Why subscribe to Action Stations?

Action Stations! is a newsletter offering weekly content of the history of war at sea - above, on, and beneath the waves -, written and edited by me, Xavier Tracol. Action Stations! takes time and effort to produce. Show your support with a free subscription. Never miss an update!

The mission of Action Stations! is simple: to create on Substack the naval history magazine we would have dreamed of reading!

How?

By telling in a lively way and explaining clearly the war at sea in the twentieth century, with occasional forays into other eras if the desire arises. Here, you are in the right place for articles and comments on naval tactics, battles and weaponry during World War I, World War II and the Cold War.

For who?

Our aim is to bring together passionate naval history connoisseurs and novices looking to learn more through rigorous analyses and lively, authentic stories.

By who?

I’m Xavier Tracol, French author, historian and editor. I spend much of my life reading, writing and working as a journalist for many French magazines specializing in military history, in particular for those published by Caraktère, a great publishing house that no longer exists today. Between 2012 and 2025, I was editor-in-chief of LOS! magazine, specializing in naval, aviation and submarine history.

I have also edited several books about naval history, and written myself 6 books and booklets (only in French, sorry…) about U-boats and their fighting in the Battle of the Atlantic:

• Les engins des K-Verbände (2022)

• Torpedo Los ! Les U-Boote dans la Bataille de l’Atlantique - T2 (2021)

• U-Boot Typ IX (2020)

• Walter-U-Boote, Typ XXI et Typ XXIII (2020)

• U-Boot Typ VII (2019)

• Torpedo Los ! Les U-Boote dans la Bataille de l’Atlantique - T1 (2019)

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Subscribe to ACTION STATIONS!

A Substack dedicated to the history of war at sea — above, on, and beneath the waves. Here, you are in the right place for posts and notes on naval tactics, battles and weaponry during World War I, World War II and the Cold War.