Friedman, Norman (Hrsg.) British Naval Weapons of World War Two. The John Lambert Collection. Volume 2: Escort and Minesweeper

John Lambert was a renowned naval draughtsman, whose plans were highly valued for their accuracy and detail by modelmakers and enthusiasts. By the time of his death in 2016, he had produced over 850 sheets of drawings, many of which have never been published. These have now been acquired by Seaforth and this is the second of a planned series of albums on selected themes, reproducing complete sheets at a large page size, with an expert commentary and captioning. The initial volumes concentrate on British naval weaponry used in the Second World War, thus completing the project John Lambert was working on when he died. His interest was always focused on smaller warships and his weapons drawings tend to be of open mountings - the kind that present a real challenge to modelmakers - rather than enclosed turret guns, but he also produced drawings of torpedo tubes, underwater weapons, re-control directors and even some specific armament-related deck fittings. Following the first volume on destroyer armament, this one covers all such weapons carried by the various types of British escorts and minesweepers of this era, including the "passive" elements like sweeping gear, decoys, and electronics. The drawings are backed by introductory essays by Norman Friedman, an acknowledged authority on naval ordnance, while a selection of photographs add to the value of the book as visual reference. Over time, the series will be expanded to make this unique technical archive available in published form, a move certain to be welcomed by warship modellers, enthusiasts and the many fans of John Lambert's work.

Following the first volume on destroyer armament, this book covers all the weapons carried by the various British escort ships and minesweepers between 1939 and 1945, including 'passive' elements such as minesweeping equipment, decoys and electronics. The drawings are illustrated by introductory articles by Norman Friedman, a recognised authority on naval armament, while a selection of photographs adds to the book's value as a visual reference. Over time, the series will be expanded to make this unique technical archive available in published form. This is certainly a project that will be welcomed by warship modellers, enthusiasts and the many fans of John Lambert's work.