Friday, September 30, 2016

Artaphernes the Younger

Artaphernes the Younger was one of the defeated Persian commanders at the battle of Marathon (490 BC).

Artaphernes the Elder (fl.500-492 BC)

Artaphernes the Elder (fl.500-492 BC) was the Persian satrap of Sardis during the Ionian Revolt, and a half brother of the Emperor Darius I.

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Boulton & Paul P.66

The Boulton & Paul P.66 was a design for a general purpose aircraft, to replace the numerous Westland Wapati and Fairey Gordon biplanes.

Boulton & Paul P.63 Streamline

The Boulton & Paul P.63 Streamline was a design for a high performance interceptor that came at the end of a family of similar designs.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

USS Porter (DD-59)

USS Porter (DD-59) was a Tucker class destroyer that served from Queenstown in 1917-18, damaging U-108 in April 1918, and then from Brest later 1918.

USS Conyngham (DD-58)

USS Conyngham (DD-58) was a Tucker class destroyer that served from Queenstown in 1917-18 then with the US Coast Guard from 1924-1933.

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

The Fall of the Seleukid Empire, 187-75 BC, John D. Grainger.

The Fall of the Seleukid Empire, 187-75 BC, John D. Grainger
Looks at the last century of the Seleukid Empire, a period of near constant decline, repeated civil wars and family disputes that eventually saw this powerful empire dwindle away and disappear. A good, convincing narrative produced from a limited number of available sources, following the decline of what was once the largest of the successor states to Alexander the Great
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Barbarossa Derailed: The Battle for Smolensk 10 July-10 September 1941: Vol3 : The Documentary Companion. Tables, Orders and Reports prepared by participating Red Army forces, David M. Glantz

Barbarossa Derailed: The Battle for Smolensk 10 July-10 September 1941: Vol3 : The Documentary Companion. Tables, Orders and Reports prepared by participating Red Army forces, David M. Glantz
Contains the supporting evidence to go with the first two narrative volumes in this series. Organised largely to match the chapters in the first two volumes, the aim to allow the reader to confirm Glantz's conclusions. This volume will be of fairly limited appeal, but it will be of great value for the serious student of the fighting on the Eastern Front
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Barbarossa Derailed: The Battle for Smolensk 10 July-10 September 1941: Vol 2: The German Advance on the Flanks and the Third Soviet Counteroffensive, 25 August-10 September 1941, David M. Glantz.

Barbarossa Derailed: The Battle for Smolensk 10 July-10 September 1941: Vol 2: The German Advance on the Flanks and the Third Soviet Counteroffensive, 25 August-10 September 1941, David M. Glantz
Makes the case that the repeated Soviet counterattacks around Smolensk played a major part in shaping German strategy in 1941, proving that the Red Army would put up more resistance than expected, and diverting German attention away from Moscow and onto their flanks, where they would win a spectacular victory around Kiev. This volume focuses on the third Soviet counterattack and Guderian's move south towards Kiev. Heavily supported by documents, Glantz makes a very convincing case.
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Monday, September 26, 2016

Marshal Dominique-Catherine, marquis de Pérignon (1734-1818)

Marshal Dominique-Catherine, marquis de Pérignon (1734-1818) combined military and political careers, with his main military achievements coming against Spain during the War of the First Coalition.

Marshal Bon Adrien Jeannot de Moncey, duc de Congeliano (1754-1842)

Marshal Bon Adrien Jeannot de Moncey, duc de Congeliano (1754-1842) was a Napoleonic marshal who took part in three separate wars against Spain, successfully in the first and last, but suffering a loss of reputation during the second.

Friday, September 16, 2016

Medium Tank M4A2/ Sherman III

The Medium Tank M4A2/ Sherman III was the third version of the tank to be standardized, but the second to enter production. It used the welded hull of the M4 and a General Motors diesel engine, and was mainly used for Lend Lease, with most going to the UK and others to the Soviet Union.

Medium Tank M4A1/ Sherman II

The Medium Tank M4A1/ Sherman II was the second version of the Medium Tank M4 to be standardized but the first to enter production. It combined a cast upper hull and a Wright radial engine, and was used by US and UK forces.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Artaxerxes III (r.359-338 BC)

Artaxerxes III (r.359-338 BC) was the third-from-last Persian emperor of the Achaemenid dynasty, and restored Persian control of Egypt after just over sixty years of independence. Before he came to the throne he was called Ochus, but he took his father's name after becoming Emperor.

Artaxerxes II (r.404-359 BC)

Artaxerxes II (r.404-359 BC) was a Persian Emperor whose long reign was marred by a series of rebellions, most of which failed, although Egypt managed to win its independence in 405 and defeated all of Artaxerxes's attempts to restore Persian control.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Boulton & Paul P.58

The Boulton & Paul P.58 was the designation given to a series of designs for a fleet spotter, produced in response to Specification S.9/30.

Boulton & Paul P.37 Streamline

The Boulton & Paul P.37 Streamline was a design for a sesquiplane day bomber that was the first in a series of similar designs, none of which entered production.

Monday, September 12, 2016

The Seeds of Disaster: The Development of French Army Doctrine, 1919-39, Robert A. Doughty.

The Seeds of Disaster: The Development of French Army Doctrine, 1919-39, Robert A. Doughty
Looks at the problems faced by the French army between the wars, the doctrine of the methodical battle that was developed in an attempt to solve those problems, the structure of the French high command, and the debate over the correct use of tanks. A surprisingly interesting book that looks at the perfectly understandable reasons why the French army adopted the plans that led to disaster in 1940.
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Death of the Leaping Horseman: The 24th Panzer Division in Stalingrad, Jason D. Marks.

Death of the Leaping Horseman: The 24th Panzer Division in Stalingrad, Jason D. Marks
A day by day history of the 24th Panzer Division taking it from the approaches to Stalingrad to the day that the Russian offensive that trapped the Germans in the city began. Rather too one sided, but does go a good job of tracing the first part of the destruction of this unit. A shame that it finishes before the battle is completely over
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Murderous Elite: The Waffen-SS and its complete record of war crimes, James Pontolillo .

Murderous Elite: The Waffen-SS and its complete record of war crimes, James Pontolillo
A very valuable study of the many crimes committed by almost every unit of the Waffen-SS, demonstrating that the original 'classic' German units were by far the worst offenders, and that the Waffen-SS committed war crimes in every theatre of the war, and in every year of the conflict. Finishes with an examination of the reasons for these crimes and the various excuses used by various apologists and deniers.
 [read full review]

Wednesday, September 07, 2016

USS Tucker (DD-57)

USS Tucker (DD-57) was the name ship of the Tucker class of destroyers and served at Queenstown in 1917-18 and Brest from June 1918.

Tucker Class Destroyers

The Tucker Class Destroyers were an improved version of the previous O'Brien class, and were the first US destroyers that had the ability to lay mines.

Tuesday, September 06, 2016

Marshal Claude Perrin Victor, duc de Bellune (1764-1841)

Marshal Claude Perrin Victor, duc de Bellune (1764-1841) was a capable battlefield commander who was never part of Napoleon's inner circle, and tarnished his reputation by voting for the condemnation of Marshal Nay in 1815.

Friday, September 02, 2016

402nd Fighter Group

The 402nd Fighter Group went through two incarnations during the Second World War, first as a medium bomber formation in China and then as a home based fighter training unit.

373rd Fighter Group

The 373rd Fighter Group served with the Ninth Air Force and took part in the D-Day invasion, the advance across France, the battle of the Bulge and the invasion of Germany.

372nd Fighter Group

The 372nd Fighter Group was a home based training unit that served with the Fourth and Third Air Forces.

Thursday, September 01, 2016

Medium Tank M4

The Medium Tank M4 was the first version of the M4 Sherman to be standardized, but only the third to enter production. It used a welded hull and Wright R-975 air cooled radial engine, and was used by the United States and Britain.

Medium Tank T6

The Medium Tank T6 was the prototype for the Medium Tank M4 Sherman, the most important American tank of the Second World War.