Second World War Books

Book SynopsisIn January 1940, navy nurse Dorothy Still eagerly anticipated her new assignment at a military hospital in the Philippines. Her first year abroad was an adventure. She dated sailors and attended dances. But as 1941 progressed, signs of imminent war grew more urgent. Military wives and children were shipped home to the States, and the sailors increased their daily drills. Days after Pearl Harbor was attacked, the Japanese military assaulted the Philippines. When Manila fell to Japan in early January 1942, Dorothy was held captive in a hospital and then transferred to a civilian prison camp. Under the direction of Chief Nurse Laura Cobb, Dorothy and ten other navy nurses maintained rank and reported each day to a makeshift hospital. Cramped conditions, disease, and poor nutrition meant the navy nurses and their army counterparts were overwhelmed caring for the camp. In May 1943, a civilian physician asked Cobb if the navy nurses would consider transferring to a new prison camp in the countryside. The twelve nurses feared the unknown, but they could not deny they were needed. On the morning of their departure, inmates used the public address system to play the navy fight song, "Anchors Aweigh." The nurses were overwhelmed by the response. They had indeed been the anchors of the camp, who kept ill inmates form drifting. In the new prison camp, the "twelve anchors" turned a stripped infirmary into a functioning hospital. Despite their own ailments, they provided nonstop care for starving, diseased, and abused inmates. Over the years, their friendships deepened, and several of the women, including Dorothy, even found love.This Is Really War is an inspiring story about a young nurse who fought for life during a dark time.Trade Review" This Is Really War tells the mostly unknown story of the US Navy nurses captured by the Japanese in the Philippines in World War II. The reader will learn how these nurses, who considered themselves average women, rose to the challenge and survived a prison experience that many, many others did not. A thoroughly researched, fascinating book." Elizabeth Norman, author of We Band of Angels: The Untold Story of the American Women Trapped on Bataan and Women at War: The Story of Fifty Military Nurses Who Served in Vietnam"With her vivid style coupled with immaculate research, Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi tells an incredible true story that reads like great fiction. This Is Really War is an unflinching portrait of women surviving the unthinkable. This is history both epic and personal, recounted by a gifted writer." Arnie Bernstein, author of Swastika Nation: Fritz Kuhn and the Rise and Fall of the German-American Bund" This Is Really War is a testament to both the horrors of Japanese captivity during the Second World War and the resilience of the American nurses forced to endure it. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi's beautifully detailed writing is equal parts captivating and heartbreaking." Kathryn J. Atwood, author of Women Heroes of World War II"Lucchesi's well-researched, horrifying story effectively and compassionately recounts underappreciated courage, professionalism, and resiliency." -- Booklist

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Book SynopsisA Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People 2018A gripping adventure story and a rich resource for history lovers When 14-year-old Florence Kelly and 11-year-old Russell Park left their hometowns for summer vacations in Europe in 1939, they considered themselves awfully lucky. Many of their friends’ families were struggling during the Great Depression and couldn’t afford fancy trips. But the young pair would soon face life-threatening troubles of their own as it became clear German dictator Adolf Hitler was intent on invading neighboring countries. With tensions high, Florence, Russell, and their families cut their holidays short as many Americans scrambled to book passage back to the States. Safely aboard the luxurious passenger liner the S.S. Athenia, travelers settled in and breathed a sigh of relief. Surely, it was believed, the sleek, menacing German U-boats lurking in the Atlantic Ocean would never attack a passenger ship . . . would they? Torpedoed! vividly re-creates the events surrounding the attack on the Athenia, the first ship lost in the battle of the Atlantic. Through firsthand accounts, interviews with survivors, and powerful photos, award-winning author Cheryl Mullenbach brings to life the prewar environment in America and Europe, the anxious days leading up to the surprise attack, the frantic rush to escape the sinking ship, and the long, terrifying night that Russell, Florence, and others spent in churning lifeboats battling the elements and imagining the worst.Torpedoed! provides page-turning thrills and inspiring real-life examples of courage and resourcefulness in the toughest of circumstances.

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Book SynopsisSpanning decades, an unforgettable novel about reckoning with the past, the true nature of friendship, and the dream of finding home. 1944, Poland. Jacob Stein and Zalman Mendelson meet as boys under terrifying circumstances. They survive by miraculously escaping, but their shared past haunts and shapes their lives forever. Years later, Zalman plows a future on a Minnesota farm. In Brooklyn, Jacob has a new life with his wife, Esther. When Zalman travels to New York City to reconnect, Jacob's hopes for the future are becoming a reality. With Zalman's help, they build a house for Jacob's family and for Zalman, who decides to stay. Modest and light filled, inviting and warm with acceptance--for all of them, it's a castle to call home. Then an unforeseeable tragedy--and the grief, betrayals, and revelations in its wake--threatens to destroy what was once an unbreakable bond, and Esther finds herself at a crossroads. A Castle in Brooklyn is a moving and heartfelt immigration story about finding love and building a home and family while being haunted by a traumatic past.

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Book SynopsisSpanning decades, an unforgettable novel about reckoning with the past, the true nature of friendship, and the dream of finding home. 1944, Poland. Jacob Stein and Zalman Mendelson meet as boys under terrifying circumstances. They survive by miraculously escaping, but their shared past haunts and shapes their lives forever. Years later, Zalman plows a future on a Minnesota farm. In Brooklyn, Jacob has a new life with his wife, Esther. When Zalman travels to New York City to reconnect, Jacob's hopes for the future are becoming a reality. With Zalman's help, they build a house for Jacob's family and for Zalman, who decides to stay. Modest and light filled, inviting and warm with acceptance--for all of them, it's a castle to call home. Then an unforeseeable tragedy--and the grief, betrayals, and revelations in its wake--threatens to destroy what was once an unbreakable bond, and Esther finds herself at a crossroads. A Castle in Brooklyn is a moving and heartfelt immigration story about finding love and building a home and family while being haunted by a traumatic past.

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Book SynopsisTwo women, generations apart, in the spotlight. A powerful novel about family secrets, devastating choices, and hope for the future by the bestselling author of When I’m Gone. Camera-shy Elise Branson is different from the other women in her maternal line. Her mother is an award-winning actress. Her late grandmother, Vivian Snow, is a beloved Hollywood icon. But when Elise’s upcoming wedding coincides with a documentary being made about Vivian, Elise can’t escape the camera’s gaze. And neither can her grandmother, even in death. It’s 1943 when Vivian, a small-town Indiana girl, lends her home front support to the war effort. As a translator in the nearby Italian POW camp, she’s invaluable. As a celebrated singer for the USO, she lifts men’s spirits and falls in love with a soldier. But behind this all-American love story is a shocking secret—one that is vital to keep buried if Vivian is to achieve the fame and fortune she covets. For Elise and Vivian, what’s hidden—and what’s exposed—threatens to unravel their lives. The heart-wrenching choices they must make will change them both forever.Trade Review“As a novelist, Emily Bleeker has a genuinely impressive, narrative driven, and distinctive storytelling style that fully engages her readers from first page to last. Her latest novel, When We Were Enemies will have a special appeal to readers with in interest in comparative generational historical fiction at its very best. A memorable read throughout, When We Were Enemies is a highly recommended pick…” —The Historical Fiction Shelf, Midwest Book Review “An original, fascinating, deftly crafted, and fun read from beginning to end, When We Were Enemies smoothly showcases author Emily Bleeker's undeniably impressive talents and her mastery of narrative driven storytelling.” —The General Fiction Shelf, Midwest Book Review

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Book Synopsis*NOW WITH A DETAILED READING GROUP GUIDE* A haunting WWII memoir of two sisters who survived Auschwitz that picks up where Anne Frank's Diary left off and gives voice to the children we lost.On March 28, 1944, six-year-old Tati and her four-year-old sister Andra were roused from their sleep and arrested. Along with their mother, Mira, their aunt, and cousin Sergio, they were deported to Auschwitz. Over 230,000 children were deported to the camp, where Josef Mengele, the Angel of Death, performed deadly experiments on them. Only a few dozen children survived, Tati and Andra among them. Tati, Andra, and Sergio were separated from their mothers upon arrival. But Mira was determined to keep track of her girls. After being tattooed with their inmate numbers, she made them memorize her number and told them to “always remember your name.” In keeping this promise to their mother, the sisters were able to be reunited with their parents when WWII ended. An unforgettable narrative of the power of sisterhood in the most extreme circumstances, and of how a mother’s love can overcome the most impossible odds, the Bucci sisters' memoir is a timely reminder that separating families is an inexcusable evil.Trade Review"Always Remem­ber Your Name is a pow­er­ful, yet sim­ple, telling of a har­row­ing peri­od in two young girl’s lives. The Buc­ci sis­ters will stay with the read­er long after the book is closed."—Rabbi Marc Katz, The Jewish Book Council"Andra and Tatiana Bucci’s riveting memoir reveals the extraordinary courage of two little girls; their will to live, and the profound love of their mother, who was determined to keep them alive. Always Remember Your Name is heart-breaking and yet utterly uplifting, with the fierce bond of two sisters at its heart, who survived the Holocaust to bear witness, so that none of us will ever forget."—Heather Morris, international bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka’s Journey, and Three Sisters "Written in the simple, direct language of witness and accompanied throughout by family photographs, this poignant story celebrates human resilience and warns readers living in an increasingly divided and chaotic world to beware the 'monsters' created by 'the sleep of reason.' Historically significant firsthand documentation from the 20th century’s darkest period." — Kirkus

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Book SynopsisOn the evening of 24 February 1944, RAAF Lancaster bomber J for Jig took off from an airfield in Lincolnshire. On board was a crew of seven young men-five Australians, two Scots-whose mission was to bomb factories in Schweinfurt, Germany. But J for Jig never reached its target. It was shot down in the night skies over France.This book is about the seven lives on that aircraft-who they were, what they did, whom they loved, and whom they left behind. Some were to die that night, and others were to survive, withstanding incredible hardships and adventures as prisoners and evaders in a war that was far from over.Crew brilliantly recreates J for Jig's final mission but, more than that, in telling seven individuals' stories Mike Colman has captured the achievements, loss and the enduring legacy of the generation that fought in the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisWith a reputation for being hard to discipline, generosity to their comrades, frankness and sticking it up any sign of pomposity, Australian soldiers were a wild and irreverent lot, even in the worst of circumstances during World War II. In Larrikins in Khaki, Tim Bowden has collected compelling and vivid stories of individual soldiers whose memoirs were mostly self-published and who told of their experiences with scant regard for literary pretensions and military niceties. Most of these men had little tolerance for military order and discipline, and NCOs and officers who were hopeless at their jobs were made aware of it. They laughed their way through the worst of it by taking the mickey out of one another and their superiors. From recruitment and training to the battlegrounds of Palestine, North Africa, Thailand, New Guinea, Borneo and beyond, here are the highly individual stories of Australia's World War II Diggers told in their own voices - warts and all.Table of ContentsIntroductionMilitary units Chapter 1: Joining upChapter 2: Very basic trainingChapter 3: Sailing to warChapter 4: Desert Diggers prepare for warChapter 5: High jinks in EgyptChapter 6: Fighting in the desertChapter 7: Ill-fated Greek adventureChapter 8: Out of the frying pan into the fireChapter 9: The Allied invasion of Lebanon and SyriaChapter 10: The tide turnsChapter 11: Return to AustraliaChapter 12: Prisoners of war of the Japanese Chapter 13: The railway of deathChapter 14: Service at homeChapter 15: The saga of the flying footsloggersChapter 16: The Kokoda Track and the bloody beachheadsChapter 17: The battle for New GuineaChapter 18: An unnecessary campaignChapter 19: Savagery in BougainvilleChapter 20: Bloody Borneo-Tarakan and BalikpapanChapter 21: The lost years and damaged livesChapter 22: Retain all prisoners of war indefinitely Chapter 23: Final thoughtsAcknowledgements NotesBibliography Index

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Book Synopsis'I can't understand the mentality of the Australian people. One day they are in a panic about the war and the next they want more race meetings.' - John CurtinBy March 1942, the Japanese had steamrolled through Malaya, laid siege to Singapore, and bombed Darwin with the same ferocity they had dealt Pearl Harbor. Nothing could stop them. Their next step was inevitable, surely: the invasion and occupation of Australia. Meanwhile, as Australian prime minister John Curtin was battling with Winston Churchill to get troops back from overseas to defend their homeland, he was also positioning to ensure the United States would be there with us to fend off the approaching enemy.And at home, people pitched in as best they could and in any way to frustrate the invader. They all played their part, torn between 'she'll be right' and near panic. On Our Doorstep is the story of how Australia and Australians - the government, the military and the people - prepared to face this calamity, and the events that persuaded them of its probability. In the end, Japan found it had stretched itself beyond the reliability of its supply line, but had it ever intended to invade Australia?

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Book SynopsisThey were thrown into a hopeless fight against an overwhelming enemy. Later, hundreds died as prisoners of war on the Thai-Burma Railway and in the freezing coal mines of Taiwan and Japan. Through it all, wrote Weary Dunlop, they showed 'fortitude beyond anything I could have believed possible'. Until now, the story of the 2000 diggers marooned on Java in February 1942 has been a footnote to the fall of Singapore and the bloody campaign in New Guinea. Led by an Adelaide lawyer, Brigadier Arthur Blackburn VC, and fighting with scrounged weapons, two Australian battalions - plus an assortment of cooks, laundrymen and deserters from Singapore - held up the might of the Imperial Japanese Army until ordered by their Dutch allies to surrender.Drawing on personal diaries, official records and interviews with two of the last living survivors, this book tells the extraordinary story of the 'lads from Java', who laid down their weapons, but refused to give in. '[Gilling] has made superb use of an Australian Army History Research Grant to afford us a greater understanding of what the lost Australian warriors on Java experienced as a consequence of failed imperial wartime policy.' -The Australian'An engaging account . . . Gilling makes good use of diaries, memoirs and interviews with survivors.' -Good ReadingTable of ContentsAuthor's noteBrothers in armsDestination unknownGreatcoats will be wornThere are no Japanese within 100 milesThey got nothing from meSpecial Mission 43Java rubble A hell of a temperHundreds of whores and wicked bastardsSpeedo!One vast hospitalWhere are the rest?Stoppo!Do not overeatWe have developed queer habits and outlookBibliography

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Book SynopsisWinner, Best 2020 Non-fiction, ACT Notable Awards As you climbed the rickety stairs of an old woolshed at Sydney harbour in 1944, you would hear the thrum of clicks and buzzes. Rows of men and women in uniforms and headsets would be tapping away vigorously at small machines, under the careful watch of their young female trainers. Presiding over the cacophony was a tiny woman, known to everyone as 'Mrs Mac', one of Australia's wartime legends.A smart girl from a poor mining town who loved to play with her father's tools, Violet McKenzie became an electrical engineer, a pioneer of radio and a successful businesswoman. As the clouds of war gathered in the 1930s, she defied convention and trained young women in Morse code, foreseeing that their services would soon be sorely needed. Always a champion of women, she was instrumental in getting Australian women into the armed forces. Mrs Mac was adored by the thousands of young women and men she trained, and came to be respected by the defence forces and the public too for her vision and contribution to the war effort. David Dufty brings her story to life in this heartwarming and captivating biography.'[An] incredible and inspiring life... Dufty's new biography captures her unwavering dedication in the face of adversity.' - Professor Genevieve Bell, Australian National University 'A cracking story about the famous Australian radio engineer you've never heard of.' - Dick Smith, entrepreneur and philanthropist Trade Review'Captivating account' - The Canberra Times'Violet McKenzie deserves to be regarded as an Australian legend' - Weekend Australian'There's much to love about this meticulously researched work on a fascinating woman whose story is largely lost to history' - The Saturday Paper'A charming and very human story of how one small person mobilised an army of communicators to meet a national emergency' - Australian Naval Institute

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Book SynopsisThe Pacific Profiles series presents the most accurate WWII profiles of aircraft which served in the Pacific War. This Volume 19 covers American night fighters that served throughout the Solomons, New Guinea, the Philippines and the wider Pacific from 1943 until the end of the war.

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Book SynopsisThis fourth volume of Solomons Air War chronicles aerial warfare throughout the Solomons theatre during the months of January and February 1943. It can be read alone or as part of the ongoing Solomons Air War series.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, acclaimed history David Brewer investigates explores 1940s Greece -- one of the most tumultuous decades in Greece's modern history. Beginning in 1941, the occupation of Greece by Germany was intensely brutal: children starved on the streets of Athens; the Jewish population was decimated in the Holocaust; heroic acts of resistance were met with vicious reprisals. When Greece was finally freed from Nazi rule in 1944, the fractured and embittered nation became engulfed in civil war, as conflict flared between the British and American-sponsored government and communist-led rebels. In Greece, The Decade of War, Brewer expertly analyses these events and in doing so provides a compelling military and political history.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Prologue 1. The Albanian Gateway to Greece 2. Mussolini's War on Greece 3. The German Invasion 4. The Battle for Crete 5. The Occupation Begins 6. Hyperinflation and Starvation 7. The Emergence of the Communists 8. Early Resistance 9. SOE, the Andartes and Gorgopotamos 10. Village and City 11. The Destruction of the Jews 12. The Fractured Resistance 13. The Question of the King 14. The Cairo Conference, August 1943 15. The Italian Armistice and the First Communist Offensive 16. The Resistance in Crete 17. Upheaval in the Greek Government 18. Liberation 19. Towards Sunday December 3rd 1944 20. The Battle for Athens 21. Dhamaskinos, Churchill and the Varkiza Agreement 22. The Government, the Communists and the Elections 23. The Truman Doctrine 24. 1947 – Civil War and American Involvement 25. Terror from Left and Right 26. The Plight of the Greek Children 27. The Marshall Plan 28. The Ending of the Civil War Epilogue Chronology Notes Select Bibliography

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Book SynopsisWith this latest supplement for Bolt Action, players can now build an army for Great Britain and the Commonwealth. From early campaigns in Europe to the deserts of North Africa and the jungles of the Far East, British forces faced the Axis threat. The army lists presented here have all the information needed to field such elite units as the Paras, Commandos, Chindits and SAS alongside the steadfast ‘Tommy’.Trade ReviewThere are so many options in this book, and the customizability it allows make every list potentially completely unique. - boltaction.netTable of ContentsIntroduction /Army Lists /Theatres

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Book SynopsisThis book provides Bolt Action players with all of the information they need to field the military forces of the Soviet Union. From the bitter urban warfare of Stalingrad, through the Winter War against Finland and the final drive to Berlin, the detailed army lists provided in this supplement allow players to construct Soviet armies for any theatre and any year of the war.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Army Lists /Theatres

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Book SynopsisFollowing the assault on Pearl Harbor, the Imperial Japanese military saw action across Asia, from the capture and defence of the islands of the Pacific to the occupation of territory in China and Burma. With this latest supplement for Bolt Action, players have all the information they need to build a force of the Emperor’s fanatically loyal troops and campaign through some of the most brutal battles of the war.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Army Lists /Theatres

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Book Synopsis"The Luftwaffe - the German Air Force - will no longer have a decisive influence on the outcome of World War II, no matter how long it takes to beat Hitler." It is more than two years since I first heard these words. The man who spoke them to me continued: "No doubt, we will hear of the Luftwaffe before the war is over. We will hear a lot. But don't let us be deceived. No matter what happens, the Luftwaffe can never be used as a strategic first-line weapon within the Nazi plan. It can play no role but that of a tactical and auxiliary weapon." Curt Reiss, December 1943. Can it really be true that in 1941 insiders knew the Luftwaffe was a spent force; and a failed organization? This remarkable, but little-known book was written in 1943 and published in 1944. It argues, with remarkable clarity how incompetence at the highest level, both in planning and strategy led the Luftwaffe - pushed by the Nazi Party - to adopt a policy that left it hopelessly stretched and exposed. Little known facts shine out - such as the policy of failing to produce spares led the Luftwaffe to lose 2,500 aircraft during the invasion of Poland alone. The regime designed the Luftwaffe for Blitzkrieg, and Blitzkrieg alone. When a long-haul set in on an eastern front, on an African front and later on a western front, the collapse of Germany became simply inevitable. Crammed full of fascinating detail, and displaying much prescience, this book leaves the reader with the distinct impression that the much-vaunted German efficiency suffered from the dead-hand of the Nazi Party with its corruption and its contradictions. The insights into Goering and his wholesale thefts to fund a lavish life-style add colour to the picture of his incompetence.

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Book SynopsisTwenty-six-year-old American Ernest Pope arrived in Munich as a Reuters correspondent in in 1936. From then until he left in the summer of 1940 he saw first-hand the wild excesses of the Nazis. He wrote mainly for British newspapers-notably the Daily Express-but after September 1939 he could only supply material to the USA as lines to Britain were closed. As events hotted up he left for home just two months prior to America's entry to the war. Back in the safety of the United States he spent six months writing down what he had seen and who he had met. With wicked wit and superb style he ridicules the Nazis, showing them up for what they truly were-boorish and evil thugs. His narrative reads like a sensational novel, but for the poor inhabitants of Germany the unbelievable was in fact everyday life. Pope knew, saw or interviewed all the top Nazis and dozens of lower-level officials, including some of Hitler's security men. Fluent in Bavarian German dialect, Pope made many friends in Munich with citizens and officials alike. He heard jokes from Munichers that could get them thrown in a concentration camp and he poked fun at Nazis whenever he dared. Munich Playground is a 'must read' for anyone who wishes to understand what Hitler's Third Reich was really like.Table of ContentsPublisher's Note to the 2015 Edition, Introduction to the 2015 Edition ,Foreword, 1 Der Fuhrer at Play, 2 My Friends the Gestapo, 3 Portrait of a Nazi Grafter, 4 Hitler Dabbles in Art, 5 The One-Legged Boss of Bavaria, 6 Catholicism in the Nazi Capital, 7 Lunch with Julius Streicher, 8 Non-Aryans, 9 The Brown-Shirt Press, 10 Tea for Two, 11 Death Takes a Holiday, 12 Brass Hats in Bavaria, 13 Fraulein give me London, 14 Nazi Night Life, 15 Nazi Morals, 16 Hitler Breaks his Toys, Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThe Second World War saw the apex of piston-engine aircraft design, and ushered the world into the jet age. Anybody who studies aviation will know the names: Spitfire, Mustang, Zero, Messerschmitt, Shturmovik. But there were many more aircraft to take to the skies before and during the war, and frequently their stories remain unknown. This book seeks to tell those stories, to bring to the fore the forgotten warbirds. From the valiant Poles fighting the might of the Luftwaffe in their obsolescent craft, to the varied and excellent craft of the French Armee De l'Air, to the graceful craft of Italy's Regia Aeronautica. With stops around the globe, this book seeks to tell the tales of the forgotten or the doomed or the never-quites. The stories of these aircraft, drawn from Allies and Axis nations alike, bring forth a fuller picture of aviation during the greatest airborne conflict in world history. Telling these stories will give readers an interesting, and informative, look into the past-with personal reflections and a call to arms for the study of history itself.

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Book SynopsisThe German army faced tanks of superior size, armor and firepower from the outset of World War II. Although their Panzerwaffen handled the Polish campaign, war with France meant confronting superior heavy and medium tanks like the Char B and Somua, with 47 mm high velocity cannon that penetrated German tank armor with ease. French infantry disposed of effective antitank weapons and a portion of their 75 mm field guns were detailed as antitank guns. Even greater challenges emerged with the Russo-German War, for the Germans had no initial answer to the KV-1 heavy tank and T-34 medium. The successive technical shocks of superior tanks introduced by each side produced a gun-armor race that continued in some manner even after the war’s end. The Germans placed a premium on technological quality and superiority over mass production, for which their industry (and, arguably, their regime) remained rather unsuited. Not satisfied with the advantage they obtained with the Tiger and Panther series tanks, the army leadership and Adolf Hitler himself pushed for larger and more powerful tanks than had ever been built.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; Introduction; 1 German Tank Development, 1918–1939; 2 War and the Heavy Tank Programs, 1939–1945; 3 Tiger I; 4 The Successor Tiger II Tank; 5 Inspecting a Tiger II; 6 Dr Porsche’s Tank to the Battlefield—The Ferdinand-Elefant Experience; 7 Superheavy Tanks—Maus and E-100; 8 Jagdtiger; 9 Sturmmörser Tiger; 10 German Heavy Tank Units in World War II; Conclusions—Quality vs. Quantity?; Appendix I Schilling, History of German Tank Development; Appendix II Interrogation of Dr Stiele v Heydekampf; Appendix III Interrogation of Dr Ernest Kniepkamp [Tank Engines]; Appendix IV Chobham Preliminary Report—Tiger B Turret Armor [for Porsche Tiger]; Appendix V German Heavy Tank Cannon 1942–1945; Select Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisStarting weeks after Hitler declared war on the United States in mid-December 1941 and lasting until the war with Germany was all but over, 73 German U-Boats sustainably attacked New England waters, from Montauk New York to the tip of Nova Scotia at Cape Sable. Fifteen percent of these boats were sunk by Allied counter-attacks, five surrendered in the region, and three were sunk off New England--Block Island, Massachusetts Bay, and off Nantucket. These have proven appealing to divers, with a result that at least three German naval officers or ratings are buried in New England, one having killed himself in the Boston jail cell. There were 34 Allied merchant or naval ships sunk by these subs, one of them, the 'Eagle', was not admitted to have been sunk by the Germans until decades later. Over 1,100 men were thrown in the water and 545 of them made it ashore in New England ports; 428 were killed. Importantly, saboteurs were landed three places: Long Island, Frenchman's Bay Maine and New Brunswick Canada, and Boston was mined. Very little was known about this.Table of ContentsForeword; Acknowledgments; Introduction; 1 Early 1942: The First Four U-boats Attack the `Thirlby', the `Norness', and the `Alexandra Hoegh'; 2 Five U-boats Follow Up: U-654, U-106, U-103, U-107, and U-578; 3 The Coastal Picket Forms (1942-1943); 4 Five U-boats Attack the `Norland', the `Polyphemus', the `Berganger', and the `Cayru'; 5 A Dozen U-boats Attack the `Ranja', the `Thursobank', the `Hertford', and the `Nemanja'; 6 Two Boats Sink Three Ships: the `West Imboden', the `Pipestone County', and the `Taborfjell'; 7 Five U-boats Attack the `Skottland', the `Fort Binger', the `Plow City', and the `Margot'; 8 U-213 Inserts the First German Saboteur into the Bay of Fundy; 9 Two U-boats Attack the `Peisander', the `Mattawin', and the `Fort Qu'Appelle'; 10 One Boat and Attacks on the `Zurichmoor', the `Liverpool Packet', the `Ben' and `Josephine', the `Aeolus', and the `Malayan Prince'; 11 The Boston Minefield and Five U-boats Attack the `Moldanger', the `Port Nicholson', and the `Cherokee'; 12 Second Saboteur Landing, Amagansett, Long Island by U-202; 13 Ten U-boats Attack the `Lucille M' and the `Alexander Macomb'; 14 The Tragic Saga of the Lifeboat of the Wind Ship `Angelus'; 15 Six U-boats and the Battle to Attack and Save the Tanker `Pan Pennsylvania'; 16 Three Boats and the Diminutive Fishing Schooner `Lark'; 17 The Third Saboteur Landing off Bar Harbor, Maine, and the `Cornwallis'; 18 Last Gasps: Four U-boats and the `Atlantic States', `USS Eagle 56', and the `Black Point'; 19 Eight Surrenders: U-858, U-1228, U-805, U-873, U-234, U-977, U-889, and U-530; 20 Thirteen French and Italian Allied Submarines and Five German Cold War U-boats;'Conclusion; Postscript; Appendix I: Patrols and Fates of Ninety German, Italian, and French U-boats and Submarines; Appendix II: Thirty-Eight Merchant and One Naval Victims; Appendix III: Sixteen Ports Where 649 Survivors Landed; Appendix IV: Burial Locations of Eight U-boat Sailors; Appendix V: Fates of Ten U-boats Lost During and After the War; Endnotes; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents a little-known aspect of America's aircraft development of World War II in emphasizing unique and non-production aircraft or modifications for the purpose of research and experimentation in support of aircraft development, advancing technology, or meeting narrow combat needs. It describes some important areas of American aviation weapons maturation under the pressure of war with emphasis on advanced technology and experimental aircraft configurations. The great value of the work is illumination of little known or minimally documented projects that significantly advanced the science of aeronautics, propulsion, aircraft systems, and ordnance, but did not go into production. Each chapter introduces another topic by examining the state-of-the-art at the beginning of the war, advantages pursued, and results achieved during the conflict. This last is the vehicle to examine the secret modifications or experiments that are little known. Consequently, this is an important single-source for a fascinating and diverse collection of wartime efforts never before brought together under a single cover. The "war stories" are those of military staffs, engineering teams, and test pilots struggling against short schedules and tight resource constraints to push the bounds of technology. These epic and sometimes life-threatening endeavors were as vital as actual combat operations.Table of ContentsForeword; Acknowledgements; Glossary; Acronyms and Abbreviations; 1 Foundation; 2 Aeronautical Achievements; 3 Propulsion Challenges; 4 Rocket Promise; 5 Sonic Reach; 6 Undercarriage Variations; 7 Range Extension; 8 Piloting Diversions; 9 Mission Support; 10 Special Missions; 11 Shipboard Duties; 12 Miscellaneous Projects; 13 Foreign Influence; 14 A Step Along; Endnotes; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisIn 1938, the Reichsluftfahrtsministerium (German Air Ministry, RLM), issued a requirement for a new twin-engine heavy fighter to replace the Me 110. This type of combat aeroplane was known as Zerst rer (Destroyer). The first prototype flew in September 1939. The Me 210 proved very difficult to fly, having numerous deficiencies. It was said to be deadlier to its crews than the enemy. Nevertheless, the Luftwaffe ordered the Me 210 into production. Operational trials began in late 1941, but it was eventually acknowledged that the aircraft had to be redesigned in order to be accepted into Luftwaffe service. The whole Me 210 debacle proved a huge scandal. A redesigned variant, the Me 410 began to reach Luftwaffe units in mid-1943. Even if the Me 210 and Me 410 were similar in appearance, the latter had to be redesigned to avoid the extremely poor reputation of the Me 210. The Me 410 proved a quite successful aeroplane, being used as a heavy fighter and for reconnaissance duties. Its closest Allied equivalent was the British DH 98 Mosquito. More than 1,500 Me 210/410s were built in Germany and Hungary, with only two Me 410s surviving today.

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Book SynopsisIn 1933 Germany became a dictatorship under the Great War veteran Adolf Hitler. He pulled the country out of depression and set it to work, reducing unemployment by undertaking extensive public works and building the first autoroutes in the world. He then resumed conscription and rearmament. All opposition had been eliminated and all power centred in that one man, whose boasted promise was a German Empire that would last 'a Thousand Years'. The author was born in 1935. Ten years later millions had died, much of the continent lay in ruins, his country was shamed and the 'thousand years' came to a fiery end. Others experienced worse, but for a ten-year-old with explosions all about him and with the world seeming to be burning the war made a vivid impression. His Westphalian village consisted largely of traditional farms and homesteads built of wattle and daub--often still shared by livestock. Most of the male population had been called up to fight Hitler's wars and foreigners made up much of the workforce. General Patton's Third Army lit up the village with phosphor grenades from several mountains away. The world seemed to be coming to an end.Table of ContentsForeword: Start of a Journey; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1 Remblinghausen: A Village in Wartime;2 Tales from the Tailors' Parlour; 3 Even Angels Make Mistakes; 4 A Tea-Cosy Saint Nicholas; 5 The Magic of Christmas; 6 Survival Lessons; 7 A Plague of Cousins; 8 Healing and Wheeling; 9 Early School Days; 10 The Prolific Chicken; 11 The Green Arbour; 12 The Rye Harvest; 13 The Hambummel; 14 Prisoners on the Land; 15 The Wild Man of the Woods; 16 Visitors and Bombs; 17 The Snow Princess; 18 The Old School by the Churchyard; 19 The Brazen Trout; 20 Uncle Engelbert and the Allies; 21 Messages from the Front; 22 Grandmother's Death; 23 My Window on the World; 24 Casualties of Our War; 25 The Ruhr Pocket and the Wider View in Hindsight; 26 An Early End to a Reich Supposed to Last `A Thousand Years'; 27 The Grown-Up's View; 28 The Handcart Funeral; 29 Dangerous Games; 30 The Poles' Dilemma in Victory; 31 Crutches of Hope; 32 A New Beginning; 33 Swapping to Survive; 34 The Gift of an Apple; 35 Church Matters; 36 Father's Return; 37 A New House; 38 No Fun in Wartime: Schutzenfest Restarted in 1948; 39 Belated Facts of Life; 40 Wirtschaftswunder; 41 In the Steps of Gutenberg; 42 Travels with My Father; Bibliography.

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