Modern warfare Books

Book SynopsisMuch has been written about the famous fighters and bombers of the Luftwaffe which proved so successful in the invasion of Poland, the Battle of France, the Battle of Britain and in the early operations in Eastern Europe. Little attention, however, has been focused on the Luftwaffe's transport aircraft which played a vital role in supplying German forces in every theatre. In early May 1940, the battle of Norway was nearing its climax, but General Eduard Dietl's 3rd J ger division was blocked by the Allies in the Narvik area. Only the Luftwaffe could provide effective assistance to the encircled troops. The special purpose groups KGr.zbV107 and KGr.zbV108 were ordered to supply the division by air. Transports delivered ammunition, food, and even boots for German sailors who found themselves on land. This was the first of a number of occasions in which the Luftwaffe's transport Gruppen, often equipped with the slow, but reliable Junkers 52, created an air bridge' to supply troops cut off or surrounded by the enemy. The transport Gruppen had previously been involved in supporting the advance of German forces during the Polish campaign, this being followed by the capture of Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Greece. During Operation Barbarossa, German troops were dispersed over the vast expanses of Russia. It was a country without roads where the normal supply by trucks and trains to the troops was difficult and sometimes impossible. Often, it was only the Luftwaffe's transport aircraft that kept the Germans fighting. But with Hitler's insistence that there should be no retreat despite the overwhelming strength of the Soviet forces, his Germans armies found themselves surrounded and the Luftwaffe had to create air bridges to supply the beleaguered troops. Nowhere was this more evident than the Battle of Stalingrad, Goring having convinced Hitler that the Luftwaffe was capable of keeping the Sixth Army supplied. As the war increasingly turned against the Third Reich, air bridges were vital in supporting and maintaining its garrisons in places such as Demyansk, Holm, Korsun, Budapest, Breslau, and many others. Hitler's Air Bridges presents the story of the Luftwaffe's transport Gruppen more extensively and in greater detail than ever before.

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Book SynopsisThe all-too frequently cited mantra that 'the bomber will always get through' had dominated Britain's strategic air policy in the decades preceding the Second World War. However, the experiences of the Battle of Britain and the Blitz indicated that aerial bombardments were not as effective at disabling a country's ability to fight as had been believed. This assessment was reinforced when the RAF's Bomber Command analysed the results of their precision bombing efforts during the early years of the war. A growing body of evidence indicated that the great 'knock-out' blow expected to be delivered from the air was a fantasy and that it would only be through a prolonged campaign of attrition that the enemy could be worn down to such a degree that morale, the means of production and the infrastructure of the enemy would be degraded to the point where its fighting ability was crippled. The result of this assessment was a change of policy from precision bombing of carefully identified key installations, to area bombing with the declared intent of striking at the homes of the German workers, the factories where they worked regardless of the nature of such establishments or of the civilian casualties that would be the inevitable consequence. In compiling this official analysis of the effectiveness of the RAF's strategic bombing campaign, the author was granted unrestricted access to Air Ministry, Cabinet and other relevant departmental documents that were maintained for internal government use, enabling him to gain a complete and unbiased assessment of the contribution made by Bomber Command to the defeat of Germany. The conclusion he draws fully justifies the decisions taken, by both Britain and the USA, to bomb the German people into surrender.

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Book SynopsisAir Vice-Marshal 'Johnnie' Johnson was a character literally from the pages of _Boys' Own_: an individual who became the RAF's top-scoring fighter pilot and wing leader par excellence of the Second World War. A one-time household name synonymous with the superlative Spitfire, Johnnie's aerial combat successes inspired schoolboys for generations. As a 'lowly Pilot Officer', Johnnie Johnson learned his fighter pilot's craft as a protege of the legless Tangmere Wing Leader, Douglas Bader. After Bader was brought down over France and captured on 9 August 1941, Johnnie remained a member of 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron. By the beginning of 1942, when Johnnie's diary begins, Fighter Command was pursuing an offensive policy during daylight hours, 'reaching out' and taking the war to the Germans in France. It was also a period in which the Focke-Wulf Fw outclassed the Spitfire Mk.V. In Johnnie's words, the Fw 190 'drove us back to the coast and, for the first time, pilots lost confidence in the Spitfire'. As well as his participation in _Rhubarb_ and _Circus_ sorties, Johnnie was also involved in Operation _Jubilee_ on 19 August 1942. In this diary, published here for the first time, we get a glimpse of the real Johnnie, and what it was really like to live and breathe air-fighting during one of the European air war's most interesting years: 1942\. Presented on a day-by-day basis, each of Johnnie's entries is supported by an informative narrative written by the renowned aviation historian Dilip Sarkar, drawing upon official documents and his interviews and correspondence with the great man. As would be expected, Johnnie's diary also includes numerous personal references. This diary, therefore, is a unique insight into how fighter pilots lived, loved - and died.

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Book SynopsisThe history of weapons and warfare is usually written about from the point of view of the battles fought and the tactics used. In naval warfare, in particular, the story of how these weapons were invented, designed and supplied is seldom told. Chris Henry, in this pioneering study, sets the record straight. He describes how, to counter the extraordinary threat posed by the U-boats in the world wars, the Royal Navy responded with weapons that kept open the vital supply routes of the Atlantic Ocean. He also celebrates the remarkable achievements of the engineers and inventors whose inspired work was essential to Britain's survival.

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Book SynopsisThis compelling new study of the Battle of the River Plate concentrates on Kapitn zur See Hans Langsdorff, the commander of the German pocket battleship Graf Spee it is written from his point of view. The story of his mission at the start of the Second World War to prey on merchant shipping is graphically retold, and Langsdorffs command decisions are the primary focus of David Millers gripping narrative. He considers in vivid detail the factors Langsdorff had to consider as he assessed the situation of his ship and choose his course of action. He describes the intelligence Langsdorff received and his knowledge of the position and strength of the forces of the Royal Navy that were arrayed against him. Langsdorffs interpretation of his mission and the tense calculations he had to make in order to carry it out are the essential elements of this dramatic story. Langsdorff, operating alone and thousands of miles away from home and with no prospect of support, had to grapple with the enormous burden of a lone command. He made grave mistakes, and these are ruthlessly exposed. But this fascinating re-examination of his actions and his leadership does nothing to diminish his reputation as a brave and honourable officer.

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Book SynopsisThe story of the British Eastern Fleet, which operated in the Indian Ocean against Japan, has rarely been told. Although it was the largest fleet deployed by the Royal Navy prior to 1945 and played a vital part in the theatre it was sent to protect, it has no place in the popular consciousness of the naval history of the Second World War. So Charles Stephenson's deeply researched and absorbing narrative gives this forgotten fleet the recognition it deserves. British pre-war naval planning for the Far East is part of the story, as is the disastrous loss of the battleship Prince of Wales and battlecruiser Repulse in 1941, but the body of the book focuses on the new fleet, commanded by Admiral Sir James Somerville, and its operations against the Japanese navy and aircraft as well as Japanese and German submarines. Later in the war, once the fleet had been reinforced with an American aircraft carrier, it was strong enough to take more aggressive actions against the Japanese, and these are described in vivid detail. Charles Stephenson's authoritative study should appeal to readers who have a special interest in the war with Japan, in naval history more generally and Royal Navy in particular.

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Book SynopsisOn Wednesday, 27 September 1944, a force of 283 Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers from the USAAF's 2nd Combat Bombardment Wing, took off from their bases in Britain and headed out across the North Sea escorted by 198 P-51 Mustang fighters. The bombers' target was the industrial city of Kassel in northern Germany. Among the bombers assigned to the raid were the aircraft of the 445th Heavy Bombardment Group. Thirty-five of the 445th's Liberators, along with the 336 men who made up their crews, took off from their base near the village of Tibenham in Norfolk. Their specific target that day was the engineering works of Henschel & Sohn which built Tiger and Panther tanks. Kassel had been bombed by the Allied air forces in the past, most notably in October 1943 when more than 500 bombers had dropped 1,800 tons of bombs creating a firestorm that had ravaged the city. The raid on 27 September 1944, however, would have a far different result. Due to a navigational error, the lead Liberator of the 445th Heavy Bombardment Group turned due east instead of east-south-east and the following thirty-five bombers missed Kassel altogether, attacking an alternative target. But the worst was to come. The change of direction meant that the bombers lost their escorting Mustangs and on the return flight they were pounced on by 150 enemy fighters - and massacred. Within just six minutes, the 445th experienced the greatest single-day losses suffered by any group from one airfield in the history of aviation warfare. Twenty-five of the Liberators were shot down inside Germany itself; three crashed en route to the coast (two in France and one in Belgium); two made forced landings at an emergency airfield in England; and the last came to grief within sight of home. Just four of the original thirty-five B-24s landed safely back at Tibenham. The human cost was equally high. In the course of just a few minutes, 117 airmen lost their lives, including eleven who were murdered after parachuting safely to the ground. A further 121 men were taken prisoner; only ninety-eight returned to duty. In this highly moving account of the Kassel raid, the author, who lives close to the Tibenham airfield, uncovers the painful details of those terrible moments in September 1944 through the stories of those who survived one of the Second World War's most disastrous operations in the USAAF's battle against the Luftwaffe.

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Book SynopsisThe story of the Special Forces in World War II has never fully been told before. Information about them began to be declassified only in the 1980s. Known as the Jedburghs, these Special Forces were selected from members of the British, American, and Free French armies to be dropped in teams of three deep behind German lines. There, in preparation for D-Day, they carried out what we now know as unconventional warfare: supporting the French Resistance in guerrilla attacks, supply-route disruption, and the harassment and obstruction of German reinforcements. Always, they operated against extraordinary odds. They had to be prepared to survive pitched battles with German troops and Gestapo manhunts for weeks and months while awaiting the arrival of Allied ground forces. They were, in short, heroes. The Jedburghs finally tells their story and offers a new perspective on D-Day itself. Will Irwin has selected seven of the Jedburgh teams and told their stories as gripping personal narratives. He has gathered archival documents, diaries and correspondence, and interviewed Jed veterans and family members in order to present this portrait of their crucial role , a role recognized by Churchill and Eisenhower , in the struggle to liberate Europe in 1944-45. This is narrative history at its most compelling a vivid drama of the battle for France from deep behind enemy lines.Trade Review"A gripping and authoritative account of the soldiers whose exploits formed the basis for modern special warfare." General Wesley Clark, author of Winning Modern Wars and Waging Modern War "Will Irwin's timely chronicle of (the Jedburghs) many hair-raising missions will delight both military history buffs and those looking for a genuine page-turner." Alex Kershaw, author of The Bedford Boys and The Longest Winter"

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Book SynopsisThis deeply researched book describes one of the great forgotten battles of the 20th century. At its height it involved nearly a million Chinese and Japanese soldiers, while sucking in three million civilians as unwilling spectators and, often, victims. It turned what had been a Japanese adventure in China into a general war between the two oldest and proudest civilizations of the Far East. Ultimately, it led to Pearl Harbor and to seven decades of tumultuous history in Asia. The Battle of Shanghai was a pivotal event that helped define and shape the modern world.In its sheer scale, the struggle for China’s largest city was a sinister forewarning of what was in store for the rest of mankind only a few years hence, in theaters around the world. It demonstrated how technology had given rise to new forms of warfare, or had made old forms even more lethal. Amphibious landings, tank assaults, aerial dogfights and most importantly, urban combat, all happened in Shanghai in 1937. It was a dress rehearsal for World War II—or perhaps more correctly it was the inaugural act in the war—the first major battle in the global conflict.Actors from a variety of nations were present in Shanghai during the three fateful autumn months when the battle raged. The rich cast included China's ascetic Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and his Japanese adversary, General Matsui Iwane, who wanted Asia to rise from disunity, but ultimately pushed the continent toward its deadliest conflict ever. Claire Chennault, later of “Flying Tiger” fame, was among the figures emerging in the course of the campaign, as was First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. In an ironic twist, Alexander von Falkenhausen, a stern German veteran of the Great War, abandoned his role as a mere advisor to the Chinese army and led it into battle against the Japanese invaders.Written by Peter Harmsen, a foreign correspondent in East Asia for two decades, and currently bureau chief in Taiwan for the French news agency AFP, Shanghai 1937 fills a gaping chasm in our understanding of the Second World War.Trade Review“Harmsen, a two-decade veteran of east Asia, demonstrates a breathtaking command of the battle itself—from the 10,000 meter, panoramic view of the terrain and history, down to the platoon level.” * Asian Review of Books *Mr Harmsen is an excellent writer. The book rattles along like a modern techno-thriller and moves gracefully between descriptions of the tactical battlefield and the impact on the company, platoon or individual to the strategic machinations of the top brass and the movement of armies and divisions. Whilst the book piqued my interest in the pre Second World War Sino-Japanese conflict it stands very successfully as an excellent piece of military writing in its own right. One only has to be interested in warfare to appreciate this book." * The Wargamer *Journalist Peter Harmsen’s new book, Shanghai 1937: Stalingrad on the Yangtze, reconstructs the battle narrative of those shocking three months, which saw the Japanese go from a minor military garrison in Zhabei to the Rape of Nanjing... presents a gripping chronology of two sides locked in a horrific death dance...the book genuinely shines. * Cityweekend.com *'This is a compelling account of this major but often overlooked battle, told from both sides of the conflict and covering every level of the conflict, from the experiences of the private soldier to the problems faced by the senior commanders on both side as well as the eyewitnesses from the international community in the city. The text is supported by a series of maps that help illustrate the course of the battle, and by photographs that show the impact of urban warfare on one of Asia's most prosperous and cosmopolitan cities. ' --History of War, July 2014 * History of War 07/01/2014 *“Enhances the bare facts with material gleaned from multiple diaries, reports, newspaper and magazine articles, books, and other accounts from combatants and civilians of all nationalities. In addition to on-the-spot impressions from a surprising number of Chinese and Japanese foot soldiers, the book also features eyewitness reports from and about foreigners living and working in the cosmopolitan city at the time... Engaging account of a little-known battle... Practically nothing else in English tackles this topic at this level. * Stone and Stone *'Shanghai 1937' has all the elements of a fabulous historical novel... Comparisons by online reviewers to Antony Beevor, author of 'Stalingrad' and 'Berlin,' are justly deserved... One of the really remarkable features of 'Shanghai 1937' is the huge collection of high-quality photographs, all of them in-period and directly relevant to the action, in three 16-page inserts. * Taiwan Today *

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Book SynopsisThis book presents the remarkable personal journals of a German soldier who participated in Operation Barbarossa and subsequent battles on the Eastern Front, revealing the combat experience of the German-Russian War as seldom seen before.Hans Roth was a member of the anti-tank (Panzerjäger) battalion, 299th Infantry Division, attached to Sixth Army, as the invasion of Russia began. Writing as events transpired, he recorded the mystery and tension as the Germans deployed on the Soviet frontier in 1941. Then a firestorm broke loose as the Wehrmacht broke across the front. During the Kiev encirclement, Roth’s unit was under constant attack as the Soviets desperately tried to break through the German ring. At one point, a friend serving with the SS led him to a site where he witnessed civilians being massacred (which may well have been Babi Yar). After suffering through a horrible winter against apparently endless Russian reserves, his division went on the offensive again, this time on the northern wing of “Case Gelb,” the German drive toward Stalingrad In these journals, attacks and counterattacks are described in “you are there” detail, as if to keep himself sane, knowing that his honest accounts of the horrors in the East could never pass through Wehrmacht censors. These journals, including original maps, some of which Roth himself helped compose, were recently discovered by his descendants. Roth was able to bring three of them back to his wife during the war, and after she emigrated to America she kept them but never spoke of them. Roth never brought back a fourth journal, as his fate after the summer of 1943 in Russia is still unknown. What he did leave behind, now finally revealed, is an incredible firsthand account of the horrific war the Germans waged in Russia.Trade ReviewRemarkable personal journals…revealing the combat experience of the German-Russian War as seldom seen before. Witness to unspeakable carnage at the front, this is a harrowing yet poignant story. * Military Times *An important part of the history of WWII that should not be overlooked, and should appeal to all students of 20th century warfare. * Books Monthly *…particularly important for two reasons. Unlike letters from the front, [these journals] were never seen by the German Army censors and so Roth was free to record his real feeling as the fighting continued. Second, because of Roth"s untimely death in 1944 the journals weren"t edited post-war, leaving them in their original raw state. As a result, we get a rare soldier"s eye version of the fighting on a day-by-day basis. * History of War *...an important resource for anyone interested in the Eastern Front as well as those who want a realistic look at the terrors of war. It is gripping and paints one of the clearest pictures ever of how war is horrendous. Christine Alexander and Mason Kuntze deserve a big thank you for the editing and translation of this project. * Kepler's Military History Book Reviews *

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Book SynopsisThe Medium Tank, M4, better known to the British as the Sherman, was the most widely used medium tank by the United States and western Allies in World War II. Reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and easy to maintain, thousands were distributed to the British Commonwealth and the Soviet Union by the Lend-Lease program. It first saw combat in North Africa, where it outclassed lighter German and Italian tanks. By 1944 the M4 was outgunned by the German heavy tanks, but it still contributed to the fight when deployed in numbers and supported by artillery and fighter-bombers.A detailed insight into the development and deployment of the M4, this book covers the design and construction of the chassis, turret, engine, armaments and munitions and differences between the variants of the M4. It covers the difficulties facing the crews who fought in this legendary tank, exploring the training they received and the different combat methods perfected by the Allies, including landing from an landing craft, maneuvering in the bocage of Normandy, and fighting in the snow.Fully illustrated with hundreds of contemporary and modern photographs and detailed diagrams, this complete account provides all the technical details of the construction of the M4, its maintenance and repair, and the logistics required to support it in combat.Whether you are a collector, modeler or simply passionate about military history, this book will provide you with an unparalleled insight into the M4.

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Book SynopsisThe 3rd Afghan War in 1919 was the only time that the Afghans invaded British India during Britain’s long history of conflict in Afghanistan and along the North-West Frontier. It was a campaign that cost the lives of well over 1,000 British and Indian troops.This is the story of an unknown action of this little-known war, an aircraft crash and rescue. An aircraft of 20 Sqn RAF was lost, whilst investigating a gathering of tribesman. The crew were rescued and the majority of the aircraft was recovered by members of the Kurram Militia and 22 Battery Motor Machine Gun Service. It was an all-arms action – the lives of 2 airmen were saved at the cost of an Indian Militiaman and an unknown number of Afghan tribesmen. Above all it is an action which typifies the experience of a virtually unknown group of soldiers, 22 Battery of the Motor Machine Gun Service. They had volunteered to serve as Motor Machine Gunners in France, had been through an intense and very competitive selection process, frequently expending considerable sums of their own money just to attend selection interviews, and had suddenly found themselves despatched half way round the globe to the heat, dust, snows and monsoons of India and the North-West Frontier.This book looks at the background to the conflict, the Kurram Militia, the history of the squadron and the lives of the key players. Whilst this was not the only action the 22 Battery of the Motor Machine Gun Service fought during the 3rd Afghan War, this one was recorded in the account of A/Sjt Ernest ‘Bill’ Macro, who was in charge of the section of 22 Battery despatched to Badama Post in late July 1919. This is his story, and the stories of the other men for whom the climax of their experience in the 3rd Afghan War came during the action at Badama Post.Trade Review'Definitely worth a read.' * Cross and Cockade *

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Book SynopsisThis latest in the Casemate Illustrated series explores American armor during the Pacific Campaign of WWII, from 1942-45. During this period there were over twenty major tank battles and operations where tanks provided heavy support to infantry units. These operations include the battle of Tarawa and the Bougainville Campaign. Relying heavily on first-person accounts, the strategies and tactics of the opposing forces are discussed.This book also looks at the Pacific theater, and how American armor was employed with great success in that theater of war. Detailed information on American and Japanese armored forces, including development, equipment, capabilities, organization, and order of battle, is given.Trade Review...an excellent little survey of tank warfare in the Pacific. Guardia’s narrative sticks closely to tank operations and he does not get bogged down in detail – he allows his profile pages to do that work. * Wargames Illustrated 12/04/2021 *This is a very fine work with great attention to detail, interwoven with first-hand accounts and Unit Profiles to give more infromation about the forces involved. * Gun Mart *This should be interesting for history fans and modelers who would like to have more references...it will also make a nice addition to your library. * DetailScaleView *

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Book SynopsisThis is the first major biography of Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay in fifty years. Ramsay masterminded the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk in 1940. Initially, it was thought that 40,000 troops at most could be rescued. But Ramsay's planning and determination led to some 338,000 being brought back to fight another day, although the Royal Navy and the Merchant Navy paid a high price in ships and men. Ramsay continued to play a crucial role in the conduct of the Second World War – the invasion of Sicily in 1943 was successful in large part due to his vision, and he had a key role in the planning and execution of the D-Day invasion – coordinating and commanding the 7,000 ships that delivered the invasion force onto the beaches of Normandy.After forty years in the Royal Navy he was forced to retire in 1938 after falling out with a future First Sea Lord but months later, with war looming, he was given a new post. However he was not reinstated on the Active List until April 1944, at which point he was promoted to Admiral and appointed Naval Commander-in-Chief for the D-Day naval expeditionary force. Dying in a mysterious air crash in 1945, Ramsay’s legacy has been remembered by the Royal Navy but his key role in the Allied victory has been widely forgotten. After the war ended his achievements ranked alongside those of Sir Winston Churchill, Field Marshal Viscount Alanbrooke, Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery and General Dwight Eisenhower, yet he never received the public recognition he deserved.Brian Izzard’s new biography of Ramsay puts him and his work back centre-stage, arguing that Ramsay was the mastermind without whom the outcome of both Dunkirk and D-Day – and perhaps the entire war – could have been very different.Trade ReviewThis excellent modern biography is long overdue, superbly written and will hopefully help restore the worthy prominence owed to one of Britain's greatest naval officers. * Britain at War Magazine *Well and attractively written and a good read. * Navy News *This is a thoroughly enjoyable book, easy to read, and informative. * Naval Review 05/07/2021 *Brian Izzard has written a splendid, much needed and long overdue full biography of Admiral Ramsay, with access to far more material, significant amounts of it formerly classified, than that available to WS Chalmers with his much earlier biography, written sixty years ago. But the book also includes an excellent history of Operation Dynamo, the amazing story of the Dunkirk evacuation, it is the best account that I have read of that incredible strategic rescue of the BEF (British Expeditionary Force). * Scuttlebutt 12/06/2020 *This reviewer is firmly of the opinion that many of the best histories are written by journalists or former journalists. This book is no exception. The author is a journalist of vast experience who also happens to write great military history. He certainly has a talent for weaving a fascinating and readable tale … [a] quite personal but very inspiring biography. * Baird Maritime 11/06/2020 *Brian Izzard has written a fascinating and complete biography that is a delight to read of the man described as the “mastermind of amphibious operations”. Very highly recommended. * Warships World 09/07/2020 *‘’This is a fascinating… account of a great admiral's life and times.’’ * Warships International *Table of ContentsChapter 1 The Banished Warrior Chapter 2 A Ramsay Who Riled Wellington Chapter 3 War Breaks Out Chapter 4 New Horizons Chapter 5 Battle of the Admirals Chapter 6 King of the Castle Chapter 7 The Troops Head to France Chapter 8 Operation Dynamo Chapters 9 to 16: Dunkirk evacuation Chapter 17 Salute to Ramsay Chapter 18 Mutiny Chapter 19 Threat of Invasion Chapter 20 1941 Chapter 21 The Great Escape Chapter 22 Go To It! Chapter 23 Operation Torch Chapter 24 The Burning Torch Chapter 25 The Tide Turns Chapter 26 Onward to Sicily Chapter 27 D-Day Chapter 28 Death

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Book SynopsisBetween 1940 and 1945, large numbers of trucks of all categories were delivered to the U.S. Army by the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors. Over 160,000 of these trucks were the G-506 light four-wheel drive trucks - which became the standard 1 1/2-ton, 4x4 truck for both the U.S. Army and Army Air Corps during the war. In addition, many more thousands were delivered to Allied forces as part of the Lend-Lease program, including nearly 50,000 delivered to the Soviet Union. Tough, well-built and more agile than the deuce and a half, the Chevy 1½ton played a part in every theater of operations during the war. Its durability and mechanical reliability made it ideal for a wide range of missions. Not for nothing did Chevy advertise the trucks during the war as “Vehicles of victory.”More than 75 years after it was designed, the small Chevrolet truck is still a favourite with collectors.This fully illustrated book details the different series of trucks and their many uses within the U.S. Army including cargo trucks, panel delivery trucks for the Signal Corps, dump trucks for engineers, telephone trucks, tractors, bomb service trucks for the air force. It also covers their part in the Lend-Lease program, and their continued use after the war.Trade ReviewThis is a quality publication looking at this important truck of WWII and its many uses. There are great photos throughout which will be of interest to the modeller and WWII buff alike. Highly recommended. * Britmodeller.com *Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. The Different Series 3. Cargo Trucks 4. Panel Delivery Trucks 5. Cargo Dump Trucks 6. Tractor Trucks 7. M6 Bomb Service 8. Telephone Trucks 9. Chassis with Cab 10. Cabs over Engine 11. Low Silhouettes 12. The 1-ton Trailer 13. On Campaign 14. A planned Obsolescence? 15. Lend-Lease 16. After the War 17. The Chevy’s Posterity Appendices Bibliography and Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisIn November 1945, two French officers secretly entered the Führerbunker, the air raid shelter near the Chancellery in Berlin. The bunker was the last home of Adolf Hitler, the background of the last months of his life, and the war, where he married Eva Braun on April 29, 1945, and where he killed himself less than two days later. In the middle of a heap of furniture and broken objects, the two officers found hundreds of documents littering the ground. Among the documents that they retrieved were a dozen telegrams of historic importance that allow us to understand the spirit of the last leaders of the Third Reich as well as the events that took place between April 23 and 26, 1945. These and other documents are presented for the first time in this book, presented in their proper context and with an expert commentary.Trade ReviewBut although the building may have gone, troves of historic documents survived. Now, many have been published for the first time in this new visual history, an excellent guide to the horrendous final days, hours, and minutes of the Third Reich. * Military History Matters (Book Reviews) *...offers a layer of detail that will be appreciated by anyone who guides Berlin. * Battlefields Trust Magazine *Table of ContentsIntroduction The Reich Chancellery The subterranean complex The last landmark Running the War from the Bunker The last days of the Bunker The Bunker of Apocalypse A visit to the Chancellery Reconnecting the Thread of History The documents

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Book SynopsisFifteen elite mountain divisions and a multitude of small units fought for the Wehrmacht during World War II. They fought on all fronts, operating in hostile environments ranging from the far north to Libya, the Atlantic to the Caucasus - serving in all the “hot spots.” This book, the culmination of some four decades of research and the support of many veterans and collectors, describes the life, operations and equipment of these specialist units.Trade Review...supported by a great collection of colour and monochrome photographs - one with the men wearing patterned tablecloths to stave off the cold in Norway is my favourite. […] it will appeal to readers interested in the German army in the early phases of World War II. * Wargames Illustrated *Table of ContentsMountain Troops 1935–39 Poland, 1939 Campaigns in the West, Norway and France, 1940 The Balkans, 1941 North Africa, 1941–43 The Eastern Front, 1941–43 The Northern Front, 1941–43 Afterword Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisBagration was the code word that the Soviet Army gave for their summer offensive in 1944. This massive offensive led to the destruction of the German Army Group Center and was the greatest military defeat ever experienced by the German Army during World War Two. This book provides an absorbing insight into the German defeat and the Russian offensive using a wide variety of rare and previously unpublished photographs. With detailed captions and text together with 20 artist profiles and maps, the book shows the compelling story of how German Army Group Center tried to counter the overwhelming might of the Soviet Army as it poured thousands of men, weapons and armor across the German lines, smashing its way through.What ensued was a swift and bloody battle of attrition as the German Army tried to contain the might of its unstoppable enemy. In the days and weeks that followed German units fought and gradually retreated under the constant hammer blows of Russian ground and aerial bombardments, and endless armored and infantry attacks. Many German units fighting to the grim death were duty-bound not to withdraw, and what followed was a disaster of a colossal magnitude. As the Soviet might punched a massive hole in the German lines it sent huge shock waves through Army Group Center forcing them to retreat or face total annihilation.However, the Russian offensive was so quick that many of the German units with their precious panzer and infantry divisions quickly became encircled and destroyed - its remnants retreating west in order to save itself. By the end of the battle this cataclysm was bigger than that experienced at Stalingrad. It saw the German Army being pushed out of Russia towards Poland with the loss of over 300,000 men and most of its weaponry lost.The story of the destruction of Army Group Center during the summer of 1944 has been completely overshadowed by the D-Day campaign in Normandy three weeks earlier. Yet, the battle in which the German forces endured on the Eastern Front that fateful summer was more catastrophic than that experienced by the Allies on the Western Front, but little is known of the operation. This book reveals the lesser-known battle in the East and shows how the German forces fought and lost against overwhelming odds.Trade ReviewIt is recommended for the general reader, the modeller and vehicle enthusiast and those with an interest in the Eastern Front. * Miniature Wargames *The photographs really make this book, as I do not recall seeing many in print before. Recommended. * Scale Military Modelling International Magazine *Table of ContentsPreparations Operation Bagration: The Attack: 22 June–28 June 1944 Fighting for Survival: 29 June–6 July 1944 Destruction: 6 July–11 July 1944 Aftermath: The fate of Army Group Center Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisThe record of Carrier Air Group 15 in World War II is astonishing by any measure: it scored 312 enemy aircraft destroyed, 33 probably destroyed, and 65 damaged in aerial combat, plus 348 destroyed, 161 probably destroyed, and 129 damaged in ground attacks. Twenty-six Fighting 15 pilots became aces, including their leader, Commander David McCampbell, who became the U.S. Navy’s “Ace of Aces.” Twenty-one squadron pilots were killed in action and one in an operational accident aboard the carrier Essex.The fighter squadron’s partners, Bombing Squadron 15 and Torpedo Squadron 15, scored 174,300 tons of enemy shipping, including 37 cargo vessels sunk, 10 probably sunk, and 39 damaged. As well, Musashi, the world’s largest battleship, was sunk, along with a light aircraft carrier, a destroyer, destroyer escort, two minesweepers and other craft - plus the Zuikaku, the last surviving carrier that participated in the Pearl Harbor attack. Incredibly, every pilot of Torpedo 15 was awarded the Navy Cross, the highest award for bravery after the Medal of Honor.All of this took place between May and November, 1944. No other American combat unit in any service came close to a similar score in such a short time period. Air Group 15 participated in the two greatest naval battles in history, the Philippine Sea - also known as the Marianas Turkey Shoot - and Leyte Gulf, which saw the end of Japanese naval power. On June 19, 1944, Fighting 15 shot down 68.5 attacking Japanese aircraft, a one-day record unmatched by any other U.S. fighter squadron.In documenting the saga of Air Group 15's momentous six months at war, the author provides an intimate and insightful view of the group’s fabled combat tour, including details of daily life and human interactions aboard the fleet carrier USS Essex during the busiest phase of the Pacific War.Trade ReviewThis is a fascinating story of the CAG15 war in some of the key battles of the Pacific theatre. It is strongly recommended for both the general reader and the expert alike. * Miniature Wargames 11/05/2021 *..an interesting read for improving your history knowledge and your next model build. * DetailScaleView 02/08/2021 *The vivid description gives the reader a real feel for the time, showing just how gruelling and frustrating life at sea as a pilot or enlisted air crewman could be in 1944 as they tried to follow a key rule of combat flying, "Never get to like a guy so well you can't see him die. * Classic Wings 01/09/2021 *Their story is told here in a most exciting and interesting way. It is very hard to put down. * Baird Maritime *This is an action-packed book that, once started, is difficult to put down. * Flight Line Book Review 11/05/2021 *I highly recommend this book to historians, enthusiasts, and anyone with an interest in US carrier aviation in the Pacific during the Second World War. It is a fitting tribute to the men of Carrier Air Group 15. * Military Enthusiast Book Club 05/07/2021 *

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Book SynopsisIn the closing months of World War II, with Budapest’s fall on 12 February 1945 and the breakout attempt by the IX SS-Gebirgskorps having failed, the only thing the IV. SS-Panzerkorps could do was fall back to a more defensible line and fortify the key city of Stuhlweissenburg. Exhausted after three relief attempts in January 1945 and outnumbered by the ever-increasing power of Marshal Tolbukhin’s Third Ukrainian Front, SS-Obergruppenführer Gille’s veterans dug in for a lengthy period of defensive warfare.However, Adolf Hitler had not forgotten about the Hungarian theatre of operations nor the country’s rich oilfields and was sending help. To the detriment of the defence of Berlin, SS-Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich’s legendary 6. Panzerarmee was on its way, not to retake Budapest, but to encircle and destroy Tolbukhin’s forces and completely reverse the situation in south-eastern Europe in Hitler’s favour. This overly ambitious offensive, known as Frühlingserwachen (Spring Awakening), was soon bogged down in the face of resolute Soviet defences aided by the springtime thaw. Heralded as Nazi Germany’s last great offensive of World War II, it resulted in great losses to Hitler’s last armoured reserve in exchange for only minor gains. Though it played a supporting role during the battle, the IV. SS-Panzerkorps was soon caught up in its aftermath, after the Red Army launched its Vienna Operation that nearly swept the armies of Heeresgruppe Süd from the battlefield.Withdrawing into Austria, Gille’s battered corps attempted to bar the route into Germany, while the Red Army bore down on Vienna. Forced to endure relentless Soviet attacks as well as the caustic leadership of the 6. Armee commander, General Hermann Balck, the men of the IV. SS-Panzerkorps fought their way through Austria to reach the safety of the demarcation line where it finally surrendered to U.S. forces on 9 May 1945 after nearly a year of relentless campaigning.Trade ReviewFor anyone with the slightest interest in the Eastern Front, this concluding volume of the trilogy of IV SS Panzer-korps is simply a must-read. Nash has done yeoman’s work in marshaling sources for this period of the war when records and record-keeping went into an abeyance, from the Lake Balaton Offensive to keeping the Hungarian oil fields. * ARMOR Magazine 21/12/2022 *Table of ContentsIntroduction List of Maps List of Figures Illustrations Chapter 1: A South Wind Brings Hope Chapter 2: Operation Spring Awakening Chapter 3: The Defense of Stuhlweissenburg Chapter 4: Withdrawal to the Reichsschutzstellung Chapter 5: Defending the Reich Chapter 6: War’s End Appendices Endnotes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn February 1942, a reconnaissance party of United States Army Air Forces officers arrived in England. Firmly wedded to the doctrine of daylight precision bombing, they believed they could help turn the tide of the war in Europe. In the months that followed, they formed the Eighth Air Force - an organization that grew at an astonishing rate. To accommodate it, almost seventy airfields were hastily built across the eastern counties of England.At the heart of the Eighth Air Force were its bombardment groups, each equipped with scores of heavily armed, four-engine bombers. These Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and Consolidated B-24 Liberators were soon punching through the enemy's defences to bomb targets vital to its war effort. They were crewed by thousands of young American airmen, most of whom were volunteers.This book tells the story of just one "Bomb Group" - the 381st, which crossed the Atlantic in May 1943. Arriving at RAF Ridgewell on the Essex-Suffolk border, its airmen quickly found themselves thrown into the hazardous and attritional air battle raging in the skies over Europe.Bomb Group follows the 381st's path from its formation in the Texan desert, to its 297th and final bombing mission deep into the heart of Hitler's Third Reich. It is the remarkable story of one group and the part it played in the strategic bombing campaign of "The Mighty Eighth."Trade ReviewThe authors do a good job using the diaries, interviews, and books written by group members to convey a vivid – sometimes too vivid – picture of war at its most elemental. The human element is portrayed using the actual words of those who participated. Particularly poignant are the stories of rude awakenings of fresh arrivals to the cost of war on their first few missions. * The Journal of the Air Force Historical Foundation *The authors' passion for their subject is obvious in the detailed research and meticulous organization of the book. Extensive use of veteran recollec­tions bring life to the narrative. This book is a fitting tribute to the veterans of the 381st. * WWII History Magazine *Bingley and Peters offer a wonderful accounting of how the 381st contributed to the strategic bombing campaign of the Mighty Eighth. * ARGunners.com 14/12/2022 *I can not recommend this book enough. It is a fitting tribute to all of those who served in the 381st Bomb Group but also all of the personnel who served in the Eighth Air Force bomb groups. If you want to know what it was like to fly in, work on, or support a B-17 this is a book you must read. It is a testament to the subsequent generations that owe their existence to men like those described in this book. And finally, the last sentence of the book really hits home, “...just 25 percent completed their tour.” * Aviation Enthusiast Book Club *I think this is a great memorial to all those men who went to war from what is now a quiet corner of Essex. Definitely one I recommend to you. * Military Model Scene *In an extraordinary achievement of marrying historical research with a smooth writing style, Bomb Group works as an introduction to the Eighth Air Force as well as required reading for the well-versed in the subject. Authors Paul Bingley and Mike Peters have produced a detailed account of the 381st BG, and at the same time overlaid the larger historical context of the United States’ first air force with an offensive mission – an offensive mission unproven in its day. Richly researched and full of personal stories recalling training, the horrors and otherworldly nature of aerial warfare, sweating out missions on the ground and the sense of duty, Bomb Group is a valuable addition to the body of work on Eighth Air Force history. Be forewarned, after reading this book your debt of gratitude to these teenagers and young men of the 381st and the whole of the Eighth Air Force will grow exponentially. * Scott W. Loehr, President & CEO, National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Swift 2. Bolero 3. Black Ribbons and Oil 4. Forward Together 5. Operation A 6. A Sham 7. The Jinxed Ship 8. Beating the Life 9. Scrub the Sky 10. Snow and Skis 11. Total War 12. Ridgewell's Revenge 13. Trafalgar 14. Big B 15. Work Hard for Doolittle 16. The European Theatre's Stage Door 17. Secrets and Lies 18. Triumphant We Fly 19. Tails and Fins 20. Buzz Bomb Alley 21. Allies and Enemies 22. Leading the Way 23. A Last Farewell 24. Some Sunny Day 25. The Lie of the Land

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Book SynopsisIn 1941, military operations were conducted by large formations along the northern coast of Scandinavia – for the first time in history of warfare. A modern army suddenly swept into that isolated and inhospitable region that was yet to possess the level of importance it would later assume in Cold War polar strategy.The Arctic Front was the northernmost theatre in the war waged by Germany against Russia. For a period of four years, German troops from all branches of the Wehrmacht fought side by side with Finnish border guard units. The high point of the war on the Arctic Front was the assembly and advance of Germany’s Mountain Corps Norway in the summer and autumn of 1941. Commanded by general of the mountain troops, Eduard Dietl, and composed of the 2nd and 3rd Mountain Divisions, the Mountain Corps advanced out of occupied North Norway, assembled in the Petsamo Corridor in North Finland, and struck into Russian territory in an attempt to seize Murmansk. It did not reach its objective.This account of the operation was written by Wilhelm Hess, quartermaster of the Mountain Corps Norway. He draws upon his personal experience of the conditions and actions on the Arctic Front in order to describe and analyse the environment, the sequence of events, and the reasons behind certain decisions. In addition to describing how operations conducted by the Mountain Corps unfolded, Hess provides insight as to how the terrain, the flow of supplies, and the war at sea impacted those operations.Trade Review...if you have any kind of interest in understanding what it entails to wage warfare in the Arctic Circle or an interest in military logistics - then this book is a must read. * Misc US Reviewer *This is a serious, thoughtful book about war "on the right wing of the Western Front and the left wing of the Eastern Front" in conditions hardly conducive to survival, let alone combat. Definitely recommended. * Stone & Stone Second World War Books *Table of Contents1. The Mountain Corps Norway 2. Fennoscandia and Kola 3. The threat from the west 4. Assembly of forces in the east 5. Operational plans 6. Petsamo 7. Cutting off Rybachy Peninsula 8. Overcoming the border fortifications 9. Meeting engagements 10. The first attack over the Litsa River 11. The second attack over the Litsa River 12. The operations of the 6th Destroyer Flotilla 13. Mopping up the Duchy 14. The last days of summer 15. The third attack over the Litsa River 16. The reasons for failure 17. Upheaval and relief 18. Positional warfare and the line of security 19. On the Luttojoki River 20. The supply of the mountain corps

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Book SynopsisIn World War I the 30th Infantry Division earned more Medals of Honor than any other American division. In World War II it spent more consecutive days in combat than almost any other outfit. Recruited mainly from the Carolinas and George and Tennessee, they were one of the hardest-fighting units the U.S. ever fielded in Europe. What was it about these men that made them so indomitable? They were tough and resilient for a start, but this division had something else. They possessed intrinsic zeal to engage the enemy that often left their adversaries in awe. Their U.S. Army nickname was the "Old Hickory" Division. But after encountering them on the battleifled, the Germans themselves came to call them "Roosevelt’s SS."This book is a combat chronicle of this illustrious division that takes the reader right to the heart of the fighting through the eyes of those who were actually there. It goes from the hedgerows of Normandy to the 30th's gallant stand against panzers at Mortain, to the brutal slugs around Aachen and the Westwall, and then to the Battle of the Bulge. Each chapter is meticulously researched and assembled with accurate timelines and after-action reports. The last remaining veterans of the 30th Division and attached units who saw the action firsthand relate their remarkable experiences here for the first, and probably the last time. This is precisely what military historians mean when they write about "fighting spirit."There have been only a few books written about the 30th Division and none contained direct interviews with the veterans. This work follows their story from Normandy to the final victory in Germany, packed with previously untold accounts from the survivors. These are the men whose incredible stories epitomize what it was to be a GI in one of the toughest divisions in WWII.

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Book SynopsisThe infamous Rape of Nanjing looms like a dark shadow over the history of Asia in the 20th century, and is among the most widely recognized chapters of World War II in China. By contrast, the story of the month-long campaign before this notorious massacre has never been told in its entirety. Nanjing 1937 by Peter Harmsen fills this gap. This is the follow-up to Harmsen's best-selling Shanghai 1937: Stalingrad on the Yangtze, and begins where that book left off. In stirring prose, it describes how the Japanese Army, having invaded the mainland and emerging victorious from the Battle of Shanghai, pushed on toward the capital Nanjing in a crushing advance that confirmed its reputation for bravery and savagery in equal measure. While much of the struggle over Shanghai had carried echoes of the grueling war in the trenches two decades earlier, the Nanjing campaign was a fast-paced mobile operation in which armor and air power played mayor roles. It was blitzkrieg two years before Hitler's invasion of Poland. Facing the full might of modern, mechanized warfare, China's resistance was heroic, but ultimately futile. As in Shanghai, the battle for Nanjing was more than a clash between Chinese and Japanese. Soldiers and citizens of a variety of nations witnessed or took part in the hostilities. German advisors, American journalists and British diplomats all played important parts in this vast drama. And a new power appeared on the scene: Soviet pilots dispatched by Stalin to challenge Japan's control of the skies. This epic tale is told with verve and attention to detail by Harmsen, a veteran East Asia correspondent who consolidates his status as the foremost chronicler of World War II in China with this path-breaking work of narrative history.Trade ReviewYou certainly get a feel for the pace and nature of the campaign, and the tensions between politicians and generals. […] a useful foray into a rare topic, with a 14-page bibliography demonstrating considerable research effort. * Miniature Wargames 19/07/2021 *The author has obviously researched both widely and deeply. That, combined, provides a really good overview of what was a particularly cataclysmic event in comparatively recent military history. * Baird Maritime 13/09/2021 *

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Book SynopsisCharged with monitoring the huge civilian press corps that descended on Hue during the Vietnam War's Tet offensive, US Army Captain George W. Smith witnessed firsthand a vicious twenty-five day battle. Smith recounts in harrowing detail the separate, poorly coordinated wars that were fought in the retaking of the Hue. Notably, he documents the little-known contributions of the South Vietnamese forces, who prevented the Citadel portion of the city from being overrun, and who then assisted the US Marine Corps in evicting the North Vietnamese Army. He also tells of the social and political upheaval in the city, reporting the execution of nearly 3,000 civilians by the NVA and the Vietcong. The tenacity of the NVA forces in Hue earned the respect of the troops on the field and triggered a sequence of attitudinal changes in the United States. It was those changes, Smith suggests, that eventually led to the US abandonment of the war.Trade ReviewMilitary history buffs will have a heyday with this account of the longest continuous battle in the Vietnam War.... Smith, who was stationed in Hue during the battle, provides an intensely realistic description of the horror of warfare and hand-to-hand combat. A riveting, first-person account of the pivotal 25-day 1968 Battle of Hue. Smith has put together a harrowing eyewitness account of the largest single engagement of the Vietnam War.... [It is] a disturbing and informative book that would be a welcome addition to any military library. Smith provides a sense of intimate knowledge as he outlines the desperate nature of the urban combat. His inclusion of South Vietnamese units and the description of the role played stands out in the reporting of the war. Table of Contents Next Stop Vietnam. The Lotus Flower. Staying Alive. To the Rescue. Help for the Citadel. Facing the Unknown. Total War. The Tide Turns. Live, From Hue. The Citadel. A Jump Start. Beginning of the End. Credit the ARVN. The Aftermath.

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Book Synopsis"General Gavin was a very brave man who had great faith in his men. The battle or the weather never stopped him from going to check the troops. He would go in the rain or snow. If the battle was severe, he would crawl from foxhole to foxhole to talk to his men to let them know he was with them. Words cannot explain the love and pride I had for General Gavin." - Walter Woods, World War II aide to General GavinLieutenant General James Gavin, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division during WWII, is one of the best-known figures of the war. Beginning as the commander of the 505th Parachute Combat Team that spearheaded the American assault on Sicily in July 1943, Gavin advanced to division command and finally command of US forces in Berlin. Throughout this time he kept a wartime diary that starts in April 1943, as the unit was preparing to go to northern Africa, and continues through to his final entry on 1 September 1945 during the occupation of Berlin.During the war years, Gavin came into close contact with virtually all the leading airborne commanders and many others who would advance to the top levels of Army leadership. His diary includes observations on fellow military and political leaders, such as General Dwight Eisenhower and the British Field Marshal Montgomery, Army operations, and the general's personal life. Gavin was an officer who led by example: on four combat jumps - into Sicily, at Salerno, then Normandy and the Netherlands - he was the first man out the door. Two Distinguished Service Crosses, two Silver Stars, and the Purple Heart rewarded his service.For decades, Gavin kept the existence of the journal a secret; the general's family discovered it among his belongings after his death. Editor Lewis "Bob" Sorley has worked closely with the Gavin family and the Army Heritage Center to prepare the diary for publication. His edited and annotated version includes a prologue and epilogue to frame the entries within the wider scope of the general's life.Trade ReviewDr. Lewis S. Sorley, III, himself a West Point graduate, Vietnam War veteran, and acclaimed historian, has masterfully edited this unique look into the mind of one of America's greatest combat commanders. * On Point: The Journal of Army History *All readers who are interested in World War II will find much to enjoy in this book, and it is highly recommended. * Journal of America's Military Past *Gavin’s writing provides a primer on leadership and reminds us that it is a constant cycle of learning and improving, coupled with the moral obligation to make difficult personal choices. * ARMY Magazine 07/12/2022 *Gavin at War is a must have addition to the library of anyone interested in airborne operations, combat leadership, or the history of the Second World War. It is a rare opportunity to understand the experiences of a renowned combat leader in his own words. * ARGunners 02/12/2022 *Table of ContentsWalter Woods Letter Editor's Note on the Text Editor's Prologue 1 Going to War 2 Sicily 3 Africa 4 Italy 5 London 6 Back to the 82nd 7 Normandy and After 8 Division Command and Nijmegen 9 France and Belgium 10 Germany 11 Berlin Editor's Epilogue Acknowledgments Citations Glossary Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisBetween 1964 and 1975, 2.6 million American personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, of whom an estimated 1-1.6 million actually fought in combat. At the tip of the spear were the infantry, the "grunts" who entered an extraordinary tropical combat zone completely alien to the world they had left behind in the United States. In South Vietnam, and occasionally spilling over into neighboring Laos and Cambodia, they fought a relentless counterinsurgency and conventional war against the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC). The terrain was as challenging as the enemy - soaring mountains or jungle-choked valleys; bleached, sandy coastal zones; major urban centers; riverine districts. Their opponents fought them with relentless and terrible ingenuity, on a daily basis with ambushes, booby traps, and mines, then occasionally with full-force offensives on a scale to rival the campaigns of World War II.This pocket manual draws its content not only from essential U.S. military field manuals of the Vietnam era, but also a vast collection of declassified primary documents, including rare after-action reports, intelligence analysis, first-hand accounts, and combat studies. Through these documents the pocket manual provides a deep insight into what it was like for infantry to live, survive, and fight in Vietnam, whether conducting a major airmobile search-and-destroy operation or conducting endless hot and humid small-unit patrols from jungle firebases. The book includes infantry intelligence documents about the NVA and VC threats, plus chapters explaining hard-won lessons about using weaponry, surviving and moving through the jungle, tactical maneuvers, and applications of the ubiquitous helicopter for combat and support.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Training 2. Kit, equipment and weaponry 3. The enemy 4. Tactics - Search-and-destroy and irregular warfare 5. Airmobile combat and air/fire support 6. Survival, escape, and evasion

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Book Synopsis1970 - the height of the Vietnam War. A group of young Forward Air Controllers based in Thailand are assigned with supporting the Truck War and the People's War in southern Laos, where the fate of the Vietnam War, and Laos' very future, is being decided.Tasked with shutting down the Ho Chi Minh Trail - the North Vietnamese supply lines running into South Vietnam - literally stopping the constant stream of trucks in their tracks, these American airmen, call sign "Nail," fly missions 24 hours a day. Daily they run the gauntlet of intense anti-aircraft fire to bring in accurate attacks by American fighter bombers. At night, streams of red tracers scream up from the ground, seeking the metallic flesh of their fragile craft. During the day, they search the skies for the telltale black puffs of smoke that reveal the self-destructive warheads of the North Vietnamese gunners. Even when tragedy befalls the group, they perserve with their mission. But will courage and dedication be enough?

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Book SynopsisPeter Clark's year in Vietnam began in July 1966, when he was shipped out with hundreds of other young recruits, as a replacement in the 1st Infantry Division. Clark was assigned to the Alpha Company. Clark gives a visceral, vivid and immediate account of life in the platoon, as he progresses from green recruit to seasoned soldier over the course of a year in the complexities of the Vietnamese conflict.Clark gradually learns the techniques developed by US troops to cope with the daily horrors they encountered, the technical skills needed to fight and survive, and how to deal with the awful reality of civilian casualties. Fighting aside, it rained almost every day and insect bites constantly plagued the soldiers as they moved through dense jungle, muddy rice paddy and sandy roads. From the food they ate (largely canned meatballs, beans and potatoes) to the inventive ways they managed to shower, every aspect of the platoon's lives is explored in this revealing book. The troops even managed to fit in some R&Rwhilst off-duty in the bars of Tokyo.Alpha One Sixteen follows Clark as he discovers how to cope with the vagaries of the enemy and the daily confusion the troops faced in distinguishing combatants from civilians. The Viet Cong were a largely unseen enemy who fought a guerrilla war, setting traps and landmines everywhere. Clark's vigilance develops as he gets used to 'living in mortal terror,' which a brush with death in a particularly terrifying fire fight does nothing to dispel. As he continues his journey, he chronicles those less fortunate; the heavy toll being taken all round him is powerfully described at the end of each chapter.

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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 SynopsisErnest ‘Andy’ Andrews began his training as a machine gunner at Fort McClellan in Alabama in July 1943. In early 1944, he arrived in the UK for further training before D-Day, ahead of the 1st Infantry Division deploying on the evening of June 5th on the USS Henrico. Due to a problem with his landing craft, Andrews only reached Omaha Beach on the early evening of June 6th, but his experience was still a harrowing one. Fighting in Normandy, he was nicked by a bullet and evacuated to England in late July when the wound became infected, before returning to participate in the Normandy breakout. Following the race across France in late August, he participated in the rout of several retreating German units near Mons, Belgium, and his outfit approached Aachen in mid-September. For a month, Andrews’ squad defended a bunker position in the Siegfried Line against repeated German attacks, then after Aachen surrendered, the unit fought its way through the Hurtgen Forest to take Hill 232. Early on the morning of November 19th, he engaged in his toughest battle of the war as the Germans attempted to retake Hill 232, where he was again wounded. After surgery and a month’s convalescence he rejoined H Company in time to fight in the Battle of the Bulge. His unit then participated in the fast-moving Roer to the Rhine campaign, then the battle to expand the Remagen bridgehead. Breaking out from the Remagen bridgehead, Andrews’ squad stumbled on a German tank unit and this time he narrowly escaped death. Following a rapid advance up to the Paderborn area, the unit raced to Germany’s Harz Mountains, where the Wehrmacht was trying to organize a last stand. They ended the war fighting in Czechoslovakia, where Andrews witnesses the German surrender in early May. Following occupation duty, he returned to the States in October 1945. This vivid first-hand account takes the reader along from Normandy to victory with Andy Andrews and his machine-gun crew. The war shaped the author’s postwar life in countless ways, and in 1994, he made the first of three return visits to the European battlefields where he had fought.Trade Review[O]ffers a treasure trove of the daily experiences of soldiers in the field. The book is accessible to a broad audience, but its level of detail will make it useful to specialists as well. * Michigan War Studies Review 11/01/2023 *[Andrews'] narrative is clear and engaging and his descriptions detailed and interesting. This work presents an unobstructed view of the war from an infantryman's point of view. * WWII History 11/11/2022 *Table of ContentsTABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE FOREWORD INTRODUCTION PROLOGUE: PRELUDE TO INVASION (Dawn, June 1 - 8:30 a.m., June 6, 1944) CHAPTER ONE: EASY RED BEACH (8:30 a.m., June 6 - Night, June 6-7) CHAPTER TWO: HEADING TOWARD WAR (July 1923 - July 12, 1943) CHAPTER THREE: FORT McCLELLAN (July 12 - Early August, 1943) CHAPTER FOUR: TRAINING AS MACHINE GUNNERS (Early August, 1943 - January 17, 1944) CHAPTER FIVE: ENGLAND (January 17, 1944 - June 1, 1944) CHAPTER SIX: THE BATTLE FOR NORMANDY (June 7 - July 27, 1944) CHAPTER SEVEN: VICTORY IN NORMANDY (July 27 - August 25, 1944) CHAPTER EIGHT: THE RACE ACROSS FRANCE (August 25 - September 7, 1944) CHAPTER NINE: TO THE GERMAN FRONTIER (September 7 - 14, 1944) CHAPTER TEN: THE STOLBERG CORRIDOR (September 14 - 23, 1944) CHAPTER ELEVEN: ON THE SIEGFRIED LINE (September 23 - October 22, 1944) CHAPTER TWELVE: THE HÜRTGEN FOREST (October 22 - November 18, 1944) CHAPTER THIRTEEN: HILL 232 (November 18 - 19, 1944) CHAPTER FOURTEEN: A BREAK FROM WAR (November 19 - December 22, 1944) CHAPTER FIFTEEN: THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE (Dec. 22, 1944 - Jan. 15, 1945) CHAPTER SIXTEEN: WINTER WAR (January 15 - February 6, 1945) CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: THE ROER TO THE RHINE (February 6 - March 18, 1945) CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: BREAKOUT FROM REMAGEN (March 18 - April 6, 1945) CHAPTER NINETEEN: THE HARZ TO CZECHOSLOVAKIA (April 6 - May 9, 1945) CHAPTER TWENTY: PEACE (May 9 - October 19, 1945) EPILOGUE: THE POSTWAR YEARS (October 19, 1945 - Present) A Word to the Hürtgen Forest FINAL NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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Book SynopsisTo prevent German occupying forces in Norway from reinforcing their defences during the final months of World War II, the Office of Strategic Services launched Operation Rype, with the mission of sabotaging the Nordland Railway in Mid-Norway. Rype was led by Major William E. Colby, later director of the CIA.After several delays, the Norwegian Special Operations Group (NORSO) dropped over the Snåsa mountains on the night of March 24. Out of eight B-24s, only three dropped on target. One dropped in Sweden, the remaining four returned to Britain. Two of the B-24s crashed, killing all but one of their crews. Reinforcement and resupply of the unit failed due to extreme Arctic conditions.Relying heavily on help from the Norwegian resistance, NORSO managed to sever the railway at two points. On both occasions, they withdrew with Germans hot on their tail. On May 2, a German patrol blundered into their camp, resulting in the killing of all of the Germans and one wounded Norwegian resistance fighter. Whether the Germans were killed in the ensuing firefight, or were executed later, has been hotly debated ever since.After the war ended, NORSO was allowed down from the mountains, but were sent on bogus missions by the British commanders in Trondheim. They eventually managed to get recognition for their contribution to victory.This new history of the operation is based on German, Norwegian, American and Swedish sources. It examines how the outcome of the operation was affected by the limitations of equipment in sub-Arctic conditions, and British-American rivalry and cooperation throughout the operation.Trade Review[A]n incomparable writer to tell the story, warts and all. Frode Lindgjerdet works for the Norwegian Armed Forces Museums, and lectures on all aspects of the Second World War in Norway. In addition, he is a Staff Sergeant with the Norwegian Home Guard. * ARGunners.com *Table of ContentsForeword Introduction Existing Literature & Sources Strategic background The OSS Norwegian Special Operations Group (NORSO) The German forces in the Area of Operation Grong to Snåsa Operation CARPETBAGGER SOE Operations against the Nordland Railroad Planning of Operation RYPE Deployment Phase & Supply Swedish Escapades Walliwall Tragedy Attack on the Tangen Bridge Plukkutjønn Crash The Lierne Plan and Supply Issues Attack against the railway between Lurudal and Agle Endgame The German Patrol Incident Peace Conclusions The legacy Literature Appendix: Biographies

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Book SynopsisDerek Wright learnt about small boats from his father, who tragically died when Derek was just 14 years old. Sent away from his family to finish his education, he left school at 16 to join the global tea trade. Soon after he finished his training with Brooke Bond, famous for their 'Dividend' tea, Hitler invaded Poland and Britain was at war.By then known to his friends as 'Jake', he was one of the first Volunteer Reserves to be called up to fight for his country. Plucked from his naval training in HMS King Alfred, his warfighting initiation was on the beach at Dunkirk, helping evacuate stragglers after Operation DYNAMO. He then volunteered for Motor Torpedo Boats, where he served with valour and distinction.Whilst Hitler's U-Boats were torpedoing shipments of tea bound for Great Britain, Jake Wright reciprocated by torpedoing Axis coastal shipping off Europe. His first Command was MTB 331, trained for a daredevil mission to puncture German boom defences protecting their battleships. In his next Command, MTB 32, he was wounded in action whilst torpedoing a German convoy, but kept his small ship fighting against the odds to win the action and sink his enemy; for his bravery he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Further acts of gallantry in action, combined with tactical innovation, saw him earn two bars to his DSC as well as a Mention in Despatches; he became one of only 44 officers in the Second World War to receive a DSC with two Bars.After demobilisation he returned to the tea trade, rising to become one of Brooke Bond's senior directors supplying Britain's beloved beverage. He even helped refine how to make the perfect cup of tea.This is the life story of a determined, brave, innovative and decorated officer who has earned a place in the hearts of our nation. It is the story of Derek 'Jake' Wright, DSC**.Trade ReviewJake Wright clearly had a really action-packed war and this book skilfully combines his coastal forces experiences with his influential role in the tea business. * The Naval Review *Table of ContentsPrelude Attach with Torpedoes Tea and Sea Any Stragglers? The Operation that Never Was - MTB 331 East Coast Adventures Praying Mantis The Big Boats Sent Ashore Home for Tea Sailing By Epilogue Bibliography

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Book SynopsisA revealing yet accessible examination of the Nuremberg trial, and most crucially all 23 men who stood accused, not just the most infamous—Speer, Hess, and Göring. This account sets the scene by explaining the procedures, the legal context, and the moments of hypocrisy in the Allies’ prosecution—ignoring the fact that the Katyń massacre was a Soviet crime and overlooking carpet bombing.Author Andrew Sangster discusses how the word “Holocaust” was not used until long after the trial, probably due to Russian objection as they had lost many more people, and because the Allies generally were not innocent of anti-Semitism themselves, especially Russia and Vichy France. However, the defendants to a person immediately recognised that this was the singular issue which placed them on the steps of the gallows, and their various defences on this charge are therefore crucial to understanding the trial. Sangster also explores how the prisoners related to one another in their approach to defending themselves on the charge of genocide and extermination camps, especially in facing the bully-boy Göring.This new study utilises not only the trial manuscripts, but the pre-trial interrogations, the views of the psychiatrists and psychologists, and the often-overheard conversations between prisoners—who did not know their guards spoke German—to give the fullest exploration of the defendants, their state of mind, and their attitudes towards the Third Reich, Hitler and each other as they faced judgement by the victors of the war.Trade ReviewThis is an excellent summary of the trials' main points and defenses -- following orders, amnesia, under the influence of others, blame others, and even protestations of innocence. * The Historical Miniatures Gaming Society 11/01/2023 *WWII readers will forever be appreciative of what Andrew has prepared for us and our personal libraries. * ARGunners 10/11/2022 *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Two Critical Issues Procedures Hermann Göring 1893–1946 Rudolf Hess 1894–1987 Joachim Von Ribbentrop 1893–1946 Wilhelm Keitel 1892–1946 Ernst Kaltenbrunner 1903–46 Alfred Rosenberg 1893–1946 Hans Frank 1900–46 Wilhelm Frick 1877–1946 Julius Streicher 1885–1946 Hjalmar Schacht 1877–1970 Walther Funk 1890–1960 Karl Dönitz 1891–1980 Erich Raeder 1876–1960 Baldur Von Schirach 1907–76 Fritz Sauckel 1894–1946 Alfred Jodl 1890–1946 Arthur Seyss–Inquart 1892–1946 Franz Von Papen 1879–1969 Albert Speer 1905–1981 Constantin Von Neurath 1873–1956 Hans Fritzsche 1900–53 Robert Ley 1890–1945 Reflections Final Thoughts Glossary And Abbreviations Appendix Bibliography Endnotes Index

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Book SynopsisIn August 1943, a highly classified US Army Air Force unit, code-named the 'Wright Project', departed Langley Field for Guadalcanal in the South Pacific to join the fight against the Empire of Japan. Operating independently, under sealed orders drafted at the highest levels of Army Air Force, the Wright Project was unique, both in terms of the war-fighting capabilities provided by classified systems the ten B-24 Liberators of this small group of airmen brought to the war, and in the success these 'crash-built' technologies allowed. The Wright airmen would fly only at night, usually as lone hunters of enemy ships. In so doing they would pave the way for the United States to enter and dominate a new dimension of war in the air for generations to come.This is their story, from humble beginnings at MIT’s Radiation Lab and hunting U-boats off America’s eastern shore, through to the campaigns of the war in the Pacific in their two-year march toward Tokyo. The Wright Project would prove itself to be a combat leader many times over and an outstanding technology innovator, evolving to become the 868th Bomb Squadron. Along the way the unit would be embraced by unique personalities and the dynamic leadership, from Army Air Force General Hap Arnold through combat commanders who flew the missions.In this account, the reader will meet radar warfare pioneers and squadron leaders who were never satisfied that they had pushed the men, the aircraft, and the technologies to the full limit of their possibilities. Comprehensive and highly personal, this story can now be revealed for the very first time, based on official sources, and interviews with the young men who flew into the night.Trade ReviewThis is a limber romp across the world of electronics and into the history of World War II. Going beyond palaver, Lawless traces a critical development program through MIT’s Radiation Laboratory, showing how ultra-short-wave radar was adapted for aircraft and a unit organized to prove the concept, then follows the exploits of these men and their device right through to the Japanese surrender. * ARGunners.com *Lawless’ engaging and descriptive approach takes the reader into the Pacific war and offers a front-row seat to the exploits of the Wright Project and their highly innovative technology. * War History Network *The author has done some remarkable research into both the squadron, the technology & the men involved. This unit & its 'Wright Project' name was deemed 'highly classified', so don't be surprised, if like me, you hadn't heard about it previously. Some of the narrative is almost a squadron diary formed from operation reports, but this feels necessary to tell the story. One that I'm sure will draw a lot of interest. * Books2Cover *Table of ContentsPrologue Introduction Chapter 1 World War Comes to America January-May 1942 Chapter 2 Rad Labs and Microwave Radar 1940-1943 Chapter 3 Langley Field and the First Sea Search Attack Group June-December 1942 Chapter 4 Low-Altitude Bombing January-July 1943 Chapter 5 The Wright Project July-August 1943 Chapter 6 Guadalcanal August-September 1943 Chapter 7 Battles in the Slot October-December 1943 Chapter 8 Munda and Rabaul December 1943-March 1944 Chapter 9 Mighty Truk, Deadly Truk March-June 1944 Chapter 10 Vince Splane and “Devil’s Delight” September 1943-March 1944 Chapter 11 Munda to Momote April-June 1944 Chapter 12 Art De Land and Crew and “396” April-June 1944 Chapter 13 Radar Reflections 1943-1944 Chapter 14 Ever Forward Toward Tokyo July-November 1944 Chapter 15 Balikpapan and Makassar Strait October 1944 Chapter 16 The Philippines November-December 1944 Chapter 17 Captain Earle Smith and Lieutenant Ron Moyer August 1944 Chapter 18 Tough Times January-February 1945 Chapter 19 Turnaround and Baylis Harriss March 1945 Chapter 20 Morotai Missions April 1945 Chapter 21 Bob Thompson and Crew November 1944-June 1945 Chapter 22 Strangling the Empire, Morotai Operations May-June 1945 Chapter 23 Morotai to Okinawa Via Leyte July 1945 Chapter 24 Okinawa and Japan August 1945 Chapter 25 Coming Home September-October 1945 Chapter 26 The “Other Snoopers”: The Scott and Hopson SB-24 Projects 1943-1945 Epilogue Appendices Bibliographies Index

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Book SynopsisThe Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) was a highly classified, multi-service United States Special Forces unit which conducted covert unconventional warfare operations prior to and during the Vietnam War. The unit conducted strategic reconnaissance missions in South Vietnam, North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia; carried out the capture of enemy prisoners, rescued downed pilots, and conducted rescue operations to retrieve allied prisoners of war throughout Southeast Asia; and conducted clandestine agent team activities and psychological operations.This book tells the story of the Teams operating out of FOB2 Kontum, near the tri-border area, in 1968–69. From recon missions over the fence to the heroic, and sometimes fatal efforts undertaken to try and rescue missing SOG members, the events are told through the words of the men themselves, supported by previously unreleased official documents.Trade ReviewEvery one of the personnel mentioned in SOG Kontum is a hero. The book also provides a list of medals/decorations awarded after some missions described, but the awards are only a footnote to the highly engaging narrative. The men of SOG-MACV fought for each other, not for the awards or glory. * On Point: The Journal of Army History *This book is a very moving tribute to the heroism of the top-secret unit based on research and oral histories gathered from SOG veterans themselves. . . [A] powerful sense of sacrifice permeates the book and makes it profound and unique—especially when one considers the void of secrecy in which SOG existed. * Vietnam Magazine *The format of the book works well. The move from one eyewitness account to the next is seamless . … [A] tribute to the SOG personnel and to the helicopter crews who risked their lives picking up endangered units * The VVA Veteran *Table of ContentsRoad Mining Mission with Tony Love Kedenburg Loss Tony Love - Bob Barnes Duffield - RT Hawaii Hunt and Love - Wolfkeil Grommett - Tho wounded Bryant Bright Light Dennis Mack Ghost Helo SOG SLAM VII w/Jaeger comments Last Days SOG SLAM VII Russian Helo Scherdin-Jerson Loss- Huey Crash with RT-Vermont Insertion Attempt RT-Iowa HP Recon in Force Goulet-Cadenbach; Insert RT-NM Insert HP - Hill 1152 Attack on FOB - March 2 Loss of Ripanti Operation Nightcap Attack on 'Yard camp Operation Spindown

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Book SynopsisMost books gloss over submarines at Midway and, if they are mentioned at all, conclude they failed miserably and had little impact on the outcome of the battle. It is undeniable that carrier aviation and intelligence saved the day, but the role of the submarine was an important one in defence of an anticipated amphibious assault.Midway Submerged is a comprehensive examination of a little-known aspect of this pivotal naval battle, explaining how Nimitz used his submarines at Midway, and the Japanese misused theirs based on a flawed tactical plan. Based on in-depth archival research not only into the battle itself, but also submarine design and construction, and tactical and operational doctrine for both the United States and Japan, it brings a whole new dimension to the discussion of the battle of Midway. It examines the intended role of the submarine in the plans and doctrine of both navies, and what the submarines were expected to accomplish for both fleets during the battle, before assessing the actual accomplishments, successes, and failures of the submarine forces on both sides. Of particular importance, the book offers an analysis of how well these vessels fulfilled the expectations placed on them by their respective naval planners, concluding that submarines played a more important role in the outcome than has been previously understood.Trade ReviewAllen does a very good job of examining the submarine portions of the US and Japanese operational plans . . . an excellent revisionist assessment of submarine employment at the Battle of Midway. * The National Maritime Historical Society *Table of Contents1.Midway Submerged: Introduction 2.Japanese Naval Doctrine 3.Japanese Submarine Strategy and Tactics 4.United States Naval Doctrine 5.United States Submarine Strategy and Tactics 6.Japanese Submarine Actions at Midway 7.United States Submarine Actions at Midway 8.Analysis: Undersea Warfare at Midway 9.Midway Submerged: Conclusions Appendices Bibliography Notes Index

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Book SynopsisCodenamed Operation Telic, the British component of the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was the largest gathering of British troops since the Second World War. Whilst the British public prepared for the worst as its soldiers were facing weapons of mass destruction, most servicemen and women were under no illusion that they were invading Iraq to rid the people of Saddam Hussein.While much has been said about WMD and Tony Blair’s government, not nearly enough has been heard from those men and women that took part in Operation Telic. Based upon dozens of veteran interviews, personal diaries and archival material, this book tells their stories, in their own words.From controlling the vast Allied Air Forces at 34,000 feet in an AWACS plane down to submariners beneath the warm waves of the Persian Gulf firing Tomahawk Cruise missiles, from the steaming hot turret of a Challenger Tank as it is peppered with RPGs, to being on your belly in a sandstorm disarming unexploded bombs face=Calibri>– these veteran accounts cover the whole spectrum of experiences.Polarised public opinion and the post-war media portrayal of the war has detracted from what was achieved by these forces, when tasked to do so, often with insufficient or inadequate resources. These are their stories of courage, fortitude, pride, and brotherhood amidst the harsh realities of modern asymmetric warfare.Trade Review[A] fascinating contribution to our understanding of the Iraq War. * Midwest Book Review *There are dozens of books about the U.S. involvement in Iraq but very few about what the British experience so Burning Horizon helps fill in that part of the history. Basing it upon first-hand accounts also makes it much more engaging than your usual military account. * Musings on Iraq *This is an important book. . . . Burning Horizon is unofficial history; detailed, confused and unadulterated. It is probably too much to hope, as Peter Caddick-Adams alludes in his fine foreword, that an official campaign history is in the offing. In the meantime this book will keep memories alive. * Military Historical Society Bulletin *In these detailed and compelling recollections of British soldiers at the very start of the Iraq war in 2003, Julian Whippy not only captures the chaos of those earliest days of the war but also how the UK military stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the US as they have done so often and for so many years. Burning Horizon reminds us how British and American servicemen and women train together, learn together, and, when called upon, fight together to defeat threats to our common values. * General James N. Mattis, US Marine Corps (retired) *Table of ContentsOrder of Battle Introduction Chapter 1. 9/11 and all that Chapter 2. The Brown envelope Chapter 3. On the Bus Chapter 4. SCUDs, Goolies and Gold Chapter 5. Zero hour Chapter 6. Breaching the berms Chapter 7. Danger: UXB Chapter 8. Caveman and Bondo Chapter 9. Hackles raised Chapter 10. Here come the Cavalry Chapter 11. Major Combat Operations cease Chapter 12. Going home The Veterans – where are they now Glossary Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisSpecifically designed as a reconnaissance vehicle, the Ford M8 Light Armored Car was intended primarily for use by mechanized cavalry units. A total of 8,523 units were built. Able to move quickly and cover long distances without refuelling, they supported the advance of armored columns by undertaking reconnaissance. Though the thin floor armor made it vulnerable to mines, the M8 served in Europe and the Pacific until the end of the war. Derived from the M8 series, 3,791 M20 Armored Utility cars were built. The M20 was designed without a turret, enabling its use for more specialized purposes such as carrying personnel or artillery spotting. While the project to build the M8 launched in 1941, the first armored cars were only received by the army in March 1943. An Ordnance Department officer, Lt. J. R. Muray, is tasked with being the link between the various components of the army and the industrialists. Throughout the process of creation and production, Muray kept his notes, reports and letters - 1,500 pages of archives have enabled the author to faithfully retrace the process of creating these cars, from the first draft to the end production in June 1945.Table of ContentsContents The Genesis of Light Armored Cars The M8 Light Armored Car The M20 Utility Armored Car Commonalities Use in Europe Appendixes Bibliography Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisIn December 1937, the Chinese capital, Nanjing, falls and the Japanese army unleash an orgy of torture, murder, and rape. Over the course of six weeks, hundreds of thousands of civilians and prisoners of war are killed. At the very onset of the atrocities, the Danish supervisor at a cement plant just outside the city, 26-year-old Bernhard Arp Sindberg, opens the factory gates and welcomes in 10,000 Chinese civilians to safety, beyond the reach of the blood-thirsty Japanese. He becomes an Asian equivalent of Oskar Schindler, the savior of Jews in the European Holocaust.This biography follows Sindberg from his childhood in the old Viking city of Aarhus and on his first adventures as a sailor and a Foreign Legionnaire to the dramatic 104 days as a rescuer of thousands of helpless men, women, and children in the darkest hour of the Sino-Japanese War. It describes how after his remarkable achievement, he receded back into obscurity, spending decades more at sea and becoming a naturalized American citizen, before dying of old age in Los Angeles in 1983, completely unrecognized. In this respect, too, there is an obvious parallel with Schindler, who only attained posthumous fame.The book sets the record straight by providing the first complete account of Sindberg’s life in English, based on archival sources hitherto unutilized by any historian as well as interviews with surviving relatives. What emerges is the surprising tale of a person who was average in every respect but rose to the occasion when faced with unimaginable brutality, discovering an inner strength and courage that transformed him into one of the great humanitarian figures of the 20th century and an inspiration for our modern age, demonstrating that the determined actions of one person—any person—can make a huge difference.Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: From the Foreign Legion to Shanghai (1911–1933) Chapter 2: The Prisoner on the Falstria (1934–1937) Chapter 3: ‘A Stupid Nincompoop’ (March–August 1937) Chapter 4: Death in the Streets (August–September 1937) Chapter 5: ’My Friend Sindbad’ (September–November 1937) Chapter 6: A Capital City at War (November 1937) Chapter 7: A Very Dangerous Job (November 30–December 1, 1937) Chapter 8: Journey to the Heart of Darkness (December 2–5, 1937) Chapter 9: The Fall of Nanjing (December 6–12, 1937) Chapter 10: The Massacre Begins (December 13–15, 1937) Chapter 11: ‘Blood, Blood, and Yet More Blood’ (December 16–19, 1937) Chapter 12: Christmas in Hell (December 20–27, 1937) Chapter 13: The Man with the Flag (December 28, 1937–January 13, 1938) Chapter 14: Friendships (January 14–February 3, 1938) Chapter 15: The New Order (February 4–20, 1938) Chapter 16: Troublemaker (February 21–March 15, 1938) Chapter 17: Guenther’s Letter (March 16–April 25, 1938) Chapter 18: After Nanjing (April 1938–March 1983) Afterword: Sindberg’s 104 Days

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Book SynopsisThe German Army was all-conquering until late 1941 when, only a few miles short of Moscow, it ran out of steam. Maniacal defence, the Russian winter and exhaustion all played their part and, although they didn't realise it, the German forces wouldn't advance further on this front. While they continued their offensives into 1942, Soviet defenses had stiffened. Its equipment – notably the T-34 – had improved and the Germans had lost too many of their best men: the savvy NCOs and experienced junior officers that gave the Wehrmacht its edge over the opposition. They had lost their moral compass as well. Complicity in the massacres of the SS-Einsatzgruppen, the barbarity of the anti-Partisan operations and summary execution for those who flagged, were the hallmarks of the German Army's fight for survival against people it considered less than human.Outnumbered, under attack on many other fronts, their homeland bombarded unceasingly from the air, the German servicemen endured the hell of the Eastern Front until their armies were destroyed in 1945. While the morality of the regime they fought for and its reprehensible actions should never be forgotten, what cannot be denied is the indefatigable courage of the German infantrymen.Fully illustrated with over 200 contemporary photographs and illustrations – and exploring a broad range of topics from uniform, weapons and provisions to tactics and communications – this title provides valuable insights into the Germans' main theater of operations in World War II.Table of ContentsTimeline Introduction The Soldier Facilities Tactics Life in the Field Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisQuite simply, without engineers the U.S. Army would have been unable to fight World War II. The men of the Corps of Engineers, with the strength of more than 700 battalions mobilised during World War II, were tasked with every imaginable engineering challenge. In rear areas and back in the United States they built the facilities essential for everyday military life: showers, toilets, barrack blocks, military hospitals, training camps, storage depots, and much more. To keep logistics flowing to the front, they constructed or repaired thousands of miles of roads and bridges, plus built airfields to support Allied strategic and tactical air operations. Engineers also created endless chains of defensive positions, from simple trench systems to complex bunker networks, as well as retrieving damaged vehicles and equipment from still-contested battlefields. Combat engineers, meanwhile, occupied some of the most dangerous frontline roles in the American armed forces. Heavily armed with demolitions and weapons, plus weighed down by engineering tools and even driving armoured bulldozers, they were tasked with destroying enemy strongpoints, bridges, equipment, vehicles and many other obstacles to the advance, in both overland and amphibious operations.Building the Battlefield: Tactics and Techniques of U.S. Army Engineers in World War II brings together an exceptional collection of primary sources from engineering field manuals, technical manuals, and other official publications. They provide a detailed insight into the work and skills of the U.S. Army engineers, including building a field fortification, laying and defusing mines, making a contested river crossing, or camouflaging a defensive position properly. Through these texts, we gain practical insight into the exceptional individuals who often combined first-rate infantry fighting skills with engineering skill and problem-solving ingenuity.

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Book SynopsisThe decision to not deploy reoriented, trained Iraqi divisions and other allied forces in numbers significant enough to adequately stabilize the situation in Iraq in 2003–04 resulted in significant shortages of manpower and equipment that eventually led to a less-than-satisfactory ending to the campaign, and significantly challenged the entire Coalition effort in the first year of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The roles and missions assumed by allies were vitally important in the under-resourced effort to bring order to the chaos of Iraq but would remain relatively unheralded throughout most of the campaign.Colonel Tiso’s account of this time offers unique insights into the challenges of planning the Iraqi campaign and the intricacies and challenges of multinational service through the lens of his assignments as a war planner at U.S. Central Command, Senior Military Adviser of the Arab Peninsula Shield Force and the Polish-led Multinational Division (Central-South), and Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (C-3) of the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team tasked to develop the New Iraqi Army. His observations cast significant light on the missions these units undertook and the challenges they confronted.His firsthand account of operational planning for war in Iraq captures the concerns of the military planners and senior commanders to liberate and stabilize the country, enabling the reader to better understand the challenges of operational war planning, coalition warfare, the difficulty of stabilizing Iraq after the fall of Baghdad, the development of the New Iraqi Army, and ultimately a deeper understanding of America’s “long war” in Iraq.Table of ContentsForeword Author’s Notes and Acknowledgements Part I: Planning and Training for War 1 Multi-Cultural Experiences in Old New York 2 United States Central Command and the Central Region 3 Leading U.S. and Multinational Forces in the Sinai 4 Fighting the Force Protection Battle in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan 5 Planning the Inevitable War Part II: Operation “Iraqi Freedom” Special Missions 6 Staffing Post Hostilities Operations 7 Duty with the United Nations 8 Stability Operations in Iraq 9 Advising the Peninsula Shield Force 10 Reconnaissance of the Rumaylah Oil Fields 11 Redeployment of the Peninsula Shield Force 12 Assignment to the Coalition Military Assistance Team 13 Building the Foundation of an Army 14 Making the Most of Scant Resources 15 Recruiting, Organizing, and Training the New Iraqi Army Part III: Soldiering With the Multinational Division Central-South 16 Preparing for Duty with a Combat Division 17 Serving with the Multinational Division Central South 18 The Challenges of Multinational Command 19 The Power of the Theater Commander 20 Patrolling with the Ukrainians on the Iranian Border 21 Preparing the Occupation of Iraq 22 Indications of a Growing Insurgency in Central South Iraq 23 Dealing with Generals 24 The War Comes to the Multinational Division Central South 25 Defeating the Enemy with Overwhelming Force 26 Fighting the Battle for Central-South Iraq 27 Combat Action in Al Kut 28 The American Bureaucracy in Baghdad 29 Developing a Strategy to Conduct the Long War 30 False Hope For Peace in Iraq 31 Christmas on the Iranian Border 32 Terrorist Attack and Tragedy in Karbala 33 Transitioning to a New Commander and Division Staff 34 Teaching the New Command to Conduct Combat Operations 35 A New Liaison Team Arrives at Camp Babylon Part IV: Going Home: Reflections on the Long War 36 Going Home via Poland 37 Epilogue Endnotes

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Book SynopsisThere are few names in the annals of military history that evoke such emotion, and in some cases controversy, as the small Belgian town of Bastogne. The 101st Airborne are the best known defenders of Bastogne, but they only constituted one third of the eventual force that saved the city from total annihilation.This book digs deeper into the defense of Bastogne, revealing more details about those indomitable “Screaming Eagles” and the other units that stood with them during that punishingly bitter cold winter of 1944/45. It also presents the perspective of the German soldiers trying desperately to re-take Bastogne that desperate winter. It is a story of sacrifice, dedication to duty, and honor in the face of terrible adversity, but more importantly it’s a human story, one that encapsulates the finest attributes of humankind in the absolute direst of circumstances.Table of Contents1 Setting the Stage 2 We're Heading Where? 3 First into Bastogne 4 Dig in and get ready 5 Lights Out 6 Disintegration and Destruction 7 Hand to Hand, Face to Face 8 We're Running out of Everything 9 The Value of Momentum 10 He Said What? 11 Smiling at Me 12 What's Merry About All This? 13 The Proud Eagle Division 14 A Winter's Tale 15 Who's Patton?

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Book SynopsisThe Luzon campaign of 1945 was the longest island campaign of the Pacific War, lasting from January 1945 to September 1945, and only ended with the surrender of Imperial Japan. It is often overlooked or mentioned in passing by most histories of that war, yet hundreds of thousands of Americans and Japanese fought in some of the worst conditions imaginable for eight months to clear Luzon of the invaders.This full account of the Luzon campaign stretches from planning stages to the end of the war and the surrender of over 50,000 Japanese troops under the noted Japanese general Yamashita. The landings at Lingayen Gulf, the Battle for Manila and the recapture of Corregidor are all included, as well as lesser-known battles for the summer capital of Baguio, the battle for Manila's water supply, constant jungle fighting, the raids to rescue Allied POWs, the recapture of Bataan, destruction of the only Japanese armored division to fight in the Pacific, American parachute drops on Corregidor and Aparri, and much more. Individual acts of heroism are highlighted as are the interactions among the senior commanders involved, including General MacArthur, General Krueger (6th Army) and General Eichelberger (8th Army). The book ends with the surrender of Imperial Japan and the end of the Luzon Campaign in September 1945.Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. The Lingayen Beachhead 3. The Central Plain 4. Securing the Beachhead 5. The Kembo Group 6. The Race to Manila 7. The Tragedy of Manila 8. Intramuros, the Walled City 9. The Shimbu Group 10. Seizing the Dams 11. Southern Luzon 12. North to Baguio 13. The Villa Verde Trail 14. San Jose, Digdig and Baguio 15. Baguio Falls 16. Balete Pass 17. The Bambang Front 18. Aparri 19. Pursuit 20. The Luzon Campaign Appendix A: U. S. Forces Order of Battle Appendix B: Imperial Japanese Army Order of Battle Appendix C: Luzon Campaign Medals of Honor Appendix D: Casualty Comparison Bibliography

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Book SynopsisNot only did the Sicily operation represent a watershed in tactical development of combined arms tactics, it was also an important test for future Allied joint operations. Senior British commanders left the North African theater with a jaundiced and dismissive view of the combat capabilities of the inexperienced US Army after the debacle at Kasserine Pass in Tunisia in February 1943. Sicily was a demonstration that the US Army had rapidly learned its lessons and was now capable of fighting as a co-equal of the British Army. The Sicily campaign contained a measure of high drama as Patton took the reins of the Seventh US Army and bent the rules of the theater commander in a bold race to take Palermo on the northern Sicilian coast. When stiff German resistance halted Montgomery’s main assault to Messina through the mountains, Patton was posed to be the first to reach the key Sicilian port and end the campaign. The Sicily campaign contains a fair amount of controversy as well including the disastrous problems with early airborne assaults and the Allied failure to seal the straits of Messina, allowing the Germans to withdraw many of their best forces.Trade ReviewSicily 1943 is a welcome addition to the library of books dedicated to World War Two - Niagara on the LakeTable of ContentsIntroduction /Chronology /Opposing commanders /Opposing forces /Opposing plans /The campaign /The campaign in perspective /The battlefield today /Further reading /Index

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Book SynopsisThe battle for Guadalcanal that lasted from August 1942 to February 1943 was the first major American counteroffensive against the Japanese in the Pacific. The battle of Savo Island on the night of 9 August 1942, saw the Japanese inflict a sever defeat on the Allied force, driving them away from Guadalcanal and leaving the just-landed marines in a perilously exposed position. This was the start of a series of night battles that culminated in the First and Second battles of Guadalcanal, fought on the nights of 13 and 15 November. One further major naval action followed, the battle of Tassafaronga on 30 November 1942, when the US Navy once again suffered a severe defeat, but this time it was too late to alter the course of the battle as the Japanese evacuated Guadalcanal in early February 1943.This title will detail the contrasting fortunes experienced by both sides over the intense course of naval battles around the island throughout the second half of 1942 that did so much to turn the tide in the Pacific.Table of ContentsOrigins of the campaign /Chronology /Opposing commanders /Opposing fleets /Orders of battle /Opposing plans /The campaign /Aftermath /Further reading /Index

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Book SynopsisA Detailed History of RAF Manston 1941-1945 covers the station's history during the period that the RAF was on the offensive against the Luftwaffe. Having been badly damaged during the Battle of Britain and the only airfield to have been put out of action, Manston rose from the ashes to become a base for numerous fighter units that attacked Hitler's 'Fortress Europe'. From 1941 onwards, Manston was used by damaged aircraft returning from operations, especially those from Bomber Command. Consequently, a large runway was built and was one of three in the country that was equipped to deal with emergencies. In 1944, 501 Squadron was formed with the Hawker Tempest to destroy enemy armour, aircraft and the feared V1; Squadron Leader Joe Berry was credited to destroying sixty-one V1s. Another first was the arrival of the Meteor jet fighter in August 1944. After the war, Manston became a base for a number of civil airlines, but continued in its role as a major diversion airfield and an emergency landing ground.

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