HMS Success (1901)

HMS Success (1901) was a B class destroyer that served in home waters for her entire career, and that served with the Seventh Patrol Flotilla on east coast during 1914, before being wrecked off Fife Ness on 27 December 1914.

Amyntas III (r.393-369 BC)

Amyntas III (r.393-369 BC) of Macedon was the father of Philip II, and had a long but unstable reign, dominated by wars with the Illyrians and the Olynthians.

Jean-Baptiste Kléber (1753-1800)

Jean-Baptiste Kléber (1753-1800) was one of the most able of the French revolutionary generals, and is most famous for his short period in command of the French army in Egypt.

Porter Class Destroyers

The Porter Class Destroyers were the first destroyer leaders built by the US Navy, and were armed with eight 5in single purpose guns that made them less useful during the Second World War than the smaller destroyers of the Farragut and similar classes

The Royal Navy's Air Service in the Great War, David Hobbs

An impressive history of the RNAS, the organisation that developed many of the principles of naval aviation while under intense pressure during the First World War, only to disappear into the RAF in 1918. Traces the impressive development of the service, which ended the war on the verge of attempting a massed torpedo bomber attack on the German fleet in its anchorages, a precursor of Taranto and Pearl Harbor that was only abandoned because of the end of the war
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Pharaoh Seti I - Father of Egyptian Greatness, Nicky Nielsen

Excellent biography of the father of Ramesses II, tracing the key developments of his decade long reign, which saw Egypt recover from a period of religious and dynastic confusion, and set the stage for the long reign of his more famous son. Traces his early life, military campaigns and monumental construction projects as well as some of the more ordinary aspects of life in Seti’s Egypt. The author makes a good case for seeing Seti’s reign as key to the success of his son
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Spy of the Century – Alfred Redl & The Betrayal of Austro-Hungary, John Sadler & Silvie Fisch

Looks at one of the most famous spies of the period before the First World War, simultaneously the head of the Austro-Hungarian counter-espionage service and a Russian spy. A potentially interesting story that really needs to be better organised than it is here in order to give a clearer picture of what Redl actually did and what impact it might have had
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HMS Spiteful (1899)

HMS Spiteful (1899) was a B class destroyer that became the first British destroyer to be entirely oil powered, and spent the entire First World War as part of the Portsmouth Local Defence Flotilla.

HMS Myrmidon (1900)

HMS Myrmidon (1900) was a B class destroyer that served in the Mediterranean and Home Waters before the First World War and the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla, part of the Dover Patrol, during the First World War. She was sunk in a collision in the channel on on 26 March 1917.

Operation Fourth Term (8-11 February 1945)

Operation Fourth Term (8-11 February 1945) was an unsuccessful American offensive on the western flank of the Italian front, carried out in an attempt to capture the town of Massa.

Operation Wintergewitter or the battle of Garfagnana (26-28 December 1944)

Operation Wintergewitter or the battle of Garfagnana (26-28 December 1944) was the last German counterattack in Italy, and pushed back one Allied division before being stopped by a second.

HMS Peterel (1899)

HMS Peterel (1899) was a B class destroyer that served in home waters for her entire career, serving with the Eighth Destroyer Flotilla on the Firth of Forth from 1914-17, then moving to the Humber in 1917, spending the rest of the war with the Seventh Flotilla.

HMS Orwell (1898)

HMS Orwell (1898) was a B class destroyer that served in the Mediterranean and Home Waters before the First World War, then with the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla on the Humber in 1914, the Scapa Defensive Flotilla in 1915-17 and the Irish Sea Hunting Flotilla in 1918.

Martin XB-33

The Martin XB-33 was the designation given to two different designs for high altitude bombers, neither of which entered production.

The Martin AM Mauler was a single seat carrier based attack aircraft, designed to replace the multi-seat SB and TB types that dominated during the Second World War.

The Martin AM Mauler was a single seat carrier based attack aircraft, designed to replace the multi-seat SB and TB types that dominated during the Second World War.

The Waterloo Archive Volume V: German Sources, ed. Gareth Glover

A super selection of sources translated from German, reflecting the experience of the numerically most important nation at Waterloo, with Germans making up a sizable part of Wellington’s army, as well as Blucher’s Prussians. Almost entirely focuses on those troops in British or Dutch service, with the Prussians getting a single article. Covers the cavalry, artillery and six infantry divisions, as well as an inquiry into the behaviour of part of the medical corps. A useful selection of sources not previously available in English
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Real War Horses - The Experiences of the British Cavalry 1814-1914, Anthony Dawson

Looks at the performance of the British cavalry from Waterloo to the first year of the First World War, the last hundred years of classic cavalry warfare, and one in which the quality of the British cavalry varied quite alarmingly, probably reaching a peak of efficiently towards the very end of the period. Starts with a brief overview of how the cavalry was organised, before concentrating on eyewitness accounts of life in the cavalry, mainly using letters home, many published in the press at the time. The result is as atmospheric study of the last century in which the cavalry was a major battle winning weapon
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Nanjing 1937 - Battle for a Doomed City, Peter Harmsen

Nanjing 1937 - Battle for a Doomed City, Peter Harmsen.
A compelling but rather depressing look at the campaign that ended with the sack of Nanjing, one of the most serious Japanese war crimes of the Sino-Japanese War. Looks at the way in which the Japanese army in China slipped out of the control of the leaders at home, the advance to Nanjing, the siege of the city and the six-week long sack that followed
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HMS Wolf (1897)

HMS Wolf (1897) was a B class destroyer that served in home waters for her entire career. She was part of the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla based on the Humber in 1914-17, the Nore Local Defence Flotilla in 1917 and the North Channel Patrol at Larne in 1918.

HMS Syren (1900)

HMS Syren (1900) was a B class destroyer that served with the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla of the Dover Patrol during the First World War, and helped sink U-8 in March 1915.

12in Mortar on Railway Mount Model 1918

The 12in Mortar on Railway Mount Model 1918 carried a 12in mortar on a fully traversing barbette. Several were almost completed by the end of the First World War, and it remained in use between the wars, before the carriage was used to carry surplus 8in naval guns.

12in Gun on Batignolles Railway Mount

The 12in Gun on Batignolles Railway Mount combined American guns with a French designed firing platform that could be constructed from a purpose built railway car.

HMS Panther (1897)

HMS Panther (1897) was a B class destroyer that served in the Mediterranean and Home Waters before the First World War, and with the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla on the Humber from 1914-17, then the Nore Local Defence Flotilla and finally the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla at Dover.

HMS Seal (1897)

HMS Seal (1897) was a B class destroyer that served in the Mediterranean and Home Waters before the First World War, then with the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla on the Humber from 1914-17, the Nore Local Defence Flotilla in 1917-18 and the Irish Sea Hunting Flotilla in 1918.

Farragut Class Destroyers

The Farragut Class Destroyers were the first new American destroyers to be ordered after the First World War, and was a major improvement on the flushdecker destroyers, with a raised forecastle, 5in dual purpose guns, an increase in speed and a new stern that improved their turning circle.

B Class Destroyers

The B Class Destroyers was the designation given to all surviving 30-knot destroyers that had four funnels in 1912, in an attempt to rationalise the rather confusing mass of early destroyer types in service. Twenty were still in service at the start of the First World War, and served with a variety of patrol formations around the British Coast.

A Class Destroyers of 1912

The A Class Destroyers of 1912 was the designation given to the surviving ‘27 knotters’, the second generation of British destroyers, in 1912. By the outbreak of the First World War they were almost obsolete, but many served for most of the war, normally with the various defensive flotillas scattered around the British coast.

Operation Galia (27 December 1944-10 February 1945)

Operation Galia (27 December 1944-10 February 1945) was an SAS operation in the north-west of Italy designed to prevent the Germans moving troops from the western end of the Gothic Line to the area around Bologna, and to reduce the German pressure on the western end of the line.

battle of the Romagna or of the Rivers

The battle of the Romagna or of the Rivers was the final Eighth Army offensive of 1944 and saw them narrowly fail to break out onto the Po Plain before the winter weather forced an end to the fighting.

HMS Earnest (1896)

HMS Earnest (1896) was a B class destroyer that served in the Mediterranean until 1906 and then in home waters, serving with the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla on the east coast in 1914-17, the Nore Local Defence Flotilla at the start of 1918 and the Irish Sea Hunting Flotilla for most of 1918.

HMS Locust (1896)

HMS Locust (1896) was a B class destroyer that served in the Mediterranean from 1902-6, and with the Seventh Patrol Flotilla on the East Coast at the start of the First World War, before moving to the Scapa local defence forces late in 1914. She remained there until 1918, when she returned to the Seventh Flotilla on the East Coast.

Martin M-130

The Martin M-130 was a massive flying boat produced for the trans-Pacific route. Only three were built, and two were taken into US Naval service in 1942.

Martin PB2M/ JRM Mars

The Martin PB2M/ JRM Mars was the largest flying boat to enter service with the US Navy, although only a handful were completed for use as a transport aircraft.

HMS Quail (1895)

HMS Quail (1895) was a B class destroyer that served on the North American and West Indies Station in 1897-1903, the Mediterranean in 1905-6 and in Home waters from 1906, and with the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla on the Humber during the First World War.

HMS Griffon (1896)

HMS Griffon (1896) was a B class destroyer that served in the Mediterranean in 1900-6 and then in home waters, forming part of the Seventh Flotilla on the east coast at the start of the First World War, before spending most of the war in the local patrol force at Scapa Flow. She ended the war with the Irish Sea Hunting Flotilla.

10in Gun on Sliding Railway Mount

The 10in Gun on Sliding Railway Mount was produced using US guns on French railway mounts in an attempt to speed up production, but none were ready before the end of the First World War.

8in Gun on Railway Mount Model 1918

The 8in Gun on Railway Mount Model 1918 saw US coastal defence guns and their barbettes mounted on a low loading railway carriage. Three actually made it to France in 1918, but none saw action.

HMS Virago

HMS Virago was an B class destroyer that served on the Pacific Station in 1897-1903 and then on the China Station from 1903 until she was sold in 1919.

HMS Thrasher

HMS Thrasher was a B class destroyer that served with the Seventh Patrol Flotilla on the Umber and the Nore Local Defence Flotilla during the First World War, sinking UC-39 in 1917.

Battle of San Marino (17-20 September 1944)

The battle of San Marino (17-20 September 1944) was a short battle that saw the 4th Indian Division of the Eighth Army clear out a German force that had moved into neutral San Marino to take advantage of its position overlooking the right flank of the Allied advance up the Adriatic.

Battle of Rimini (13-21 September 1944)

The battle of Rimini (13-21 September 1944) saw the Eighth Army attempt to break though the last hilly barriers before the Romagna Plains, part of an attempt to break out into the Po valley, but the advance took longer than expected, and by the time the army reached the Romagna winter rains had turned it into ideal defensive territory. 

HMS Sunfish

HMS Sunfish was an A class destroyer that served with the Devonport Local Defence Flotilla during the First World War.

HMS Surly

HMS Surly was an A class destroyer that served with the Portsmouth Local Defence Flotilla during the First World War.