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US Carrier War: Design, Development and Operations
by Kev DarlingThis book covers all aspects of the operations made by US aircraft carriers, from their introduction into service during WW1 to the continuing conflicts in the Middle East. America's part in WW1 saw the deployment of US Navy aircraft operating from coastal bases - mainly Curtiss flying boats. In the immediate postwar period the first aircraft carriers were commissioned; Langley, Saratoga and Lexington. After the wreckage had settled in the mud of Pearl Harbor, US Navy fighters engaged the Japanese for the first time at Wake Island. Japan continued its conquest of the Pacific countries and Islands throughout 1941. The USN then went on the offensive when two carriers attacked the Gilbert-Marshall Islands, and the Doolittle raid against Japan was launched from USS Hornet. During the Battle of Coral Sea the US Navy achieved a significant victory. Meanwhile in the Atlantic, US Carriers including Wasp and Ranger undertook escort duties across Atlantic. The latter also helped with the supply of Spitfires to Malta.Post WW2 actions included the War in Korea when the US Navy deployed for operations covering combat on both the east and west coasts. During the War over Vietnam USMC and US Navy aircraft were deployed from carriers against targets in North and South Vietnam. Most recent carrier deployments include both Gulf Wars and continuing middle-eastern conflicts.Appendices include technical details of USN carriers and the aircraft types flown.
Up to Mametz and Beyond
by Llewelyn Wyn GriffithLlewelyn Wyn Griffiths Up to Mametz, published in 1931, is now firmly established as one of the finest accounts of soldiering on the Western Front. It tells the story of the creation of a famous Welsh wartime battalion (The Royal Welch Fusiliers), its training, its apprenticeship in the trenches, through to its ordeal of Mametz Wood on the Somme as part of 38 Division. But there it stopped.General Jonathon Riley has discovered Wyn Griffiths unpublished diaries and letters which pick up where Up to Mametz left off through to the end of the War. With careful editing and annotation, the events of these missing years are now available alongside the original work. They tell of an officers life on the derided staff and provide fascinating glimpses of senior officers, some who attract high praise and others who the author obviously despised. The result is an enthralling complete read and a major addition to the bibliography of the period.Llewelyn Wyn Griffiths was born into a Welsh speaking family in Llandrillo yn Rhos, North Wales. He joined the Civil Service as a Tax Surveyor. Aged 24 on the outbreak of War, he was accepted for a commission in the 15th (1st London Welsh) Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers and served in the Battalion or on the staff for the rest of the War. Returning to the Inland Revenue he was responsible for the pay-As-You-Earn tax system, retiring in 1952. He filled many distinguished appointments, such as the Arts Council, and was a regular broadcaster. Awarded an Honorary DLitt by the University of Wales, he was holder of the CBE, OBE, Croix de Guerre and an MID. He died in 1977.
Tigers at Dunkirk: The Leicestershire Regiment and the Fall of France
by Matthew RichardsonIn this compelling new study of the disastrous 1940 campaign in France and Flanders, Matthew Richardson reconstructs in vivid detail the British armys defeat as it was experienced by the soldiers of a single battalion, the 2nd/5th Leicesters. These men typified the ill-equipped, under-trained British battalions that faced the blitzkrieg and the might of Hitler's legions. They were thrown into a series of desperate, one-sided engagements that resulted in a humiliating retreat, then evacuation from Dunkirk. This is their story.
Breaking the Dams: The Story of Dambuster David Maltby and his Crew
by Charles FosterThis is the story of the authors uncle, David Maltby and the crew with whom he flew on the famous Dam Raid in 1943. Just five months later, on their return from an aborted mission to bomb the Dortmund Ems Canal, they all died when their aircraft went down in the North Sea. Only Davids body was recovered, washed ashore a day later, and identified by his 18 year old sister the authors mother. David was the pilot of the fifth Lancaster, J-Johnny to drop a bomb on the Mhne Dam and cause the final breach in the dam. He was then just 23 years of age, but already had 30 operations and a D.F.C. to his name.This book tells the story of the crew, what made them join the RAF when they new the risk was so high, how fate threw them together, what it was like for one crew to take part in the raid and what happened to them in the five months between Operation Chastise and their deaths. It goes beyond the raid to look at what happened afterwards and how the families left behind were affected. Their sons, brothers and fathers might have become famous but they had to cope with life and loss in the same way as did thousands of other British families.
Combat Codes: A full explanation and listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied air force unit codes since 1938
by Vic FlinthamThe authors of 'Combat Codes' have painstakingly researched the codes used by the RAF to replace unit markings during World War II in order to attempt to confuse the enemy.
Die Hard, Aby!: Abraham Bevistein - The Boy Soldier Shot to Encourage the Others
by David ListerRecent books, many by Pen and Sword, such as Shot At Dawn have highlighted the shocking cases of young British soldiers in the Great War being executed by their own side. All too often their trials were cursory and the evidence flimsy. This scandal has appalled right-minded people of all political persuasions. This book examines in depth the case of a young Jewish boy, Aby Beverstein who enlisted in the Middlesex Regiment. Aby was wounded, hospitalized and on (possibly premature) release did not return to his battalion immediately. The authorities arrested and tried him.His execution was greeted with horror by his family and those who knew him and readers will feel equally outraged.
Digging the Trenches: The Archaeology of the Western Front
by Andrew Robertshaw David KenyonThis comprehensive, illustrated survey of the latest in battlefield archaeology reveals &“intimate insight into the realities of life&” during WWI (Current Archaeology).Modern methods of archaeological, historical, and forensic research have transformed our understanding of the Great War. In Digging the Trenches, battlefield archaeologists Andrew Robertshaw and David Kenyon introduce the reader to this exciting new field and explore many of the remarkable projects that have been undertaken.Robertshaw and Kenyon show how archaeology can be used to reveal the positions of trenches, dugouts and other battlefield features, as well as what life on the Western Front was really like. They also show how individual soldiers are coming into focus as forensic investigation is so highly developed that individuals can be identified and their fates discovered.&“An excellent introduction to the subject…Digging the Trenches is essential reading.&”—Gary Sheffield, Military Illustrated&“What a splendid book this is.&”—Neil Faulkner, Current Archaeology
From Dogfight to Diplomacy: A Spitfire Pilot's Log, 1932–1958
by Donald MacDonellMacDonell's service career began in the 1920s. Shortly before the war he became a Squadron Leader and worked at the Air Ministry during the Phoney War. When hostilities commenced he became CO of No 64 Squadron, carrying out convoy support operations and eventually fighting in the Battle of Britain. Awarded a DFC, he was given command of a squadron at Leconfield to train urgently required pilots. Eventually he was shot down over the English Channel and rescued by a U-boat, this resulted in a lengthy period as a PoW in camps throughout enemy occupied Europe and Germany. During this period he was involved with the famous 'Wooden Horse' escape and was eventually freed by advancing Russian troops.Upon his return to the UK he was promoted Wing Commander and worked on the Cabinet Office staff before moving to Headquarters Flying Training Command. He was then appointed Chief Flying Instructor at Cranwell before successfully applying for the post of British Air Attach in Moscow.
Fire in the Sky: Flying in Deference of Israel
by Amos AmirGeneral Amos Amir's autobiography tells the story of the man, the warrior and the commander and the story of the struggling, newly-born, Israeli Air Force. From the Six Days War of 1967 and onward, the IAF turned to be an extremely important component of the overall Israeli defense power. The years from the Sinai War in 1956, through the Six-Day-War, the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and the Lebanon War in 1982, were the years of Amir's flying, fighting and commanding career.Amir tells his own story in talented, vivid and fluent language. He succeeds in pulling the reader into his narrow cockpit from the early stages of his flying school to later air combats and reconnaissance missions. Tense dogfights, long-range reconnaissance missions and memorable aerial episodes, including piloting a Phantom jet from the deck of the American carrier Kitty Hawk, are vividly described. The book reveals previously untold stories about the traumatic Yom Kippur War of 1973 and the early stages of the war in Lebanon in the 1982.
The Four Geniuses of the Battle of Britain: Watson-Watt, Henry Royce, Sydney Camm & RJ Mitchell
by David Coles Peter Sherrard"Had it not been for the vital contributions of the four men and their inventions described in this book the Battle of Britain could not have been won by the Royal Air Force. Each of these brilliant men contributed enormously to the aircraft and equipment upon which the gallant RAF fighter pilots depended to take on and defeat the hitherto overpowering Luftwaffe during Hitlers European onslaught. Watson Watt was the moving force behind Britains vital early warning radar network that allowed Allied fighter aircraft to intercept the incoming German bomber raids. Henry Royce was the driving force throughout the development of the Merlin engine that powered both the Hurricane and Spitfire.Sydney Camm persevered with the design of the Hawker Hurricane which was to destroy more Luftwaffe bombers in the Battle than any other type. It was amazingly resilient and provided an extremely stable gun platform. Never living long enough to see the success of his beautiful Spitfire, RJ Mitchell was the designer of the only British aircraft that could outperform the Nazi Bf 109s fighters and which allowed the attacking Hurricanes a little more safety while doing their job below. This is the story of those men behind the scene of the greatest air battle in history. "
The Hell They Called High Wood: The Somme 1916
by Terry NormanThis WWI military history presents a close examination of the costly but victorious Attack on High Wood during the Battle of the Somme. From July 1st to November 18th of 1916, British and French allies fought against the German Empire in the Battle of the Somme, one of the bloodiest military engagements of all time. Its fiercely contested focal point was a 75-acre patch of forest known as High Wood. The Germans showed great determination and sacrifice defending the feature. It was not until September that it finally fell to the attackers. Yet despite the historic victory, the successful divisional commander was dismissed for "wanton waste of men". In The Hell They Called High Wood, military historian Terry Norman paints a graphic and gruesome picture of the fighting in this pivotal battle. He also sheds light on the frontline force&’s relationship to high command—and the problems it caused.
The Hunters and the Hunted: The Elimination of German Surface Warships around the World 1914-15
by Bryan Perrett"At the start of World War One the Imperial German Navy had a large number of surface warships deployed around the world. These posed a considerable threat to British mercantile interests, particularly the import of food and fuel supplies. Their elimination was a matter of urgency. This book covers the major actions and includes the following: The escape of the Goeben and Breslau to Turkey, where they became units of the Turkish Navy serving in the Black and Aegean Seas. The remarkable cruise of the Emden. Detached from the German East Asia Squadron she sank a Russian cruiser, a French destroyer, 21 merchant ships and destroyed cargo valued at 3 million. She was cornered and sunk by the Australian cruiser Sydney while raiding the Cocos Islands. The mystery of the Karlsruhe, destroyed by an internal explosion. The German East Asiatic Squadron, consisting of the armored cruisers Schanhorst and Gneisienau and several light cruisers made passage across the Pacific to the west coast of South America where they encountered and sank two British cruisers, the Monmouth and Good Hope. The Konigsberg operated from Germanys colony of Tanga. After sinking a British cruiser she hid in the upper reaches of the Rufiji River. After a lengthy naval and air campaign by British forces she was finally destroyed by the indirect fire from two RN Monitors. By the middle of 1915 the high seas had been mostly cleared of German surface warships, but two armed German ships dominated Lake Tanganyika. Two British armed motor boats were shipped to the West African coast from England and made their way by river and overland haulage to the lake, a 400 mile journey. The result was the destruction of the German lake boats and the invasion of Tanganyika by British forces. This operation became the inspiration for CS Foresters novel The African Queen and the film that followed. "
The Quiet Gunner at War: El Alamein to the Rhine with the Scottish Divisions
by Richmond GorleIn 1939 Dick Gorle was already a professional soldier but stationed in India. After the Dunkirk disaster he was recalled and initially involved in training recruits at Plymouth before going north to form the Highland Division Gunners.We hear of the journey to Egypt and thereafter it is intense action at El Alamein under Monty and the long grueling advance to Tripoli. The invasion of Sicily followed and Gorle describes the horrors of war in the mountains and towns while the locals appeared almost oblivious to the momentous events unfolding around them.Called back to attend Staff College, Gorle rejoined the fray in North West Europe as his Regiment, part of the Lowland Division, received thanks and welcome from those liberated, and fierce and deadly resistance from the retreating Germans. His memoir sums up the elation of victory, the closeness of comradeship and the desperate sadness of losses.
An Anzac on the Western Front: The Personal Reflections of an Australian Infantryman from 1916 to 1918
by H.R. Williams&“A remarkably candid and graphic account&” of the World War I service of a member of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Britain at War Magazine). Having enlisted in 1915 and serving in the 56th Battalion Australian Imperial Force, Harold Roy Williams arrived in France, from Egypt, on June 30, 1916. He describes the horrors of the Fromelles battlefield in shocking clarity and the conditions the troops had to endure are revealed in disturbing detail. Surviving a later gas attack, Harold Williams&’s subsequent postings read like a tour of the Western Front. Following the Somme, there was the mud and squalor of the line south of Ypres, the German Spring Offensive of 1918, the Battle of Amiens—frequently described as the most decisive battle against the Germans in France and Flanders—the capture of Villers-Bretonneux and, finally, the assault on Péronne. Injured at Péronne and invalided back to the United Kingdom, Williams survived the war to return to Australia in 1919. An Anzac on the Western Front is his vivid description of his service in the First World War—an account that was described as &“the best soldier&’s story . . . yet read in Australia&” when it was first published. &“Williams&’ experience was defined by his rise from private soldier to platoon commander and he confined his writing to it. This is a story of cold, hunger, injury, fear, humour, friendship and death . . . So bloody good.&” —War History Online
Ypres: Nieuwpoort to Ploegsteert (Battle Lines: The Western Front By Car, By Bike and On Foot)
by Jon Cooksey Jerry MurlandBattle Lines Ypres, the first volume in Pen & Swords new series of walking, cycling and driving guides to the Western Front, is the essential companion for every visitor to the Ypres Salient and the battlefields of Belgium. Many of the most famous - and most memorable - Great War sites are featured here. Expert guides Jon Cooksey and Jerry Murland take visitors over a series of routes that can be walked, biked, or driven, explaining the fighting that occurred in each place in vivid detail. They describe what happened, where it happened, and why, and who was involved, and point out the sights that remain there for the visitor to see. Their accounts give a fascinating insight into the landscape of the front line and the acts of war that took place there a century ago.
The Battle of Britain
by John Frayn TurnerThe Battle of Britain was one of the crucial conflicts in the history of civilisation. It started officially on 10 July 1940 and ended on 31 October 1940. Hitlers plans for the invasion of England were thwarted by two types of fighter aircraft, the Spitfire and Hurricane, and a relative handful of young pilots, The Few.This fine book tells the momentous story of this unequal struggle, from the key events leading up to it, by graphic day-by-day accounts recording the action and commentary on the strategy. The authors personal knowledge of key figures means that there are many thrilling first-hand accounts by the aces, such as Peter Townsend, Bob Standford Tuck, Douglas Bader, Richard Hillary, Sailor Malan and other great men.This well-rounded book covers the contributions of Fighter Commands three Groups (10, 11 and 12) as well as the key roles played by RAF and WAAF groundstaff without whose tireless efforts the Battle would have been lost. A superb book which is unlikely to be bettered in its class.
Dover and Folkestone During the Great War
by Christine George Michael GeorgeFor centuries the south coast of Kent in particular the ports of Dover and Folkestone—have been Englands front line, as her enemies have planned invasions and launched attacks from just across the Channel. During the Great War of 1914–1918 these two towns were again vulnerable to enemy action, and they played a vital role in war effort. As this well-researched and highly illustrated book shows, the people of the Channel Ports suffered from bombardment by air and sea. They also played a significant role in the experience of the men who fought in the Great War. For the humble soldier, this stretch of coastline had a personal meaning—it represented Blighty. It might be the last thing the departing Tommy would see of his country and, for a soldier returning wounded or on leave, the White Cliffs on the horizon were his first glimpse of home.
XD Operations: Secret British Missions Denying Oil to the Nazis
by C. C. BrazierX D Operations is the first account of the thrilling operations by the Kent Fortress Royal Engineers, a small Territorial Army Unit given the largest demolition program ever undertaken by the Royal Engineers. These took place in May 1940 with the object of destroying all the oil reserves stored in refineries in the ports along the Continental coastline from Holland to the Bay of Biscay, thus denying the Nazis vital stocks.The operations were mounted at very short notice and in extreme secrecy. Such was the importance attached to them that no plans existed for the unit's evacuation.The destruction of some two million tons of oil was a serious blow to the German war machine. Churchill was delighted with their success especially at a time of military setbacks. Although for security reasons there was no publicity at the time, they earned a generous allocation of decorations.The book describes the trip over in destroyers, frequently under air attack, the chaotic conditions ahead of the advancing Germans, the difficulties faced in carrying out the tasks and the drama of getting back to England.The unit went on to undertake further unusual expeditions from Spitzbergen to the Middle East over the next two and a half years of the Second World War.
Second World War Carrier Campaigns
by David WraggWithout the aircraft carrier, the Japanese would not have brought the United States into the Second World War through their attack on Pearl Harbour; without the carrier, the United States could not have rolled back the Japanese forces spread across the wide reaches of the Pacific and carried the war to Japan itself. Thus is can be argued that aircraft carriers were the decisive naval weapons system of the Second World War. Yet they had an uncertain start, with HMS Courageous sunk two weeks after the outbreak of war, followed by her sister, Glorious the following spring. This book is an authoritative, concise and hugely readable account of carrier operations throughout WW2. The text is given immediacy by the use of eyewitness accounts.
Waterloo 1815: Wavre, Plancenoit And The Race To Paris
by Peter HofschröerThe acclaimed historian sheds new light on the Battle of Waterloo and the defeat of Napoleon with a focus on the Prussian Army&’s critical contribution. Histories of the Waterloo campaign that brought an end to the Napoleonic Wars generally concentrate on the battle between the armies of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Duke of Wellington, giving Field Marshal Blücher's Prussian forces only passing attention. But in this fascinating historical analysis of the conflict, Peter Hofschröer provides a full account of the Prussians and their critical but often neglected side of the battle. Hofschröer vividly recounts the grueling Prussian advance towards the battlefield and the ferocious and decisive fight that broke out when they arrived. At every stage, he allows the reader to follow in the footsteps of the Prussian soldiers as they struggled across the Belgian countryside on that fateful day in 1815.
VCs of the Second World War
by John Frayn TurnerPublished for the first time in a single volume, VCs of the Second World War consolidates the accounts of the actions of every recipient. The medal of this ultimate honor is inscribed with the simple words For Valour and this cross of courage was awarded to a total of 180 men - many posthumously.As these stories of bravery are unfolded, they reveal varied exploits of incredible individual actions. And they frequently form part of larger-scale operations, whether on land, in the air, at sea or under the sea. In so doing, the book becomes a unique chronological cross-section of the crucial British and Commonwealth contribution to the war as a whole from Norway; the Battle of Britain; North Africa; the Battle of the Atlantic; the Burma campaign; the Mediterranean theater; the air assault on Germany; Normandy; to victory in Europe and the Far East.
Tunnel-master & Arsonist of the Great War: The Norton-Griffiths Story
by Tony Bridgland Anne Morgan"Sir John Norton-Griffiths was one of a breed of adventurer, pioneer, entrepreneur and soldier whose like is very seldom seen. Having learnt his trade and made his fortune mining the rich seams of south Africa, he turned his expertise to more deadly use in the Great war. He led the gallant miners who burrowed deep under enemy lines with devastating effect.He went on to wreak havoc on the Danube. Always a controversial figure, he died (or was he murdered?) in mysterious circumstances. This is the story of a true maverick who was a formidable force and legend wherever he went."
Tunnel-master & Arsonist of the Great War: The Norton-Griffiths Story
by Tony Bridgland Anne Morgan"Sir John Norton-Griffiths was one of a breed of adventurer, pioneer, entrepreneur and soldier whose like is very seldom seen. Having learnt his trade and made his fortune mining the rich seams of south Africa, he turned his expertise to more deadly use in the Great war. He led the gallant miners who burrowed deep under enemy lines with devastating effect.He went on to wreak havoc on the Danube. Always a controversial figure, he died (or was he murdered?) in mysterious circumstances. This is the story of a true maverick who was a formidable force and legend wherever he went."
The Men Who Flew the Mosquito: Compelling Accounts of the 'Wooden Wonders' Triumphant World War Two Career
by Martin W. BowmanThe twin-engined Mosquito was one of the classic aircraft of the Second World War. Famously wooden-built, its graceful lines and powerful performance have made it into an airborne icon. Its operational versatility as a fighter, low level bomber and reconnaissance aircraft was unsurpassed. In this book we get the firsthand crew accounts of a selection of the actions and missions that the 'Mossie' undertook. These include audacious raids on Nazi HQs and Gestapo jails -real precision attacks carried out by ace fliers.
Secret Letters from the Railway: The Remarkable Record of a Japanese POW
by Brian BondCharles Steel took part in two military disasters - the Fall of France and the Dunkirk evacuation, and the Fall of Singapore. Shortly before the latter, he married Louise. Within days of being captured by the Japanese, he began writing a weekly letter to his new bride as means of keeping in touch with her in his mind, for the Japanese forbade all writing of letters and diaries. By the time he was liberated 3 1/2 years later, he had written and hidden some 180 letters, to which were added a further 20 post-liberation letters. Part love-letter, part diary these unique letters intended for Louise's eyes only describe the horror of working as a slave on the Burma - Siam Railway and, in particular, the construction of the famous Bridge over the River Kwai. It is also an uplifting account of how man can rise above adversity and even secretly get back at his captors by means of 'creative accounting'!. Now, for the first time, we can share the appalling and inspiring experiences of this remarkable man.