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Taranto: And Naval Air Warfare in the Mediterranean, 1940–1945 Kindle Edition

by David Hobbs (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.7 34 ratings

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“If you only read one book on the development of the Fleet Air Arm and Naval air warfare in the Mediterranean during World War 2 then this should be it.” —Military Historical Society

After the Italian declaration of war in June 1940, the Royal Navy found itself facing a larger and better-equipped Italian surface fleet, large Italian and German air forces equipped with modern aircraft and both Italian and German submarines. Its own aircraft were a critical element of an unprecedented fight on, over and under the sea surface.

The best-known action was the crippling of the Italian fleet at Taranto, which demonstrated how aircraft carriers and their aircraft had replaced the dominance of battleships, but every subsequent operation is covered from the perspective of naval aviation. Some of these, like Matapan or the defense of the “Pedestal” convoy to Malta, are famous but others in support of land campaigns and in the Aegean after the Italian surrender are less well recorded. In all these, the ingenuity and innovation of the Fleet Air Arm shines through—Taranto pointed the way to what the Japanese would achieve at Pearl Harbor, while air cover for the Salerno landings demonstrated the effectiveness of carrier-borne fighters in amphibious operations, a tactic adopted by the US Navy.

The author’s years of archival research together with his experience as a carrier pilot allow him to describe and analyze the operations of naval aircraft in the Mediterranean with unprecedented authority. This provides the book with novel insights into many familiar facets of the Mediterranean war while for the first time doing full justice to the Fleet Air Arm’s lesser known achievements.

“A full and fascinating story.” —Clash of Steel

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Taranto is a solid book. David Hobbs' writing style pulls you into events and propels you through the story. The book is a narrative history with a unique point of view. It is an impressive work of scholarship both in terms of citations as well as illustrations. Taranto is an accessible, engaging book that will appeal to both serious students of naval history and the casual reader looking to increase their knowledge of the period. An outstanding work, Taranto will be a welcome addition to your library." --Armchair General

"Hobbs provides an incredible amount of detailed information in this well-written 456-paqge encyclopedic volume. A testament to this is that his essays mention 58 Naval Fleet Air Arm squadrons and 29 other squadrons (RAF, USN, and USAAF), 60 operations, 57 airfields, and 23 U-boats. Especially valuable are his clear and detailed after-action analyses which pull no punches, and that he situates the well-known actions at Taranto and Matapan in the context of a complete analysis of the war in the Mediterranean. It is certain that Hobbs's years of archival research together with his experience as a carrier pilot allow him to describe and analyze the operations of naval aircraft in the Mediterranean with unprecedented authority. This provides his book with novel insights into many familiar faces of the Mediterranean war while for the first time doing full justice to the Fleet Air Arm's lesser-known achievements." --Naval Historical Foundation

"Taranto and Naval Air Warfare the Mediterranean is a valuable source for some of the most significant events in the history of the FAA." --StrategyPage

"Taranto is an excellent addition to the series of books Hobbs has written involving Royal Navy aviation operations…. For those whose interests lie in history or wargaming, especially those interested in World War II naval aviation, this book is worth reading." --Nautical Research Journal

"David Hobbs has provided a meticulously researched and expertly told operational history of the FAA in the Mediterranean. Highly recommended as a major contribution to overall air power history." --Australian Naval Institute

"Taranto provides a superb overview of the FAA's contributions, not just to the famous Taranto raid (paving the way for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor) but also the support to the Malta convoys via Force H and the North Africa landings…. The narrative detail and period photos will be of use to modellers wanting to replicate Royal Navy aircraft operating in the Mediterranean theatre." --Key Model World

About the Author

DAVID HOBBS served in the Royal Navy as a pilot, and later became the Curator of the Fleet Air Arm Museum. He has since established himself as an authoritative writer on naval aviation topics, with more than a dozen highly regarded books to his name.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B095MBRC34
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Seaforth Publishing (November 30, 2020)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 30, 2020
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 167996 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 443 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1526793830

Best Sellers Rank: #1,044,108 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #398 in 20th Century History of the UK
- #992 in Military Naval History
- #3,336 in Naval Military History

Customer Reviews:
4.7 34 ratings

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Mr. Alan R. Jenkins

Mediterranean Naval Air Service Action

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 21, 2021

Verified Purchase

Genuinely fantastic book, which despite the large cover heading "TARANTO" I was not disappointed to find this was not simply a story of the famous Taranto Swordfish Attack; but a detailed review of the primary operations for the Royal Navy NAS in the Med.

Accompanied by good photographic and detailed maps (including the Taranto Harbour attack); this book outlines the fact that despite the antiquated and obsolete Fairey Swordfish being primary RN attack aircraft during 1940-42 period, its success rate both of sinking of ships and low losses is exceptional. Equally, many deride the Fairey Fulmer Carrier-borne Fighter; which served as task force defence, and became a stout and less than poor aircraft irrespective of being an unwieldy and slow aircraft.

The reader will be introduced to the various NAS squadrons on carriers, Malta and North Africa and the many operations including mine-laying, torpedo attack and dive-bombing, anti-sub and reconnaissance (Swordfish and Albacore) and air defence (Fulmer, Wildcat, Sea-fire, and Sea Hurricane).

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