Monday, September 28, 2009

Amiot 144 and proposed alternative versions

The Amiot 144 was designed in an attempt to improve the performance of the twin engined Amiot 143M bomber.
The Amiot 145 was the designation given to a proposed version of the Amiot 144 that was to be powered by two 1,100hp Hispano-Suiza 14Har inline engines in an attempt to improve the poor performance of the Amiot 144
The Amiot 146 was the designation given to a proposed version of the Amiot 144 that was to be powered by two 1,100hp Gnôme & Rhône 18Lars radial engines in an attempt to improve the poor performance of the Amiot 144
The Amiot 147 was the designation given to a proposed version of the Amiot 144 that was to be powered by two 880hp Hispano-Suiza 12Ydr inline engines, possibly in an attempt to improve the poor performance of the Amiot 144

Amiot 143 and prototypes

The Amiot 140 was a twin-engined stressed skin bomber that was the precursor of the Amiot 143, one of the French bombers in service at the time of the German invasion in 1940
The Amiot 141 was the designation given to a modified version of the prototype Amiot 140M twin engined bomber that was never built.
The Amiot 142 was a prototype for a version of the Amiot 143 twin engined bomber that would have been powered by liquid cooled engines.
The Amiot 143 was one of the most numerous French bombers at the outbreak of the Second World War, but was virtually obsolete by the start of the German offensive in the west in May 1940 and the four bomber groups still equipped with the type suffered heavy losses

Friday, September 11, 2009

Fallen Eagle: How the Royal Navy Captured Napoleon, Norman MacKenzie.

Fallen Eagle: How the Royal Navy Captured Napoleon, Norman MacKenzie. A fascinating book that looks at the crucial period between the battle of Waterloo and Napoleon going into exile on St. Helena, giving an insight into the political manoeuvring in Paris that led to Napoleon's second fall from power and the concerns of the British naval officers to whom he surrendered. [read full review]

English Castles 1200-1300, Christopher Gravett

English Castles 1200-1300, Christopher Gravett. A useful introduction to the topic, covering the construction and design of the castle, life in the castle in war and peace and the main conflicts that involved the English castles during this period. Well illustrated, with some good reconstructions of castles as they might have appeared at the time. [read full review]

British Light Tanks Mk I to Mk VI

The Light Tank Mark I of 1930 was the first light tank to be ordered into production for the British Army, although only a very small number were produced, and the type was used for experiments and trials
The Light Tank Mark IA was the second light tank to be ordered by the British Army, and was a slightly improved version of the Mark I.
The Light Tank Mark II was the first light tank to be produced in significant numbers for the British Army, although only sixteen of the basic Mark II were produced, alongside 29 Mark IIAs and 21 Mark IIBs.
The Light Tank Mark IIA was the designation given to twenty nine Mark IIs built by the Royal Ordnance Factory at Woolwich during 1931.
The Light Tank Mark IIB was the designation given to twenty one Mark IIs built by Vickers-Armstrong during 1931.
The Light Tank Mark III was a slightly modified version of the Mark IIA, produced by the Royal Ordnance Factory at Woolwich.
The Light Tank Mark IV was the last two-man light tank to be produced for the British Army, and the first in which the armoured hull was used as the chassis
The Light Tank Mark V was the first three-man light tank to be produced for the British Army, after a series of two-man tanks.
The Light Tank Mark VI was the most numerically important light tank to see service with the British Army, with 1,682 produced in four versions between 1935 and 1940.

Japanese Invasion of Burma

The Japanese invasion of Burma (December 1941-May 1942) was one of their last major successes on land during the Second World War (outside China), and saw weak British and Indian forces and their Chinese allies forced out of the country in a campaign that lasted six months but that was decided much quicker.
Shojiro Iida (1888-1980) was the Japanese general in charge of the Fifteenth Army during the occupation of Thailand (1941) and the invasion of Burma early in 1942.