Featured battle : Fredericksburg

Part of American Civil War

Date : 12 December 1862 - 13 December 1862

One of the Union's bloodiest defeats throughout the war. The Army of the Potomac under Burnside approached the Rappahannock from the north quickly, aiming to cross river at Fredericksburg and march on Richmond before Lee was able to block him. Pontoons took weeks to arrive, however, and by the time Burnside attempted his crossing, Lee was ready. On the first day, Franklin's corps crossed south of the town under cover of artillery, but the Union right flank crossing behind the town itself were held for much of the day by Mississippian snipers in the buildings. On the second day Franklin attacked Jackson on the ridge forming the confederate right and a division under Meade actually broke through but reserves were never sent forward and Jacksons reserves counter-attacked throwing them back. On the Union right things went from bad to worse. Union divisions attacking Longstreet on Marye's Heights ran straight into a hail of fire from the heights and from a sunken road, fronted by a stone wall at the foot of the ridge. The result was carnage. Night brought an end to the bloodshed and after a truce the following day to bury the dead the Army of the Potomac withdrew.

Allied Coastal Forces of World War 11. Volume 11

John Lambert & Al Ross
This is not a book just to be read but to be owned. A quality publication in a large format, 290mm by 240mm, with over 250 pages packed with technical drawings, photographs and engaging text. Some publicity blurb says it would help anyone wishing to build a model but for some of the boats little more would be needed to build to full size craft such is the detail given.
Although it may look like a technical tome written only for experts, and it fits that role very well, it would also delight any general reader with an interest in naval development. So much extra is covered around the development and construction including the politics and finance under the Lend Lease arrangements, in a brief review it is difficult to do the book justice. The joint authors massive research has resulted in the listing of every boat built and its eventual fate, including a chapter about the ones which still exist in museums or as houseboats.
Small sections which caught my interest were the production of the various camouflage effects tried out in different theatres of operation, what the allowance of paint was for a US PT boat squadron to maintain its boat, that boats were sent to the USSR in kit form and the many were returned to the US in 1955 and that attempts were made to build an MTB to be carried aboard cruisers. So much is here including small details such as the personal weapons carried aboard that I think it would be difficult to ask a question about Vosper and Elco boats that this book does not answer.
This is the second of a three volume work and my regret is that I have not yet read the other two. This regret is reinforced by the many references in this volume to volumes one and three.
This is a major work on coastal forces unparalleled in both width and depth of its coverage.
We cannot recommend this book too highly.

Seaforth Publishing, 2019