Morane-Saulnier M.S.435 P.2

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.435 P.2 was a two-man advanced trainer based on the M.S.405 single seat fighter that was ordered into production in 1939 but that wasn't delivered before the fall of France.

Morane-Saulnier M.S.433

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.433 was a design for a two-seat training aircraft that would have been based on the M.S.430 and powered by a Gnome-Rhône 7Kfs radial engine.

Morane-Saulnier M.S.430

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.430 was a two-seat training aircraft based on the M.S.405 single-seat fighter.

Morane-Saulnier M.S.408

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.408 was a single-seat version of the M.S.430 training aircraft that was evaluated by the Armee de l'Air, but that wasn't accepted for service.

Focke-Wulf Ta 400

The Focke-Wulf Ta 400 was a design for a six-engined long range bomber capable of reaching the United States from Continental Europe. A wind tunnel model was produced, but the design never reached the prototype stage.

Focke-Wulf Fw 300

The Focke-Wulf Fw 300 was originally a design for a long range civil airliner, but it was adapted for possible use as a long range reconnaissance aircraft and guided weapons carrier.

The Longbow, Mike Loades.

The Longbow, Mike Loades.

A super look at the longbow as a military weapon, covering the development of the bow, how it might have been used in battle (taking into account the number of arrows we know to have been available, physical stamina etc), and the way in which the multi-level armour of the period coped with the threat. An excellent guide to this iconic English weapon and its role in battle.
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Servants of Evil - Voices from Hitler's Army, Bob Carruthers

Servants of Evil - Voices from Hitler's Army, Bob Carruthers.

A selection of first hands accounts of their experiences written by members of the German army, the U-boat arm of the navy and the Luftwaffe, tracing the rise and fall of the Nazi war machine. Fascinating both for the experiences of the writers and for its insight into their misconceptions and the impact Nazi propaganda had on them.
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Focke-Wulf Ta 283

The Focke-Wulf Ta 283 was a design for a twin-engined ramjet powered fighter aircraft that was under development during 1945 but that was never completed.

Focke-Wulf Ta 183

The Focke-Wulf Ta 183 was a design for an advanced single-seat jet fighter that was under development towards the end of the Second World War.

Second battle of St. Albans (17 February 1461)

The second battle of St. Albans (17 February 1461) was a Lancastrian victory that opened the road to London and appeared to give them a chance to take advantage of their earlier victory at Wakefield, where Richard, duke of York, had been killed.

Siege of the Tower of London (2-19 July 1460)

The siege of the Tower of London (2-19 July 1460) saw the Lancastrian forces in London isolated in the Tower while the main Yorkist army moved north to victory at Northampton (Wars of the Roses)

Battle of Mortimer's Cross (2 February 1461)

The battle of Mortimer's Cross (2 February 1461) was Edward, earl of March's first battlefield victory and was the start of a campaign that would end with him securely crowned as King Edward IV.

Battle of Wakefield (30 December 1460)

The battle of Wakefield (30 December 1460) was a major Lancastrian victory that resulted in the death of Richard, duke of York, his son Edmund of Rutland and one of his most important followers, Richard Neville, earl of Salisbury.

457th Bombardment Group

The 457th Bombardment Group was a B-17 group that took part in the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign from February 1944 until April 1945.

399th Bombardment Group, USAAF

The 399th Bombardment Group, USAAF, was a training unit that was based in the United States from its formation in 1943 until it was disbanded in 1944.

393rd Bombardment Group

The 393rd Bombardment Group was a training unit that was based in the US from its formation in 1943 until it was inactivated in 1944.

Battle of Northampton (10 July 1460)

The battle of Northampton (10 July 1460) was a major Yorkist victory that transformed their fortunes after their disasterous failure at Ludford Bridge in 1459, and that ended with the capture of Henry VI and the death of several important Lancastrian leaders.

Capture of Sandwich (June 1460)

The capture of Sandwich (June 1460) was a key Yorkist success that allowed the exiled earls of Salisbury, Warwick and March to invade England from their base at Calais at the start of the campaign that ended with the great Yorkist victory at Northampton.

USS Oklahoma City (CL-91)

USS Oklahoma City (CL-91) was a Cleveland class light cruiser that saw three months of active service in the pacific during the Second World War and that went on to be converted into a guided missile cruiser and serve in that role for nearly twenty years.

USS Astoria (CL-90)

USS Astoria (CL-90) was a Cleveland class light cruiser that fought in the Pacific from December 1944 to the end of the war, fighting off the Philippines, Okinawa and supporting attacks on the Japanese Home Islands.

Raid on Sandwich of 15 January 1460

The raid on Sandwich of 15 January 1460 saw a Yorkist force based at Calais attack Sandwich, capturing both a Lancastrian fleet being built in the port and the commander of the garrison (Wars of the Roses).

Battle of Ludford Bridge (12-13 October 1459)

The battle of Ludford Bridge (12-13 October 1459) was a humiliating defeat that appeared to have ended any hopes of a Yorkist victory in the Wars of the Roses.

USS Miami (CL-89)

USS Miami (CL-89) was a Cleveland class light carrier that fought in the Pacific from June 1944 until April 1945 when she was recalled for a refit.

USS Duluth (CL-87)

USS Duluth (CL-87) was a Cleveland class light cruiser that joined the Pacific fleet in the spring of 1945 but was damaged in a typhoon and only entered combat in the last few weeks of the Second World War.

Compared and Contrasted: Weapons of World War II, Michael E. Haskew.

Compared and Contrasted: Weapons of World War II, Michael E. Haskew.
Compares competing weapons systems using a series of generally well designed illustrations, allowing the reader to get an idea of how the different tanks, aircraft, guns and ships of particular periods compared to each other. A nice idea that makes it easier to visualise some of the reality behind the dry statistics that normally describe these weapon systems.
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Finland's War of Choice - The Troubled German-Finnish Coalition in World War II, Henrik O. Lunde.

Finland's War of Choice - The Troubled German-Finnish Coalition in World War II, Henrik O. Lunde.

A history of the Finnish 'Continuation War', which found the Finns fighting alongside the Germans in the Soviet Union, a democracy fighting alongside a dictatorship in perhaps the most brutal conflict in history. Looks at the background to Finnish entry into the war, their confused war aims, the course of the fighting and the eventual Finnish attempts to exit the war and survive as an independent nation.

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The Mareth Line 1943: The End in Africa, Ken Ford.

The Mareth Line 1943: The End in Africa, Ken Ford.

Looks at the final battles between Montgomery and Rommel, from the retreat after El Alamein, through the various short-lived delaying battles to the fight for the Mareth Line and the final collapse of the Axis position in North Africa, including the battle for the Mareth Line. Clearly written and well illustrated, this covers a period in North Africa that is often skipped over.
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Albert Kesselring, Pier Paolo Battistelli.

Albert Kesselring, Pier Paolo Battistelli.

A short biography of Albert Kesselring, who began the Second World War as a senior Luftwaffe commander during the invasion of Poland and the battle of Britain but is best known for his role as commander-in-chief in Italy for most of the lengthy German defence of the Italian peninsula, where he played a major part in holding up the Allied advance for so long.
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Battle of Blore Heath (23 September 1459)

The battle of Blore Heath (23 September 1459) was the only significant Yorkist success after the resumption of open warfare in 1459, part of the first phase of the Wars of the Roses.

First battle of St. Albans (22 May 1455)

The first battle of St. Albans (22 May 1455) was the first battle of the Wars of the Roses, and was a Yorkist victory that saw Richard, duke of York temporarily take control of Henry VI's government.

USS Vicksburg (CL-86)

USS Vicksburg (CL-86) was a Cleveland class light cruiser that was used as a training ship during 1944 before joining the Pacific Fleet in 1945 in time to take part in the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and the attacks on the Japanese Home Islands.

USS Manchester (CL-83)

USS Manchester (CL-83) was a Cleveland class light cruiser that was completed too late to see combat during the Second World War but that was heavily involved in the fighting in Korea. Manchester received nine battles stars for Korean service.

USS Providence (CL-82)

USS Providence (CL-82) was a Cleveland class light cruiser that entered service too late to see combat in the Second World War. She was later converted into a Guided Missile Cruiser as CLG-6 and served into the early 1970s.

USS Houston (CL-81)

USS Houston (CL-81) was a Cleveland class light cruiser that entered combat in June 1944 during the invasion of the Marianas. She had a short combat career which ended when she was hit by a torpedo on 14 October 1944.

The SBS in World War II - An Illustrated History, Gavin Mortimer.

The SBS in World War II - An Illustrated History, Gavin Mortimer.

Follows the history of the Special Boat Squadron from a fairly disastrous start to its later successes across the eastern Mediterranean. The small size of the unit allows Mortimer to include detailed accounts of many if not most SBS operations, including some disasters amongst the many spectacular successes.
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Secret Flotillas: Clandestine Sea Operations to Brittany 1940-44 Vol 1, Brook Richards.

Secret Flotillas: Clandestine Sea Operations to Brittany 1940-44 Vol 1, Brook Richards.

Looks at the efforts to maintain a clandestine sea link between Britain and Brittany, transferring agents and supplies to France and rescuing a wide range of people from France (including members of the resistance on the run, Allied airmen and other evaders). A splendid account of a difficult and bold series of operations.
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USS Fargo (CL-85)

USS Fargo (CL-85) was laid down as a Cleveland class light cruiser but completed as an Independence class light carrier.

USS Wilmington (CL-79)

USS Wilmington (CL-79) was laid down as a Cleveland class light cruiser, but was completed as an Independence class light carrier.

USS Dayton (CL-78)

USS Dayton (CL-78) was laid down as a Cleveland class light cruiser, but was completed as an Independence class aircraft carrier.

USS Huntington (CL-77)

USS Huntington (CL-77) was laid down as a Cleveland class light cruiser but was completed as an Independence class aircraft carrier.

Battle of Stamford Bridge (31 October or 1 November 1454)

The battle of Stamford Bridge (31 October or 1 November 1454) was a clash between the Neville and Percy families fought in the year before the outbreak of the Wars of the Roses, and a sign of the increasing instability brought on by the mental illness of Henry VI.

Battle of of Heworth (24 August 1453)

The 'battle' of Heworth (24 August 1453) was a skirmish between the Neville and Percy families that raised tension in the north of England in the period immediately before the outbreak of the Wars of the Roses

USS Biloxi (CL-80)

USS Biloxi (CL-80) was a Cleveland class light cruiser that served in the Pacific from the start of 1944 to the end of the war, supporting the fast carrier task force and taking part in the invasions of Saipan, the Philippines, the Palaus and Okinawa and the battles of the Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf.

USS Topeka (CL-67)

USS Topeka (CL-67) was built as a Cleveland class light cruiser (CL-67) and in that guise fought at Okinawa and took part in the attacks on the Japanese Home Islands during 1945. She was later rebuilt as a guided-missile cruiser (CLG-8) and had another ten years of active service in that role during the 1960s.