During World War II, U.S. Navy cruisers filled a vital niche between the powerful but slow battleships and the less powerful but fast destroyers.

The war heated up, and so did production of the B-24. The H and J models arrived with no fewer than 10 .50-caliber machine guns and a maximum bomb load of about 8,000 pounds.

World War II at Sea offers a global perspective, focusing on the major engagements and personalities and revealing both their scale and their interconnection: the U-boat attack on Scapa Flow and the ...