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47 Echo (47 Echo #1)

by Shawn Kupfer

Russia, 2019. Combined Chinese and North Korean forces have taken increasing amounts of territory in a war that is devastating the world. Nick Morrow is a convict conscript assigned to 47 Echo--a suicide squad. No one cares whether they live or die, as long as they complete their missions. Under the command of a Marine Corps with nothing but contempt for its squadron of felons, they are on a mission to defend what's left of war-ravaged Russia. A half-Chinese drifter, much isn't expected of Nick. Like the other members of 47 Echo, he's viewed as little more than cannon fodder. However, Nick's sense of honor, analytical mind and skills on the battlefield just might be what the squad needs to survive the meat-grinder that is the front lines of this bloody war. But can Nick himself survive the brutal crimes that haunt his past?

47 Horas: La Caída y Resurgimiento de Hugo Chávez (James Mitchel no 2 #2)

by Clinchandhill

Tras tropezar con un complot para derrocar al gobierno democráticamente elegido de Hugo Chávez, James Mitchel se encuentra en medio de un golpe en el que parece estar implicado su propio país. En su nuevo cargo como agregado militar de la embajada estadounidense en Caracas, intenta escapar del horror de su última misión y de las pesadillas que siguen persiguiéndole. Pero la vida rara vez es tan sencilla en el turbio mundo de la geopolítica. Impulsado por la necesidad de enmendar los errores del pasado, Mitchel forma equipo con su mejor amigo, el oficial de inteligencia venezolano José Abrantes, en un esfuerzo por restaurar el poder democrático y evitar nuevos derramamientos de sangre en una emocionante carrera contrarreloj. Esta es la segunda novela de aventuras de James Mitchel, una obra de ficción basada en hechos reales. ¿Qué ocurrió durante el golpe de Estado más breve de la historia? 47 horas, caída y resurgimiento de Hugo Chávez, de @Clinchandhill. Un #thriller #político de ritmo trepidante basado en hechos reales.

475th Fighter Group

by Chris Davey John Stanaway

Formed with the best available fighter pilots in the Southwest Pacific, the 475th Fighter Group was the pet project of Fifth Air Force chief, General George C Kenney. From the time the group entered combat in August 1943 until the end of the war it was the fastest scoring group in the Pacific and remained one of the crack fighter units in the entire US Army Air Forces with a final total of some 550 credited aerial victories. Amongst its pilots were the leading American aces of all time, Dick Bong and Tom McGuire, with high-scoring pilots Danny Roberts and John Loisel also serving with the 475th. Among the campaigns and battles detailed in this volume are such famous names as Dobodura, the Huon Gulf, Oro Bay, Rabaul, Hollandia, the Philippines and Luzon.

48 Million Tons To Eisenhower: The Role Of The SOS In The Defeat Of Germany [Illustrated Edition]

by Lt.-Col. Randolph Leigh

This book is not intended as a definitive history of this phase of the American effort in Europe, but to record the highlights of that great project.Obviously no one person could gather and evaluate all the material for a book on the Services of Supply of the United States Army in the European Theater of Operations. Actually more than one hundred persons, ranging from a private first class to the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, contributed variously. Ten general officers, for instance, read proof and criticized chapters dealing with their particular branches.The material as a whole, however, was gathered through the Historical Section of ETO and by the historians of the staff sections. The idea of the book originated with Colonel William A. Ganoe, the original Theater Historian.

49th Fighter Group

by William Hess Chris Davey

The 49th FG was sent to Australia in early 1942 to help stem the tide of Japanese conquest in Java. Too late to save the island, the group went into action in the defence of Darwin, Australia, where the Forty-Niners' handful of P-40E Warhawks were thrown into combat alongside survivors from the defeated forces that had fled from the Philippines and Java. This book assesses the outstanding performance of the 49th FG, pitted against superior Japanese forces. By VJ-Day the group had scored 668 aerial victories and won three Distinguished Unit Citations and ten campaign stars for its outstanding efforts.

4th Armored Division In The Encirclement Of Nancy [Illustrated Edition]

by Dr Christopher R. Gabel

[Illustrated with 3 figures and 8 maps]In 1944, the 4th Armored Division played a central role in one of the more remarkable campaigns in American military history - Third Army's pursuit across France, which was capped off by the encirclement and capture of Nancy. In the course of this campaign, the 4th Armored Division practiced a mode of warfare that has since become known to the Army as AirLand Battle. In as much as the encirclement of Nancy is one of the few historical examples that shows American mechanized forces waging war in accordance with the tenets of AirLand Battle, anyone seeking a deeper appreciation of today's doctrine would do well to study this campaign carefully. The 4th Armored Division in the Encirclement of Nancy originated at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College as an introductory class for a course on modern division level operations. It is a companion piece to The Lorraine Campaign: An Overview, September-December 1944, published in February 1985.

4th Fighter Group - Debden Eagles

by Chris Bucholtz Chris Davey

Formed around a nucleus of pilots already seasoned by their experience as volunteers in the RAF's Eagle Squadrons, the 4th Fighter Group was established in England in October 1942. Initially flying Spitfires, the Debden Eagles went on to fly the P-47 and P-51, becoming in July 1943, the first Eighth Air Force fighter group to penetrate German air space. The group's record of 583 air and 469 ground victories was unmatched in the Eighth Air Force, and the group produced a cast of characters that included legendary aces Don Blakeslee, Pierce McKennon, 'Kid' Hofer, Duane Beeson, Steve Pisanos and Howard Hively. While primarily a bomber escort group, the 4th also played roles in supporting the D-Day landings, Operation Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge and the crossing of the Rhine. The group's achievements came at a price, however, for 248 aircraft were lost in combat, with 125 pilots killed in action and 105 being taken prisoner - a 42 percent casualty rate. Packed with first hand accounts, detailed aircraft profiles and full combat histories, this book is an intriguing insight into the best-known American fighter unit in World War 2.

The 4th Marine Division In World War II

by 1st Lieut. John C. Chapin

The major ground component of the active Marine Corps Reserve is the 4th Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force. The combat record of this division in World War II was exemplary; in the short space of one year it participated in four major amphibious assaults and won two presidential citations. The interest in its battle record among the reservists who now serve in its ranks has prompted the republication of this brief history, originally published in August 1945 and reprinted in 1974. This new reprint contains a brief history of the reserve 4th Division, written by Colonel Joseph B. Ruth, USMCR, a former member of the 25th Marines. Also included are copies of the division's lineage and honors, a list of its commanders, and a list of its units and their locations.The author of the 1945 history, then First Lieutenant John C. Chapin, served in the 3d Battalion, 24th Marines of the 4th Division. Assigned to the Historical Division when he recovered from wounds received in combat in Saipan, he completed this history and a similar one of the 5th Marine Division before his release from active duty.--E.H. Simmons, Brigadier General, U. S. Marine Corps (Ret.), Director of Marine Corps History and Museums

5 Group Bomber Command: An Operational Record

by Chris Ward

During the immediate period before World War Two, the RAF modified its command structure to rationalize for rapid expansion. Bomber Command was divided into six operational groups, each flying the same type of aircraft. In 1939 5 Group was flying the Handley Page Hampden, a fast, modern aircraft that carried a large payload. However, during the early daylight raids into enemy occupied Europe it suffered great losses due to its defensive armament leaving too many blind spots. The Group now turned to night bombing and mine-laying operations. During November 1940, the first Avro Manchesters entered service but were to prove dangerously unreliable. It was not until the Avro Lancaster began arriving in strength that the Group began its proud history of successful and often highly dangerous raids into the Reich, the most famous of which was No 617 Squadrons attack on the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams.Between 1939 and 1945 the Group flew 70,351 sorties with the loss of 1,888 aircraft. This book contains a lengthy narrative of the groups operations and contains individual squadron statistics, their commanding officers, stations and aircraft losses. It provides a detailed reference for one of the RAFs most important and successful operational groups.

The 5 Love Languages Military Edition: The Secret to Love That Lasts

by Gary Chapman Jocelyn Green

Advice for military couples&“As soon as I arrived in Afghanistan, I began reading The 5 Love Languages®. I had never read anything so simple yet so profound.&” — Anonymous soldierIf you are in a military relationship, you know the strain of long deployments, lonely nights, and difficult transitions. For extraordinary challenges like these, couples need specific advice.In this updated edition of The 5 Love Languages®: Military Edition, relationship expert Dr. Gary Chapman teams up with Jocelyn Green, a former military wife, to speak directly to military couples. They share the simple secret to loving each other best, including advice for how to:Build intimacy over long distancesReintegrate after deploymentUnlearn harsh military-style communicationRebuild and maintain emotional loveHelp your spouse heal from trauma and moreWith more than 20 million copies sold, The 5 Love Languages® has been strengthening millions of relationships for over 30 years. This military edition will inspire and equip you to build lasting love in your relationship, starting today. Includes stories from every branch of service, tips for expressing love when apart, and an updated FAQs section.

50 Battles That Changed the World

by William Weir

An informative look at the military conflicts that most altered the course of history and civilization, from ancient times to the modern world.Rather than celebrating warfare, 50 Battles That Changed the World looks at the clashes the author believes have had the most profound impact on world history. Ranked in order of their relevance to the modern world, these struggles range from the ancient past to the present day and span the globe many times over.Some of the battles in this book are familiar to us all—Bunker Hill, which prevented the American Revolution from being stillborn, and Marathon, which kept the world’s first democracy alive. Others may be less familiar—the naval battle at Diu (on the Indian Coast), which led to the ascendancy of Western Civilization and the discovery of America, and Yarmuk, which made possible the spread of Islam from Morocco to the Philippines.With remarkable accounts of both famous and lesser-known clashes, 50 Battles That Changed the World provides impressive insight into the battles that shaped civilization as we know it.

50 Children: One Ordinary American Couple's Extraordinary Rescue Mission into the Heart of Nazi Germany

by Steven Pressman

Based on the acclaimed HBO documentary, the astonishing true story of how one American couple transported fifty Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Austria to America in 1939—the single largest group of unaccompanied refugee children allowed into the United States—for readers of In the Garden of Beasts and A Train in Winter.In early 1939, America's rigid immigration laws made it virtually impossible for European Jews to seek safe haven in the United States. As deep-seated anti-Semitism and isolationism gripped much of the country, neither President Roosevelt nor Congress rallied to their aid.Yet one brave Jewish couple from Philadelphia refused to silently stand by. Risking their own safety, Gilbert Kraus, a successful lawyer, and his stylish wife, Eleanor, traveled to Nazi-controlled Vienna and Berlin to save fifty Jewish children. Steven Pressman brought the Kraus's rescue mission to life in his acclaimed HBO documentary, 50 Children. In this book, he expands upon the story related in the hour-long film, offering additional historical detail and context to offer a rich, full portrait of this ordinary couple and their extraordinary actions.Drawing from Eleanor Kraus's unpublished memoir, rare historical documents, and interviews with more than a dozen of the surviving children, and illustrated with period photographs, archival materials, and memorabilia, 50 Children is a remarkable tale of personal courage and triumphant heroism that offers a fresh, unique insight into a critical period of history.

50 Div In Normandy: A Critical Analysis Of The British 50th (Northumbrian) Division On D-Day And In The Battle Of Normandy

by L-Cmdr Ethan R. Williams

In late 1943, the British army ordered the veteran 7th Armored, 51st (Highland), and 50th (Northumbrian) Divisions to return to the Great Britain to provide combat experienced troops for the invasion of northwest Europe. On D-Day, the 50th Division achieved nearly all of its objectives. By mid-June, however, the 50th held positions only a few miles beyond its final D-Day positions. The apparent failures of the veteran divisions in later operations led many senior leaders to believe that these divisions had become a liability. This thesis will evaluate the performance of the 50th Division in Normandy by first examining the period before the invasion to determine the 50th's readiness for war, British army doctrine, and weapons. The 50th's prior combat experiences and pre-invasion training will be analyzed to determine the effect that prior combat had on the division. Finally, this thesis will evaluate the performance of the 50th Division in specific combat engagements in Normandy.

50 Events You Really Need to Know: History of War

by Robin Cross

Human history--from the empires of the ancient world to the superpowers of the 21st century--has been inextricably shaped by conflict and the weapons that have been used to wage it. The technologies that have produced advanced civilizations have also been harnessed to the grim business of warfare. The trains that carried working people to their first seaside holidays in the 19th century also took millions of young men to war in 1914. Nearly a century later, the computer revolution, which by 2000 had come to dominate almost every aspect of life in advanced societies, had also introduced us to a new fifth dimension of warfare, in which governments jostle brutally in cyberspace.This short history, stretching from the chariot to the Stuxnet virus which disabled Iran's nuclear enrichment programme in 2007, charts some of the most significant weapons, fortifications and tactics that have been developed in the last 2,500 years.Since 1945, the pace of change has been relentless. In the present day, the main battle tank is facing obsolescence as the master of the battlefield, and the introduction of the Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) threatens the livelihoods of many of the highly trained establishments of the world's leading air forces. In contrast, the many asymmetric conflicts raging around the globe in countries of the Third World attest to the durability of one of the 20th century's most remarkable weapons, the Kalashnikov assault rifle, developed in the later 1940s and still in service worldwide. This is a scintillating introduction to the world's most enduring phenomenon.

50 Events You Really Need to Know: History of War (50 Ideas You Really Need to Know series)

by Robin Cross

Human history - from the empires of the ancient world to the superpowers of the 21st century - has been inextricably shaped by conflict and the weapons that have been used to wage it. The technologies that have produced advanced civilizations have also been harnessed to the grim business of warfare. This short history, stretching from the chariot to the Stuxnet virus which disabled Iran's nuclear enrichment programme in 2007, charts some of the most significant weapons, fortifications and tactics that have been developed in the last 2,500 years. It is a scintillating introduction to the world's most enduring phenomenon.The 50 events include: The Egyptian New Kingdom; Heavy infantry tactics; Grand strategy of Alexander the Great; Naval warfare; Legion versus phalanx; The army on the march; Roman siegecraft; Kingship and command; Cavalry and castles; The age of chivalry; The changing battlefield; Siege trains and siegecraft; The age of Vauban; The age of Frederick the Great; The Seven Years' War; Colonial conflict; Napoleon, tactics and grand strategy; Nelson and naval tactics; The rise of the Dreadnought; Steam and steel; Firepower; Mobilization; Trench warfare; Air warfare; The Manhattan Project and Cyberwar.

50 Events You Really Need to Know: History of War

by Robin Cross

Human history - from the empires of the ancient world to the superpowers of the 21st century - has been inextricably shaped by conflict and the weapons that have been used to wage it. The technologies that have produced advanced civilizations have also been harnessed to the grim business of warfare. This short history, stretching from the chariot to the Stuxnet virus which disabled Iran's nuclear enrichment programme in 2007, charts some of the most significant weapons, fortifications and tactics that have been developed in the last 2,500 years. It is a scintillating introduction to the world's most enduring phenomenon.The 50 events include: The Egyptian New Kingdom; Heavy infantry tactics; Grand strategy of Alexander the Great; Naval warfare; Legion versus phalanx; The army on the march; Roman siegecraft; Kingship and command; Cavalry and castles; The age of chivalry; The changing battlefield; Siege trains and siegecraft; The age of Vauban; The age of Frederick the Great; The Seven Years' War; Colonial conflict; Napoleon, tactics and grand strategy; Nelson and naval tactics; The rise of the Dreadnought; Steam and steel; Firepower; Mobilization; Trench warfare; Air warfare; The Manhattan Project and Cyberwar.

Las 50 grandes masacres de la historia

by Jesús Hernández

A través de los cincuenta hechos históricos que aquí se relatan, el lector tendrá ante sí un aciago panorama de lo que ha significado la masacre a lo largo de la historia. El asesinato masivo de personas inocentes ha sido, desgraciadamente, una constante en la historia de la Humanidad, desde el exterminio de los habitantes de Jericó en el 1.500 a.C. hasta los grandes atentados terroristas del siglo XXI, pasando por la aniquilación de los cátaros en 1209, la Matanza de San Bartolomé en 1572, la masacre de Wounded Knee en 1890, el Bloody Sunday de 1972 o el aplastamiento de la revuelta de 1989 en la plaza de Tiananmen. A través de los cincuenta hechos históricos que aquí se relatan, el lector tendrá ante sí un aciago panorama de lo que ha significado la masacre a lo largo de la historia. Y podrán llegar a una conclusión tan inesperada como inquietante; sólo una minoría de los perpetradores de esas carnicerías pagarían por sus crímenes y, además, muchos de ellos alcanzarÌan el reconocimiento público y los máximos honores, incluido el Premio Nobel de la Paz.

50 Guns That Changed the World: Iconic Firearms That Altered the Course of History

by Robert A. Sadowski

Discover how fifty great firearms influenced and helped shape our world. World history has always been interwoven with developments in firearms technology and so is peppered with legendary guns. Since the invention of gunpowder, nations have raced to create more useful and powerful firearms with which to protect, conquer, and hunt. 50 Guns That Changed the World explores the most significant firearms from the past two hundred years, from deadly weapons of war to quaint plinking guns. Included are: Winchester Model 1873 Colt 1911 Mauser Model 98 M1 Garand Ruger 10/22 AK-47 AR-15 Benelli M2 Glock G17 Barrett 82A1 Discover the history, design details, operation, variants, and users of each firearm, illustrated with archival photography from the manufacturers and of the guns in action. Firearms enthusiasts, history buffs, hunters, and shooters will all find something to marvel at in this gorgeous full-color book.

50 Years of Research on Man in Flight

by Charles A. Dempsey

This 50th Anniversary Celebration is a gala review of the last half century of research in aviation medicine. This research has fundamentally shaped the evolution of aircraft design from the wood and wire biplanes to the Space Shuttle. Many renowned scientists have worked in this creative multidisciplinary environment, to evolve pioneering knowledge and established World records that have stood the test of time. Their numbers are legend. Their efforts are unsurpassed anywhere in the world. The published literature from 1935 to 1985 has set the standard for air vehicle design in this country and abroad. Wherever man interfaces with the air vehicle, the mark of aeromedical research is clearly evident in both the hardware design and its functional operation. It is the integration of engineering and medicine which made these achievements possible. The next half century will make even bolder strokes in manned flight.

50 Years On: A Prejudiced History of Britain Since the War

by Roy Hattersley

In FIFTY YEARS ON, Roy Hattersley explores and explains the events which have shaped modern Britain. Combining acute analysis of domestic politics with a brilliant eye for the bigger picture, his 'prejudiced history' takes the reader from the high hopes of 1945 to the cynicism of end-of century Britain. Roy Hattersley focuses his attention on two particular features of post-war Britain: the perpetuation of an education system which fails to meet the needs of the whole country, and our stubborn refusal to accept that the United Kingdom is a medium-sized European nation which can only increase its power and prosperity by real integration within the European union. FIFTY YEARS ON is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the forces that have shaped us.

50 Years On: A Prejudiced History of Britain Since the War

by Roy Hattersley

In FIFTY YEARS ON, Roy Hattersley explores and explains the events which have shaped modern Britain. Combining acute analysis of domestic politics with a brilliant eye for the bigger picture, his 'prejudiced history' takes the reader from the high hopes of 1945 to the cynicism of end-of century Britain. Roy Hattersley focuses his attention on two particular features of post-war Britain: the perpetuation of an education system which fails to meet the needs of the whole country, and our stubborn refusal to accept that the United Kingdom is a medium-sized European nation which can only increase its power and prosperity by real integration within the European union. FIFTY YEARS ON is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the forces that have shaped us.

500 of the Best Cockney War Stories (The World At War)

by Various Various

Excerpt: "On the morning of September 11, 1879, I lay shivering with fever and ague at Alikhel in Afghanistan. So sick did I seem that it was decided I should be carried a day's march back to G.H.Q. on the Peiwar Kotal to see if the air of that high mountain pass would help me to pull myself round. Polly Forbes, a boy subaltern not very long from Eton, was sent off to play the part of nurse. We reached the Peiwar Kotal without any adventure, and were allotted a tent in the G.H.Q. camp pitched where the road between the Kurram Valley and Kabul ran over the high Kotal or pass. Next morning, although still rather weak in the knees, I felt game for a ride to the battlefield. So we rode along the high ridge through the forest of giant deodars looking for mementoes of the battle. The fact was that we were, although we knew it not, in a very dangerous No Man's Land. We had reached a point about two miles from camp when we were startled by half a dozen shots fired in quick succession and still more startled to see some British soldiers rushing down towards us from the top of a steep-sided knoll which crowned the ridge to our immediate front. Close past us rushed those fugitives and on, down the hillside, where at last, some hundred yards below us, they pulled up in answer to our[10] shouts. But no amount of shouts or orders would bring them up to us, so we had to get off our ponies and go down to them. There were seven of them—a Corporal and three men belonging to one of the new short service battalions and three signallers—very shaky the whole lot. Only one was armed with his rifle; he had been on sentry-go at the moment the signalling picquet had been rushed—so they said—by a large body of Afghans. What was to be done? I realised that I was the senior. Turning to the Corporal I asked him if he could ride. "Yes, sir," he replied rather eagerly. "Well, then," I commanded, "you get on to that little white mare up there and ride like hell to G.H.Q. for help. You others go up with him and await orders." Off they went, scrambling up the hill, Forbes and I following rather slowly because of my weakness. When we got up to the path, ponies, syces, all had disappeared except that one soldier who had stuck to his rifle."

5000 Miles Towards Tokyo

by Green Peyton

How the United States won the Naval Struggle in the Pacific…HERE AT LAST IS THE ACCOUNT OF the brilliant but hitherto undescribed strategy which carried American amphibious forces from the American West coast to the gates of Tokyo. Written by Green Peyton, novelist, journalist, and most recently a naval officer in the Pacific, it tells why Japan was already on her knees when the first atomic bomb landed and Russia marched on Manchuria.Within one year, the United States changed from a nation fighting a delaying or defensive war in the Pacific to an aggressive, offensive force. The story of this amphibious war in the Pacific is told through Air Group 60 on the converted tanker Suwannee, whose members took part in every important invasion from Tarawa in November 1943, which was the Navy’s first major offensive against Japan, to Leyte in October 1944, which was the climax of the naval war in the East. Other actions included the invasion of Kwajalein, Eniwetok, Hollandia, Saipan, Guam, and Morotai. These actions carried the United States Navy from Hawaii to Asia. The Suwannee and other carriers and the air groups aboard these specialized in amphibious operations, covering the Marine and Army landings on the beaches, protecting the beach heads until new fields for fighter aircraft were in operation on shore.Thus the book is, in effect, a history of the amphibious campaigns in the Pacific and a fascinating analysis of the strategy employed by Admiral Nimitz and General MacArthur, as well as an intimate narrative of the life and exploits of the intrepid airmen of Air Group 60. It provides brief word-sketches of the men who make up the Navy, from admirals down to the brave, hard-working, rarely publicized mechanics, gunners, and air crewmen. For the layman this book is the payoff on invasion tactics. The narrative shows exactly how a complex invasion armada carried out its landings on hostile beaches.

506 Parachute Infantry Regiment In Normandy Drop [Illustrated Edition]

by Colonel S. L. A. Marshall

Includes six maps.This is actual story of parent regiment of the famous "Band of Brothers" Easy company.As the tens of thousands of American troops began their approach toward the forbidding German-defended Normandy coast, their comrades in the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions had already flown over the Channel and began dropping and gliding into enemy territory. The Airborne Divisions had a role critical to the success of the entire Normandy Landings; beyond the initial beach landing areas were miles of flooded defended ditches and waterways. If the German troops managed to defend these bottlenecks the Americans on Utah Beach, at the extreme right of the operation, would be unable to move forward and might have foundered on the beach.The capture and retention of the two southernmost exits were assigned to the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment; the plan was well thought-out and would have in all likelihood have succeeded handsomely. However the drop of the 506th like many of their comrades on D-Day was wide and scattered all across the Normandy landscape. As groups of paratroops nervously grouped together in the darkness they started small actions against whatever German positions that they came across; as officers and NCOs struggled to gain some control over the chaos the most organized moved toward their objectives. They bravely pushed forward toward their targets and held them against the rising numbers of German reinforcements; before the major link-up with the beach landings they fought and won the engagement at St-Mairie-Du-Comt against their toughest enemies, the German paratroops.S L A Marshall, the Official Historian for the European Theatre of Operations, interviewed the men of the 506th on their return to the U.K. and from this collected material set about recording this story of their courage, dedication and fighting skill.

The 51st (Highland) Division in the Great War: Engine of Destruction

by Colin Campbell

Scotland provided two Territorial Force divisions at the outbreak of the First World War, in due course taking their place in the order of battle as the 51st (Highland) Division and the 52nd (Lowland) Division. 1066 and All That concluded that the war was won by the Americans, assisted by the Australians (AZTECS) and some Canadians, and 51 Highlanders. If nothing else, this ironic analysis showed that Major General George (Uncle, sometimes Daddy) Harper was a master of positive publicity and knew its value in building the Divisions image and morale. He commanded the Division from late September 1915 until shortly before the opening of the German Spring Offensive in March 1918, when he was promoted to the command of IV Corps; his name is firmly linked to the 51st.The Division arrived in France in May 1915 and took part in a limited (and unsuccessful) attack in French Flanders in June 1915, which revealed hardly surprising weaknesses in training. The next year was spent relatively quietly on the Somme and, from March 1916, the southern end of Vimy Ridge. Thereafter it fought on the Somme at High Wood and Beaumont-Hamel, at the Battle of Arras, at Third Ypres, Cambrai, faced two of the German spring offensives of 1918 and was then involved in the successful series of allied offensives that ended the war, in the Divisions case starting with an attack with the French and the Italians in the Champagne in July 1918.No history of the Division has been written since Brewshers in 1921. This book aims to cast a more objective light on its activities and to challenge its post war critics. It makes full use of official records and first hand accounts, including those provided by descendants with previously unpublished family records or illustrations. The books main purpose is to pay tribute to a generation that met hitherto unimagined horrors with fortitude, adaptability, resilience and humour and, despite the awful price in lives, broken bodies and minds, carried on until the job was done.

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