Naval actions in World War I conjures up images of enormous Dreadnoughts slugging it out in vast oceans. Yet the truth is that more sailors were killed serving on gunboats and monitors operating far from the naval epicentre of the war than were ever killed at Jutland. Gunboat engagements during this period were bloody and hard fought, if small in scale.This is the first detailed guide to the gunboats of all the major navies, using accurate colour plate illustrations and clear technical description to tell the story of the little ships that punched above their weight.