Merchant seamen crewed the ships of the British Merchant Navy which kept the United Kingdom supplied with raw materials, arms, ammunition, fuel, food and all of the necessities of a nation at war throughout World War II — literally enabling the country to defend itself. In doing this, they sustained a considerably greater casualty rate than almost every other branch of the armed …

Pages in category "Ship types" The following 200 pages are in this category, out of approximately 367 total. This list may not reflect recent changes.

A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines.Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, any vessel or a particular vessel type, akin to anti-infantry vs. anti-vehicle mines.Naval mines can be used offensively, to hamper enemy shipping …

The main armament was the same as the Wickes class: four 4-inch (102 mm)/50 caliber guns and twelve 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes.The Mark 8 torpedo was initially equipped, and probably remained the standard torpedo for this class, as 600 Mark 8 torpedoes were issued to the British in 1940 as part of the Destroyers for Bases Agreement.. Although the design provided for two …

Penarth (/ p ə ˈ n ɑːr θ /, Welsh pronunciation: ) is a town and community in the Vale of Glamorgan (Welsh: Bro Morgannwg), Wales, approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Cardiff city centre on the north shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay.. Penarth is the wealthiest seaside resort in the Cardiff Urban Area, and the second largest town in the Vale …

A merchant submarine is a type of submarine intended for trade, and being without armaments, it is not considered a warship like most other types of submarines.The intended use would be blockade running, or to dive under Arctic ice.. Strictly speaking, only two submarines have so far been purpose-built for non-military merchant shipping use, outside of criminal enterprises, …

The Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero (Italian for sparrowhawk) was a three-engined Italian medium bomber developed and manufactured by aviation company Savoia-Marchetti.It may be the best-known Italian aeroplane of the Second World War. The SM.79 was easily recognizable due to its fuselage's distinctive dorsal "hump", and was reportedly well liked by its crews, who …

USS Arizona was a battleship built for the United States Navy in the mid-1910s. Named in honor of the 48th state, she was the second and last ship in the Pennsylvania class.After being commissioned in 1916, Arizona remained stateside during World War I but escorted President Woodrow Wilson to the subsequent Paris Peace Conference.The ship was deployed abroad …

The most common armament mounted on merchant ships were the MK II 20mm Oerlikon autocannon and the 3"/50, 4"/50, and 5"/38 deck guns. When practicable, the Navy Armed Guard aboard a merchant ship would provide cross-training to merchant crew members in the use of the guns in the event the Navy personnel were killed or injured.

The 5-inch/51 caliber gun was designed to engage destroyers, torpedo boats, and other surface targets. The 5"/51 gun entered service in 1911 as secondary armament on the Florida-class battleships, which mounted 16.The guns served well through World War I, but increased awareness of the need for anti-aircraft protection (especially following the attack on Pearl …