Small craft with a big wartime role
The Petrol Navy, by Steve R Dunn
If you're looking for a different view of the First World War at sea, The Petrol Navy is an admirable addition to your collection.
Steve R Dunn charts the history of small petrol vessels, starting with the development of motor yachts in the 1900s and the recognition that suitably armed versions could fill a strategic gap.
He covers technical development, the crewing of the vessels by gentleman amateur sailors, and the vessels' vital role in the convoys of the Great War, with details of the actions they were involved in. It's an international work that goes into the use of such vessels by the USA Germany, France and Italy as well as the British Royal Navy.
The Petrol Navy
By Steve R Dunn
Seaforth Publishing, £25
ISBN: 978 13990 62855
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