The World's Greatest Submarines: An Illustrated History

In 1776 American Patriots attempted to destroy the British flagship Eagle using a man-operated semi-submersible the Turtle in New York harbour. The attack failed but the idea stuck. Almost 90 years later the CSS Hunley successfully rammed into the Federal sloop USS Housatonic with a spar torpedo. The Housatonic became the first ship in naval history to be sunk by a submarine. The Worlds Greatest Submarines features the most significant submarines built from the German U-9 which sank three British cruisers on 22 September 1914 through the huge Japanese I-400 class to the great nuclear-powered submarines of the Cold War such as the USS Los Angeles and Soviet Oscar class. Also included are the undersea cruiser Surcouf; the highly successful Type VII U-boats of World War II; and the latest attack and ballistic missile submarines such as HMS Astute USS Virginia the Chinese Type 094 and the Russian Yasen class. Each entry includes a brief description of the submarines development and history a color profile or cutaway key features and specifications. Packed with more than 200 artworks and photographs The Worlds Greatest Submarines is an accessible guide for those interested in naval history.