Ferdinand Bubna Graf von Litic (1768-1826)

Ferdinand Bubna Graf von Litic (1768-1826) was an Austrian general who served as adjutant-general for much of the Napoleonic Wars before getting a field command in 1813, fighting at Dresden, Leipzig and in Savoy.

General Freidrich, Freiherr Bianchi, duke of Casalanza (1768-1855)

General Freidrich, Freiherr Bianchi, duke of Casalanza (1768-1855) was an Austrian general who fought in the campaign of 1809, at Dresden and Leipzig and who defeated Murat at Tolentino during the Hundred Days.

General Johann Peter, Freiherr von Beaulieu (1725-1819)

General Johann Peter, Freiherr von Beaulieu (1725-1819) was an Austrian general who was defeated by Napoleon during his first campaign in Italy in 1796.

Heinrich, Graf Bellegarde (1756-1845)

Heinrich, Graf Bellegarde (1756-1845), was a capable Austrian general who commanded against the French from 1799 until 1815.

No.571 Squadron

No.571 Squadron was a mosquito bomber squadron that formed part of the Light Night Striking Force from its formation in April 1944 until the end of the Second World War.

No.570 Squadron

No.570 Squadron was an airborne forces squadron that took part in every major airborne operation from D-Day to the crossing of the Rhine, supported SOE operations in Europe and also served as a tactical bomber squadron during 1945.

No.569 Squadron

No.569 Squadron was a transport squadron that was never completely activated.

No.567 Squadron

No.567 Squadron was an anti-aircraft co-operation squadron that served in the south-east of England from its formation late in 1943 until the end of the Second World War.

No.550 Squadron

No.550 Squadron was a Lancaster squadron that formed part of Bomber Command's main force from his formation in November 1943 until the end of the war.

Morane-Saulnier M.S.200

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.200 was a parasol wing intermediate trainer produced in 1929 and tested but not adopted by the French navy.

Morane-Saulnier M.S.149

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.149 was a parasol wing basic trainer that was used by the French Navy during the first half of the 1930s.

Morane-Saulnier M.S.148

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.148 was the designation given to one M.S.147 swept parasol wing trainer that was powered by a 95hp Salmson 7Ac engine

Morane-Saulnier M.S.147

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.147 was a trainer produced by matching the faired fuselage and landing gear of the M.S.130 and the swept back parasol wing of the M.S.138.

A13 Mk III Cruiser Tank Mk V Covenanter

The A13 Mk III Cruiser Tank Mk V Covenanter was the worst British tank of the Second World War, and due to chronic unreliability was never used in combat despite being produced in large numbers.

Cruiser Tank Mk IV (A13 Mk II)

The Cruiser Tank Mk IV (A13 Mk II) was an up-armoured version of the Cruiser Tank Mk III (A13 Mk I) and was produced in much larger numbers than the earlier tank.

Cruiser Tank Mk III (A13)

The Cruiser Tank Mk III (A13) was the first in a long series of British cruiser tanks to feature Christie suspension, giving it much better performance than the A9 and A10 cruiser tanks that it replaced.

Medium Tank A8

The Medium Tank A8 was a design for a 17.5 ton medium tank that would have been powered by two Rolls-Royce Phantom engines.

Medium Tank A7

The Medium Tank A7 was developed at the same time as the Vickers A6 and Medium Tank Mk III, but was produced 'in-house', with the design being led by the Chief Superintendent of Design.

Medium Tank Mk III

The Medium Tank Mk III followed on from the Medium Tank A6 and was designed to replace the earlier Medium Tanks Mk I and Mk II, but like the A6 it was considered to be too expensive and was abandoned in favour of the lighter A9, which became known as the Cruiser Tank Mk I.

No.549 Squadron

No.549 Squadron was a Spitfire squadron formed to provide fighter cover in northern Australia, an area that remained within range of Japanese aircraft until surprisingly late in the Second World War.

No.548 Squadron

No.548 Squadron was a fighter squadron created to defend northern Australia against any Japanese air raids from the north.

No.547 Squadron

No.547 Squadron was an anti-shipping and anti-submarine warfare squadron that largely operated over the Bay of Biscay from late 1942 until the autumn of 1944, and then off the coast of Norway from then until the end of the war.

No.544 Squadron

No.544 Squadron was a photographic reconnaissance squadron that was split between bases in the UK at on Gibraltar when first formed, before concentrating in the UK in October 1943.

Medium Tank A6

The Medium Tank A6 was designed in an attempt to replace the existing Vickers Medium Tanks Mk I and Mk II but was abandoned because of expense.

Vickers Medium Tank Mk II

The Vickers Medium Tank Mk II was the mainstay of the British tank force during the late 1920s and early 1930s (alongside the Mk I), but was totally obsolete by the start of the Second World War.

Vickers Medium Tank Mk I

The Vickers Medium Tank Mk I was the first tank with a fully traversable turret to enter service with the British Army, and alongside the similar Medium Tank Mk II was the standard equipment of British tank units in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

No.543 Squadron

No.543 Squadron was a short-lived photographic reconnaissance unit that was disbanded in October 1943, one day short of a year after being formed.

No.542 Squadron

No.542 Squadron was a photographic reconnaissance unit that operated the Spitfire over northern Europe from its formation in 1942 until the end of the war.

No.541 Squadron

No.541 Squadron was a photographic reconnaissance unit that was formed from part of the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit in 1942, and spent the rest of the war based at Benson and operating over occupied Europe.

No.540 Squadron

No.540 Squadron was a long range reconnaissance unit that was formed from part of the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit, and that provided cover over most of occupied Europe.

Cruiser Tank A23

The Cruiser Tank A23 was an unsuccessful design for a heavy cruiser tank produced by Vauxhall in 1940-41.

Cruiser Tank A16

The Cruiser Tank A16 was a design for a heavy cruiser or medium tank using Christie suspension designed and produced by Nuffields.

Cruiser Tank A14

The Cruiser Tank A14 was a design for a heavy cruiser or medium tank that was built by the LMS to a design created by the Chief Superintendent of Tank Design.

Morane-Saulnier M.S.191

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.191 was a version of the M.S.138 two-seat primary trainer that had a slightly reduced wingspan.

Morane-Saulnier M.S.139

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.139 was a version of the M.S.138 parasol wing two-seat primary trainer that was powered by a Clerget engine

Morane-Saulnier M.S.138

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.138 was a two-seat parasol primary trainer, used by the French Air Force in the first half of the 1930s.

Morane-Saulnier M.S.137

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.137 was a version of the parasol wing M.S.138 trainer that was powered by a 120hp Salmson 9Ac radial engine

Battle of Gaixia (January 202 BC)

The battle of Gaixia (January 202 BC) was the decisive battle of the Chu-Han Contention and saw Liu Bang inflict a major defeat on Xiang Yu of Chu, who committed suicide soon after the battle.

Battle of Guling (203 BC)

The battle of Guling (203 BC) was the last victory won by Xiang Yu during the Chi-Han Contention, and saw him defeat the isolated Han army of Liu Bang.

Air Raid Shelters of the Second World War, Family Stories of Survival in the Blitz, Stephen Wade.

Air Raid Shelters of the Second World War, Family Stories of Survival in the Blitz, Stephen Wade.

Looks at the physical construction of the shelters, tales of life within the shelters and the many tragedies caused by direct hits. Avoids the overly nostalgic tone of some similar books to give a better idea of the dangers as well as the small pleasures of life in the shelters.
read full review

Imperial General – The Remarkable Career of Petellius Cerialis, Philip Matyszak.

Imperial General – The Remarkable Career of Petellius Cerialis, Philip Matyszak.

A rare example of a biography of a general of Imperial Rome who wasn't either the Emperor or his heir. Cerialis fought against Boudicca, took part in the civil wars that brought his relative Vespasian to the throne, helped restore the Roman position on the Rhine and was then a successful general and governor in Britain.
read full review

The Wolf Packs Gather: Mayhem in the Western Approaches 1940, Bernard Edwards.

The Wolf Packs Gather: Mayhem in the Western Approaches 1940, Bernard Edwards.

A study of the fate of four convoys hit very hard by the German U-boat wolf packs in the autumn of 1940. Forty-eight merchant ships were lost, hundreds of trained merchant seamen were lost and hundreds of thousands of tons of cargo sent to the bottom of the Atlantic, threatening Britain's ability to stay in the war.
read full review

Cruiser Tank Mk II (A10)

The Cruiser Tank Mk II (A10) was a more heavily armoured version of the Cruiser Tank Mk I (A9), originally designed to work with infantry. By the time it entered service it was judged to be too lightly armoured to serve in that role, and instead was classified as a 'heavy cruiser' tank.

Cruiser Tank Mk I (A9)

The Cruiser Tank Mk I (A9) was designed to replace the Medium Mk III that had been cancelled due to its high cost, and saw limited service in the first years of the Second World War.

Treaty of the Hong Canal (203 BC)

The treaty of the Hong Canal (203 BC) was a short-lived peace treaty agreed between Liu Bang of Han and Xiang Yu of Chu, in which they agreed to split the old Qin Empire between them.

Battle of the Si River (203 BC)

The battle of the Si River (203 BC) was a major victory won by Liu Bang over a Chu army that had been defending the city of Chenggao.

Zhang Han (pinyin)/ Chang Han (Wade-Giles) (d.205 BC

Zhang Han (pinyin)/ Chang Han (Wade-Giles) (d.205 BC) was an able Qin general who survived the fall of that dynasty, becoming king of Yong, but was then defeated by Liu Bang, the founder of the Han dynasty, and committed suicide.

No.539 Squadron

No.539 Squadron was one of ten Turbinlite squadrons formed on 2 September 1942 to operate a mix of searchlight-equipped Havocs and Hurricane fighters.

No.538 Squadron

No.538 Squadron was one of ten Turbinlite squadrons formed on 2 September 1942 to operate a mix of searchlight-equipped Havocs and Hurricane fighters.

No.537 Squadron

No.537 Squadron was one of ten Turbinlite squadrons formed on 2 September 1942 to operate a mix of searchlight-equipped Havocs and Hurricane fighters.

No.536 Squadron

No.536 Squadron was one of ten Turbinlite squadrons formed on 2 September 1942 to operate a mix of searchlight-equipped Havocs and Hurricane fighters.

No.535 Squadron

No.535 Squadron was one of ten Turbinlite squadrons formed on 2 September 1942 to operate a mix of searchlight-equipped Havocs and Hurricane fighters.

No.534 Squadron

No.534 Squadron was one of ten Turbinlite squadrons formed on 2 September 1942 to operate a mix of searchlight-equipped Havocs and Hurricane fighters.

No.533 Squadron

No.533 Squadron was one of ten Turbinlite squadrons formed on 2 September 1942 to operate a mix of searchlight-equipped Havocs and Hurricane fighters.

No.532 Squadron

No.532 Squadron was one of ten Turbinlite squadrons formed on 2 September 1942 to operate a mix of searchlight-equipped Havocs and Hurricane fighters.

No.531 Squadron

No.531 Squadron was one of ten Turbinlite squadrons formed on 2 September 1942 to operate a mix of searchlight-equipped Havocs and Hurricane fighters.

No.530 Squadron

No.530 Squadron was one of ten Turbinlite squadrons formed in September 1942, just before the entire programme was abandoned.

Through all the Changing Scenes of Life, ed Susan Harrison.

Through all the Changing Scenes of Life, ed Susan Harrison.

The memories of William Edward Jones, a career Navy man who joined up in 1899 and served during the First World War. An interesting account of life in a navy that still had some old 'three deckers' (mainly as training ships) operating alongside turbine driven destroyers and the great dreadnoughts.
read full review

Panzers on the Eastern Front, Erhard Raus, ed. Peter Tsouras.

Panzers on the Eastern Front, Erhard Raus, ed. Peter Tsouras.

A series of accounts of German successes on the Eastern Front written for the US military by General Erhard Raus during the 1950s. A very valuable historical source, well presented by the editor, and of great value for anyone with an interest in the fighting on the Eastern Front.
read full review

Under the Devil's Eye, Alan Wakefield and Simon Moody.

Under the Devil's Eye, Alan Wakefield and Simon Moody.

An account of the British involvement in the campaign in Macedonia during the First World War, a sideshow that began with an attempt to help the Serbs but developed into a stalemate with British, French and Serbian forces facing the Bulgarians and their German allies.
read full review

Xiang Yu (232-202 BC)

Xiang Yu (232-202 BC) was the most important leader of the rebellion that toppled the Qin Dynasty, but was unable to secure his own power and was defeated by Liu Bang in the Chu-Han Contention

Liu Bang (c.256-195 BC)

Liu Bang (c.256-195 BC) was the winner in the civil wars that followed the collapse of the first Imperial dynasty in China, the Qin Dynasty, and was the founder of the Han Dynasty, which ruled with a short break for four centuries and established many features of Chinese life that lasted until the revolutions of the twentieth century

No.529 Squadron

No.529 Squadron was a radar calibration squadron that was formed in Cheshire, but later moved to Henley-on-Thames, where it would become the first RAF squadron to use a helicopter operationally.

No.528 Squadron

No.528 Squadron was a radar calibration squadron that was formed in the south-west, before moving to Lincolnshire.

No.527 Squadron

No.527 Squadron was a radar calibration squadron formed to serve in the south of England and East Anglia, but whose area of operations eventually extended up to the north of Scotland.

No.526 Squadron

No.526 Squadron was a radar calibration squadron that served in northern Scotland.

Morane-Saulnier M.S.136

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.136 was the designation given to a version of the M.S.130 swept parasol wing trainer that was powered by an 120hp Salmson 9Ac radial engine

Morane-Saulnier M.S.134

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.134 was the designation given to a version of the M.S.130 swept parasol wing trainer that was powered by an 80hp Clerget 9B rotary engine

Morane-Saulnier M.S.133

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.133 was the designation given to four existing parasol wing trainers that were converted to use the 270hp Gnome-Rhone 5Kc radial.

Morane-Saulnier M.S.132

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.132 was the designation given to a single M.S.130 parasol wing trainer that was converted to use a 120hp Salmson 7Ab radial engine

Morane-Saulnier M.S.131

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.131 was the designation given to a single M.S.130 parasol wing trainer that was fitted with a 230hp Lorraine engine

Morane-Saulnier M.S.130

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.130 was a parasol wing trainer that saw most use with the French navy.

No.524 Squadron

No.524 Squadron went through two incarnations during the Second World War, first testing the Martin Mariner flying boat and then operating against E-boats off the French coast.

No.521 Squadron

No.521 Squadron went through two incarnations during the Second World War, in both cases as meteorological squadrons.

No.519 Squadron

No.519 Squadron was a meteorological squadron that operated over the North Sea and into the Atlantic.

No.516 Squadron

No.516 Squadron was a short-lived unit that was involved in Combined Operations training in western Scotland from 1943 until the end of 1944.