Ebook: Depth Charge: Royal Naval Mines, Depth Charges and Underwater Weapons 1914-1945

Title Page; Copyright Page; Table of Contents; Acknowledgements; Chapter One -- Introduction; Chapter Two -- Herbert Taylor and the Experimental Mining School at HMS Vernon; Chapter Three -- Breakthrough! The invention of the depth charge; Chapter Four -- Depth charges, throwers and pistols; The depth charge in service; Drill; On the receiving end; Chapter Five -- Mines and their complexities; Independent minefields in home waters; Dover area minefields; The Folkestone -- Cap Gris Nez barrage; The Northern Barrage; The Heligoland Bight minefields; Improvements in minesweeping.;The history of weapons and warfare is usually written from the point of view of the battles fought and the tactics used. In naval warfare, in particular, the story of how these weapons were invented, designed and supplied is seldom told. Chris Henry, in this pioneering study, sets the record straight. He describes how, to counter the extraordinary threat posed by the U-boats in the world wars, the Royal Navy responded with weapons that kept open the vital supply routes of the Atlantic Ocean. He also celebrates the remarkable achievements of the engineers and inventors whose inspired work was es.