Land forces and warfare Books

Book SynopsisA fascinating and action packed history, focussing on the armoured car and the many ways in which it was employed during the Great War.

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Book SynopsisIt is an often overlooked fact that the SS Divisions included Cavalrymen, Paratroopers, Mountain and Ski Battalions and these rare photographs illustrate the unique role played by specialist units in action.

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Book SynopsisThe SS-Polizei Division became one of the most effective and ruthless fighting formations of WW2.

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Book SynopsisVon Kleist, one of Hitler s best panzer leaders, described the T-34 as The finest tank in the world . There could have been no finer accolade from a commander whose panzer divisions experienced the full fury of its devastating attacks on the Eastern Front. Without doubt, the T-34 was one of the best tanks of all time, and in this volume in the TankCraft series Robert Jackson tells its story. He describes its conception in the 1930s, its development during the Second World War, and its post-war deployment to over thirty countries within the Soviet sphere of influence. His book is an excellent reference work for the modeller, providing details of available kits, together with artworks showing the colour schemes applied to the T-34 by its operators throughout the world. Photographs, many in colour, illustrate the T-34 in action and there is a section dealing with the range of armoured vehicles that were built using the T-34 chassis. Robert Jackson's introduction to the T-34 is necessary reading for tank enthusiasts and tank modellers alike.

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Book SynopsisBorn in Kulm, Germany, on 17 June 1888, Heinz Wilhelm Guderian was the son of an army officer. He eventually joined the German Army and was commissioned in the Jaegers in 1908 where he became a communications specialist. He fought in the First World War and afterwards was a member of the right-wing Freikorps units. Between the wars, Guderian became a catalyst for developing a Panzer division in the German Army. By February 1938 he had been promoted to Lieutenant General; later that year Hitler appointed Guderian to the new post of Chief of Mobile Troops. Guderian was a man of ideas equipped with the ability to turn inspiration into reality. A master of strategy and tactics, he was the officer who led the attack on Poland in September and in so doing introduced the world to the reality of Blitzkrieg. This biography draws on material from Enigma sources and information taken directly from the extensive Guderian family archives to explore the man who was partly responsible for the development of modern tank warfare and who is considered to be the father of Blitzkrieg.The author also looks at Guderian s reaction to the July 1944 plot to kill Hitler as well as illuminates the struggles within the German hierarchy, in the process investigating why Guderian was so admired by some while denigrated by others.

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Book SynopsisSieges played a key role in the crusades, but they tend to be overshadowed by the famous battles fought between the Franks and the Muslims, and no detailed study of the subject has been published in recent times. So Michael Fulton's graphic, wide-ranging and thought-provoking book is a landmark in the field. He considers the history of siege warfare in the Holy Land from every angle - the tactics and technology, the fortifications, the composition of the opposing armies, and the ways in which sieges shaped Frankish and Muslim strategy at each stage of the conflict. The differences and similarities between the Eastern and Western traditions are explored, as is the impact of the shifting balance of power in the region. The conclusions may surprise some readers. Neither the Muslims nor the Franks possessed a marked advantage in siege technology or tactics, their fortifications reflected different purposes and an evolving political environment and, although there were improvements in technologies and fortifications, the essence of siege warfare remained relatively consistent. Michael Fulton's book is a fascinating all-round reassessment of an aspect of the crusades that had a decisive impact on the outcome of the struggle. It will be essential reading for medieval and military historians.

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Since its introduction in 1981, at the height of the Cold War, the Abrams main battle tank has been one of the most visible and iconic symbols of American military power, and it is the fascinating subject of this heavily illustrated historical and modelling guide in the TankCraft series by David Grummitt. Designed to meet head-on the massed tank forces of the Warsaw Pact, its combat debut in fact came in a different scenario in 1991 during the First Gulf War. Since then it has served in the peace-keeping role in the former Yugoslavia and seen combat in Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen. It has gone through a series of modifications and modernizations that see it set to remain the backbone of the US Army until at least 2050. As well as charting the development and combat history of the vehicle, the book is illustrated throughout with colour photos and specially commissioned colour profiles. Five different models, covering the service history of the Abrams, are featured, as is modeller's guide to the existing kits and accessories in the all the popular scales.

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Book SynopsisDuring the 1980s and early 1990s the Challenger 1 main battle tank played a central role in Britain's armoured forces and it achieved remarkable success in combat, destroying around 300 Iraqi tanks in the Gulf War. With its advanced Chobham armour and hydropneumatic suspension system, it was one of the most sophisticated and effective armoured vehicles of the time and, in a modified form, it is still in service with the Jordanian army. It is also a popular subject with tank modellers and enthusiasts, which is why this volume in the TankCraft series is of such value. Archive photos of the Challenger 1 in service and extensively researched colour profile illustrations depict the tank throughout its operational life. A large part of the book showcases available model kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details as well as modifications introduced during production and in the field are also examined and provide everything the modeller needs to recreate an accurate representation of the Challenger 1.

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Book SynopsisOn the battlefields of Europe and North Africa during the Second World War tanks played a key role, and the intense pressure of combat drove forward tank design and tactics at an extraordinary rate. In a few years, on all sides, tank warfare was transformed. This is the dramatic process that Simon and Jonathan Forty chronicle in this heavily illustrated history. They describe the fundamentals of pre-war tank design and compare the theories formulated in the 1930s as to how they should be used in battle. Then they show how the harsh experience of the German blitzkrieg campaigns in Poland, France and the Soviet Union compelled the Western Allies to reconsider their equipment, organization and tactics - and how the Germans responded to the Allied challenge. The speed of progress is demonstrated in the selection of over 180 archive photographs which record, as only photographs can, the conditions of war on each battle front. They also give a vivid impression of what armoured warfare was like for the tank crews of 75 years ago.

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Book SynopsisFrom their first introduction at the Battle of the Somme in the First World War, tanks proved to be one of the most important military developments in the history of warfare. Such was their influence on the battlefield, both as infantry support and as an armoured spearhead, their presence could determine the outcome of any battle. Another significant development during the 1930s was that of airborne forces, with a number of countries experimenting with air-dropped troops. Such a concept offered the possibility of inserting soldiers behind the front lines to sow fear and confusion in the enemy's rear. However, such troops, parachuting from aircraft, could only be lightly armed, thus limiting their effectiveness. It is understandable, therefore, that much thought was given to the practicalities of air-lifting tanks that could be dropped, or deposited, alongside paratroopers. Tanks, though, are heavy, cumbersome vehicles and before there could be any thought of carrying them by air, much lighter models would have to be produced. Charles Roberts' fascinating book opens with an investigation into the efforts in the 1930s by Britain, the Soviet Union and the USA into the development of, or adaptation of, light tanks for airborne operations. It was, inevitably, the start of the Second World War which accelerated efforts to produce an airborne tank and the means of delivery. The use of conventional powered aircraft to carry the tanks, limited their use to existing airfields which negated their employment with airborne troops landing in the open countryside. Another method of delivery had to be found, and this took the form of the glider, which could be landed in a field behind enemy lines. The combination of light tank and glider made the aim of airborne forces being supported by armour a realistic proposition - and as a result, the 28th Airborne Tank Battalion was born. This detailed and comprehensive study deals with every aspect of design and deployment of American airborne tanks from the earliest concepts to their actual use, by British units, on D-Day and during Operation Varsity, the Rhine crossing.

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Book SynopsisOnly after the Nazis invaded Poland and France did the United States Government authorize mass production of tanks. By the end of the War American industry had built nearly 90,000 tanks, more than Germany and Great Britain combined. The first big order in May 1940 was for 365 M2A4 light tanks, the initial iteration of the Stuart series, with almost 24,000 constructed. The Stuart series was supplemented by almost 5,000 units of the M24 Chaffee light tank. There was also the failed M22 Locust light tank intended for airborne operations. The M4 series of medium tanks, best known as the Sherman, were the most numerous with some 50,000 in service with not only the American military but British and other Allied armies. It was not until later in the war that the M26 Pershing heavy tank was built. Initially the US Army doctrine saw tanks as primarily for the exploitation role. Later the concept of tank destroyers evolved to counter large scale German armored offensives. These defensive AFVs included the half-track-based 75mm Gun Motor Carriage M3 and the full-tracked M10, M18, and M36. This comprehensive and superbly illustrated book describes in authoritative detail the characteristics and contribution to victory of these formidable fighting vehicles.

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Book SynopsisThousands of volumes have been published about World War II but relatively little attention has been given to the sniper. Drawing from memoirs, government documents and interviews, this Casemate Illustrated title incorporates eyewitness accounts to weave a comprehensive narrative of snipers in World War II.While certain common traits were shared among belligerents, each had its unique methodology for selecting and training snipers and, as casualties were high, their replacements. Drawn from hunters, competitive shooters, natural marksmen, outdoorsmen, city dwellers, farmers and veteran soldiers, they fought to assert local battlefield dominance and instill among their enemy a paralyzing fear. Sometimes admired and other times reviled by their own comrades because of the retaliation they drew, they were always too few in number. Their battlefield role, their victories and their defeats are retold here from neglected or forgotten sources.The scope of World War II Snipers is extensive, with three chapters each on the major theatres of the war including Western Europe, Eastern Europe and the Pacific. These are supported by a lengthy chapter on the sniper rifles used by the snipers and their equipment. Finally, the last chapter discusses many overlooked or ignored subjects not raised by other researchers and provides much food for thought. The bibliography is a valuable resource to future researchers and writers. For the long-range rifle shooter and today's snipers, the lessons of the past are as relevant today as they were when learned and practiced in World War II.Trade ReviewGary Yee takes what is already a well-researched deep dive into the specifics of sniper training, employment and equipment to a new level. * The American Rifleman *If you have any interest in sniping or World War II, you need to have this book in your library. * A Wargamers Needful Things 26/10/2022 *Each combatant nation had its own methods of selecting and training snipers, arming and equipping them, and then utilizing them in action. This book goes over the details of these snipers, with sections covering them in action and the weapons they used. * WWII History Magazine 28/09/2022 *If you like history and want to learn about snipers during WWII this is the book for you. * IPMS/USA 16/11/2022 *There have been many books written about snipers in WWII, but nothing ever like this superb book which has to be the most comprehensive of its type. If there is any aspect on sniping which is missing from this book, then it is not important. … Highly illustrated throughout, this book is for weapon collectors, shooters, … and general readers with an interest in the subject. There is nothing to criticise about this book and readers will find it compelling. * Gun Mart 21/09/2022 *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Chapter I: United Kingdom & Commonwealth Chapter II. US Army and Marine Corps Chapter III. Soviet Union Chapter IV. Axis Nations Chapter V: Western Europe and Northern Africa Chapter VI: Liberation of North Western Europe Chapter VII To the Rhine and Elba Chapter VIII: Drang Nach Osten Chapter IX: Stalingrad Kessel (Cauldron) Chapter X: Verbrannte Erde (Scorched Earth) Retreat to the Reich Chapter XI: Pacific Theatre and the Far East Chapter XII South West Pacific Chapter XIII: South Pacific Chapter XIV: Guns and Equipment Chapter XV. Sniper Miscellany Appendices Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisRodolfo Graziani, Marshal of Italy, Viceroy of Ethiopia and one of Mussolini's most valued generals remains to this day a divisive figure in his homeland. Revered by some Italians as a patriot and vilified by others a murderer, his reputation abroad remains one of infamy. To the people of Libya, he's the man who hanged Omar al-Mukhtar. In Ethiopia, the one behind the poison gas bombings. To the British, he is the buffoon-like Italian general whose troops surrendered en masse. But what is the true story of Rodolfo Graziani? This rigorously researched biography draws on private letters and secret communications to reveal a fascinating portrait of Fascist Italy's most notorious military leader. What emerges is a man of glaring contradictions. A Doting family man and a violent soldier. Graziani was a key figure of Italy's momentous 1930s, enjoying widespread popularity during the height of Mussolini's dictatorship, his exploits in Libya and Ethiopia captured the public's imagination. After his death he was largely forgotten. But in 2012, the mausoleum erected in his honour has sparked fresh controversy.Table of Contents1 Disaster in the desert; 2 A home in the mountains; 3 Postcards from Libya; 4 Ethiopia and the use of poison gas; 5 Marquis of Neghelli and executioner of Addis Ababa; 6 Twenty months on Lake Garda; 7 A sentence which is more like an acquittal; 8 What remains; Postscript 2021; Endnotes; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisWhen the Panzer VI Ausf. E Tiger I tank first arrived on the battlefield, it started the Allied and Soviet intelligence race to discover everything they could about this new threat. The British Army quickly needed to know how to knock it out, then communicate that information back to the troops that had to face this new German metal monster either by official means or via newspapers. This is not a typical book on the Tiger tank. It tries to show the reader what the British and Commonwealth forces knew about the Tiger I tank during the war and the results of scientific firing trials. Unpublished Second World War original documents, discovered in different archives, have been transcribed and reproduced along with any existing photographs found in those official secret reports. These include top-secret Bletchley Park and Enigma intercepts of German messages that were decoded and translated before being sent to wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Illustrated with over 360 images, "How to Kill a Tiger Tank" is the definitive examination of a world-changing fighting vehicle.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; Glossary; Introduction; 1: Tiger Tank Development and Production; 2: Operational Deployment; 3: Early 1943 Soviet Army Tiger Tank Pamphlet; 4: Early British Intelligence Reports About the Tiger Tank; 5: The Armour Code; 6: Tunisia Firing Trials Reports; 7: Pamphlet on Attack on Panther Pz Kw V and Tiger Pz Kw VI; 8: British Intercepts of German Coded Messages; 9: 1943 Newspaper Reports on the New Tiger Tank; 10: School of Tank Technology Pz Kw VI (Tiger) Report No 19; 11: The Capture of Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf E (Tiger) Turret No 344; 12: Firing Trials Against Panther and Tiger Tanks, 18-23 September 1944; 13: Part I: Firing Trials Against Pz Kw VI (Tiger) 7-12 March 1945; 14: Part II: Firing Trials Against Pz Kw VI (Tiger) 15-22 March 1945; 15: Part III: Firing Trials Against Pz Kw VI (Tiger) 23-25 April 1945; 16: Part IV: Firing Trials Against Pz Kw VI (Tiger) 26-27 April 1945; 17: British Anti-Tank Weapons; 18: British Battle Reports; 19: Panzerketten (German Tank Track Classification System); 20: The Bucket; 21: Surviving Panzer VI Tiger Tanks; 22: Replica Tiger Tanks; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisThe M4 Medium Tank - the Sherman - was one of the most famous tanks of the Second World War. It was produced in greater numbers than any other Allied tank, it fought on every front - in Western Europe, on the Eastern Front, in North Africa, Burma, the Pacific - and it continued to serve effectively as a front-line fighting vehicle in the Korean War, the Arab-Israeli wars, the Indo-Pakistani wars. Pat Ware's new history of this remarkable tank covers in detail its design and development, its technical specifications and the many variants that were produced, and he reviews its operational role in conflicts across the world. While the Sherman outclassed the older German tanks it encountered when it was first put into combat in 1942, it was vulnerable to the later German medium and heavy tanks, the Panther and the Tiger I and Tiger II. Yet, as Pat Ware shows, the Sherman was more effective than these superior German tanks because it was cheaper to build, reliable, easy to maintain and produced in such large numbers. It was also adaptable - it was converted into a tank-destroyer, an amphibious tank, a recovery vehicle, a mine-flail, a personnel carrier - and, after the Second World War, the soundness of its original design was proved as it was developed to confront more modern tanks in combat. Pat Ware's expert account of this remarkable fighting vehicle is accompanied by a series of colour plates showing the main variants of the design and the common ancillary equipment and unit markings. His book is an essential work of reference for enthusiasts.

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Book SynopsisThe German Tiger I and Tiger II (known to the Allies as the 'King Tiger' or 'Royal Tiger') were the most famous and formidable heavy tanks of the Second World War. In their day their awesome reputation inspired such apprehension among Allied soldiers that the weaknesses of these brilliant but flawed designs tended to be overlooked. Anthony Tucker-Jones, in this illustrated history, tells the story of their conception and development and reconsiders their operational history, and he dispels the legends and misunderstandings that have grown up around them. The Tigers were over-engineered, required raw materials that were in short supply, were time-consuming to manufacture and difficult to recover from the battlefield. Only around 1,300 of the Tiger I and fewer than 500 of the Tiger II were produced, so they were never going to make anything more than a local impact on the outcome of the fighting on the Western and Eastern fronts. Yet the myth of the Tigers, with their 88mm guns, thick armour and brutal profiles, has grown over time to the extent that they are regarded as the deadliest tanks of the Second World War. Anthony Tucker-Jones's expert account of these remarkable fighting vehicles is accompanied by a series of colour plates showing the main variants of the designs and the common ancillary equipment and unit markings. His book is an essential work of reference for enthusiasts.

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Book SynopsisAs World War II in Europe reached its end, armour development and doctrine had experienced several years of massively accelerated change, especially within the crucible of the Eastern Front. The German Jagdpanther and Soviet SU-100, both turretless tank-destroyer designs based on a ‘traditional’ turret-tank chassis, were the culminating examples of how the progression of experience, resources and time constraints produced vehicles that were well suited for roles of defence and offence, respectively. The Jagdpanther represented a well-balanced solution and an excellent use of limited resources, while the SU-100 was a natural progression of the SU-85, where numbers produced compensated for rudimentary construction, poor crew comfort and limited optics.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Chronology /Design and development /Technical specifications /The strategic situation /The combatants /Combat /Statistics and analysis /Aftermath /Bibliography /Index

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Book SynopsisThe sequel to French Tanks of World War II (1), this title focuses primarily on France’s cavalry armored vehicles, including the light reconnaissance tanks such as the AMR and AMC families, the famous Somua S.35 cavalry tanks and the extensive array of armored half-track and armored cars used by the French cavalry. Specific attention is also paid to tanks considered important from a numerical standpoint such as the Hotchkiss H-35/H-39 series. Featuring specially commissioned profile artwork, photographs and illustrations, French Tanks of World War II (2) provides detailed insight into the background and design of these tank types and presents a brief, yet thorough assessment of their performance during the Battle of France.Table of ContentsIntroduction/ Design and Development/ Operational History/ Conclusion and Analysis`

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Book SynopsisThe British and Commonwealth Soldier 1939-45, British soldiers, with their old-fashioned helmets, spring-powered PIAT anti-tank guns and veneration of heroic defeats, may have lost the propaganda war, but their record speaks for itself: they may have started badly in France in 1940 and the Far East in 1941, but they were victorious in the North African desert, in Europe and in India and Burma where the 'Forgotten Army' first held the Japanese and then inflicted at Imphal and Kohima the greatest loss to the Japanese on land. They held back the might of the Panzers in Normandy in 1944, chased the Germans back into Holland and came within a whisker at Arnhem of circumventing the Siegfried Line, and won battle after battle against a fanatical defence on their way to final victory., This book doesn't cover the progress of the Second World War, but looks in detail at the weapons, uniform, accoutrements, equipment and tactics of the Second World War British infantryman, following the themes of the Haynes Great War British Tommy and German Infantryman Manuals., Author: Simon Forty was educated at Sedbergh School and London University's School of Slavonic and East European Studies. He has been involved in publishing for over three decades and specializes in military history having contributed to a large number of books. He was also general editor of World War I: A Visual Encyclopedia. Simon lives in Devon with his wife and two children.Table of ContentsChapter 1 The lessons of WW1 The Hundred Days, pacifism; interwar doctrinal theories: Fuller, mechanised warfare and the cavalry; the arms race of the 1930s; and the birth of the Paras. Chapter 2 Organisation The army of empire: Australia, Canada, India; the organisation of the army and how it changed during the war; manpower crises, arms and services; the regimental system; new arms: the Paras, Commandos, the Territorials, and Dad’s Army. Chapter 3 The soldier National Service: militia and conscription; training; personal documentation; life in the field. Chapter 4 Uniform and equipment Rank and insignia; medals, badges and other titles; decorations; trade and specialist badges; proficiency badges; other badges. Uniforms and equipment: the standard combat uniform and headgear; equipment: gasmask etc, webbing, packs and tools; camouflage; winter clothing; desert clothing; jungle clothing; amphibious warfare; the Paras. Chapter 5 Weapons Pistols, rifles, submachine guns, machine guns, hand grenades, mortars, mines, anti-tank guns, flamethrowers, anti-aircraft guns, infantry guns and howitzers, ammunition. Chapter 7 Medical services RAMC; the infantryman; battalion; regiment; division; corps; army. System of aid to/evacuation of casualties; Commonwealth War Graves Committee. Chapter 8 Women soldiers ATS, FANY, QAIMNS. Chapter 9 Tactics Introduction, in the attack; the squad in combat; in the defence; airpower; artillery; tanks.

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Book SynopsisWith a Foreword by Lord Hague of Richmond The Intelligence Corps is one of the smallest and most secretive elements of the British Army. It has existed in various guises since the early twentieth century, but it was only formally constituted in July 1940. In this book, Michael Ashcroft tells the astonishing stories of some of its most courageous and ingenious figures, who have operated all over the world from the First World War to the present day. Whether carrying out surveillance work on the street, monitoring and analysing communications, working on overseas stakeouts, receiving classified information from a well-placed contact or interrogating the enemy in the heat of war, a hugely diverse range of people have served in the Corps, often supplementing their individual professional skills with original thinking and leadership in the name of the Crown. This book pays tribute to them and shows why, in the words of the 1st Duke of Marlborough, 'No war can be conducted successfully without early and good intelligence.'

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Book SynopsisThe end is in sight but the fight is long: the epic and terrifying conclusion to the greatest conflict in historyGoing into 1944, the Allies knew the tide was turning in their favour. But they still faced a monumental task to get to victory.From the beaches of Normandy on D-Day to those of the Pacific stormed by American marines, from the air drops at Arnhem and the Battle of the Bulge to the final dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, from the sacking of Berlin to the delicate peace that followed, this is a gripping and impeccably researched account of two years that forever changed the world.Filled with both the grand sweep of history, and small, unforgettable details and stories of ordinary soldiers, this is military writing of the very highest calibre, perfect for fans of Jonathan Dimbleby and Ben Macintyre.

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Book SynopsisThe Battle of the Somme has become a byword for sacrifice and senseless slaughter. It had a searing impact on the British mindset that still resonates over a century after it occurred. This largely stems from the events of 1 July 1916, the first day of the battle which cost the British Army over 19,000 dead and nearly another 40,000 wounded, captured and missing, the bloodiest day in the Army''s history.Yet the battle continued for four and a half months and a century of research suggests a far more nuanced picture. Britain was not fighting alone and the French contribution, often overlooked, was clearly very significant. The Somme also saw the very first use of tanks in battle, at Flers-Courcelette on 15 September 1916, an event that changed the course of warfare forever.Moreover, there are now commentators who believe the Somme was a victory, albeit an expensive one. The Somme also had an immense social historical significance, due to both the way it impacted virtually every community in Britain and to the films which held audiences spellbound all over Europe.While a great deal has been written about the Somme, this book is much more than just a history of the battle. It focuses on the equipment and tactics used by both sides and the strategic objectives the battle was designed to achieve. Uniforms, logistics, weapons, all the components of the battleplan are discussed and described in detail in a creative and innovative manner. This new approach to one of the most significant battles in British military history will attract a great degree of interest from a wide range of readers.

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the 2023 Military History Matters Book of the Year Award The only way to truly understand what it was like to fight in the Second World War is to listen to the experiences of those men who were there. And often, there was nowhere more dangerous than on the ground. In Footsloggers, Peter Hart reconstructs one infantry battalion's war in staggering detail. Based on his interviews with members of the 16th Durham Light Infantry, Hart bears witness not only to their comradeship, suffering, dreadful losses and individual tragedies, but also their courage and self-sacrifice as they fought their way across North Africa, Italy and Greece. This is a human look at the inhuman nature of war from the author of At Close Range and Burning Steel.Trade ReviewAnother powerful entry in Hart's 'British Band of Brothers' series -- Major Gordon CorriganPowerful, vivid and haunting ... the boredom, horror, humour, and everything else that went with life at the front [makes this] an emotional ride -- Andrew Mulholland * The Past *Praise for Peter Hart: 'Thought provoking, erudite, yet eminently readable and entertaining ... A historian and author at the peak of his powers -- Richard van EmdenExquisite ... Hart lets these [men] speak -- Gerard de Groot * The Times *

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Book SynopsisWith over 140 images, this book covers the various designs of armoured fighting vehicles and protected patrol vehicles employed in the war in Afghanistan. Although the conflict was primarily an infantryman's war, producing specialised protected vehicles became an urgent priority due to the threat from IEDs and legacy mines. While many older vehicles were employed with suitable modifications, the insurgency saw the introduction of many new designs such as the Jackal, Mastiff and Foxhound. The book concentrates on UK and US types, but also features a selection of designs by other participating nations, including France and Canada. Furthermore, the specialised logistics vehicles used to supply the far-flung operating bases in the Sangin valley will be investigated.

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Book SynopsisSturmgeschutz III was originally designed as an assault weapon, but as war progressed it was increasingly used in a defensive role and evolved into an assault gun and tank destroyer. By 1943 its main role was providing anti-tank support to the units in its area of operation. This consequently led to many StuGs being destroyed in battle. Nonetheless they were very successful as tank killers and destroyed, among others, many bunkers, pillboxes and other defences.The StuG was not considered to be a true tank because it lacked a turret. The gun was mounded directly in the hull, in a casemate-style fashion, with a low profile to reduce vehicle heights, and had a limited lateral traverse of a few degrees in either direction. Thus, the entire vehicle had to be turned in order to acquire targets. Omitting the turret made production much simpler and less costly, enabling greater numbers to be built. Its significantly shorter vertical profile as compared to contemporary tanks made the StuG more difficult to hit.Most assault guns were mounted on the chassis of a Panzer III or Panzer IV, with the resultant model being called either a StuG III or StuG IV respectively. The StuG was one of the most effective tracked vehicles of World War II, and over 10,000 of them were eventually produced.During the course of the war StuG III assault guns were issued to Sturmartillerie Batteries, Sturmgeschutz Abteilungen, Sturmgeschutz Brigades, Sturmartillerie Batteries, Ersatz (Reserve), Abteilungen and Funklenk (Remote Control) Companies. StuG III assault guns served on all fronts of WWII until the end of the war.

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Book SynopsisAfter the fall of the Western Roman Empire there was a decline in 'professional' cavalry forces, and infantry dominated in the Germanic successor 'barbarian' kingdoms. In the Carolingian and Norman periods from the 9th to the 11th centuries, the cavalry arm gradually expanded from the small remaining aristocratic elite. Even so, the supposedly complete dominance of the 'knight' in the 12th and 13th centuries is grossly exaggerated, as integrated cavalry and infantry tactics were nearly always the key to success. This is a two-part treatment of medieval tactics. Throughout the period there was a steady evolution of training in both individual and unit skills, of armour and weapons, and thus of tactics on the battlefield. This book covers Hastings in 1066 to Legnano in 1176. It also details the two key set piece battles of Bouvines in 1214 and Pelagonia in 1259, the former an example of abject failure of cavalry tactics and the latter a stunning success.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Background – tactical impact of fall of Western Roman Empire /Barbarian tactics – cavalry survives as ultimate reserve and battle-decider –the new stirrups and saddles – battle of Lech, 955 /Carolingians and Normans – a revival of cavalry and mounted infantry – development of new armour and tactics – Hastings 1066 /Combination of cavalry and infantry tactics – importance of northern Italian militia armies – Legnano 1176 /’The Knight Dominant’ – cavalry vs. cavalry tactics – successes and failures analysed

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Book SynopsisWhen Portuguese traders took advantage of the constant violence in Japan to sell the Japanese their first firearms, one of the quickest to take advantage of this new technology was the powerful daimyo Oda Nobunaga. In 1575 the impetuous Takeda Katsuyori laid siege to Nagashino castle, a possession of Nobunaga's ally, Tokugawa Ieyasu. An army was despatched to relieve the siege, and the two sides faced each other across the Shidarahara. The Takeda samurai were brave, loyal and renowned for their cavalry charges, but Nobunaga, counting on Katsuyori's impetuosity, had 3,000 musketeers waiting behind prepared defences for their assault. The outcome of this clash of tactics and technologies was to change the face of Japanese warfare forever.Table of ContentsNagashino and the age of war; the Takeda clan; opposing commanders; opposing armies; opposing plans; the siege of Nagashino Castle; the Battle of Nagashino; aftermath; military lessons of nagashino;; select bibliography; the battlefield today; wargaming Nagashino.

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Book SynopsisVillers-Bocage has, for years, been the battle that confirmed the reputation of Germany's greatest tank ace, Michael Wittmann. In this book the battle is analysed in depth for the first time through detailed examination of the images taken by war photographers after the town was captured by German forces. The claims made of the battle are re-appraised, and the arguments set out in dozens of published accounts have been compared with primary evidence never utilised before, and evaluated anew. Perhaps the two most striking �revelations come from German sources. First, graphically, by the study of the 100 photographs taken by the Germans the day after the battle. Secondly, from Wittmann's own account which refutes many of the claims of historians attempting to glamorise the action.

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Book SynopsisThe M16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage (M16 MGMC) also known as M16 half-track, was a US self-propelled antiaircraft gun built during World War Two. The chassis of the half-rack armored personnel carrier was used to build various variants of self-propelled guns. They were tested on training grounds. Some of them were accepted for military service, series production and then they would see combat. These mainly included self-propelled antiaircraft guns armed with large-caliber 12.7 mm machine guns. In the Autumn of 1941, the first vehicles of this type were tested. The basic requirement of their design was to combine the half-track transporter chassis with a self-propelled revolving turret, the very same as the ones mounted on the bomber aircraft.Trade ReviewThe pages contain highly detailed line drawings of the vehicle, its sytems and various equipment carried. The sumptuous detail doesn't end there, as the vehicles chassis, suspension, transmission and White 160AX engine are also showcased in three-quarter views. The pages close with 1/72 and 1/48 scale plans, plus pull-out 1/35 and 1/16 versions - ideal for modelling projects including AFV Club's newly tooled 1/35 kit. * Airfix Model World *

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Book SynopsisThe PzKpfw III (Panzerkampfwagen III) is a German medium tank designed by Daimler-Benz AG. The first tests of the vehicle took place in 1936. The construction of the PzKpfw III consisted of four main modules: the turret, the front of the hull, the rear of the hull with the engine compartment cover and the lower hull. The first version of PzKpfw III – Ausf. A – was produced in May 1937. Soon after, the Ausf. B and C versions also entered production. Ausf. D version was introduced in January 1938. Early PzKpfw III models were prototype vehicles and were not suitable for mass production on a large scale. They were powered by Maybach HL 108 TR petrol engines with 250 HP. They were armed with 37mm guns and three MG-34 machine guns (two in the turret and one in the hull).

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Book SynopsisFirst prototypes of German tank destroyer Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) were built in 1937 and based on PzKpfw III Ausf. B tank. Vehicles were armed with short-barelled 75mm gun. From spring, 1942, StuG IIIs were equipped with StuK 40 75mm gun. Self propelled guns StuG III served in separated assault artillery units, and later in self propelled guns brigades. They were also used in support units of armoured divisions.Trade ReviewThere are also plenty of kits available in all the main scales, and more […] for modllers, this is a good resource to have plans of all these variants in one place. * Military Model Scene *There are numerous Sturmgeschutz kits in a variety of scales by the likes of Airfix, Dragon and Tamiya, and these drawings will prove useful for checking details. Recommended. * Scale Military Modelling International Magazine *

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Book SynopsisHitler’s drive to modernize his armed forces gained a new momentum with the arrival on stage of Col. Heinz Guderian – the future spiritus movens of German armored warfare doctrine. Behind the scenes German design teams were busy working on prototypes of vehicles that would soon become the tools of the future war – light Pz.Kpfw. I and II, heavy (in keeping with contemporary classification) Pz.Kpfw. IV and medium Pz.Kpfw. III armed with a 37 mm gun. In the early stages of fighting in France it became clear that the vehicle didn’t carry enough punch and in later marks of the tank the 37 mm main gun was superseded by a 50 mm weapon. The ultimate version of the Pz.Kpfw. III was armed with a short barrel 75 mm gun, the largest that the tank’s turret could accommodate.

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Book SynopsisThe book describes service of famous Avro Lancaster I/III bombers used by Polish pilots in Britain during 1941-1945.The book has includes 200 photographs (many of which have not been published before) and 30 color profiles (plus top and bottom views of representative aircraft).

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Book SynopsisThe supersonic fighter in the Polish Air Force of the MiG-21MF is described in unparalleled detail. Includes many unpublished photos from the private collections. Color schemes and markings are described and illustrated in a series of specially commissioned color profiles.

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