Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Prussian Napoleonic Tactics 1792-1815, Peter Hofschröer.

Prussian Napoleonic Tactics 1792-1815, Peter Hofschröer.

An examination of the organisation, tactics and battlefield effectiveness of the Prussian Army, from the early reasonably successful involvement in the Revolutionary Wars, through the crushing defeats at Jena and Auerstadt and on to the brief involvement in Russia in 1812, the War of Liberation and the final defeat of Napoleon.
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Armies of the Irish Rebellion 1798, Stuart Reid.

Armies of the Irish Rebellion 1798, Stuart Reid.

A study of the British, French and Irish rebel armies involved in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and the brief French intervention that came after the defeat of the main rebel armies. Demonstrates the variety of troops involved on the British side, the tiny size of the French expeditionary force and the limited organisation of the Irish rebels.
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Prussian Napoleonic Tactics 1792-1815, Peter Hofschröer.

Prussian Napoleonic Tactics 1792-1815, Peter Hofschröer.

An examination of the organisation, tactics and battlefield effectiveness of the Prussian Army, from the early reasonably successful involvement in the Revolutionary Wars, through the crushing defeats at Jena and Auerstadt and on to the brief involvement in Russia in 1812, the War of Liberation and the final defeat of Napoleon.
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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Operation 'Overlord' June-September 1944: Volume 2: USAAF Eight and Ninth Air Forces, Neil Robinson and Peter Scott.

Operation 'Overlord' June-September 1944: Volume 2: USAAF Eight and Ninth Air Forces, Neil Robinson and Peter Scott.

A detailed pictorial study of the paint schemes and markings of the aircraft of the 8th and 9th Air Forces during the period of the D-Day landings and the battle of Normandy, complete with a background history of the two air force and their orders of battle in 1944.
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The Very Thing: The Memoirs of Drummer Richard Bentinck, Royal Welch Fusiliers 1807-1823, Jonathan Crook.

The Very Thing: The Memoirs of Drummer Richard Bentinck, Royal Welch Fusiliers 1807-1823, Jonathan Crook.

Based on a series of interviews conducted with Bentinck in 1873 and a narrative that he dictated in his old age, and supported by a historical narrative that fills the gaps and explains the context of the memoirs, this is a fascinating view of the life of the British soldier in the Napoleonic Wars.
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Samurai Women, 1184-1877, Stephen Turnbull.

Samurai Women, 1184-1877, Stephen Turnbull.

A wide ranging book, looking at the role of women on the battlefields of Japan from the semi-legendary Empress Jingu of 170-260 AD to the Samurai women who fought against the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Mainly covers women's roles in sieges, but also includes some rare examples of involvement on the battlefield.
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Monday, November 28, 2011

Morane-Saulnier M.S. 223

The Morane-Saulnier M.S. 223 was the fourth in a series of parasol wing fighters produced in response to a French requirement for a lightweight fighter, and only differed from the M.S. 222 by having a new undercarriage.

Morane-Saulnier M.S. 222

The Morane-Saulnier M.S. 222 was the third in a series of parasol wing fighters produced in response to a French requirement for a lightweight fighter, and differed from the earlier M.S. 221 by having a turbo-supercharged engine.

Operation 'Overlord' June-September 1944: Volume 1 RAF & Commonwealth Air Force plus Luftflotte 3, Neil Robinson & Jon Freeman.

Operation 'Overlord' June-September 1944: Volume 1 RAF & Commonwealth Air Force plus Luftflotte 3, Neil Robinson & Jon Freeman.

A guide to the colour schemes and markings used by the aircraft of 2nd Tactical Air Force, Air Defence of Great Britain and Luftflotte 3 during Operation Overlord. A useful introduction is followed by a huge number of illustrations showing each type of aircraft and each squadron, each with an explanation of what we are seeing.
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Hitler's Army, Chris McNab.

Hitler's Army, Chris McNab.

Ten times larger than many Ospreys, this book looks at the development of the Germany army from the triumphs of 1939-40 to its eventual defeat in 1944-45. Covers a wide range of topics, from the overall organisation of the army to the evolution of different parts of the uniform, all supported by illustrations, photos and maps from Osprey's archives. A very useful and readable reference work.
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Friday, November 25, 2011

Saladin, David Nicolle.

Saladin, David Nicolle.

The book is a fascinating, balanced read portraying Saladin as a complex political and military leader of the Muslim world, who faced as many Muslim as Christian enemies. It is well written and as usual with Osprey well illustrated with maps, colour plates and black and white as well as colour photographs. The book examines his early life, his military and political campaigns and briefly his well known battles; it also looks at what motivated him as a leader.
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Goering: The Rise and Fall of the Notorious Nazi Leader, Roger Manvell and Heinrich Fraenkel.

Goering: The Rise and Fall of the Notorious Nazi Leader, Roger Manvell and Heinrich Fraenkel.

A very high quality biography of Hermann Goering, the 'second man' of the Third Reich. Best known as head of the Luftwaffe, Goering played a wider role in the rise of the Nazis to power and was a major figure in Nazi Germany until the failures of the Luftwaffe to protect against Allied bombers undermined his position.
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Morane-Saulnier M.S. 221

The Morane-Saulnier M.S. 221 was the second fighter developed by the company in response to a French requirement for a lightweight fighter, but lacked speed and was superseded by the M.S. 222.

Morane-Saulnier M.S. 121

The Morane-Saulnier M.S. 121 was the first fighter aircraft developed by the company after the First World War, and was designed in response to an official requirement for a light fighter.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Morane-Saulnier Type AI

The Morane-Saulnier Type AI was a single seat parasol-wing fighter developed during 1917 and that entered service early in 1918, but had to be withdrawn after a number of wing failures.

Morane-Saulnier Type AFH

The Morane-Saulnier Type AFH was an amphibious version of the Type AF biplane, designed to be used from the deck of French warships.

Morane-Saulnier Type AF

The Morane-Saulnier Type AF was a single seat biplane fighter developed in 1917, but that didn't enter large scale production.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Armies of the Napoleonic Wars, ed. Gregory Fremont-Barnes.

Armies of the Napoleonic Wars, ed. Gregory Fremont-Barnes.

A collection of ten articles by nine different authors looking at the main armies of the Napoleonic Wars, from 1803 to 1815. The chapters vary in tone, with some only having the space to trace the evolving structure of an army, while others, for the smaller participants, also provide details on the army's performance. A very useful reference work.
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Ancient Warfare Vol V Issue 3: The last great enemy: Rome and the Sassanid Empire.

Ancient Warfare Vol V Issue 3: The last great enemy: Rome and the Sassanid Empire.

This issue of Ancient Warfare Magazine focuses on Sassanid Persia, the last great civilised opponent of Rome (and a major opponent for the early Byzantines). Includes an overview of the Sassanid era, a look at the role of their army, an examination of their many victories over the Romans, and a reconstruction of one type of Sassanid soldier.
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Casca: Sword of the Brotherhood, Tony Roberts.

Casca: Sword of the Brotherhood, Tony Roberts.

This entry in the Casca series is set in an interesting period - the last clashes between Byzantium and the soon to be overwhelmed Persian Empire. Casca is blackmailed into taking part in this struggle by his arch enemies, who want to retrieve the 'true cross', captured by the Persians when they briefly held Jerusalem.
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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

No.344 Squadron

No.344 Squadron was the RAF designation for a French-manned land based anti-submarine squadron operating from Dakar.

No.343 Squadron

No.343 Squadron was the RAF designation given to a French naval anti-submarine warfare squadron operating from Dakar.

No.342 (French) Squadron G.B. I/20 'Lorraine'

No.342 (French) Squadron G.B. I/20 'Lorraine' was a French bomber squadron that carried out daylight bombing raids from 1943-44, then day and night bombing raids to support the invasion of Europe.

No.341 (French) Squadron 'G.C. III/2 'Alsace'

No.341 (French) Squadron 'G.C. III/2 'Alsace' was a French-manned fighter squadron that served with 2nd Tactical Air Force, taking part in the liberation of Europe in 1944-45.

Monday, November 21, 2011

No.340 'Ile-de-France' Squadron

No.340 'Ile-de-France' Squadron was a Free French fighter squadron that spent most of its existence on offensive duties, ending the war as part of Second Tactical Air Force.

No.336 Squadron

No.336 Squadron was a Greek manned fighter squadron that provided shopping protection from 1943 until 1944, before moving to Italy and later Greece to operate over the Balkans and the Aegean.

No.335 Squadron

No.335 Squadron was a Greek manned fighter squadron that served in the Mediterranean, the Balkans and over the Aegean from 1941 until the end of the Second World War.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

No.334 Squadron

No.334 Squadron was a short-lived unit, formed from the Mosquito wing of No.333 Squadron after the end of the war in Europe.

No.333 (Norwegian)

No.333 (Norwegian) Squadron was a maritime patrol and special duties squadron that ended the war operating with the Banff strike wing.

No.329 (GC I/2 'Cigognes')

No.329 (GC I/2 'Cigognes') was a Free French squadron that served with the 2nd Tactical Air Force during the invasion of Normandy and the campaign in northern Europe.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

No.332 (Norwegian) Squadron

No.332 (Norwegian) Squadron was a fighter squadron that served with Fighter Command until 1943 and then with 2nd Tactical Air Force.

No.331 (Norwegian) Squadron

No.331 (Norwegian) Squadron was a fighter squadron that fought with Fighter Command from 1941, before joining 2nd Tactical Air Force to support the invasion of Europe.

No.330 (Norwegian) Squadron

No.330 (Norwegian) Squadron was an anti-submarine warfare squadron manned by Norwegian personnel.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

No.328 Squadron

No.328 Squadron was the RAF designation given to G.C. I/7 'Provence', a French fighter squadron that had served with the Vichy forces in North Africa before joining the Allies in 1943.

No.327 Squadron

No.327 Squadron was the RAF designation given to G.C. I/3 'Corse', a French fighter squadron that had served with the Vichy forces in North Africa before joining the Allies in 1943.

No.326 Squadron

No.326 Squadron was the RAF designation given to G.C. II/7 'Nice', a French fighter squadron that had served with the Vichy forces in North Africa before joining the Allies in 1943.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Wilhelm Bittrich (1894-1979)

Wilhelm Bittrich (1894-1979) was a SS General who played a major part in the defeat of the Allied attack on Arnhem in 1944, and became one of the last recipients of the Swords to the Knights Cross.

Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski (1899-1972)

Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski (1899-1972) was an SS General who took part in the anti-partisan campaign on the Eastern Front and who was responsible for crushing the Warsaw uprising in 1944.

Friday, November 11, 2011

No.322 'Dutch' Squadron

No.322 'Dutch' Squadron was a fighter squadron manned by Dutch personnel. It formed part of 2nd Tactical Air Force, took part in the anti V-1 campaign, and ended the war operating from the Netherlands.

No.321 Squadron

No.321 Squadron was a Dutch manned squadron that went through two incarnations during the Second World War, the first as an anti-submarine squadron, the second as a maritime patrol squadron, and in both cases built around aircraft that escaped from Axis attacks.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

No.320 (Netherlands) Squadron

No.320 (Netherlands) Squadron was formed around a number of Fokker T-VIIIW seaplanes that escaped from the Netherlands. It spent the next three years serving as a maritime patrol and anti-shipping squadron, before becoming a daylight bomber squadron in 1943, a role it performed until the end of the war.
No.318 'Gdanskski' Squadron was a Polish ground attack and tactical reconnaissance squadron that fought in Italy from 1944 until the end of the Second World War.

Friday, November 04, 2011

Motherland: Part One, Through Hunger and War, Natan Gimelfarb.

Motherland: Part One, Through Hunger and War, Natan Gimelfarb.

Part one of the autobiography of a Jewish director living in the Soviet Union, covering his childhood, wartime experiences and student days. The author grew up in the Ukraine, suffered during the pre-war famines, and was forced to flee east ahead of the advancing Germans. A period in the Red Army ended when he was seriously wounded, and the final part of the book looks at his experiences as a wartime student.
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Battleground Ypres: The Battle of the Lys 1918, Givenchy and the River Lawe, Phil Tomaselli.

Battleground Ypres: The Battle of the Lys 1918, Givenchy and the River Lawe, Phil Tomaselli.

A detailed account of the fighting on the southern half of the battlefield during the first four days of the Battle of the Lys, one of the series of major German offensives that pushed the Allied line back in the spring and early summer of 1918. Finishes with a selection of tours of the battlefield
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No.317 'Wilenski' Squadron

No.317 'Wilenski' Squadron was a Polish fighter squadron that spent most of the war flying offensive sweeps over German occupied territory.

No.316 'Warszawski' Squadron

No.316 'Warszawski' Squadron was a Polish fighter squadron that spent most of the war flying offensive sweeps, before moving to escort duties in 1944. The squadron was formed on 15 February 1941 as a Hurricane-equipped fighter squadron, and was used to provide defensive cover for the south-west.

No.315 'Deblinski' Squadron

No.315 'Deblinski' Squadron was a fighter squadron that performed a mix of offensive and defensive duties, serving with Second Tactical Air Force, the anti V-1 campaign and briefly provided long range bomber escorts.

Thursday, November 03, 2011

No.313 Squadron

No.313 Squadron was the third Czechoslovakian fighter squadron to be formed within the RAF. It took part on the offensive sweeps over France, formed part of Second Tactical Air Force and ended the war flying a mix of bomber escort and ground attack missions.

No.312 Squadron

No.312 Squadron was a Czechoslovak manned fighter squadron that was formed during the Battle of Britain, and that flew a mix of fighter-bomber and bomber escort for the rest of the war.

No.311 Squadron

No.311 Squadron was a Czechoslovakian squadron that served with Bomber Command from 1940-1942 and from Coastal Command from 1942 until the end of the war, sinking two U-boats during that period.

Wednesday, November 02, 2011

General Theodor Tolsdorf (1909-1978)

General Theodor Tolsdorf (1909-1978) was the youngest German Generalleutnant of the Second World War, and after taking part in the Ardennes offensive in 1944 ended the war commanding a corps on the Eastern Front.

General Hermann Bernhard Ramcke (1889-1968)

General Hermann Bernhard Ramcke (1889-1968) was a German parachute general who fought on Crete and at El Alamein, but who is best known for the defence of Brest in 1944.

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Hasso Eccard von Manteuffel (1897-1978)

Hasso Eccard von Manteuffel (1897-1978) was a German general who fought on the Eastern Front, in Tunisia and in the Battle of the Bulge, where he was the most successful German commander.

General Hermann Balck (1893-1982)

General Hermann Balck (1893-1982) was one of the best German field commanders of the Second World War, serving with Guderian in France in 1940, on the Eastern Front, and briefly in Alsace in 1944.