States Navy between 1918 and 1946. She was the first ship with a turbo-electric transmission, capable of a...
USS Portland, the lead ship of the Portland class of cruiser, launched in 1932. She completed a number of training and goodwill cruises in the interwar period before seeing extensive service durin...
The Yorktown-class of aircraft carrier were built in a series of three. Of those, only the USS Enterprise survived the war, with the USS Yorktown sunk during the Battle of Midway, and the USS Horn...
Yahagi was the third of the Agano class of light cruiser, intended to be the flagship of a destroyer flotilla. She was completed in December 1943. She participated in the Battles of the Philippine...
Yamato (大和, "Great Harmony") and her sister ship, Musashi, were constructed shortly before the outbreak of World War II. They were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructe...
Zuikaku ( 瑞鶴 “Auspicious Crane”), a Shōkaku-class aircraft carrier, along with her sister ship, were the most successful carriers operated by the Japanese Navy during WW2. The Japanese had learnt ...
Designed in 1939, some 175 Fletcher-class destroyers were commissioned between 1942 and 1944, more than any other class of destroyer. They performed every task expected of a destroyer, including a...
Described as the world’s first “modern” destroyer, twenty-four of the class served in the Imperial Japanese Navy. They were built between 1926 and 1933, and despite being decidedly older than some...
Furutaka was the lead of her two-ship class of heavy cruiser. She was named for the mountain located on the island of Etajima, off Hiroshima bay, directly behind the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy...
The Battle for the Pacific was only the beginning. Victory at Sea is the game of naval combat during the Second World War. Throughout 1939–45, the nations of the world duelled across the ocean...
Kumano was of the Mogami-class, which consisted of four heavy cruisers which served in the Imperial Japanese Navy. These were exceptionally large for light cruisers, but were constructed in such a...
With its distinctive gull-wing, the LN.401 was often confused by allied pilots for the Ju-87 Stuka, leading to many French pilots becoming the victim of friendly fire – in fact, it was sometimes d...
Mogami was the lead ship of her class, which consisted of four heavy cruisers which served in the Imperial Japanese Navy. These were exceptionally large for light cruisers, but were constructed in...
At the time of Italy’s entry into World War Two, she possessed a modern and – on paper at least – highly effective fleet. Four battleships and eight heavy cruisers were available, with three more ...
A Northampton-class vessel, Chicago served in the Pacific during the early years of World War Two. Though surviving attacks by midget submarines in Sydney Harbour and serving in the battle of the C...
A Portland-class heavy cruiser, Indianapolis served as flagship for Admiral Raymond Spruance in 1943 and 1944 as he commanded the actions of the fifth fleet in the central pacific. She was ever-pr...
The lead of her class, she was initially classified as a light cruiser because for relatively thin armour but was later reclassified to a heavy cruiser owing to her 8-inch guns. She served in the ...
The Deutschland-class of warships were relatively small, by battleship standards, but were well armoured and carried the type of armament traditionally seen only on battleships. This led to them be...
With the distinction of having fought on both sides of the war, this aircraft could conceivably fight among the likes of the Bf 109 and Spitfire but mass production did not start until after the w...
One of the most famous carriers of the war, the HMS Ark Royal received many battle honours in its service. The first enemy aircraft shot down by the Fleet Air Arm was with one of her Blackburn Sku...
With carriers planned but not built, Germany’s airpower was limited to launching from airfields far from open water. As such, they were mainly deployed against ships close to mainland Europe. Desp...
There were plans for four ships of the Richlieu-class, with the first two laid down in 1935 and the second pair following in 1935. Gascogne was cancelled and Clemenceau never completed. The last s...
The British air raid on the Italian port of Taranto demonstrated to the world the vulnerability of ships against attacks from the air. The planes of the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy proved a sc...
Sister ship to the Bismarck, the Tirpitz was 2,000 tons heavier and thus the heaviest warship to have ever been produced by a European navy. She served in Norway and the Baltic Fleet acting as a p...
