Friday, August 29, 2014

British Battleships 1889-1904 New Revised Edition, R A Burt.

British Battleships 1889-1904 New Revised Edition, R A Burt.

Magnificent study of the Royal Navy's pre-dreadnought battleships, amongst the most powerful ships in the world when built, but seen as obsolete by the outbreak of war in 1914. Traces the development of the 'classic' pre-dreadnought design and the slow increase in the power of the secondary armament, leading up to the all-big gun ships that followed.
[read full review]

Dogfight - The Battle of Britain, Adam Claasen.

Dogfight - The Battle of Britain, Adam Claasen.

Focuses on the contribution of New Zealanders and Australians during the Battle of Britain, looking at the exploits of many of the 171 Anzacs who fought with Fighter Command during the battle. Built around accounts of the individual pilot's activities supported by a wider historical framework, this provides an interesting cross-section of Fighter Command's activities.
[read full review]

The Nek - A Gallipoli Tragedy, Peter Burness.

The Nek - A Gallipoli Tragedy, Peter Burness.

Looks at one of the most costly disasters of the Gallipoli campaign in which four waves of dismounted light Australian cavalrymen charged towards Turkish machine guns on a narrow front and suffered appalling casualties. This study looks at the attack itself, the background to the units and their commanders, with a focus on why the later waves of attackers were allowed to make futile and costly assaults.
[read full review]

Thursday, August 28, 2014

LVG D.IV

The LVG D.IV was a somewhat unlucky fighter, suffered from two engine failures that destroyed the two prototypes, ending development of the type.

LVG D.III

The LVG D.III was the third in a series of experimental biplane fighters produced by LVG and the first to have a gap between the fuselage and the upper wings.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

LVG D.II

The LVG D.II was the first LVG designed fighter to get an official designation, and was a more orthodox design than the earlier D 10.

LVG D 10

The LVG D 10 was an unusual experimental fighter design with a tall but narrow fuselage that filled the entire gap between the upper and lower wings.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

War of the Holy League (1510-1514)

The War of the Holy League (1510-1514) saw Pope Julius II form a league to oppose his French allies of the League of Cambrai, and saw the French suffer a series of defeats that forced them to withdraw from Milan.

War of the League of Cambrai (1508-1510)

The War of the League of Cambrai (1508-1510) was fought between Venice and an alliance that included the Emperor Maximilian, Pope Julius II, Louis XII of France and Ferdinand II of Aragon, and that despite never coordinating its attacks managed to conquer large parts of the Venetian mainland empire before falling apart.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Siege of Alessandria (25-29 August 1499)

The siege of Alessandria (25-29 August 1499) was the main military action during the French invasion of Milan in 1499, and the fall of the city helped force Ludovico Sforza to flee from Milan (Second Italian War/ Italian War of Louis XII).

Second Italian War or Italian War of Louis XII (1499-1503)

The Second Italian War or Italian War of Louis XII (1499-1503) began with the French conquest of Milan, which was followed by a joint Franco-Spanish campaign in Naples, and that ended with a war between the former allies that began the long period of Spanish rule in Naples.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Boeing YP-29

The Boeing YP-29 was developed between the Model 248 (the prototype for the P-26) and the Model 266, the production version of the P-26, but despite being a rather more modern design it didn't enter production.

Boeing P-26

The Boeing P-26 was the first all-metal production fighter and the first monoplane pursuit aircraft to enter service with the USAAC, but it was very much a transitional design, with its open cockpit, fixed landing gear and externally braced wings all belonging more to biplane era.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Boeing XF5B-1 (Model 205)

The Boeing XF5B-1 (Model 205) was the US Navy's version of the experimental parasol wing XP-15 (Model 202), and like the Army version didn't enter production although the Navy did use it for experimental flights for three years.

Boeing XP-15 (Model 202)

The Boeing XP-15 (Model 202) was a parasol wing fighter designed as a private venture at a time when Boeing was also working on more radical designs.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Ferdinand II, King of Naples (1467-1496)

Ferdinand II, King of Naples (1467-1496) was the penultimate member of the independent Aragonese dynasty of Naples.

Battle of Fornovo (6 July 1495)

The battle of Fornovo (6 July 1495) was an unsuccessful attempt by an Italian army to stop Charles VIII of France during his retreat from Naples in the summer of 1495.

Friday, August 15, 2014

Morane-Saulnier Type I

The Morane-Saulnier Type I was a variant of the Type N fighter aircraft that was powered by a 110hp engine and had an endurance of 1 ½ hours.

Morane-Saulnier Type N

The Morane-Saulnier Type N was a shoulder-winged single seat fighter that was the first dedicated fighter aircraft to serve with the French.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

15th Fighter Group (USAAF)

The 15th Fighter Group (USAAF) spent most of the Second World War as part of the defence forces for Hawaii, before moving forward to Iwo Jima early in 1945 to take part in the battles of Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the attacks on the Japanese Home Islands.

8th Fighter Group

The 8th Fighter Group was a long range fighter group that supported Allied operations from New Guinea to the Philippines, ending the war with raids on the Japanese home islands.

1st Fighter Group

The 1st Fighter Group was a long standing US fighter group that briefly served with the Eighth Air Force in Britain before moving to North Africa to support Operation Torch.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Special Forces Commander, Michael Scott.

Special Forces Commander, Michael Scott.

Looks at the military career of Peter Wand-Tetley, who served as a Commando, in the SAS, with SOE in Greece, in post-war Indonesia and with the Colonial Service in the last years of the British Empire in Africa, combined with the story of each of his organisations and the campaigns they took part in. The result is an excellent picture of the work of British Special Forces in the Mediterranean theatre as well as Wand-Tetley's contribution.
[read full review]

Images of War Korea The Ground War From Both Sides, Philip Chinnery.

Images of War Korea The Ground War From Both Sides, Philip Chinnery.

Wide ranging photographic history of the Korean War, with an emphasis on the mobile warfare of the first year of the conflict (as a result we see many unfamiliar topics) and pictures from both sides of the war (mainly UN and Chinese, but with few from North Korean sources).
[read full review]

The Battle of Barrosa 1811, John Grehan & Martin Mace.

The Battle of Barrosa 1811, John Grehan & Martin Mace.

 Looks at the 1811 battle of Barrosa along with the entire siege of Cadiz and the British contribution to the war in southern Spain, an important campaign that kept Soult and a large army away from Wellington and preserved the independent Spanish government at Cadiz, a key element in keeping Spanish resistance going.
[read full review]

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Battle of Seminara (28 June 1495)

The battle of Seminara (28 June 1495) saw the first appearance of the great Spanish general Fernández Gonsalo de Cordoba in Italy, and was a rare defeat at the hands of the French (First Italian War).

First Italian War/ Italian War of Charles VIII (1494-96)

The First Italian War/ Italian War of Charles VIII (1494-96) was an unsuccessful French attempt to conquer the Kingdom of Naples, and helped trigger over half a century of warfare in Italy, which ended with Spain as the dominant power.

Monday, August 11, 2014

General Ludwig von Falkenhausen

General Ludwig von Falkenhausen was the German commander during the battle of Vimy Ridge, one of the few clear-cut Allied victories of 1917.

Otto von Emmich (1848-1915)

Otto von Emmich (1848-1915) was a German general who commanded 10th Corps during the siege of Liege, the first battle of the First World War.

Friday, August 08, 2014

Morane-Saulnier Type LA

The Morane-Saulnier Type LA was an improved version of the Type L parasol wing reconnaissance aircraft and saw service with the French air service and the RFC during 1915.

Morane-Saulnier Type L

The Morane-Saulnier Type L was a parasol winged two-seat reconnaissance aircraft, most famous for being the aircraft used by Rolland Garros when he achieved the first successful victory by an aircraft with a fixed forward firing machine gun.

Thursday, August 07, 2014

Boeing P-12

The Boeing P-12 was the US Army's version of the Navy's F4B, and was part of the last generation of biplane fighters to see service.

Boeing F4B

The Boeing F4B was the last Boeing biplane fighter to be produced for the US Navy, and the final variant, the F4B-4, was also the last production Boeing biplane fighter for any customer.

Wednesday, August 06, 2014

Ancient Warfare Volume VIII Issue 3. Swift as the Wind Across the Plains: Horsemen of the steppes.

Ancient Warfare Volume VIII Issue 3. Swift as the Wind Across the Plains: Horsemen of the steppes.
 Mainly focusing on the Scythians, the nomadic horsemen found to the north of the Greek and Persian worlds. A valuable look at a culture that is often only seen as the enemy from beyond the edge of civilisation, but that was much more complex..
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Ancient Warfare Volume VIII Issue 2 . War, Trade and Adventure: Struggles of the Ionian Greeks.

Ancient Warfare Volume VIII Issue 2 . War, Trade and Adventure: Struggles of the Ionian Greeks.

Focuses on the Ionian Greeks and in particular the cities of western Anatolia, looking at their struggles for independence against Lydia and Persia, their place in the wider Greek world, and their earlier fame as mercenaries. Also looks at some of Alexander's decisions, the 'right-bearing' legionaries and the evidence for a Roman invasion of Ireland..
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Ancient Warfare Volume VII Issue 4 . Movement and supply: Logistics and the army train.

Ancient Warfare Volume VII Issue 4 . Movement and supply: Logistics and the army train.

Looks at how the realities of supplying an army impacted on warfare in the Ancient World, covering a wide range of topics from Assyria and Babylon to the mobile late Roman army. Also looks at the warrior in Greek lyric poetry and the nature of Mithraism..
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Tuesday, August 05, 2014

T96 155mm Mortar Motor Carriage

The T96 155mm Mortar Motor Carriage was a design for a vehicle that would have carried a T36 155mm mortar on the chassis of the M24 Chaffee Light Tank.

T81 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage

The T81 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage was a project to mount one 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun and two .50in machine guns on the chassis of the T65E1 Gun Motor Carriage.

T78 90mm Gun Motor Carriage

The T78 90mm Gun Motor Carriage was a design for a self-propelled gun that would have carried a 90mm gun on the chassis of the M24 Chaffee light tank

Monday, August 04, 2014

General Maximilian von Prittwitz (1848-1929)

General Maximilian von Prittwitz (1848-1929) was the German general in command in East Prussia at the start of the First World War, but he was removed from command very quickly after briefly recommending a full-scale retreat.

Fritz von Below (1853-1918)

Fritz von Below (1853-1918) was a German general who came to prominence on the Eastern Front before commanding the Second Army on the Somme during the fighting of 1916 and the First Army on the Aisne in 1917.

Friday, August 01, 2014

T38 Mortar Motor Carriage

The T38 Mortar Motor Carriage was a variation on the M37 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage, armed with a 4.2in mortar in place of the howitzer.

M37 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage

The M37 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage was developed to provide a lighter, more mobile replacement for the M7 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage.