Ting Yuen ('Eternal Peace')

The Ting Yuen ('Eternal Peace') was one of two battleships built for China by the Vulcan yard at Stettin, and fought in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95.

Chen Yuan ('Striking from far away')

The Chen Yuan ('Striking from far away') was one of two battleships ordered from Germany by China, and fought in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95, eventually being captured by the Japanese.

Battle of Songhwan (29 July 1894)

The battle of Songhwan (29 July 1894) was Japan's first overseas battle for three hundred years, and saw the Japanese army in Korea defeat a Chinese force on the road to Asan in a battle that took place several days before the official outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95.

Battle of Phung-Tao or Asan (25 July 1894)

The battle of Phung-Tao or Asan (25 July 1894) was an encounter battle between Chinese and Japanese naval forces that took place before the official outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95.

Secrets of the Spitfire, Lance Cole.

Secrets of the Spitfire, Lance Cole.

 A biography of Beverley Shenstone, a Canadian aeronautical engineer who played the leading role in designing the modified elliptical wing of the Spitfire. Looks at his entire career, from early days in Canada and Germany, through his time in Germany and on to his post-war career in civil aviation, but with a clear focus on that distinctive wing, the science behind it, and the reasons it was so effective.
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The Schweinfurt-Regensburg Mission, Martin Middlebrook.

The Schweinfurt-Regensburg Mission, Martin Middlebrook.

A very detailed account of the costly American daylight raids on Regensburg and Schweinfurt of 17 August 1943, a pair of maximum effort attacks that were meant to cripple parts of German industry but instead made it clear that even the heavily armed B-17 Flying Fortress couldn't operate without fighter escort.
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No.9 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron, RNZAF

No.9 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron, RNZAF, was formed overseas in July 1942 in response to an American request for assistance. The squadron flew anti-submarine patrols from New Caledonia, then Espiritu Santo in 1942-43. During 1944 it was posted to Bougainville where it flew patrols and attacked Japanese targets on the island and in 1945 it took part in the campaign to isolate Kavieng.

No.8 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron, RNZAF

No.8 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron, RNZAF, went through two incarnations during the Second World War. The first was a home-based squadron that was disbanded early in 1943 while the second incarnation spent two months in the combat zone early in 1945 when it took part in the campaign to isolate Kavieng.

No.7 General Reconnaissance Squadron, RNZAF

No.7 General Reconnaissance Squadron, RNZAF, was a short-lived squadron that flew patrols from the northern tip of New Zealand during 1942 and early 1943.

Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands (26 October 1942)

The battle of the Santa Cruz Islands (26 October 1942) was an indecisive carrier battle during the Guadalcanal campaign that ended with one American carrier sunk and two Japanese carriers damaged, but that had little impact on the fighting on the island.

Battle of Cape Esperance (11-12 October 1942)

The battle of Cape Esperance (11-12 October 1942) was a clash between American and Japanese forces both covering supply convoys heading towards Guadalcanal.

Harry Smith's Last Throw: The Eighth Frontier War, 1850-53, Keith Smith.

Harry Smith's Last Throw: The Eighth Frontier War, 1850-53, Keith Smith.

Based around a detailed history of the fighting in the Eighth Frontier War (on the frontier of the Cape Colony, South Africa), supported by a good background history of the cape and the previous frontier wars. Some chapters come from an earlier text by Neville Mapham, mainly focusing on detailed accounts of particular campaigns.
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Kharkov 1942 - The Wehrmacht strikes back, Robert Forczyk.

Kharkov 1942 - The Wehrmacht strikes back, Robert Forczyk.

Despite the subtitle this actually looks at two offensives in the Kharkov area in the spring of 1942 - an initially successful Soviet offensive that stretched the German lines and a pre-planned German blow that took advantage of the Soviet move to inflict a heavy defeat on Timoshenko's armies and weaken the Soviet southern armies in advance of the main German offensive of 1942.
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No.6 Flying Boat Squadron, RNZAF

No.6 Flying Boat Squadron, RNZAF, spent most of its existence operating from Guadalcanal, from where it searched for Japanese submarines, took part in air-sea rescue missions and acted as an emergency transport unit.

No.5 Flying Boat Squadron, RNZAF

No.5 Flying Boat Squadron, RNZAF, went through two incarnations during the Second World War. In the first it operated the Short Singapore flying boat from Fiji during the period in which there was a real danger of a Japanese invasion. The second began in July 1944 when the squadron was reformed and equipped with the Consolidated Catalina. This incarnation of the squadron flew a mix of anti-submarine patrols and shipping escort missions from Espiritu Santo.

Focke-Achgelis Fa 266 Hornisee (Hornet)

The Focke-Achgelis Fa 266 Hornisee (Hornet) was the first genuine transport helicopter in the world, and was an enlarged version of the Focke-Wulf Fw 61/ Focke-Achgelis Fa 61. Soon after making its maiden tethered flight the Fa 266 was taken over by the Germany military and became the Fa 223 Drache.

Focke-Wulf Fw 61/ Focke-Achgelis Fa 61

The Focke-Wulf Fw 61/ Focke-Achgelis Fa 61 was the first practical helicopter in the world, and was a twin-rotor machine that made quite an impact when it was flown through the Deutschlandhalle in February 1938.

Battle of the Eastern Solomons (24-25 August 1942)

The battle of the Eastern Solomons (24-25 August 1942) was the second battle in the series of six naval actions linked to the fighting on Guadalcanal and was a carrier battle that ended as a minor American victory.

Battle of Savo Island (9 August 1942)

The battle of Savo Island (9 August 1942) was a crushing Japanese victory in the waters just off Guadalcanal that saw them sink four Allied cruisers and helped to isolate the US Marines fighting on Guadalcanal.

French Cruisers 1922-1956, John Jordan & Jean Moulin.

French Cruisers 1922-1956, John Jordan & Jean Moulin.

Split into technical and historical sections, so looks at the design of the cruisers class by class before turning to their peacetime and wartime experiences. The text is supported by very high quality accurately labelled plans of the ships and a good selection of photos. These were interesting ships, with some unusual features and that often had a very dramatic time during the Second World War.
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Adventurous Empires - The Story of the Short Empire Flying Boats, Phillip E. Sims.

Adventurous Empires - The Story of the Short Empire Flying Boats, Phillip E. Sims.

 A look at the history of the Short Empire Flying Boat, from the pioneering long-distance routes flow by Imperial Airways to their unglamorous but vital role as a long range passenger transport aircraft during the Second World War. An interesting account of the adventurous and rather more romantic early days of civil aviation, with a useful section of the wartime service of the Empire boats.
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Operation Goodtime - the invasion of the Treasury Islands (27 October 12 November 1943)

Operation Goodtime - the invasion of the Treasury Islands (27 October 12 November 1943) - was a preliminary operation before the main invasion of Bougainville Island in the Solomon Islands.

Land battle of Vella Lavella (15 August-7 October 1943)

The land battle of Vella Lavella (15 August-7 October 1943) was one of the first examples of the leapfrogging strategy that carried the Americans across the vast distances of the Pacific.

No.4 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron, RNZAF

No.4 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron, RNZAF, spent most of the Pacific war based on Fiji, from where it flew anti-submarine patrols. Late in 1944 it moved to Emirau where it spent two tours flying a mix of maritime patrols and bombing raids on the Japanese base at Rabaul.

No.3 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron, RNZAF

No.3 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron, RNZAF, was one of the longest serving New Zealand squadrons of the Pacific War. It fought on Guadalcanal late in 1942, flew regular patrols in support of the fighting on New Georgia during 1943, took part in the Bougainville campaign during 1944 and the long campaign to isolate Rabaul in late 1944 and 1945.

Salamanca 1812 - Wellington's Year of Victories, Peter Edwards.

Salamanca 1812 - Wellington's Year of Victories, Peter Edwards.

A look at Wellington's campaigns of 1812, from the sieges of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz to the triumph at Salamanca, the failure at Burgos and the retreat back to Portugal at the end of a year that saw the French permanently forced out of large parts of Spain. A good account of this campaign, copiously illustrated with carefully used eyewitness accounts.
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Hornet's Sting, Derek Robinson.

Hornet's Sting, Derek Robinson.

Second in the author's RFC Quartet, following a fictional RFC squadron during the harsh fighting of 1917. Characters come and go with brutal frequency, while on the ground the Third Battle of Ypres turns into the muddy fiasco of Passchendaele. The focus of the story is Hornet Squadron itself, and the desperate battles forced upon it by the RFC's policy of offensive flying. The result is a harsh but compelling look at life in the RFC during one of its hardest moments.
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No.2 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron, RNZAF

No.2 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron, RNZAF, flew maritime patrols from Munda during 1944 and took part in the campaign against Rabaul during 1945, flying a mix of reconnaissance missions and bombing raids.

No.1 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron, RNZAF

No.1 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron, RNZAF, flew a mix of maritime reconnaissance and bombing missions from bases on Guadalcanal, New Georgia, Green Island and Emirau, searching for submarines and attacking the Japanese bases on Bougainville and at Rabaul and Kavieng.

Crisis in the Pacific - The Battles for the Philippine Islands by the Men Who Fought Them, Gerald Astor.

Crisis in the Pacific - The Battles for the Philippine Islands by the Men Who Fought Them, Gerald Astor.

An excellent account of the Second World War in the Philippines, from the pre-war American colony to the disasters of 1941-42, the long struggle of the resistance to MacArthur's eventual return and the costly battles that followed. The excellent text is based around first hand accounts of the fighting from the American point of view, both military and civilian.
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War Story, Derek Robinson.

War Story, Derek Robinson.

First in the author's RFC Quartet. We accompany a brash but inexperienced new pilot as he joins a fictional RFC squadron where he quickly makes himself unpopular and finds his experiences of a combat to be very different from his expectations. Life expectancy for a pilot is short, and characters disappear quite suddenly. The way in which the survivors deal with this stress is the main thrust of the book, and the contrast between the vigorous parties and the vicious fighting is at the heart of this excellent novel.
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Battle of Vella Lavella (6 October 1943)

The battle of Vella Lavella (6 October 1943) was a Japanese naval victory that allowed them to evacuate nearly 600 men from the north-western coast of Vella Lavella.

Action off Horaniu (18 August 1943)

The action off Horaniu (18 August 1943) was an unsuccessful American attempt to prevent the Japanese from establishing a barge base at Horaniu, on the northern coast of Vella Lavella.

The Battle East of Elsenborn and the Twin Villages, William C.C. Cavanagh.

The Battle East of Elsenborn and the Twin Villages, William C.C. Cavanagh.

A very detailed examination of ten day's of fighting on the American left during the Battle of the Bulge, looking at the battles that saw outnumbered and under strength American units delay the main thrust of the German offensive for long enough to allow the Americans to form a new defensive line on the Elsenborn ridge and stop the main German thrust before it made any real progress.
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Images of War: Fighters under Construction in World War Two, Graham M. Simons.

Images of War: Fighters under Construction in World War Two, Graham M. Simons.
 A super entry in the Images of War series showing most major British fighters at various stages of construction, allowing us to understand the underlying structures hidden beneath their skins. Also includes sections on propellers, the 20mm cannon, engines and the manufacturing process itself. A very useful book for anyone interested in Second World War aircraft.
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Battle for Wickham Anchorage (30 June-3 July 1943)

The battle for Wickham Anchorage (30 June-3 July 1943) was a short but hard-fought battle that saw American troops defeat a smaller Japanese force on Vangunu Island, and that allowed the Americans to use Wickham Anchorage.

Operation Toenails - the invasion of New Georgia (30 June-5 August 1943)

Operation Toenails - the invasion of New Georgia (30 June-5 August 1943) - was the first major Allied offensive in the Solomon Islands after Guadalcanal was declared to be secure.

Battle of Bairoko (20 July 1943)

The battle of Bairoko (20 July 1943) was the second major operation carried out by the Northern Landing Group on New Georgia, and ended in a rare Japanese victory after the poorly coordinated American attack was repulsed.

Battle for Enogai Inlet (5-11 July 1943)

The battle for Enogai Inlet (5-11 July 1943) was the first and most successful operation carried out by the Northern Landing Group on New Georgia and saw them capture a Japanese coastal gun battery as well as block the important trail from Bairoko to Munda.