Today we're showing three pieces of artwork from our March 2024 series books! Let us know in the comments which books you'd like to see featured in our April 2024 Artwork Reveal!

 

Royal Navy Home Fleet 1939–41: The last line of defence at Scapa Flow

By Angus Konstam

Illustrated by Jim Laurier

THE HOME FLEET UNDER AIR ATTACK IN SCAPA FLOW, 10 APRIL 1940

Thanks to intelligence reports, Admiral Forbes was forewarned of the planned German invasion of Norway, and put to sea on 7 April. Three days later Scapa Flow came under heavy air attack from Luftwaffe bombers operating from captured airfields in Southern Norway. The fleet anchorage had been attacked before, but this was the largest German raid of the war. In all, 60 Junkers Ju-88 and Heinkel He-III took part in the attack on 10 April. The raid though, proved a failure, thanks largely to ‘The Scapa Barrage’. The numerous shore-based AA batteries in Orkney, together with the ships of the fleet threw up a curtain of fire on a set bearing.

The aim was to create such a concentrated volume of flak that the bombers would be unable to penetrate it. As a result the bombers were forced to drop their bombs at a hopelessly high height, rendering their attack ineffective. The attackers had also been detected by Chain Link Radar, and fighters were scrambled from RAF Wick in time to attack the Luftwaffe formations as they withdrew. However, almost all of the Home Fleet was at sea off Norway, so the anchorage was virtually empty, save for the heavy cruiser Suffolk and the small aircraft carrier Argus. Both are seen here, adding their weight to the barrage.

Artwork requested by Adam Cooper.

 

Soviet Cruisers 1917–45: From the October Revolution to World War II

By Alexander Hill

Illustrated by Paul Wright

KRASNII KAVKAZ (SVETLANA CLASS) DURING THE SUMMER OF 1942

All three of the Soviet cruisers completed from Tsarist Svetlana-class hulls saw active service in support of besieged Soviet ports on the Black Sea, including the atypical variant, Krasnii Kavkaz. This vessel had the misfortunate of being provided with four 180mm (60 cal) MK-1-180 mounts for its main armament – the short barrel lives of which and lack of replacements meant that it made relatively little use of the main armament during the war. Krasnii Kavkaz is shown here sometime in mid-1942, loading with troops and equipment. Repairs during the winter of 1941–42 and additions into 1942 saw its anti-aircraft armament substantially augmented. As shown here, it not only has two additional twin 100mm (47 cal) ‘Minizin’ mounts taken from Chervona Ukraina to give it a total of six, but now has two single 76mm (55 cal) 34-K mounts added at the stern. The ship has also received ten 37mm (67.5 cal) 70-K automatic mounts to go with six semi-automatic (46 cal) 45-K mounts and a pair of quad Vickers HMG mounts. Loading using one of its aircraft cranes is a 76.2mm Obr. 1939 divisional artillery piece (USV).

Artwork requested by Daniel Figueroa Giraldez.