Friday, September 28, 2012

Mitsubishi Army Type Ko 1 Trainer

The Mitsubishi Army Type Ko 1 Trainer was a licence-built version of the Nieuport 81-E2, one of the standard training aircraft in the early expansion of Japanese Army aviation.

Mitsubishi Army Type Ki 1 Trainer

The Mitsubishi Army Type Ki 1 Trainer was a licence-built version of the Hanriot HD-14 that served as the main basic trainer in the Japanese Army from the mid-1920s until the mid-1930s.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

No.454 Squadron, RAAF

No.454 Squadron, RAAF, was a medium bomber squadron that flew maritime patrols in the Eastern Mediterranean in 1943-44 before joining the Desert Air Force in Italy where it acted as a ground attack unit for the rest of the war.

No.453 Squadron, RAAF

No.453 Squadron, RAAF, went through two incarnations during the Second World War, first as a short-lived fighter squadron swept up in the Japanese invasions of Malaya, Sumatra and Java, and second as a fighter squadron based in Britain.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

My Seventy-Five, The Journal of a French Gunner August-September 1914, Paul Lintier.

My Seventy-Five, The Journal of a French Gunner August-September 1914, Paul Lintier.

The diary of a talented young French author covering the first two months of the First World War, covering mobilisation, the advance to the French frontier and the long retreat, the counter-attack on the Marne and the eventual stalemate on the Aisne. A fascinating view of one of the most important campaigns of the First World War.

[read full review]

American Missiles 1962 to the Present Day, The Complete Smithsonian Field Guide, Brian D. Nicklas.

American Missiles 1962 to the Present Day, The Complete Smithsonian Field Guide, Brian D. Nicklas.

A spotter's guide to American missiles since the introduction of the 'M for Missiles' designation in 1962. Most get a single page, with one or more photos, basic specifications and a paragraph or two of text. Useful both as an overview of missile development over the last half century and for anyone who needs to identify a particular missile.

[read full review]

The Battle of Maida 1806, Fifteen Minutes of Glory, Richard Hopton.

The Battle of Maida 1806, Fifteen Minutes of Glory, Richard Hopton.

A detailed account of the first significant victory won by the British army against the troops of Napoleonic France, fought in southern Italy after the failure of the Third Coalition. An excellent account of the background to the battle, the fighting at Maida, the aftermath and its significance within the wider Napoleonic War.
[read full review]

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Monday, September 24, 2012

379th Bombardment Group

The 379th Bombardment Group was part of the second wave of B-17 Groups to join the Eighth Air Force and took part in the daylight strategic bombing campaign over Germany.

351st Bombardment Group

The 351st Bombardment Group was part of the second wave of B-17 groups to join the Eighth Air Force, and took part in the daylight strategic bombing campaign over Germany.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

The British Field Marshals 1736-1997: A Biographical Dictionary, T A Heathcote.

The British Field Marshals 1736-1997: A Biographical Dictionary, T A Heathcote.

A biographical dictionary looking at the first 138 British Field Marshals, a mixed group containing military leaders of varying quality and members of the British and foreign royal families. A useful reference work that gives us an idea of just how varied a group of people the British Field Marshals actually were.
[read full review]

The Art of War, Sun Tzu.

The Art of War, Sun Tzu.

A beautifully presented edition of one of the classics of military thought. Printed on high quality paper (it shows), and bound using a traditional Chinese method which involves sewing the pages together using holes punched close to the inner edge. Has the Chinese text on one page with the English translation facing it.
[read full review]

Charging against Wellington: The French Cavalry in the Peninsular War 1807-1814, Robert Burnham.

Charging against Wellington: The French Cavalry in the Peninsular War 1807-1814, Robert Burnham.

A valuable reference book that covers the organisation of the French cavalry, looking at changes in structure and command, biographies of eighty French cavalry generals and brief histories of each cavalry regiment to serve with the French in Spain and Portugal.
[read full review]

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

306th Bombardment Group

The 306th Bombardment Group was an early B-17 group within the Eighth Air Force and took part in the daylight strategic bombing offensive from its early stages in 1942 until the end of the war in Europe.

305th Bombardment Group

The 305th Bombardment Group was a B-17 Flying Fortress group of the Eighth Air Force and took part in the daylight strategic bombing campaign over Europe.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Battle of Eylau (8 February 1807)

The battle of Eylau (8 February 1807) was the first major setback suffered by Napoleon on the battlefield and was a costly inconclusive battle fought in the snow in East Prussia.

Combat of Hof (6 February 1807)

The combat of Hof (6 February 1807) was a rearguard action fought between the Russian rearguard under Barclay de Tolly and the advancing French during the Russian retreat before the battle of Eylau.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Wingate Pasha, R J M Pugh.

Wingate Pasha, R J M Pugh.

A biography of an important figure in the British Empire, the ruler of the Sudan for twenty years. Wingate was also involved in the defeat of the Dervishes and played a major part in the success of the Arab Revolt of the First World War, and is an interesting figure.
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The Campaigns for Vicksburg, 1862-1863, Kevin J. Dougherty.

The Campaigns for Vicksburg, 1862-1863, Kevin J. Dougherty.

An unusual approach to military history, this book looks at the leadership lessons that can be learnt from the successful Union attempts to capture Vicksburg, one of the key battles of the American Civil War. Organised into case studies that combine a particular element of the battle with an aspect of leadership.
[read full review]

Isandlwana, How the Zulus Humbled the British Empire, Adrian Greaves.

Isandlwana, How the Zulus Humbled the British Empire, Adrian Greaves.

An excellent examination of this famous battle and the campaign that led up to it, written by someone with a detailed knowledge of the battlefield and surrounding areas. Uses a wide range of contemporary sources to paint an accurate picture of this battle and the Zulu achievements and the British mistakes that led to the great Zulu victory.
[read full review]

Thursday, September 13, 2012

303rd Bombardment Group

The 303rd Bombardment Group was a B-17 Flying Fortress group that took part in the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign from 1942 until the end of the war in Europe.

301st Bombardment Group

The 301st Bombardment Group was a B-17 group that entered combat with the Eighth Air Force in Britain but was soon moved to the Mediterreanean, where it operated from North Africa and then Italy.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

97th Bombardment Group

The 97th Bombardment Group took part in the first Eighth Air Force heavy bomber mission of the Second World War, but soon afterwards was transfered to the Mediterranean, where it spent the rest of the war, ending up in Italy

92nd Bombardment Group

The 92nd Bombardment Group was a B-17 Flying Fortress group that formed part of the US Eighth Air Force and took part in the strategic bombing campaign as well as supporting the D-Day invasions, Operation Market Garden, the crossing of the Rhine and taking part in the Battle of the Bulge.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Battle of Jonkowo (3 February 1807)

The battle of Jonkowo (3 February 1807) was an inconclusive battle that allowed the Russians to escape from a trap set for them by Napoleon after the Russians attempted to attack the left flank of the French army in Prussia.

Combat of Mohrungen (25 January 1807)

The combat of Mohrungen (25 January 1807) saw Bernadotte's corps defeat part of a Russian army that was attempting to attack the isolated left wing of Napoleon's army in Poland in the winter of 1806-7.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Friday, September 07, 2012

Treaty of Potsdam (3 November 1805)

The Treaty of Potsdam (3 November 1805) was an agreement between Prussia and Russia in which the Prussians agreed to join the Third Coalition if Napoleon didn't agree to peace terms.

Marshal Pierre-François-Charles Augereau (1757-1816)

Marshal Pierre-François-Charles Augereau (1757-1816) was a successful Revolutionary general and one of Napoleon's best generals in Italy in 1796 but his later military career was undistinguished, and his actions in 1814 and 1815 cost him his reputation and his titles.

Thursday, September 06, 2012

91st Bombardment Group

The 91st Bombardment Group was a heavy bomber group equipped with the B-17 and that formed part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bomber force from November 1942 until the end of the Second War World.

1st Bombardment Wing

The 1st Bombardment Wing formed part of the US Eighth Air Force's strategic bomber force and took part in the daylight bombing campaign over Germany and occupied Europe from 1942 until the end of the Second World War.

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

SAS Trooper - Charlie Radford's Operations in Enemy Occupied France and Italy, Charlie Radford, ed. Francis Mackay.

SAS Trooper - Charlie Radford's Operations in Enemy Occupied France and Italy, Charlie Radford, ed. Francis Mackay.

Follows the military career of a pre-war army apprentice through his time as a sapper and in the SAS, where he fought behind German lines in France and took part in Operation Cold Comfort, one of the less successful SAS missions in Italy.
[read full review]

The British Pacific Fleet: The Royal Navy's Most Powerful Strike Force, David Hobbs.

The British Pacific Fleet: The Royal Navy's Most Powerful Strike Force, David Hobbs.

A history of the most powerful fleet in British naval history, tracing its rapid development from shaky early days in the Indian ocean to its involvement in the invasion of Okinawa and operations alongside the Americans off the coast of Japan.
[read full review]

Missing, Believed Killed: Casualty Policy and the Missing Research and Enquiry Service 1939-1952, Stuart Hadaway.

Missing, Believed Killed: Casualty Policy and the Missing Research and Enquiry Service 1939-1952, Stuart Hadaway.

A history of the effort to track down every member of the RAF lost in combat during the Second World War, one of the largest detective missions ever undertaken, including a large number of example cases.
 [read full review]

Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Mitsubishi Experimental Taka-type Carrier Fighter (1MF9)

The Mitsubishi Experimental Taka-type Carrier Fighter (1MF9) was the first carrier fighter to be designed by a Japanese engineer, but failed to gain a production order.

Mitsubishi Navy Type 10 Carrier Fighter (1MF1 to 1MF5)

The Mitsubishi Navy Type 10 Carrier Fighter (1MF1 to 1MF5) was the first purpose-built carrier fighter in the world and was designed for Mitsubishi by a British team led by Herbert Smith, previously a senior engineer at Sopwith.

Monday, September 03, 2012

Battle of Golymin (26 December 1806)

The battle of Golymin (26 December 1806) was one of two inconclusive battles fought between French and Russian armies in the Prussian partition of Poland on the same night.

Battle of Pultusk (26 December 1806)

The battle of Pultusk (26 December 1806) was one of two inconclusive battles fought on the same day between French and Russian forces, and was one of the first hints that the Russians might be a difficult opponent for Napoleon.