Strike Craft
Antony Preston - Strike Craft
Bison Books | 1982 | ISBN: 0861240685 | English | 72 pages | PDF | 93.02 MB
Bison Books | 1982 | ISBN: 0861240685 | English | 72 pages | PDF | 93.02 MB
This is a pretty good book for 72 pages on the subject of the evolution of small attack craft designs and tactics. It starts with the development of torpedo boats at the turn of the 19th / 20th centuries and ends with the missile-carrying "Fast Patrol Boats" (FPBs) of the post-World War II designs. The book covers the design development of the small attack boat concept and general armaments of torpedoes, light guns, and missiles. It covers boats from various nations and navies: Britain, US, Italy, Germany, Sweden, USSR, and Israel. The book was first published in 1982, so it doesn't cover the small craft combats that occurred In the Gulf War of 1991 nor does it include the more modern designs that have been produced in the last 35 years or so.
The book discusses combats and some specific famous attacks, such as the Italian sinking of the Austro-Hungarian battleship "Szent Istvan" in 1918.
There are no tabulations of dimensions, machinery horsepower and speed, or armament. There are many photos, most in black and white and a few of the more modern (1970s+) boats in color.