Friday, June 29, 2012

Ancient Warfare Vol V Issue 4: Sieges and Terror Tactics, The Assyrian Empire at War.

Ancient Warfare Vol V Issue 4: Sieges and Terror Tactics, The Assyrian Empire at War.

Focuses on a fascinating period, the increasingly well documented Assyrians, one of the earliest known empires, and a civilisation that lasted for a millennium and a half. Also includes an attempt to reconstruct key elements of the battle of Marathon, a fake Roman helmet and the debate over Diocletian's possible reforms of the Roman army.

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Ancient Warfare Volume V Issue 5: Securing seas and shores: Fleets of the Roman Empire.

Ancient Warfare Volume V Issue 5: Securing seas and shores: Fleets of the Roman Empire.

Focuses on the Roman navy, the less famous branch of the Roman military but still an important part of the military machine that protected the Empire and the Emperor. Also looks at the death of Alexander the Great, a Scythian helmet and the space needed by Roman and Macedonian troops.

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Ancient Warfare Vol VI, Issue 1: From heroes to hoplites: Warfare in Archaic Greece.

Ancient Warfare Vol VI, Issue 1: From heroes to hoplites: Warfare in Archaic Greece.

Looks at the nature of warfare as described by Homer and the differences between the heroic conflict portrayed in the Iliad and the hoplite warfare of classical Greece. Also looks at the origins of the hoplite and the phalanx, an apparently endless debate.
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Thursday, June 28, 2012

Albatros B.III

The Albatros B.III was the last of the company's unarmed two-seater scouts and was a precursor to the most important of their armed scouts, the C.III.

Albatros B.II

The Albatros B.II was a wartime development of the Albatros B.I and was an unarmed biplane scout that performed well until the Allies began to arm their aircraft.

Albatros B.I

The Albatros B.I was a large three-bay biplane designed before the First World War and that was taken into German service after the outbreak of war.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

No.1435 Squadron

No.1435 Squadron was formed as a defensive fighter squadron on Malta, before becoming a fighter-bomber squadron operating over Italy and the Balkans.

No.695 Squadron

No.695 Squadron was an anti-aircraft co-operation squadron that was based in East Anglia from its formation in 1943 until being disbanded in 1949.

No.692 (Fellowship of the Bellows) Squadron

No.692 (Fellowship of the Bellows) Squadron was part of the light night striking force of Bomber Command and was the first Mosquito squadron to use 4,000lb bombs operationally.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Horsemen in No Man's Land: British Cavalry & Trench Warfare, 1914-1918, David Kenyon.

Horsemen in No Man's Land: British Cavalry & Trench Warfare, 1914-1918, David Kenyon.

A study of the role of the British cavalry in the trench warfare of 1915-1918, focusing on the Somme, the battles for the Hindenburg Line, the perceived failure of the cavalry at Cambrai and its role in the decisive battles of 1918, from its crucial role in the defensive fighting early in the year to the victories in the Hundred Days.
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Elite Panzer Strike Force: Germany's Lehr Division in World War II, Franz Kurowski.

Elite Panzer Strike Force: Germany's Lehr Division in World War II, Franz Kurowski.

A history of the Panzer Lehr Division in Normandy, on the Westwall and during the Battle of the Bulge, a period when Germany was on the back foot, and the Panzers were almost always used in a defensive role. Mixes a good narrative with some interesting personal memories.
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Axis Warships: As Seen on Photos from Allied Intelligence Files, Colonel Roy M. Stanley II.

Axis Warships: As Seen on Photos from Allied Intelligence Files, Colonel Roy M. Stanley II.

 Based around an impressive collection of aerial photos of Axis and Vichy warships collected by the author, a professional aerial photo interpreter for nearly thirty years. The author examines each picture, providing a professional view of what we are seeing.
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Monday, June 25, 2012

USS Alabama BB60

The USS Alabama BB60 was a South Dakota class battleship that entered service with the British Home Fleet in 1943 but that spent most of the war operating in the Pacific, where she provided cover for the fast carriers and performed some shore bombardments.

USS Massachusetts BB59

The USS Massachusetts BB59 was a South Dakota class battleship that first saw combat during Operation Torch late in 1942 before spending the rest of the Second World War serving in the Pacific.

Friday, June 22, 2012

No.691 Squadron

No.691 Squadron was an anti-aircraft co-operation squadron that served in the south-west of England from its formation late in 1943 until it was disbanded in 1949.

No.684 Squadron

No.684 Squadron was a photographic reconnaissance squadron that carried out long range missions over South-East Asia.

No.683 Squadron

No.683 Squadron was a photographic reconnaissance that operated from Malta during 1943 before moving to Italy, where it spent the rest of the war.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Albatros D.V

The Albatros D.V was produced in an attempt to improve on the successful D.III but suffered from structural failures that reduced its effectiveness. It was followed by the stronger D.IIIa, which played a major part in the fighting in the first part of 1918.

Albatros D.IV

The Albatros D.IV was an unsuccessful entry in the series of Albatros biplane fighters that dominated over the Western Front during 1917, and was doomed by the failure of its engine.

Albatros D.III

The Albatros D.III was the most successful in the series of Albatros biplane fighters, and helped the Germans win control of the air over the Western Front in the first part of 1917.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

No.682 Squadron

No.682 Squadron was a photographic reconnaissance unit that operated in the western and central Mediterranean during 1943 before moving to Italy where it remained for the rest of the war.

No.681 Squadron

No.681 Squadron was a photographic reconnaissance squadron operating in the Far East that mainly focused on Burma but that also ranged further afield.

No.680 Squadron

No.680 Squadron was a photographic reconnaissance squadron that served in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans from its formation in 1943 until early in 1945 when it was withdrawn to Egypt for mapping duties.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

The USS Indiana BB58 was a South Dakota class battleship that spent her entire active career in the Pacific, serving from late in 1942 until the end of the war.

USS South Dakota BB57

USS South Dakota BB57 was the name ship of the second South Dakota class of battleships and served in the Pacific late in 1942, with the British Home Fleet during 1943 and in the Pacific again from 1944-45, serving as Admiral Nimitz's flagship during the surrender ceremonies in Tokyo Bay.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Albatros D.II

The Albatros D.II was the first version of the Albatros biplane fighter to be produced in significant numbers, and alongside the later D.III helped the Germans to gain air supremacy early in 1917.

Albatros D.I

The Albatros D.I was the first in a series of biplane fighters that helped the Germans gain control of the air over the Western Front early in 1917, but it was only produced in small numbers and was soon replaced by the Albatros D.II and Albatros D.III.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Second South Dakota class battleships

The second South Dakota class battleships were built to produce a ship with the same characteristics as the previous North Carolina class, but with armour that was effective against 16in guns.

USS Washington BB56

The USS Washington BB56 was a North Carolina class battleship that became the only one of the ten fast battleships in the US Navy to sink a Japanese capital ship.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

No.679 Squadron

No.679 Squadron was an anti-aircraft co-operation squadron that served in East Anglia from 1943 until 1945.

No.673 Squadron

No.673 Squadron was an airborne operations squadron formed in South East Asia late in 1944 but that was never used in combat.

No.672 Squadron

No.672 Squadron was an airborne operations squadron formed in South East Asia late in 1944 but that was never used in combat.

No.671 Squadron

No.671 Squadron was an airborne operations squadron formed in South East Asia late in 1944 but that was never used in combat.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

USS North Carolina BB55

The USS North Carolina BB55 was the name ship of the North Carolina class of battleships and served in the Pacific taking part in many of the island invasions of 1943-45 as well as the battle of the Philippine Sea and the bombardments of Japan.

North Carolina class battleships

The two North Carolina class battleships were the first new American battleships to be built after the 'building holiday' agreed in the Washington Naval Treaty.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

The Teutonic Knights - A Military History, William Urban.

The Teutonic Knights - A Military History, William Urban.

Traces the Teutonic Knights from their origins in the Holy Land, through a brief period in Transylvanian and on to the area they are most famously associated with, Prussia and Livonia, where they fought against Pagans, Orthodox Russians, Tatars and eventually Catholic Poles and Lithuanians.
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Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg, Bill Cheall.

Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg, Bill Cheall.

The Memoirs of a Green Howard who was called up in 1939, moved to France just before the German invasion, was evacuated from Dunkirk, fought in the desert and Sicily, took part in the D-Day landings before being wounded on D+30. A down-to-earth account of momentous events and an interesting view of the development of the British army.
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Panzers in the Sand: The History of Panzer-Regiment 5, Volume 2 1942-45, Bernd Hartmann.

Panzers in the Sand: The History of Panzer-Regiment 5, Volume 2 1942-45, Bernd Hartmann.

Part two of a history of the oldest panzer regiment in the German Army, following it to destruction in North Africa in 1942-43 and its partial revival in 1943 and deployment (and destruction) on the Eastern Front and its second revival and use in both Eastern and Western Fronts.
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Monday, June 11, 2012

No.670 Squadron

No.670 Squadron was an airborne operations squadron formed in South East Asia late in 1944 but that was never used in combat.

No.669 Squadron

No.669 Squadron was an airborne operations squadron formed in South East Asia late in 1944 but that was never used in combat.

No.668 Squadron

No.668 Squadron was an airborne operations squadron formed in South East Asia late in 1944 but that was never used in combat.

No.667 Squadron

No.667 Squadron performed target towing and gun-laying duties from Gosport. The squadron was formed on 1 December 1943 from Nos.1631 and 1662 Flights, and was initially equipped with the Boulton-Paul Defiant.

Friday, June 01, 2012

Jessie Oldendorf (1887-1972) was an American admiral best known as the victor at the battle of the Surigao Strait (25 October 1944), the last naval battle to be fought between two forces of battleships.

Admiral Soemu Toyoda (1885-1957)

Admiral Soemu Toyoda (1885-1957) was the commander-in-chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet during the crushing defeats in the battles of the Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf (both 1944), where his desire for a 'decisive battle' played a part in both defeats.