World War II Database

Warship 2009 is a collection of ten feature articles, the topics of which are wide-ranging, spanning over decades but yet digging deep into each subject. "Ise and Hyuga: The IJN's Hybrid Battleship-Carriers" by Hans Lengerer, for example, focuses on the reasoning for the conversion, the execution, and a detailed section-by-section description for the hybrid vessels (hangars, gasoline tanks, lifts, etc.); the layout and cross section drawings by Manfred Pasch are especially helpful in visualizing these innovative-in-theory hybrid warships. David K. Brown's "Weather and Warship Casualties 1934-1944" studies the damage and losses to destroyers by weather prior and during WW2, providing analysis on the lessons learned by various navies that led to the fact that no destroyers or frigates were lost from the end of the war until the date of the writing. Last but not least, in "Mutsu: An Exploration of the Circumstances Surrounding Her Loss", author Mike Williams explores the mysterious explosion that sank the Japanese battleship Mutsu, his theories backed by careful research and his ideas illustrated by photographs of pieces salvaged from the wreck and drawings of Mutsu laying on the seabed. Seven other articles each dives deep into various topics of naval matters not limited to the WW2-era.

I must be honest and admit that I was not aware of such an annually-published series until laying my hands on this year's issue. After some researching, I found out that it had been in publication quarterly since 1977 and annually since 1989. Now that I have been rather impressed by the analysis found in this year's edition, I think I will keep an eye out for the 2010 copy.

Index of feature articles found in Warship 2009:

• Fuelling the Victorian Steam Navy (Bob Watson)
• The Royal Navy and the Evolution of the "True Submarine", 1945-1963 (Jon Wise)
• Ise and Hyuga: The IJN's Hybrid Battleship-Carriers (Hans Lengerer)
• The Training Ship Jadran (Dr. Zvonimir Freivogel)
• Italian Fast Coastal Forces: Development, Doctrine and Campaigns 1914-1986, Part Two: 1934-1986 (Erminio Bagnasco, Enrico Cernuschi, and Vincent P. O'Hara)
• The Soviet Light Cruisers of the Kirov Class (Vladmir Yakubov and Richard Worth)
• A Shipyard at War: John Brown & Co. Ltd, CLydebank, 1914-18 (Ian Johnston)
• Monarch and Captain (Colin Jones)
• Mutsu: An Exploration of the Circumstances Surrounding Her Loss (Mike Williams)
• Weather and Warship Casualties 1934-1944 (David K Brown)