Rif Winfield, John Tredrea, Enrique Garcia-Torralba Perez, and Manuel Blasco Felip, Spanish Warships in the Age of Sail, 1700-1860. Design, Construction, Careers and Fates by Jim Hughey

The Northern Mariner / Le marin du nord and can be launched from the decks of submarines, or put into airplanes and/or dropped from helicopters.Mini-submarines have also been tried with various degrees of success, though admittedly, they are expensive when manufactured in such small numbers and limited in capability.Several countries, including China, Russia, and the United States, have tracked vehicles that can crawl along the seabed and recovery vehicles for deep sea rescues from submarines.Chapter 16 looks at the use of mammals, such as dolphins, sea lions, and whales, known for their diving abilities, ability to locate objects underwater, and trainability to work alongside human divers in military endeavours.These sea creatures still outperform humans and their equipment by virtue of living in the sea and being adapted to great depths (dolphins and whales do not get bends).The last three chapters move from the present to the future, examining remote autonomous underwater vehicles, advances in new equipment and breathing apparatus, and the use of diver special forces in sabotage and disruption operations far below the surface; for example, the rupture of a Russian pipeline in the Baltic Sea during the current war (special operation) between Russian and Ukraine.Combat diver units definitely have a future as a specialized capability sought by many armed forces and special forces.While the text is a little uneven in parts and must fill gaps left by the nonavailability of information, the real treasures of the book are the photographs, mostly in colour, depicting the day-to-day activities of combat divers, usually in action or training.These are printed on glossy paper and give full effect.The text does not provide references, but a list of further reading and bibliography appears at the end.In parts of the discussion, Welham draws upon his own experiences in the Royal Marine Commandos and subsequently in the private sector working oil rigs.