HMS Forester

HMS Forester was an Acheron class destroyer that served with the Harwich Force, fighting at Heligoland and Dogger Bank, then supported the 3rd Battle Squadron, before taking on more anti-submarine duties. She ended the war in the Mediterranean, along with the other surviving members of her class.

USS Noa (DD-343)

USS Noa (DD-343) was a Clemson class destroyer that was converted into a high speed transport and took part in a series of amphibious landings in the South Pacific, before being rammed and sunk by another US warship on her way to the Palau Islands.

P.Z.L. P.1

The P.Z.L. P.1 of 1929 was the first Polish designed fighter aircraft, and was the first in a line of fighters that would still be in front line service a decade later, at the outbreak of the Second World War.

No.403 Squadron, RCAF

No.403 Squadron, RCAF, was a fighter squadron that was the first Canadian squadron to be formed overseas during the Second World War, and that took part in the air offensive over France, joined Second Air Force and supported the D-Day landings then moved to Europe to support the campaign in North-western Europe.

The Eastern Fleet and the Indian Ocean 1942-1944, Charles Stephenson

Looks at the difficult war experienced by the British Eastern Fleet, which was outclassed by the Japanese in 1942, largely hollowed out to help other fleets in 1943 and was only able to go back onto the offensive in 1944, once the Japanese navy had been largely neutralised by the US Navy in the Pacific. Makes a good argument that the poor quality of Fleet Air Arm aircraft in 1942 combined with the lack of any real doctrine for using large carrier air groups would have given the Japanese an advantage even against the full Britist fleet, but also argues that the Navy and in particular Admiral Somerville, actually did rather well in these difficult circumstances 

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Caesar’s Great Success – Sustaining the Roman Army on Campaign, Alexander Merrow, Agostino Von Hassell & Greagory Starace

. Looks at the role of logistics in Caesar’s military campaigns, as well as the food eaten by the Roman army, the concepts behind modern logistics and how they might apply to Caesar’s campaign in Gaul in particular, and how well Caesar performed in the task of keeping his armies supplied. An interesting approach to Caesar’s campaigns, helped greatly by the amount of attention he gave it in his own writing, combined with an intelligent look at how other elements of the campaigns must have been guided by the need for supplies. Also comes with some fun Roman recipies to try out

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They Shall Not Pass - the French Army on the Western Front 1914-1918, Ian Sumner

Built around an impressive array of first hand accounts from veterans of the French Army on the Western Front, combined with a history of the French contribution to the fighting, which for most of the war was the most significant part of the Allied war effort in the west, and allowing us to trace how the original enthusiasm slowly disappeared, largely to be replaced by a mix of determination and cynicism. A very useful addition to the English language literature on the war, giving us a better understanding of the massive French contribution to the eventual Allied victory. 

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HMS Ferret

HMS Ferret was an Acheron class destroyer that served with the First Flotilla at Harwich in 1914-16, fighting at the battle of Heligoland Bight, then with the 3rd Battle Squadron in 1916-17 before becoming a minelayer, ending the war as part of the slow division of the 20th Destroyer Flotilla of Minelayers based on the East Coast.

USS Hulbert (DD-342/ AVD-6)

USS Hulbert (DD-342/ AVD-6) was a Clemson class destroyer that served as a seaplane tender in the Aleutians in 1942-43, then as a plane guard for new aircraft carriers for most of the rest of the war.

No.402 Squadron, RCAF

No.402 Squadron, RCAF, was a fighter squadron that was mainly used on offensive duties, including the raid on Dieppe and supporting the D-Day lands, as well as taking part in the campaign against the V-1 Flying Bomb.