Samuel Francis Du Pont: A Selection From His Civil War Letters
John D. Hayes (ed.). Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1969. Vol. 1, 425 pp.; Vol. 2, 553 pp.; Vol. 3, 562 pp. Illus. $45.00.
Reviewed by Professor E. B. Potter
[(]A graduate of the University of Richmond and of the University of Chicago, Professor Potter attained the rank of Commander, U. S. Naval Reserve, during World War II. Coauthor of American Sea Power Since 1775, he is co-author and editor of The United States and World Sea Power and (with Fleet Admiral Nimitz) Sea Power: A Naval History. He also edited The Great Sea War and Triumph in the Pacific. He is now Chairman of Naval History, U. S. Naval Academy.)
No naval officer entered the Civil War with a more solid reputation than Du Pont. He headed the board that planned the blockade of the Confederate coasts. In capturing Port Royal, he won the first substantial Union victory of the war. As Commander, South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, he did a masterful job of catching blockade-runners sprinting into and out of Charleston and Savannah and more than 30 other ports. However, he failed to capture Charleston, and for that he was relieved of his command and never held another.
Charleston, “the cradle of the rebellion,” where the first shots of the Civil War were fired, was a symbol for both Union and Confederacy. The Confederates were as determined to hold it as the Federals were to take it. By 1863, the fortification of the harbor, steadily improved, had become a masterpiece. According to Professor J. R. Fredland of the U. S. Naval Academy, in the book Sea Power:
Every defensive arrangement available to an intelligent, well supplied adversary was developed, tested, and ready.
It was the special ambition of Navy Secretary Gideon Welles and Assistant Secretary Gustavus Fox that ships alone should capture Charleston. Du Pont was assigned to do the job.
Welles and Fox were under no illusions regarding the strength of Charleston’s defenses. They merely concluded that if Farragut could take New Orleans with wooden ships, any competent commander provided with ironclads ought to be able to capture any port, anywhere. So they sent Du Pont all the armored ships they had available; the New Ironsides, a conventional ironclad based on British and French models; the Keokuk, a fancy but impractical little number with stationary casemates; and seven monitors, improved versions of the original Monitor and publicized as “invincible.”
With these, in the afternoon of 7 April 1863, Admiral Du Pont entered Charleston harbor. Here he was halted by underwater obstructions at the focus of nearly 150 heavy cannon. His ships took 439 hits while getting off 139 rounds with their 23 guns. Du Pont then signaled recall in order to get his ironclads back over the bar before dark. Only the Keokuk sank, but the rest of the ships were damaged enough to convince Du Pont that the naval attack against Charleston was impractical and that to renew it would invite disaster.
The acrimonious exchange of letters between the Navy Department and Du Pont that led to his recall have been published, along with the rest of his official correspondence. Some of these are reprinted in the present collection to provide continuity, but most of the new selections are from hitherto unpublished letters to friends and to his wife Sophie. To Mrs. Du Pont in 21 busy months of the war, the Admiral wrote 166 letters covering more than 1,700 pages. These, which he called his “journal letters,” were intended not merely to interest and inform his “precious Sophie,” but to maintain for himself a record of his war experiences.
The newly-published correspondence does not vindicate Du Pont’s conduct before Charleston. That was done long ago by his ironclad commanders, who to a man upheld his decisions. He was further vindicated by the fact that his relief, Admiral John Dahlgren, even with Army help, was no more able to capture Charleston than was Du Pont. Dahlgren’s attempt to take Fort Sumter by amphibious assault was a costly fiasco. Charleston, in fact, was never captured, by sea or land. The Confederates evacuated it, however, when near the end of the war it was outflanked by General William Tecumseh Sherman’s army advancing up from Savannah through the Carolinas. Then, at last, the Union flag was raised again over the rubble that had been Sumter, and Dahlgren’s sailors walked the empty streets of the city that had defied two admirals and a general.
The new collection reveals Du Pont as a proud and sensitive man and as a keen observer. The studied stiffness that marks his official communications gives way to comradely informality in his correspondence with his wife and friends. The letters, formal and informal, are unique in presenting the problems of the great blockade from the standpoint of a commanding officer. By no means least among Du Pont’s concerns, we find, is the provision of a steady flow of anthracite, consumed by his blockaders at the rate of 3,000 tons a week. A special problem, too, was the large number of slaves left behind on the Sea Islands of Georgia by their fleeing masters. The enlightened solution was to form them into colonies where they, and runaway slaves who joined them, were given the training for postwar lives as free men.
When Admiral Du Pont died shortly after the end of the Civil War, Sophie assumed custodianship of his papers, assembling his letters to her, calling in his letterbooks, and obtaining copies of his letters to his friends. Occasionally, she let a historian examine or copy some of the letters, but never made available any of the controversial ones dealing with her husband’s relief, and passing generations of historians ceased to remember that the letters existed.
Rear Admiral John D. Hayes, U. S. Navy (Retired), upon his retirement from the Navy, developed a scholarly hobby of locating the papers of famous American naval officers. Coming across references in old books to unpublished Du Pont letters, Hayes was after them like a bloodhound, and at length he found Sophie Du Pont’s collection in The Eleutherian Mills Historical Library near Wilmington, Delaware. Convinced by Hayes that letters from the collection should be edited and published, A Du Pont family foundation underwrote the project.
Admiral Hayes’s contribution has been to select and arrange the letters, copying each of the several hundred by hand; to provide the collection with an Introduction, which is mainly a brief but excellent biography of Du Pont; to expand the many abbreviations into words, and to correct confusing oddities of spelling and punctuation; and to provide clarifying footnotes. These footnotes are his most valuable and most remarkable additions. Hayes identifies nearly every person mentioned in the letters, and provides details when necessary to explain references of the writers—a product of no mere checking in obvious reference works, but the fruit of a diligent ten-year search for information.
The ultimate result is a treasury of new source material for scholars and a work that any history buff will read with ease, pleasure, and profit. By no means to be overlooked as aids to such pleasure and profit are the fine series of charts drawn by William S. Shannon of the U. S. Naval Academy.
Hovercraft Design and Construction
G. H. Elsley and A. J. Devereux. Cambridge, Md.: Cornell Maritime Press, 1968. 262 pp. Illus. $12.50.
Reviewed by Assistant Professor Roger H. Compton
(Professor Compton of the U. S. Naval Academy’s engineering department, has been teaching naval architecture, engineering graphics, and fluid mechanics since 1966. He received his M.S. degree from the Webb Institute of Naval Architecture, where he was also employed as a research associate. He has had industrial experience in the marine field, primarily in a research and consulting capacity of sea-keeping qualities of ships.)
One of the most promising concepts for high-speed surface marine and amphibious transportation is the hovercraft—that low-flying vehicle which rides several feet above water, land, or swamp on a cushion of air. Unlike the hydrofoil craft, which becomes impractical for larger vehicles because of the relative growth of vehicle weight to the lift available from a foil, the hovercraft gains in cargo area per unit power expended as size increases.
The British appear to be in the forefront of the development and commercial use of hovercraft. For about ten years, Messrs. Elsley and Devereux have been actively involved in hovercraft development for the Saunders-Roe-Westland-British Hovercraft Corporation.
In an easy-to-read technical style, the authors have achieved their stated purpose—to sum up authoritatively the progress made to date in the design and construction of hovercraft (alias air cushion vehicles (ACV), and ground effect machines (GEM), and the like.
The first half of Hovercraft Design and Construction (Chapters 1 through 10) presents the simplified theory of air cushion support, brief descriptions of the component systems of which a hovercraft is composed, and an even shorter treatment of hovercraft economics (in pounds, shillings, and pence). The latter half of the book contains more detailed system descriptions primarily of the structural aspects of hovercraft design. The final chapter describes a typical testing program which precedes vehicle delivery. There follows an extensive and most useful bibliography, in which information on the theories and computational procedures mentioned by the authors can be found. As might be expected, most of the references are British.
Editorially speaking, except for an ambiguous figure (Figure 3.2) and one which fails to indicate a major parameter—wave height (Figure 12.13)—the material is very clearly and directly presented. The “carpet-type” three-dimensional plots, appearing in Chapter 3, represent an efficient, graphical technique, but may require some study by the uninitiated before being directly useful.
The first chapter—and in particular the first figure—provides a convenient reference point for sorting out the many variations of and aliases (with accompanying acronyms) for the ground effect machine.
Approximate theories of air cushion performance for both plenum and peripheral jet configurations are presented in Chapter 2. The results obtained must be viewed cautiously, since the theories are for hypothetical geometries and neglect the compressibility and the viscosity of air. Although the authors state that the theories “agree quite well with available test data,” no quantitative comparison is offered.
After a brief discussion of centrifugal fan characteristics in Chapter 3, the authors describe the components of vehicle drag in Chapter 4. While mentioning the “hump speed” in this chapter, they really don’t get around to a good explanation of the physical phenomenon until the final chapter. However, the fact that quantitative drag prediction is still largely dependent on scale model testing is well presented by the authors.
A good overview of existing propulsive devices and associated prime movers is given in Chapters 5 and 6, along with examples of propeller design charts and some quantitative data on engine weights and power/speed curves. Whether performance criteria should precede or follow a description of propulsive systems is probably a moot point. However, in Chapter 7, the authors use a very condensed graphical means of presenting the transportation efficiency, craft weight per horsepower, as a function of speed for a wide range of vehicles showing the “zone” best suited to the hovercraft.
A bit of subtle British humor appears in Chapter 8, which deals with the control and stability aspects of hovercraft design. It appears in the form of understatements concerning the magnitude of the control problems encountered with hovercraft—particularly at low vehicle speed in a gusty cross wind.
The next two chapters provide a useful outline of generally applicable practices involved in the design process and in basic engineering economics. In addition to the basic philosophy and chronology of a design, some quantitative data useful to a preliminary designer are included.
The major portion of Chapters 11 through 18 deals with the materials, loads, factors of safety, and structural configurations to be considered in designing and building a hovercraft. In essence, these chapters serve to elaborate Figure 11.1, which schematically presents factors to be considered in designing the hovercraft structure. The problems of high- and low-level fatigue and the effects of the incredibly corrosive ocean surface environment are of paramount importance.
A rather interesting section on the evaluation of the material properties of the flexible skirt material (usually a synthetic fabric like nylon with a coating like neoprene) is presented in Chapter 15. The obvious requirement for minimum structural weight affects the entire structural and mechanical design. It has resulted in the application of aircraft structural techniques because of the similar problems of aircraft and hovercraft designers. Messrs. Elsley and Devereux note the overlapping technologies throughout these chapters. Good practical engineering problems, such as static and dynamic balancing of rotating parts, shafting arrangements, and bearing configurations are also treated qualitatively.
Peculiar to the hovercraft is the problem of skirt design, and this is treated in Chapter 19. In this technology, the hovercraft industry has advanced significantly in the last decade.
Basic principles of vibrations of torsional and cantilevered lumped mass systems are reviewed in Chapter 20. The treatment is descriptive and does not delve into the mathematical analyses needed to obtain real numerical results.
In Chapter 21, all remaining vehicle systems are reviewed briefly. To readers of other than a structural background, the treatment of these systems may seem disproportionately short. The presentation of the hydraulic system component operation and control is very well done. The weight-power tradeoffs between electrical and hydraulic systems are discussed. The amalgam of the two is seen to be a tractable solution to the problem of controlling propulsive and maneuvering systems. In the section on fuel systems, the statement is made that the fuel pump “is one example where AC rather than DC power is of advantage.” This statement could stand some substantiation in light of recent developments in AC motor control and the difficulties experienced with DC motors in a seawater environment. One might quibble with the terminology, “ballast systems,” to describe systems which are intended not to change the weight of the craft, but only to maintain trim and heel angles within given limits.
The authors have presented a broad survey of the hovercraft state-of-the-art in a format and style directed at those interested in practical engineering aspects of surface transportation systems. The presentation is straight-forward, easy to read, and concise. They use well-placed and well-designed graphics to convey a great deal of information in a very efficient manner. In addition to the plots and schematic diagrams, a good collection of photographs showing hovercraft in operation is included in the book. The style is such that, for the most part, the reader need not study and reread sections on a given topic. Messrs. Elsley and Devereux have provided a well-written book on a current and interesting technical subject.
Celestial Navigation
Frances W. Wright. Cambridge, Md.: Cornell Maritime Press, 1969. 137 pp. Illus. $7.50.
Reviewed by G. D. Dunlap
(Mr. Dunlap, president of Weems & Plath, Inc., has been with the Weems organizations since 1946, following naval service in World War II. He has conducted a number of navigational studies for the Navy and Coast Guard, and was project manager for a DX destroyer program study. He has designed and produced over 20 navigational instruments, and has authored numerous articles on air and marine navigation. He is co-author of Dutton’s Navigation and Piloting.)
Celestial Navigation is a very interesting dissertation on the subject of celestial navigation, written by one of the few women to acquire a professional reputation in the field of navigation.
Because all reductions in this text are based on the use of the H.O. Publication No. 249 tables, it may be inferred that it is intended primarily for the use of yachtsmen, since on board large vessels, H.O. Publication No. 214 would probably be preferred. It should be of real interest to many yachtsmen, who have a good knowledge of piloting, and who want to round out their navigational backgrounds.
Celestial navigation is ordinarily covered in a separate section in most standard texts on marine navigation. This volume, which is devoted solely to this subject, covers it both thoroughly and clearly. Over the years, several short texts on celestial navigation have appeared, but in general, they did not cover the subject as thoroughly, and most seem to be out-of-print.
The make-up of the book is slightly unusual, in that the first six chapters—54 pages—cover the entire theory of celestial navigation. These are followed by examples from a sea cruise on board the SS Ruchbah. These examples bring the theoretical down to practical application. Included are a number of forms for use in sight reduction, sample plotting charts, and the like, for the student to work through some of the problems. There are the necessary sections of H.O. 249 Sight Reduction Tables, and pages from the Almanac all bound into the book. The book ends with an additional chapter covering azimuth of the sun.
Celestial Navigation has several illustrations. The drawings showing the celestial sphere are unfortunately not shaded to give the illusion of a sphere. However, on the positive side, they are large clear black and white drawings and fully labeled.
No two persons teaching celestial navigation would use precisely the same techniques. Dr. Wright has, as with any good instructor, developed her own technique. The one statement on which other instructors would perhaps differ is her statement:
. . . the first basic relation in celestial navigation states: that the zenith distance of the celestial equator equals a navigator’s latitude.
This is, of course, one concept of the subject, but one not generally emphasized since the position of the celestial equator is not a measurable unit. She then states:
. . . the second basic relation in celestial navigation is that the altitude of the north celestial pole above the horizon equals the navigator’s latitude in northern latitudes.
This is an important statement which needs emphasis, but the short dissertation on explaining this by the use of plane triangles might be difficult for the new student to follow.
In general, the book is designed to be an elementary approach to the subject. The original description of celestial mechanics, which is necessary to explain the theory of the subject, cannot really be treated in an elementary manner. The author has fortunately gone into sufficient detail to enable the serious student to understand the principles involved.
Dr. Wright brings forth one point as a stated fact, which is subject to various interpretations by professionals. This concerns the amount of error involved by not having the sextant in the vertical position when making observations of celestial bodies. The method of swinging the arc or rocking the sextant is discussed, but the statement is then made that a 10-degree tilt would give a 26-minute error in altitude at an altitude of the body of 45-degrees. This is a mathematical answer, assuming the rocking of the sextant describes an arc in which the star being observed is the center of the circle. Many persons believe that the rotation is strictly around the line of sight of the telescope, and using this theory, the error would be considerably less.
Dr. Wright uses H.O. 249 as the sight reduction method. This is undoubtedly the fastest solution of the various sight reduction tables available, but does not produce the accuracy which can be attained by using H.O. 214. Certainly for the yachtsman, who is making his observations from a small unstable platform, the use of H.O. 249 will produce sufficient accuracy commensurate with his observational accuracies.
This new text should be a welcome addition to the library of anyone interested in pursuing the fascinating subject of celestial navigation.
Professional Reading
Compiled by Robert A. Lambert, Associate Editor
ABM: Yes or No?
Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Fund for the Republic, 1969. 48 pp. $1.00 (paper).
Jerome B. Wiesner, Donald Brennan, Leon Johnson, and George S. McGovern examine, in pro-and-con fashion, the current state of the ABM issue and appraise its possible consequences. Following their individual statements and a discussion, Justice William O. Douglas writes of the need for a rule of law in the world community.
African Armies and Civil Order
J. M. Lee. New York: Praeger, 1969. 198 pp. $6.00.
The constitutional weaknesses of the postcolonial nations and the varied motivations operating within, that produce coups, which are tamely tolerated by the people, are examined. While this is a useful book backed by considerable research, it is inconsistent in providing details and leaves something to be desired in readability.
Battle for Berlin
Earl F. Ziemke. New York: Ballantine, 1968. 160 pp. Illus. $1.00 (paper).
The author moves around the Allied ring and then into the city itself as he follows the campaign that destroyed Hitler’s Third Reich.
Breakout
David Mason. New York: Ballantine, 1969:160 pp. Illus. $1.00 (paper).
With many photographs, this is the story of the dramatic breakout from the stalemated Normandy beachhead through the hedgerows, ending with a chilling retelling of the slaughter that befell the German Army in the Falaise pocket.
British Naval Aircraft Since 1912
Owen Thetford. New York: Fund [sic] & Wagnalls, 1969. 430 pp. Illus. $14.95.
This reference provides historical, technical, and performance data for all the aircraft flown in regular service by the Naval Wing of the Royal Flying Corps, the Royal Naval Air Service, and the Fleet Air Arm. The introduction is a short history of the development of British naval aviation. The tables list the main particulars of all carriers that have served with the Royal Navy.
Concrete Boatbuilding
Gainor W. Jackson, Jr., and W. Morley Sutherland. Tuckahoe, N. Y.: John de Graff, 1969. 106 pp. Illus. $7.95.
Although theoretical aspects of ferro-cement as a boat construction material are touched, the book is really a practical guide for the amateur or skilled professional who might wish to try his hand at boatbuilding in concrete rather than in more traditional materials.
Decision at St.-Vith
Charles Whiting. New York: Ballantine, 1969. 260 pp. Illus. $.75 (paper).
Bastogne is remembered; St.-Vith tends to be forgotten by all but a few, yet both were important during the Battle of the Bulge. This is the story, not too well told, of the original battle and the continuing historical conflict that was engendered when the 106th Infantry Division was destroyed.
The Destruction of Convoy PQ 17
David Irving. New York: Simon 8c Schuster, 1969. 384 pp. Illus. $6.95.
Told in much the same fashion as The Longest Day and Incredible Victory, with wide strokes and minute detail, this account of one of World War II’s great Allied blunders sweeps from the offices of the British Admiralty through the convoy’s ships and survivors into the German submarines.
General Giap: Politician and Strategist
Robert O’Neill. New York: Praeger, 1969. 219 pp. Illus. $6.95.
The intellectual, political, and military growth of this major Asian leader is traced against the corresponding growth of nationalism and Communism in Indochina in the 1920s and 1930s. It also encompasses the destruction of the colonial empires in World War II and the rise of new Asian nations in the postwar era.
Historical Aviation Album, Vol. 3
Kenn C. Rust (ed.). Temple City, Calif.: Box 33, Historical Aviation Album, 1966. 52 pp. Illus. $2.98 (paper).
Of the seven aircraft covered, four have Navy histories—Curtiss Twin-JN, Gallaudet D-1, Vought SBU-1 and Ryan FR-Fireball—but the most fascinating mentioned, though non-Navy, is the Waterman flying automobile.
History of the Cold War
André Fontaine. New York: Pantheon, 1969. 524 pp. $10.00.
From the start of the Korean War in June 1950 to the landing of Soviet troops in Prague last year, the past 18 years of Russian-American conflict in the world arena is seen through the eyes of the diplomatic correspondent for the French newspaper Le Monde.
History Under the Sea
Alexander McKee. New York: Dutton, 1969. 342 pp. Illus. $9.95.
A most interesting book, developed in a most readable style, and backed by excellent illustrations, it shows how scholarship and underwater archeology contribute to the advancement of the historical record. This is a far different treatment than the handbook of techniques published by the Smithsonian Institution with the same title.
Jellicoe: A Biography
A. Temple Patterson. New York: St. Martin’s, 1969. 277 pp. Illus. $8.95.
As a favorite of Jack Fisher, Admiral Jellicoe achieved a rapid rise to the highest positions in the Royal Navy before World War I. This book traces his early career, describes his problems when, at the outbreak of war, he commanded the world's largest fleet. It then reviews Jutland and its aftermath. This piece is obviously the result of careful scholarship by an equally careful researcher. However, therein lies the problem—a mere silhouette rather than a portrait is produced—the reader never gets to know the inner Jellicoe, only the official record.
Journey Into Revolution: Petrograd, 1917-1918
Albert Rhys Williams. Chicago: Quadrangle, 1969. 346 pp. Illus. $8.95.
Here is an American socialist’s unique participant’s view of one of history's most important revolutions. It is also a close-up view of the personality of its principal leader, Lenin. Following the author’s death in 1962, his widow compiled this book from the extensive notes which he left.
Kursk: The Clash of Armour
Geoffrey Jukes. New York: Ballantine, 1969. 160 pp. thus. $1.00 (paper).
The publication of the memoirs of various Soviet generals in the past several years, has brought this great tank battle into its due prominence. Virtually ignored in Western-oriented histories of World War II, this slim account helps improve the situation by giving proper attention to the battle that did as much as any to start the German armies on their long retreat from the Eastern Front.
Man Is Not Lost
D. H. Sadler. New York: British Information Services, 1968. 43 pp. Illus. $1.70 (paper).
Two hundred years of astronomical navigation with the Nautical Almanac is recorded in this easily-read history. While eliminating much of a highly technical nature, it manages to convey the development of the “seaman’s bible” from its first publication in 1767 to the present.
Me 109
Martin Caidin. New York: Ballantine, 1968. 160 pp. Illus. $1.00 (paper).
From its first flight in 1935, through a host of war-time variants that fought the best of Germany’s opponents in the air, to the last built in 1960, this is a pictorial narrative of the hey-day of one of the world’s great fighter aircraft.
Mighty Mo
Gordon Newell and Vice Adm. Allan E. Smith, U.S.N. (Ret.). Seattle, Wash.: Superior, 1969. 190 pp. Illus. $12.95.
This is a journalistic-style biography of the last battleship built by this country, the USS Missouri (BB-63).
The Naval Aviation Guide, 2d Edition
Rear Adm. Malcolm W. Cagle, U.S.N. Annapolis, Md.: U. S. Naval Institute, 1969. 415 pp. thus. $4.50 (paper).
Based on 1963’s The Naval Aviator's Guide, this fine successor delves into all aspects of U. S. naval aviation from its beginnings to the present. Updated portions deal with missions, organization, and training.
Navies of the Second World War—The French Navy
Henry [sic] Le Masson. London: Macdonald, 1969. Vol. 1, 174 pp; Vol. 2, 176 pp. Illus. $1.80 each.
These two compact volumes, with a most useful historical introduction in the first, provide an accurate survey of French naval units that existed during World War II. The first volume deals with battleships, aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, torpedo boats, and subchasers, while the second covers light and small warships and auxiliaries.
Pacific Square-Riggers
Jim Gibbs. Seattle, Wash.: Superior, 1969. 192 pp. Illus. $12.95.
This book deals with sailing vessels built in the British Isles and New England. Eventually, after basing their operations at West Coast ports, they became a representative part of Pacific commerce. The author’s previous book, West Coast Windjammers, deals with similar ships built on the Pacific Coast.
Perils of the Peaceful Atom
Richard Curtis and Elizabeth Hogan. New York: Doubleday, 1969. 274 pp. $5.95.
The authors, in their case against commercial atomic power, contend that present technology and government regulations are inadequate to prevent a major disaster.
The Politics of Protest
Jerome H. Skolnick. New York: Ballantine, 1969. 419 pp. Illus. $1.25 (paper).
Student riots, anti-war demonstrations, and black militants are all ingredients of this well publicized report of The National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence.
The Raiders: Desert Strike Force
Arthur Swinson. New York: Ballantine, 1968. 160 pp. Illus. $1.00 (paper).
Focusing on the adventures of the “Phantom Major,” David Sterling, the contributions of the Special Air Service and the Long Range Desert Groups to the British victory over the Afrika Korps are retold.
The Rise and Fall of the German Air Force (1933 to 1945)
W. H. Tantum IV and E. J. Hoffschmidt (eds.). Old Greenwich, Conn.: WE Inc., 1969. 422 pp. Illus. $8.95.
Originally published in England and based on captured German sources, this is a reasonably accurate attempt by British Air Staff Intelligence to provide an operational history of the Luftwaffe.
Sicily: Whose Victory?
Martin Blumenson. New York: Ballantine, 1969. 160 pp. Illus. $1.00 (paper).
A balanced accounting of the first, true amphibious invasion of Europe and the complex campaign that followed. In the final pages, the two Patton-slapping episodes are covered. The summary concludes that Sicily, while strategically an Allied victory, was at least a tactical German success that certainly prolonged the Italian campaign.
The Siege of Leningrad
Alan Wykes. New York: Ballantine, 1968. 160 pp. Illus. $1.00 (paper).
With its reliance on photographs of the German besieger and the Russian besieged, this is a very effective, if short, history of this epic 900-day battle of World War II.
Tarawa
Henry I. Shaw, Jr. New York: Ballantine, 1969. 160 pp. Illus. $1.00 (paper).
As World War II battles go, this one was fairly short, but its lessons in amphibious warfare for the Marines and the Navy were to have long-range effects in the Pacific Theater. A good presentation is made of this major assault along with the Makin and Apamama operations.
United States Navy Aircraft Since 1911
Gordon Swanborough and Peter M. Bowers. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1968. 518 pp. Illus. $12.50.
The main portion of this reference is given over to descriptions of more than 250 significant aircraft, including experimental types and helicopters, used by the Navy and the Marine Corps. Separate appendixes cover airships and gliders.
Western Technology and Soviet Economic Development 1917 to 1930
Antony C. Sutton. Stanford, Calif.: Hoover Institution, 1968. 381 pp. $10.00.
The first part of this volume documents the role played in the development of the Soviet Union’s economy, while the second part focuses on the significance of Western contributions. For each sector of the Soviet economy, the author analyzes the impact of Western aid and concludes that such assistance was the most important single factor in Russian economic development in the 1920s.
Why ABM?
Johan J. Holst and William Schneider, Jr. (eds.). New York: Pergamon, 1969. 321 pp. $6.95.
The title indicates a balanced appraisal of the anti-ballistic missile controversy, and while the book’s contributors cover many parts of the question, the conclusion is favorable only to those who wish to build the system.
RE-ISSUES
The First and The Last
Adolf Galland. New York: Ballantine [1954], 1969. 280 pp. $.95 (paper).
Memoirs of an Infantry Officer
Siegfried Sassoon. New York: Collier [1930], 1969. 254 pp. $1.50 (paper).
Reach for the Sky
Paul. New York: Ballantine [1954], 1969. 336 pp. $.95 (paper).
Strong Men Armed
Robert Leckie. New York: Ballantine [1962], 1969. 568 pp. Illus. $.95 (paper).
Wing Leader
Group Captain J. E. Johnson. New York: Ballantine [1956], 1969. 292 pp. $.95 (paper).
PERIODICALS
“Japan's Little Fleet of Big American Bombers”
Maj. Robert C. Mikesh, U.S.A.F., in Air Force and Space Digest, August 1969. pp. 81-88. Illus. $.60. Air Force Association, 1750 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W., Washington, D. C. 20006.
Using parts from wrecked B-17 Flying Fortresses left behind when the Americans retreated across the Pacific, the Japanese built their own fleet of B-17s which were used in improving their gunnery and bomb-aligning systems. Poor production, inadequate materials, and World War II’s end prevented any significant combat application of this most unusual of “Japanese” aircraft.
“The Nature and Significance of Project Tektite”
Naval Research Reviews, July 1969. Illus. $.20. Supt. of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. 20402.
Conducted from 15 February to 15 April 1969, Tektite 1 was a program designed to place four marine scientists on the ocean floor for 60 continuous days. Among its principle objectives were psychological and physiological studies of crew behavior, marine scientific investigations, and advancement in undersea technology and engineering.
“The Urgent Business of Defense”
Fortune, 1 August 1969. Illus. $1.50. Time, Inc., 540 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Ill. 60611.
Four articles, “The Case for Cutting Defense Spending,” “For Lockheed, Everything's Coming Up Unk-Unks,” “Defense Profits: The Hidden Issue,” and “Military Industrial Complex—Russian Style” take a hard look at a few of the facets involved in the present concern over the military-industrial complex.