Sunday, December 08, 2019

US Army Green Beret in Afghanistan 2001-02, Leigh Neville

A look at the crucial role of the Green Berets in the fall of the Taliban in 2001-2 and the attempts to capture high value targets in the aftermath of the initial campaign. Provides a good overview of the Green Berets, and takes an unusual approach to the main campaign, following the exploits of a fictional Green Beret team during the initial campaign that led to the fall of the Taliban, before focusing on real events later in the war
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Medieval Warfare Vol VII, Issue 2: A War for England - The Battle of Lincoln, 1217

Mainly focuses on the First Baron’s War, which began as a revolt against King John but later turned into a clash between Prince Louis of France and his supporters on one side and the supporters of John’s young son Henry III on the other. Includes articles on two key sieges – Rochester and Dover, and the battle of Lincoln, one of the decisive land battles of the campaign
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Medieval Warfare Vol VIII, Issue 3: The Battle of Vlaardingen - Frisian ‘pirates’ vs the Ottonians

Focuses on one of the rare occasions in which a mainstream feudal army was defeated by unrated foes, taking place in the same Low Countries setting as many of the more famous examples. Looks at the full context of the battle, including the rise of the Ottonians, the nature of the Frisian troops who defeated the Royal troops and the battle itself. An interesting examination of a little known battle that played a major role in the history of the Low Countries
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Thursday, December 05, 2019

Interstate O-63/ L-6 Grasshopper

The Interstate O-63/ L-6 Grasshopper was a potentially promising light liaison aircraft that failed to live up to expectations, and was produced in significantly smaller numbers than the similar Taylorcraft L-2, Aeronca L-3 or Piper L-4.

Wednesday, December 04, 2019

USS Osmond Ingram (DD-255)

USS Osmond Ingram (DD-255) was a Clemson class destroyer that served as a seaplane tender in 1940-42, with the Bogue’s hunter killer group in 1943, sinking U-172, and as a fast transport in the Mediterranean and Pacific in 1944-45.

Tuesday, December 03, 2019

HMS Wear (1905)

HMS Wear (1905) was a River class destroyer that served with the Ninth Flotilla on the Tyne in 1914, at the Dardanelles in 1915 where she supported both the naval and land phases of the battle, then remained in the Mediterranean as part of the Fifth Destroyer Flotilla for the rest of the war.

Monday, December 02, 2019

Stinson O-54

The Stinson O-54 was the designation given to six Stinson Voyagers ordered for evaluation by the USAAC. More aircraft were ordered during the Second World War, and others taken over from civilian owners, becoming the L-9, and the basic design became the basis of the very successful Stinson L-5 Sentinel.

Sunday, December 01, 2019

The Irish Brigade 1670-1745 – The Wild Geese in French Service, D P Graham

An excellent history of the Irish troops who went on to form the Wild Geese, the exiled Irish forces fighting for the French. At its best when looking at the Williamite War in Ireland in 1678-81 when the Irish troops were fighting directly for James II after he had been expelled from England, and on the period before that, when Irish troops served the French and Spanish because the Test Acts prevented most Catholics from joining the British forces
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Runways to Freedom - The Special Duties Squadrons of RAF Tempsford, Robert Body

A splendid history of Nos.138 and 161 Squadrons, the Special Duties squadrons that carried agents in and out of occupied Europe, dropped supplies and generally supported the work of the resistance movements. Highly secret during the war, their records were declassified fairly quickly, but this is a rare full length study of the two squadrons, and is well overdue! Not quite a day-by-day history, but not far off, with coverage of just about every lost aircraft as well as many successful missions
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The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel, 1290-1360, trans. Nigel Bryant

The first English translation of the True Chronicles of Jean le Bel, one of the most important primary sources for the reign of Edward III and the early part of the Hundred Years War, written at the time by someone who actually participated in Edward’s early campaigns in Scotland, and who talked to participants in the events that he described. A remarkable and surprisingly readable source that gives us a rare insight into how the participants in these events saw them
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