Full Description
The Midway-class were the US Navy's biggest carriers built during World War II. Superbly illustrated, this explains how they became the backbone of the Cold War fleet.
Entering service in September 1945, the Midway-class aircraft carrier was the US Navy's ultimate World War II-era design, and these would be its frontline carriers as the Cold War dawned. A fine design and one big enough to accept significant modernizations over the decades, the class saw combat in the Vietnam War, and Midway even launched the first carrier airstrikes of the Gulf War in 1990.
In this book, naval expert Mark Stille explains how the Midway class was the US Navy's attempt to build a much larger and more survivable version of the wartime Essex class; its extensive new protection system included the first armoured flight deck in the US Navy. He highlights how new weapons systems transformed the Midways during the jet age, from angled flight decks and catapults to CIWS, until Midway found her last home as a museum ship in San Diego, the only non-Essex-class American carrier to be preserved.
Illustrated with archive photos and superb original art, including profiles detailing how the ships were rebuilt throughout their careers, this book explores the heart of the US Navy's carrier fleet during the early Cold War.
Contents
(Subject to confirmation)
Introduction
Origin of the Midway class
Midway-class construction
Midway-class weapons
Midway-class radars
Midway-class modernization
Operational histories of the Midway Class 1945-1992
Analysis and conclusion
Bibliography
