Friday, October 21, 2016

406th Fighter Group (USAAF)

The 406th Fighter Group (USAAF) served with the Ninth Air Force and took part in the D-Day landings, the break out from Normandy, the sieges of St Malo and Brest, the advance across France, the Battle of the Bulge and the advance into Germany.

405th Fighter Group (USSAF)

The 405th Fighter Group (USSAF) served with the Ninth Air Force and took part in the D-Day landings, the advance across France, the battle of the Bulge, the crossing of the Rhine and the invasion of Germany.

404th Fighter Group (USAAF)

The 404th Fighter Group (USAAF) served with the Ninth Air Force and took part in the D-Day invasion, the advance across France, the battle of the Bulge, the crossing of the Rhine and the invasion of Germany.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

German U-Boat Losses During World War II, Axel Niestlé.

German U-Boat Losses During World War II, Axel Niestlé
An excellent well documented and credible summary of the current state of knowledge on U-Boat losses during the Second World War, reflecting the discoveries made in German archives and in underwater explanation in the sixty years since the original post-war assessments were made. Each change is supported by a clear explanation of why the original assessment is wrong, and the evidence for the new assessment
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Wanton Troops - Buckinghamshire in the Civil Wars 1640-1660, Ian F.W. Beckett.

Wanton Troops - Buckinghamshire in the Civil Wars 1640-1660, Ian F.W. Beckett
Looks at the impact of the Civil Wars on a county that didn’t see any major battles or host any of the major garrisons, but was instead placed between them, suffering from raids, garrisons and passing armies. Looks at County Community before, during and after the war, and the impact of the fighting on the local communities of Buckinghamshire to produce a useful cross section of the disruption caused by the Civil War
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War Cruel and Sharp: English Strategy under Edward III, Clifford J. Rogers.

War Cruel and Sharp: English Strategy under Edward III, Clifford J. Rogers
Looks at the first phase of the Wars of the Roses, to the Peace of Bretigny of 1360, and argues that Edward III's victory was due to a deliberate strategy of seeking battle. Makes a very well argued case, supported by a detailed knowledge of the primary sources, built around a narrative account of Edward's campaigns in Scotland, where he learnt his craft, and in France.
[read full review]

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

USS Jacob Jones (DD-61)

USS Jacob Jones (DD-61) was a Tucker class destroyer that became the only US destroyer lost to enemy action during the First World War, when she was sunk by U-53.

USS Wadsworth (DD-60)

USS Wadsworth (DD-60) was a Tucker class destroyer that operated from Queenstown and then Brest during the American involvement in the First World war, carrying out a large number of attacks on possible U-boats without recorded success.

Monday, October 17, 2016

Frederick William III (1770-1840, r.1797-1840)

Frederick William III (1770-1840, r.1797-1840) was king of Prussia during the Napoleonic Wars, and led Prussia during one of the most disastrous periods in her history in 1806-7 and during her revival in 1813-15.

Frederick William II of Prussia (1744-1797, r.1786-1797)

Frederick William II of Prussia (1744-1797, r.1786-1797) was the king of Prussia at the start of the French Revolutionary Wars, and led Prussia into the War of the First Coalition, before losing interest and taking his country out of the war early in 1795.

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Medium Tank M4A6

The Medium Tank M4A6 was the final production version of the Sherman, and used the composite hull introduced late in the production of the M4 and a modified version of the Wright Cyclone engine that could use diesel fuel.

Medium Tank M4E1

The Medium Tank M4E1 was an experimental version of the Sherman that used a diesel version of the Wright G200 Cyclone air-cooled radial engine.

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Victory was Beyond Their Grasp, Douglas E. Nash.

Victory was Beyond Their Grasp, Douglas E. Nash
A history of the 272nd Volks-Grenadier Division, based around the company records of Fusilier Company 272, and tracing the unit from its formation, through the bitter fighting in the Hürtgen Forest, and on to the brief defence of the Rhine and the final chaotic retreat into the heart of Germany. An excellent history of a division that suffered a huge number of casualties, with the Fusilier Company alone suffered over 200% casualties
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Frontline Medic: Gallipoli, Somme, Ypres: The Diary of Captain George Pirie, R.A.M.C. 1914-17, Michael Lucas.

Frontline Medic: Gallipoli, Somme, Ypres: The Diary of Captain George Pirie, R.A.M.C. 1914-17, Michael Lucas
Follows the experiences of a South African doctor from a Scottish family through some of the most notorious battles of the First World War, following Pirie in and out of the lines. An uncut diary that includes both dramatic accounts of major Allied attacks and rest time out of the trenches, as well as the day-to-day life in and around the trenches. Unedited after the war, this gives a contemporary day by day view of Pirie's view of the war.
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The War of the Spanish Succession 1701-1714, James Falkner.

The War of the Spanish Succession 1701-1714, James Falkner
An excellent new single volume history of this important conflict, covering all of the areas of conflict and the related diplomatic manoeuvres. Provides a clear example of a war in which outstanding military victories didn’t lead to the sort of political results that one might have expected, but one that still greatly reduced the power of France and set the tone for the series of wars that dominated the Eighteenth Century
[read full review]

Thursday, October 06, 2016

Boulton & Paul P.69

The Boulton & Paul P.69 was a design for a bomber/ transport aircraft, based on the earlier P.64 mail carrier

Boulton & Paul P.67

The Boulton & Paul P.67 was a design for a monoplane fighter produced to satisfy Air Ministry Specification F.7/30.

Wednesday, October 05, 2016

Medium Tank M4A4/ Sherman V

The Medium Tank M4A4/ Sherman V had a welded hull and used the Chrysler multibank engine. The engine was rejected for use by the US Army, but proved to be very reliable in Britain, where over 7,000 tanks were received

Medium Tank M4A3/ Sherman IV

The Medium Tank M4A3/ Sherman IV had a welded hull and Ford V-8 engine, and was one of the main US service versions. It was also the version chosen for use after the end of the Second World War.