Hunters and Killers

Hunters and Killers is a comprehensive two-volume history of all aspects of Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), covering its beginnings in the late 18th Century through the important role of present anti-submarine systems and operations. The first volume discusses ASW operations up to World War II, ending in early 1943, and this second volume continues from 1943 to the present. In addition to tactical and strategic narratives of major ASW campaigns, this work covers the evolution of ASW sensors, weapons, platforms, and tactics.
The second volume of Hunters and Killers begins at the turning point of the Battle of the Atlantic, when Allied efforts forced the U-boats to withdraw from the North Atlantic. With cryptologic breakthroughs, growing numbers of escort and long-range patrol aircraft, and new weapons, the Allied anti-submarine advantage mounted quickly. In the Pacific theater, Polmar and Whitman consider the often-overlooked ASW advances that the Japanese made during World War II.


Turning to the Cold War, the authors examine the ASW developments this confrontation inspired in both the West and the Soviet Union. Both the West and the Soviet Union developed submarines armed with nuclear weapons, and each created techniques to counter the intensified submarine threats. Polmar and Whitman discuss the extensive anti-submarine aspects of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Falklands Conflict, and consider ASW developments into the early 21st Century.


The second volume of Hunters and Killers completes the most in-depth history of ASW ever published. Written by two of the most knowledgeable scholars on the subject, it is a must own for anyone interested in naval history.