This title is the third volume in the Warship series from the Dutch based publisher Lanasta. Like the previous publications, this is an English-language soft-covered 48 page monograph. The subject for
this particular volume is the modern air defense frigate HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerck. The L-frigate (the L standing for Luchtverdediging, which means air defense in Dutch) is a specialized variant
of the S-frigate design. The two ships in this class (Jacob van Heemskerck and Witte de With) differed from the S-frigate in that they lacked the 76mm Oto Melara gun and the helicopter flight deck
and hangar. Instead they had much improved AAW weapon and radar systems as well as additional command facilities.
The book begins with the legacy of the Jacob van Heemskerck name in Royal Netherlands Navy. This is followed by a brief description of the development of the L-frigate. The book then covers, in a
fair amount of detail, the actual ship and its various weapons, radars and other fittings. The Goalkeeper CIWS, in particular, is examined in excellent detail and will benefit modelers of modern Royal
Navy ships. The volume closes with an operational history of the Jacob van Heemskerck, its decommissioning from the Royal Netherlands Navy and subsequent sale to the Chile. The monograph is
fully illustrated with many very good quality photos. The photos are supplemented with excerpts from ship plans and detailed drawings of armament and fittings. Color profiles are also provided with
RAL color codes for the modern Dutch paint scheme. The text is an English translation of original Dutch text and while not perfect, it is improved from the inaugural volume.
|
|
