Reviews

Customer reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon

jerry barnes

★★★★★
Great book on this class of destroyer: US & British
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2020 – Verified Purchase

Bayard B.
★★★★☆

This is a very thorough book (90+ pages) on the 50 “destroyers for bases” ships that the US transferred to Britain in late 1940. The text describes the ships transferred and the modifications the Royal Navy made to them. Numerous photos and line drawings (deck layout and longitudinal profile) are provided showing the revisions. Tabulations of displacements, dimensions, armament, and machinery horsepower and speed are included.

I thought the most interesting chapters were: Chapter 4 “The Ships,” Chapter 5 “Specifications,” and Chapter 6 “Design” describing the original US designs and construction; Chapter 7 “Material Deficiencies” describing the poor condition of the ships (many of them had been decommissioned and mothballed or preserved out of service in the US for 15 to 20 years); Chapters 8, 9, and 10 describing the British modifications; and Chapter 11 specifically describing the modifications made to HMS “Campbeltown” for its use as a demolition ship against the Normandie dock in St. Nazaire in “Operation Chariot.” Finally, five Appendices describe “Town” class ship losses and merchant ship losses by year and location in WW II.

Chapter 19 “Flush – Deckers in USN Service” describes the conversions into anti- submarine escorts, minelayers, fast minesweepers, and seaplane tenders in the US Navy before and during WW II. While the ships were severely criticized in the Royal Navy, they were not subject to similar criticism in US service. The sub-section “Conclusions” discusses why this was so. Essentially the US ships were refitted to a higher standard than the British ships. US shipyards and the ship-building industry in general operated under entirely different conditions than occurred in Britain.

The Osprey booklet “British Lend – Lease Warships 1940 1945” (2024; 40+ pages) also describes these ships but in much less detail. If you already have this “Town Class” book, there is probably little reason to get the Osprey booklet. Another Osprey booklet “US Flush – Deck Destroyers 1916 – 45” describe the design development histories and the American Navy use of these classes of ships between the two World Wars and during WW II.

Michael.Brocklebank

★★★★☆
Interesting.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2018 – Verified Purchase
Interesting but it neglects to give the names of the British captains.

Gordon Scott
★★★★★
excellent
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 13, 2018 – Verified Purchase
An excellent book with many clear drawings of the different Town class variants including the long range ones and the never built 6in monitor. Also poses the interesting question of why the Royal Navy was so underwhelmed by these destroyers compared with the USN.

Andy Stuart
★★★★★
Excellent treatment of a little-known subject
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2018 – Verified Purchase

This book sets a high target for itself, to describe these fifty warships and to asses their contribution to Britain’s efforts in the Second World War. The author made an excellent job of it. The initial aquisition is covered, the state of the ships on delivery is described, 1/350 scale drawings show the changes made to the class over the war years, and their effectiveness is discussed in sufficient detail. The corresponding use and modifications in US Navy service is also covered.

The book does not give full histories of each individual ship, but these are covered very well in “Destroyers for Great Britain” by Arnold Hague.

Mr. BRIAN JOHN KEMPE
★★★★★
AMERICAN DESTROYERS.WW2
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2019 – Verified Purchase
VERY INFORMATIVE / GOOD PICTURES. SUPER VALUE

 

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