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Battle-Cruisers: A History 1908-48
A lean and hungry breed of warship, the battle cruisers burned their names deeply into the annals of sea-warfare.
Fast and heavy-gunned, the battle-cruiser could overhaul and destroy anything at sea except the battleship.
The brain child of Admiral Jacky Fisher, the battle-cruiser was intended to be light, fast, and able to avoid action with ships-of-the-line.
However, the battle-cruisers came to be treated as fast battleships
…And expected to fight as a battleship.
But their design rendered them vulnerable and left them outmatched.
This weakness was cruelly exposed at the battle of Jutland in 1916, where three of the battle-cruisers exploded.
Known as the ‘Splendid Cats’ for their speed and viciousness, battle cruisers fought at Heligoland Bight, the Falkland’s Islands, Dogger Bank and Jutland.
Following the First World War the battle-cruisers biggest enemy was the scrapyard.
Once more the world was plunged into war, and four battle-cruisers would be lost during the Second World War.
The most famous is perhaps the Hood, following the action against the Bismark.
Only the Renown survived both world wars, yet she was condemned to the breaker’s yard in the summer of 1948.
From the far side of the world to home waters, the battle-cruisers played a vital part in the British war effort.
Combining meticulous research with a novelist’s flair for storytelling, Battle-Cruisers vividly describes the life and times of the sixteen battle-cruisers built for the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy.
Yet ships do not fight on their own. This is also the story of the men who served, lived, fought and faced adversity in these floating worlds.
Ronald Bassett (1924-1996) was born in Chelsea. During the Munich crisis, at age fourteen, he falsified enlistment papers to become a Rifleman of the King's Royal Rifle Corps (60th Rifles). Following active service, he was exposed and discharged. In his records, his colonel noted, ‘A good soldier. I am sorry to lose him.' Undismayed, he immediately entered the Royal Navy, in which he remained for fourteen years, serving in the Arctic, North Atlantic, Mediterranean, the Far East and, later, Korea. He died in Surrey.
Fast and heavy-gunned, the battle-cruiser could overhaul and destroy anything at sea except the battleship.
The brain child of Admiral Jacky Fisher, the battle-cruiser was intended to be light, fast, and able to avoid action with ships-of-the-line.
However, the battle-cruisers came to be treated as fast battleships
…And expected to fight as a battleship.
But their design rendered them vulnerable and left them outmatched.
This weakness was cruelly exposed at the battle of Jutland in 1916, where three of the battle-cruisers exploded.
Known as the ‘Splendid Cats’ for their speed and viciousness, battle cruisers fought at Heligoland Bight, the Falkland’s Islands, Dogger Bank and Jutland.
Following the First World War the battle-cruisers biggest enemy was the scrapyard.
Once more the world was plunged into war, and four battle-cruisers would be lost during the Second World War.
The most famous is perhaps the Hood, following the action against the Bismark.
Only the Renown survived both world wars, yet she was condemned to the breaker’s yard in the summer of 1948.
From the far side of the world to home waters, the battle-cruisers played a vital part in the British war effort.
Combining meticulous research with a novelist’s flair for storytelling, Battle-Cruisers vividly describes the life and times of the sixteen battle-cruisers built for the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy.
Yet ships do not fight on their own. This is also the story of the men who served, lived, fought and faced adversity in these floating worlds.
Ronald Bassett (1924-1996) was born in Chelsea. During the Munich crisis, at age fourteen, he falsified enlistment papers to become a Rifleman of the King's Royal Rifle Corps (60th Rifles). Following active service, he was exposed and discharged. In his records, his colonel noted, ‘A good soldier. I am sorry to lose him.' Undismayed, he immediately entered the Royal Navy, in which he remained for fourteen years, serving in the Arctic, North Atlantic, Mediterranean, the Far East and, later, Korea. He died in Surrey.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1981
103 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Ronald Bassett
24 books7 followersRonald Leslie Bassett is a British writer and novelist. He wrote numerous works of historical fiction, sometimes under the pseudonym of "William Clive". He received many awards for his medical and pharmaceutical writing.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 13, 2019
Interesting
This book is well written and easy to read. It covers every battle cruiser that was built, its service history, and ultimate fate. Also covered briefly was the reasoning behind why this class of combat ship was developed, and it's advantages and disadvantages. However, it is very light in the statistics department, i.e: number of weapons, and types, layouts, dimensions etc.
In saying that, I still found it very enjoyable read about a fascinating class of warship.
This book is well written and easy to read. It covers every battle cruiser that was built, its service history, and ultimate fate. Also covered briefly was the reasoning behind why this class of combat ship was developed, and it's advantages and disadvantages. However, it is very light in the statistics department, i.e: number of weapons, and types, layouts, dimensions etc.
In saying that, I still found it very enjoyable read about a fascinating class of warship.
March 26, 2021
whats up with all the random jabs at the Irish?
January 29, 2018
Battlecruisers, by Ronald Bassett, is a fascinating look back at what is probably the most understood and certainly misused warship in naval history. At first glance, the concept makes perfect sense; with the cost of dreadnaughts escalating at an alarming rate, the idea of a ship with dreadnaught sized weapons and light cruiser armour that would be able to zip in amongst the ungainly battleships and tear them asunder, was an admiral’s dream. Of course, once reality reared its ugly head, it turned out that these ships often found themselves in battles with forces that refused to go along with that plan.
The best/worst example of this has to be what happened to HMS Hood. Pride of the British Royal Navy, and the epitome of the battlecruiser concept, she was easily destroyed, with almost her entire crew, by the German heavy cruiser, Prinz Eugen. Previously, in the First World War, during the Battle of Jutland, British battlecruisers suffered heavily under the battleship guns because as most often happened, they were thrown into the battleship line, meaning their speed advantage came to naught.
Ronald Bassett has presented an interesting study on this class of ship. Clearly well researched, the book would be a proper addition to any naval historian’s collection. He also manages to take what could have been a lot of pages filled with boring information, and turned it into a book that holds your interest.
Reviewed by Daniel L Little – January 29, 2018 - www.daniellittle.com
The best/worst example of this has to be what happened to HMS Hood. Pride of the British Royal Navy, and the epitome of the battlecruiser concept, she was easily destroyed, with almost her entire crew, by the German heavy cruiser, Prinz Eugen. Previously, in the First World War, during the Battle of Jutland, British battlecruisers suffered heavily under the battleship guns because as most often happened, they were thrown into the battleship line, meaning their speed advantage came to naught.
Ronald Bassett has presented an interesting study on this class of ship. Clearly well researched, the book would be a proper addition to any naval historian’s collection. He also manages to take what could have been a lot of pages filled with boring information, and turned it into a book that holds your interest.
Reviewed by Daniel L Little – January 29, 2018 - www.daniellittle.com
March 25, 2020
A Surprisingly good read
I came across this book by chance, thought it might be interesting and worth a flick through . In fact it turned out to be a very well written history, something of a page-turner and, in parts, quite gripping. Bassett develops his narrative in several strands. From the conception of the battle-cruiser by the quixotic Admiral Lord Fisher, the inhrent weaknesses of their design, the construction of each ship and its design variation. The action each saw in war and peace and its final days. The accounts of sea battles are well told, in fact, would not be out of place in a good thriller. Definitely not a dry history. Highly recommended.
I came across this book by chance, thought it might be interesting and worth a flick through . In fact it turned out to be a very well written history, something of a page-turner and, in parts, quite gripping. Bassett develops his narrative in several strands. From the conception of the battle-cruiser by the quixotic Admiral Lord Fisher, the inhrent weaknesses of their design, the construction of each ship and its design variation. The action each saw in war and peace and its final days. The accounts of sea battles are well told, in fact, would not be out of place in a good thriller. Definitely not a dry history. Highly recommended.
November 16, 2017
A superb book! I really like how Bassett delivers his very readable story (or series of stories) in language and style that appeals to many. His narrative is given "with warts and all" as he describes both good and bad decisions made by largely Royal Navy and Kriegsmarine officers over a roughly 50 year period. Full of fascinating details the help make sense out of significant battles in the past. Long out of print my life's goal now is to track down a used copy in some book store . . .
July 23, 2019
Telling battle-cruiser stories with deep love
I thought it is a normal book but it is not. The writer wrote the book with deep love towards battle-cruiser. Invincible, Lion,Hood,Repulse ... telling their own story. Falkland, Jutland, Force H & Force Z... like vivid pictures presented to the reader. What a joy of reading! Highly recommended.
I thought it is a normal book but it is not. The writer wrote the book with deep love towards battle-cruiser. Invincible, Lion,Hood,Repulse ... telling their own story. Falkland, Jutland, Force H & Force Z... like vivid pictures presented to the reader. What a joy of reading! Highly recommended.
January 26, 2018
A Very Good Book
This author has a great writing style and the book is easy to read. There are lots of historical bits and pieces taken from many sources and put together to build a history that is proud but, at the end of the day, just a little sad.
This author has a great writing style and the book is easy to read. There are lots of historical bits and pieces taken from many sources and put together to build a history that is proud but, at the end of the day, just a little sad.
April 27, 2018
A solid comprehensive history.
This is an excellent history of British Battle Cruisers in both world wars. The author writes clearly and is a joy to read. Anyone with even a mild interest in naval history will enjoy this book.
This is an excellent history of British Battle Cruisers in both world wars. The author writes clearly and is a joy to read. Anyone with even a mild interest in naval history will enjoy this book.
November 14, 2019
Great book. Battlecruisers are an interesting aspect of naval warfare
March 16, 2021
An excellent introduction to the battlecruiser phenomenon. Every naval battle involving battlecruisers is covered. Explains why they ultimately failed as a concept because they were misused as battleships - A role for which they were not designed.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews