Gary Staff Livres

This is the most comprehensive study yet in the English language of the German Imperial Navy's battlecruisers that served in the First World War. Known as Panzerkreuzer, literally 'armoured cruiser', the eight ships of the class were to be involved in several early North Sea skirmishes before the great pitched battle of Jutland where they inflicted devastating damage on the Royal Navy's battlecruiser fleet.?In this new book the author details their design and construction, and traces the full service history of each ship, recounting their actions, largely from first-hand German sources and official documents, many previously unpublished in English. Detailed line drawings and maps augment the text throughout, as do a wealth of contemporary photos that depict the vessels at sea as well as in dock, where details of damage sustained in action and many aspects of their design can be viewed in close up. A superb series of full-colour, specially-commissioned computer graphics show full length profiles and top-down views of each ship in precise and clear detail. ?This stunning book is a major new contribution to German naval history in this country and will become a 'must-have' volume on the shelves of historians, enthusiasts and modellers and indeed for anyone interested in the navies of the First World War and steel warships in general.

Draws on first-hand accounts and archival material from both sides of an important yet little known battle, the most successful combined op of the Great War.

In late 1917, the Russians, despite the revolution, were still willing to continue the war against Germany. This is an account of Operation Albion, the highly successful sea borne operation launched by the Germans to change their minds. The Baltic Islands were pivotal for the defense of the Finnish Gulf and St. Petersburg, so their capture was essential for any campaign towards the Russian capital. Only after the fall of the islands did Russia begin peace negotiations (freeing nearly half a million German soldiers for the Kaiser's last gamble on the Western Front). This then was a campaign of great significance for the war on both Eastern and Western fronts.A large part of the High Sea Fleet took part in the invasion of the Baltic islands, including the most modern dreadnought battleships. The Russians mounted a resolute defense despite being heavily outgunned and over a ten day period there were many naval clashes around the islands as well as the campaign ashore, all of which are described in detail with the use of both Russian and German first hand accounts.This book shatters the myth that the Imperial German Navy spent the last two years of the war cowering in port.

Discusses the concept of the Battlekreuzer. This book details individual ship histories with particular emphasis upon the German Groerkreuzers' battle experience and deployment in conflict, and it includes a variety of official records and uses personal first-hand accounts.

The cruisers of the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserlische Marine) were active throughout the First World War and saw action all around the globe, tying up valuable Allied naval resources out of all proportion to their number. Drawing on firsthand accounts and original research in German archives, the author here describes in detail some of their most significant and/or audacious battles. Some are well known, such as their role at Jutland, Goeben's attack on the Russian fleet (which brought Turkey into the war) and the sagas of Konigsberg and Emden; but others have been unduly neglected. Gary Staff deliberately focuses on the latter to bring new material to the attention of the reader and to demonstrate the global span of the cruisers' activities. The blow-by-blow accounts of the action (drawing heavily on firsthand Allied and especially German accounts) are supported by dozens of photographs, many previously unpublished, from the author's own impressive collection. The battles described include: Helgoland Bight, August 1914; Coronel, November 1914; Falklands December, 1914; Doggerbank, January 1915; Goeben and the Russian fleet, Black Sea, May 1915; Ostergarn July 1915; Jutland, 1916; Second Heligoland Bight, November 1917; Imbros, January 1918.

Quite correctly the Derfflinger class was considered to be the best battle cruisers completed up until the end of the First World War. Aesthetically they were also the most handsome. Design work was begun in October 1910 and continued until October 1912. Derfflinger had the sisterships Lützow and the near sister Hindenburg. The design represented the change to a new generation of German Großen Kreuzer. After the final design of cruiser J there were still outstanding issues for the following design. In April 1910 the General Navy Department was asked to prepare the requirements for the cruiser of 1911. The issues were primarily the number of shafts, machinery and armament. A three shaft arrangement would allow the employment of a diesel engine on the center shaft. The advantages of this were better thermal efficiency, easier transfer of fuel, saving in personnel and the price. The General Department thought the change to 30.5cm caliber was essential. The weight increase of 8 30.5cm guns over 10 28cm guns was just 36 tons and the latest English battleships were fitted with 300mm armor. If the cruisers were expected to fight in the line, the increase was mandatory. However, von Tirpitz disagreed and the matter remained unresolved.

The last ship of the first class of German “Dreadnought” battleships was Ersatz Baden/Posen. The keel for Posen was laid on 11 June 1907 at the Germania Dockyard in Kiel and launching followed on 12 December 1908. The President of the Prussian province of Posen, von Waldow, gave the christening speech and the christening was performed by Fürstin (Princess) Johanna von Radolin. Posen was named after the Prussian Province from 1772 to 1919, and today is known as Poznan province in Poland. On 28 April 1910 Posen was transferred from her construction yard to Kiel Imperial Dockyard and on 31 May was commissioned for the first time. The first pre-trials began on 18 July 1910.

Narrates many of the most significant and audacious actions of the German cruiser force in WW1.

The SMS Blücher was the last armored cruiser built by the German Empire. She was constructed to counter the new armored cruisers rumored as being built by the British. Blücher was larger than preceding armored cruisers and carried heavier guns but was unable to match the size and armament of the battlecruisers which replaced armored cruisers in the British Royal Navy and - later - the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine). When the Germans learned of the true details of these new British ships, called Invincible class, and that they were to be armoured with 12" battleship guns, they realized that the Invincible class was a completely new type of warship, soon to be known as battlecruisers. By the time the Germans learned of this it was too late to turn back and construction of the Blücher took place as scheduled. The ship was named after the Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard von Blücher, the commander of the Prussian forces at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

* 31st May 2016 will be the 100th anniversary of this pivotal battle * Largest naval battle of the WW1, unique general action between dreadnought fleets * Though tactically inconclusive, the battle was strategically decisive as the German High Seas Fleet failed to break out. * Many aspects of the battle still controversial, much discussion of f