RIVER CLASS FRIGATES Author:Brian Lavery The River Class Frigates of the Second World war are featured in Monsarrat's The Cruel Sea almost as much as their predecessors, the Flower Class Corvettes, but they are far less well-known. Introduced in 1942, they played a crucial role in the convoys across the Atlantic and played a key role in anti-submarine warfare. Their part in this confli... more »ct has been largely ignored by historians, and in this brand new assessment, Brian Lavery, Curator Emeritus at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, seeks to reinstate the reputation of theses extraordinary ships. With a body of research drawing on ships' plans, first-hand accounts, public records and government documents, the author has compiled a serious study of this class of ship that transcends the boundaries between naval, technological and social history, Plans, historic photographs, contemporary drawings, and expert redrawing of the technical details will illustrate the examination of the living and working spaces and the Asdic and anti-submarine radar systems (the key to the effectiveness of the frigates).
With characteristic detail, Lavery's painstaking research gives the reader a unique insight into the design and workings of every aspect of the ship presenting it as both a fighting and social unit, creating a valuable resource for historians and anyone else with an interest in the Battle of the Atlantic.
Written by maritime expert, Brian Lavery draws on the vast and varied collections of the NMM No other study of this class of ship is as comprehensive or as detailed.« less