Military Model Scene

Title: Warships of the Soviet Fleets 1939-45 Vol2
Editor: Przemyslaw Budzbon, Jan Radziemski and Marek Twardowski
Publisher: Seaforth
ISBN: 978-1-3990-2277-4

Volume II, Escorts and Smaller Fighting Ships, the second of a three part reference of the Soviet Fleets of WW2 from Seaforth Publishing. A large format 304-page hard-cover book and it is also available in 2 e-book formats as well.
First thing you'll find is a great use of the inside covers, with a map showing the whole of the Soviet Union in WW2, which shows just how huge the coastline was, from the Arctic, Far East, Baltic and Black Sea, along with the various large lakes and rivers across this vast land mass. It shows the various Naval Bases all round it. A similar chart inside the back cover has the various shipbuilding sites as well. Then in the book itself there are sections covering Escort Ships, Large Submarine Hunters, Small Submarine Hunters, Patrol Boats, Floating Artillery Batteries, AA Defence Ships. Minelayers, Netlayers, Minesweepers, Minesweeping Boats and finally Landing Vessels and Craft. Each class is covered with basic details and lists of individual vessels and where available, what happened to them. They include Soviet built vessels, war prizes and in many case Lend-Lease ships which were provided by the USA in particular and in far greater numbers than I for one had ever imagined. Not only larger Escort vessels but also Patrol Boats, Minesweepers and Landing Craft especially. Most entries include side-view drawings and mixed in among the long tables listing the individual ships, a lot of archive photos showing us what these ships looked like, most of which I had never seen before.
This is another fabulous reference which adds to the equally good volume 1, and we can look forward to volume 3 rounding everything off and which is due out soon. Together they will make a reference on the Soviet Navy of WW2 that I can't imagine being surpassed. For those interested in warship history this is a reference that deserves to be on your reference shelf.
Thanks to Seaforth Publishing and Pen & Sword for the review copy. This is on sale now, as is volume I, and volume 3 will be on sale soon.

Robin