Review of "Anatomy of the Ship: The Battleship Dreadnought"

Subnuts · 09-24-06, 03:53 PM

This is for you, Steve!

(If you're reading this, Neal, this review isn't quite finished yet, and I'd like to include a few scans first.)

A century ago, Britain built a warship that was so revolutionary, and so powerful, it blew everyone away without firing a single shot. That warship was the Battleship HMS Dreadnought, the first battleship with a uniform-caliber main battery, and the first major warship propelled by steam turbines. Laid down in 1905 and completed in 14 months, the Dreadnought instantly rendered every battleship afloat obsolete, and may have sparked a naval arms race that lead to World War I.

For the vast majority of naval enthusiasts, it’s enough to simply know that the Dreadnought was a powerful, groundbreaking battleship. But there’s always that tiny niche that just has to know more. For hardcore types, this book provides more information on this historic ship than you'll ever need.

The Battleship Dreadnought is the 29th book in the long running Anatomy of the Ship series. It’s a 9.5 by 10.5 inch, 256 page hardcover book, and like the others in the series, is divided into three main sections: Introduction, Photographs, and Drawings. On newer editions, the jacket’s back side doubles as a 1:256 scale profile view of the ship as completed.

The author and illustrator, John Arthur Roberts, is a British naval draughtsman and the former editor of Warship magazine. He has written numerous books on British warships, along with two other books in the AOTS series. In some circles, he is considered the ‘best ship draughtsman in the UK.’

The book opens with a 28 page introduction that explores the design genesis, construction, operational history, and technical particulars of Dreadnought. The introduction includes a timeline of the ship’s operational history, a list of major modifications to the ship, and numerous tables showing the ship’s weight and stability properties, trial results, and specifications of the machinery, armor, and armament.

Next up is a 30-page section which presents 43 black & white photos of the ship throughout it’s life, including a number of interesting images of the construction process. The last 187 pages consist of hundreds ("more than 650," according to the back) of detailed drawings of every part of the ship.

When I bought the Anatomy book on the Flower-class Corvette earlier this year, I was stunned by the amount of research put into the plans. As nice as that book is, it’s child’s play compared to Anatomy of the Dreadnought.

The first section covers Dreadnought’s general arrangements. The plans in this chapter are at 1:384 scale, and show the ship’s profile at four points in it’s career, a sectional view through the centerline, 13 transverse sections at various points, and layouts of all eight decks and the double bottom in 1907.

Section B, Lines and constructional details, is the first of two chapters that explore Dreadnought’s inner workings in extensive detail. First up are plans of the external hull contours, and details of the different types of rivets, plate joints, and structural bars used in the ship’s construction. The next 22 pages explore various aspects of the hull framing, from the double bottom up through the side framing, and includes a large number of perspective views and 1:48 scale transverse sections.

Next up, plans and close-ups of the hull plating, and the inner construction of the bow and stern. Further sections show details and plans of the decks, main watertight bulkheads, the distribution of armor plating, and the structure of the turret barbettes.

Section C, Machinery, is sure to please gearheads. It opens with plans of the three boiler rooms, including three transverse sections through the compartment and the arrangement of the steam pipes. The boilers are shown in extensive detail, along with plans of the ash ejector and air compressor system, and perspective views of the third boiler room, ventilation systems, and the after funnel and it’s hatch.

More plans and perspective views show the port engine room (Dreadnought’s two engine rooms were virtually identical) and it’s ventilation system, cross-sections through the steam turbines, and the arrangement of the propeller shaft and steering gear. If that wasn’t enough, more drawings show the distribution of auxiliary machinery, the ammunition magazine cooling plant, the pumping and flooding systems, details of various valve types, and the layout of the coal bunkers.

The fourth section features detailed plans of the officers’ and crews’ mess spaces and living accommodations, along with the layout of a typical seamen’s mess and officer’s cabin. Section E, Superstructure, looks at the ever-changing layout of Dreadnought’s upper works, including the upper and flying decks, and the compass and navigation platforms.

Section F, Rig, explores Dreadnought’s masts and rigging, with detailed views of the mast tops, the spars and booms, the main and boat derrick, and the anti-torpedo defense nets. Section G details the armament, and opens with a number of 1:64 scale plans of the 12-inch turrets, including multiple cross-sections through the gunhouse and close-ups of the breech mechanism and loading arm. The section also features plans of the 12-pounder guns, five-view drawings of their cradle, carriage, pedestal, breech and sighting gear, and a plan and four cross-sections through a submerged torpedo tube.

Section H describes the ship’s primitive fire control systems, while Section I details some of the external fittings, such as hatches, skylights, vents, and railings. The ground tackle and anchors are shown in Section J, and the final section, K, features 1:96 scale plan and profile views of the different boats embarked through Dreadnought’s career.

Even after studying the Agassiz volume with a fine-tooth comb, this entry in the Anatomy of the Ship series left me awestruck with it’s depth. Geeky as it may sound, this book made the amateur naval architect in me giddy with delight. The plans are extremely well executed, clear, well-annotated, and elegant in function. Every frame, bulkhead, plate, and compartment of this great ship is laid bare and presented in exacting detail.

As an example of the detail inside, the ship’s watertube boilers are examined in a series of a 1:48 scale plans and cross-sections on pages 153 through 155, showing details as small as the auxiliary mud box, water gauge steam cocks, and the feed water inlet nozzle. The port engine room is shown in 1:96 scale plans of all three levels, four profile views, and cross-sections at four locations. The accommodation plans show the locations of every desk, dresser, locker, and table in the crew spaces.

I own two Anatomy books, and I’ve "sampled" quite a few more, but this is the only one that’s a true "anatomy" of it’s subject vessel. Some of the books focus on the exterior, which is fine for modelers but not terribly interesting to me. Dreadnought’s exterior hardly features at all beyond the general arrangement drawings and the close-ups of the masts and spars.

As someone with a deep interest in naval architecture, this book really blew me away. I was expecting a slightly more detailed than usual monograph on the ship’s construction, but what I got was an amazingly detailed examination. The dearth of station numbers on the plans and the cartoony depiction of hatches on the deck layouts are the only real annoyances.

Anyone who’s never explored a good set of ship plans, or doesn’t have at least a basic knowledge of how ships are put together, is going to be hopelessly lost examining these plans. Lots of early 20th century British naval jargon is thrown about with little explanation, and the text that accompanies the plans is rather perfunctory. It took me a while to "get" some of the smaller details.

For those who can handle it, Anatomy of the Ship: The Battleship Dreadnought is a rare treat. Despite being reprinted in 2001, 2002, and 2004, only a small trickle arrives in the US from time to time. If you have a chance, grab a copy when you can. You won’t regret it.

Now, when do we get a book on the Titanic with a similar level of detail?

Sailor Steve · 09-24-06, 05:08 PM

Nice.

I only caught one typo: "The forth section"; should be "fourth".

I like it. Makes me want to go out and buy it...wait a minute...

Subnuts · 09-24-06, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Nice.

I only caught one typo: "The forth section"; should be "fourth".

I like it. Makes me want to go out and buy it...wait a minute...

Thanks, I fixed that! :rotfl:

I think this comment I read about the Warspite book on Amazon is pretty funny:

Quote:

...of little interest for the average military history buff. Drawings of the wooden buffer over the armor belt take details to the ultimate overkill.

That guy would have a heart attack if he ever saw this book!

Now I'm just agonizing over which anatomy book to buy next - HMS Victory, aircraft carrier Victorious, frigate Constitution, the Fairmile 'D' Motor Torpedo Boat, the Yamato, or the Type XXI U-boat (even though I heard it was one of the weaker volumes.)

Translation: I got an Amazon.com gift card for my birthdy.

Onkel Neal · 09-25-06, 12:38 PM

Great review, I'll stand by, sir.

SubConscious · 09-30-06, 12:46 PM

Thank you for posting this excellent review. I'll have to add this book to my wish list. I've read a bit about this incredible ship and it must have been quite a shock for England's adversaries as well as a source of great pride for the British.

"Fear God and dread nought." What a great name for a battleship...

09-24-06, 03:53 PM	#1
Subnuts The Old Man Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,658 Downloads: 14 Uploads: 0	Review of "Anatomy of the Ship: The Battleship Dreadnought" This is for you, Steve! (If you're reading this, Neal, this review isn't quite finished yet, and I'd like to include a few scans first.) A century ago, Britain built a warship that was so revolutionary, and so powerful, it blew everyone away without firing a single shot. That warship was the Battleship HMS Dreadnought, the first battleship with a uniform-caliber main battery, and the first major warship propelled by steam turbines. Laid down in 1905 and completed in 14 months, the Dreadnought instantly rendered every battleship afloat obsolete, and may have sparked a naval arms race that lead to World War I. For the vast majority of naval enthusiasts, it’s enough to simply know that the Dreadnought was a powerful, groundbreaking battleship. But there’s always that tiny niche that just has to know more. For hardcore types, this book provides more information on this historic ship than you'll ever need. The Battleship Dreadnought is the 29th book in the long running Anatomy of the Ship series. It’s a 9.5 by 10.5 inch, 256 page hardcover book, and like the others in the series, is divided into three main sections: Introduction, Photographs, and Drawings. On newer editions, the jacket’s back side doubles as a 1:256 scale profile view of the ship as completed. The author and illustrator, John Arthur Roberts, is a British naval draughtsman and the former editor of Warship magazine. He has written numerous books on British warships, along with two other books in the AOTS series. In some circles, he is considered the ‘best ship draughtsman in the UK.’ The book opens with a 28 page introduction that explores the design genesis, construction, operational history, and technical particulars of Dreadnought. The introduction includes a timeline of the ship’s operational history, a list of major modifications to the ship, and numerous tables showing the ship’s weight and stability properties, trial results, and specifications of the machinery, armor, and armament. Next up is a 30-page section which presents 43 black & white photos of the ship throughout it’s life, including a number of interesting images of the construction process. The last 187 pages consist of hundreds ("more than 650," according to the back) of detailed drawings of every part of the ship. When I bought the Anatomy book on the Flower-class Corvette earlier this year, I was stunned by the amount of research put into the plans. As nice as that book is, it’s child’s play compared to Anatomy of the Dreadnought. The first section covers Dreadnought’s general arrangements. The plans in this chapter are at 1:384 scale, and show the ship’s profile at four points in it’s career, a sectional view through the centerline, 13 transverse sections at various points, and layouts of all eight decks and the double bottom in 1907. Section B, Lines and constructional details, is the first of two chapters that explore Dreadnought’s inner workings in extensive detail. First up are plans of the external hull contours, and details of the different types of rivets, plate joints, and structural bars used in the ship’s construction. The next 22 pages explore various aspects of the hull framing, from the double bottom up through the side framing, and includes a large number of perspective views and 1:48 scale transverse sections. Next up, plans and close-ups of the hull plating, and the inner construction of the bow and stern. Further sections show details and plans of the decks, main watertight bulkheads, the distribution of armor plating, and the structure of the turret barbettes. Section C, Machinery, is sure to please gearheads. It opens with plans of the three boiler rooms, including three transverse sections through the compartment and the arrangement of the steam pipes. The boilers are shown in extensive detail, along with plans of the ash ejector and air compressor system, and perspective views of the third boiler room, ventilation systems, and the after funnel and it’s hatch. More plans and perspective views show the port engine room (Dreadnought’s two engine rooms were virtually identical) and it’s ventilation system, cross-sections through the steam turbines, and the arrangement of the propeller shaft and steering gear. If that wasn’t enough, more drawings show the distribution of auxiliary machinery, the ammunition magazine cooling plant, the pumping and flooding systems, details of various valve types, and the layout of the coal bunkers. The fourth section features detailed plans of the officers’ and crews’ mess spaces and living accommodations, along with the layout of a typical seamen’s mess and officer’s cabin. Section E, Superstructure, looks at the ever-changing layout of Dreadnought’s upper works, including the upper and flying decks, and the compass and navigation platforms. Section F, Rig, explores Dreadnought’s masts and rigging, with detailed views of the mast tops, the spars and booms, the main and boat derrick, and the anti-torpedo defense nets. Section G details the armament, and opens with a number of 1:64 scale plans of the 12-inch turrets, including multiple cross-sections through the gunhouse and close-ups of the breech mechanism and loading arm. The section also features plans of the 12-pounder guns, five-view drawings of their cradle, carriage, pedestal, breech and sighting gear, and a plan and four cross-sections through a submerged torpedo tube. Section H describes the ship’s primitive fire control systems, while Section I details some of the external fittings, such as hatches, skylights, vents, and railings. The ground tackle and anchors are shown in Section J, and the final section, K, features 1:96 scale plan and profile views of the different boats embarked through Dreadnought’s career. Even after studying the Agassiz volume with a fine-tooth comb, this entry in the Anatomy of the Ship series left me awestruck with it’s depth. Geeky as it may sound, this book made the amateur naval architect in me giddy with delight. The plans are extremely well executed, clear, well-annotated, and elegant in function. Every frame, bulkhead, plate, and compartment of this great ship is laid bare and presented in exacting detail. As an example of the detail inside, the ship’s watertube boilers are examined in a series of a 1:48 scale plans and cross-sections on pages 153 through 155, showing details as small as the auxiliary mud box, water gauge steam cocks, and the feed water inlet nozzle. The port engine room is shown in 1:96 scale plans of all three levels, four profile views, and cross-sections at four locations. The accommodation plans show the locations of every desk, dresser, locker, and table in the crew spaces. I own two Anatomy books, and I’ve "sampled" quite a few more, but this is the only one that’s a true "anatomy" of it’s subject vessel. Some of the books focus on the exterior, which is fine for modelers but not terribly interesting to me. Dreadnought’s exterior hardly features at all beyond the general arrangement drawings and the close-ups of the masts and spars. As someone with a deep interest in naval architecture, this book really blew me away. I was expecting a slightly more detailed than usual monograph on the ship’s construction, but what I got was an amazingly detailed examination. The dearth of station numbers on the plans and the cartoony depiction of hatches on the deck layouts are the only real annoyances. Anyone who’s never explored a good set of ship plans, or doesn’t have at least a basic knowledge of how ships are put together, is going to be hopelessly lost examining these plans. Lots of early 20th century British naval jargon is thrown about with little explanation, and the text that accompanies the plans is rather perfunctory. It took me a while to "get" some of the smaller details. For those who can handle it, Anatomy of the Ship: The Battleship Dreadnought is a rare treat. Despite being reprinted in 2001, 2002, and 2004, only a small trickle arrives in the US from time to time. If you have a chance, grab a copy when you can. You won’t regret it. Now, when do we get a book on the Titanic with a similar level of detail? __________________ My Amazon.com reviews Last edited by Subnuts; 09-24-06 at 05:56 PM.

09-24-06, 05:08 PM	#2
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Nice. I only caught one typo: "The forth section"; should be "fourth". I like it. Makes me want to go out and buy it...wait a minute... __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

09-25-06, 12:38 PM	#4
Onkel Neal Born to Run Silent Join Date: Jan 1997 Location: Cougar Trap, Texas Posts: 21,365 Downloads: 541 Uploads: 224	Great review, I'll stand by, sir. __________________ SUBSIM - 26 Years on the Web

09-30-06, 12:46 PM	#5
SubConscious Frogman Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 309 Downloads: 102 Uploads: 0	Thank you for posting this excellent review. I'll have to add this book to my wish list. I've read a bit about this incredible ship and it must have been quite a shock for England's adversaries as well as a source of great pride for the British. "Fear God and dread nought." What a great name for a battleship...