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Tanks in Hell: A Marine Corps Tank Company on Tarawa
by Oscar GilbertIn May 1943, a self-described "really young, green, ignorant lieutenant" assumed command of a new US Marine Corps company. His even younger enlisted Marines were learning to use an untested weapon, the M4A2 "Sherman" medium tank. His sole combat veteran was the company bugler, who had salvaged his dress cap and battered horn from a sinking aircraft carrier. Just six months later, the company would be thrown into one of the ghastliest battles of World War II. On November 20, 1943 the 2nd Marine Division launched the first amphibious assault of the Pacific War, directly into the teeth of powerful Japanese defenses on Tarawa. In that blood-soaked invasion, a single company of Sherman tanks, of which only two survived, played a pivotal role in turning the tide from looming disaster to legendary victory. In this unique study, Oscar E. Gilbert and Romain V. Cansiere use official documents, memoirs, and interviews with veterans, as well as personal and aerial photographs, to follow Charlie Company from its formation, and trace the movement, action--and loss--of individual tanks in this horrific 4-day struggle. The authors follow the company from training through the brutal 76-hour struggle for Tarawa. Survivor accounts and air-photo analyses document the movements--and destruction--of the company's individual tanks. It is a story of escapes from drowning tanks, and even more harrowing extrications from tanks knocked out behind Japanese lines. It is a story of men doing whatever needed to be done, from burying the dead to hand-carrying heavy cannon ammunition forward under fire. It is the story of how the two surviving tanks and their crews expanded a perilously thin beachhead and cleared the way for critical reinforcements to come ashore. But most of all, it is a story of how a few unsung Marines helped turn near disaster into epic victory.
Tanks of Hitler's Eastern Allies 1941-45
by Steven Zaloga Henry MorsheadThe titanic armor battles of the Russian Front are widely known, but the role of Germany's eastern allies is not as well known. Two of these countries, Romania and Hungary, manufactured their own tanks as well as purchasing tanks from Germany. These ranged from older, obsolete types such as the PzKpfw 35(t) all the way up to the latest and best German vehicles including the Tiger I and Hetzer. These tanks played a frequent role in the battles in southern Russia and Ukraine and were especially prominent in the disaster at Stalingrad where the Red Army specifically chose the weaker Romanian and Hungarian salients for their critical envelopment operation. This New Vanguard will provide a broad survey of the various and colorful tanks used. Besides covering the largest of these Axis tank forces, this book will cover the many smaller and lesser known forces including the Italian contingent in Russia, the Finnish armored force, and the small but interesting armored forces of the Russian Vlasov (RONA), Croatian, Bulgarian and Slovakian armies. This subject is seeing increasing interest in the modeling world; for example Tamiya recently announced a PzKpfw 35 (t) (suitable for Romanian, Slovak armies) a Finnish StuG III, and a Finnish BT-42.
Tanks of the Second World War
by Thomas AndersonThis comprehensive reference book presents detailed information on both Allied and Axis tanks used during WWII—illustrated with photos throughout. In Tanks of the Second World War, military historian Thomas Anderson lists all the tanks that saw significant combat, covering vehicles used by every country involved in the conflict. Presenting his subject chronologically, Anderson tracks the development of tank design and technology from World War I and the interwar period through the developments and variations that arose during World War II. Detailing each vehicle&’s technical specifications and uses in battle, this comprehensive survey also provides authentic eyewitness accounts of the tanks and their crews in battle. The text is supported throughout with wartime photographs, many of which have never been published before.
Tanks of the USSR, 1917–1945 (Fact File)
by Alexander LudekeThe Soviet Union had already begun building an armored industry as early as the 1920s. Although initially limited to reconstructing and developing Western European armored vehicles, an independent line of powerful and easy-to-produce models had been established by 1939. Even after the Second World War, the USSR expanded its armament force considerably, even planning to cross western Europe in a massive armoured wave in the event of any conflict with NATO. In this book, Alexander Ldeke looks at all the important Soviet tanks that were built from 1917 up until the end of the Second World War
Tanks on the Somme: From Morval to Beaumont Hamel
by Trevor PidgeonOn 15 September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme, tanks - one of the decisive weapons of twentieth-century warfare - were sent into action for the first time. In his previous books Trevor Pidgeon, one of the leading authorities on the early tanks, has told the story of that memorable day, but only now has his account of later tank operations during the Somme battle become available. In this, his last work which was completed shortly before he died, he reconstructs the tank actions that took place between late September and November when the Somme offensive was closed down. His account gives a vivid insight into the actions and experiences of the tank crews, and it shows the appalling dangers they faced as they maneuvered their crude, vulnerable and unreliable machines towards the enemy. His book will be essential reading for anyone who is familiar with his previous studies of the subject and for anyone who wants to follow in the tracks of the tanks as they lumbered across the battlefield nearly 100 years ago.
Tanks: A Century of Tank Warfare (Casemate Short History)
by Oscar E. Gilbert Romain V. Cansière&“For all the history buffs on warfare of the last century, Tanks is a perfect choice . . . packed with fascinating information&” (San Francisco Book Review). This Casemate Short History—by the authors of Tanks in Hell: A Marine Corps Tank Company on Tarawa—provides an informative and entertaining introduction to this iconic weapon of the last hundred years. Tanks first ventured into battle on the Somme in 1916, and by the end of the war, countries were beginning to choose &“heavy&” or &“light&” tank designs to suit their preferred doctrine. Design then stagnated until World War II brought about rapid change. Tanks would prove integral to fighting in almost every theater; the Germans swept across Europe using tanks to spearhead their blitzkrieg method of war, until Soviet tanks proved more than their match and led to some epic tank battles on a huge scale. After World War II, tank designs became increasingly sophisticated and armor undertook a variety of roles in conflicts, with mixed results. American armor in Korea was soon forced into an infantry support role, which it reprised in Vietnam, while Soviet armor was defeated in guerrilla warfare in Afghanistan. However, tanks played a pivotal role in the American &“shock and awe&” doctrine in two wars in Iraq, and tanks remain a crucial weapons system on the battlefield. &“Comprehensive despite its conciseness. For example, it addresses the employment of tanks in lesser-known conflicts such as the Indio-Pakistani and Sino-Vietnamese wars. The book provides context for contemporary tank operations and offers a perspective on the way ahead.&” —Military Review
Tanky Challenor: SAS and the Met
by Alfred Draper Harold ChallenorUntil the events of 11 July, 1963, rocketed him into the headlines of the national press, Tanky Challenor, was only known in- and admired by- the close-knit circle of friends in the SAS and the Metropolitan Police. He was also known, but only grudgingly admired, by most of the villains in the West End. On that fateful July day, however, a demonstration was staged outside Claridge's Hotel where King Paul and Queen Frederika of Greece were staying. The demonstrating at Queen Frederika's supposedly malign influence on Greek polotics, and one of them was to claim that Challenor had planted a brick on him. In no time the name of Tanky Challenor became a household word. With the help of Alfred Draper, a journalist of many years' experience, Tanky now tells the story of his life from his childhood, through his time in the SAS, where he won a well deserved Military Medal, to his eventual downfall. In no way does he attempt to excuse himself not to pour whitewash over events that have been long established. He simply sets out to explain how it came about that a young man of undoubtable intelligence but limited educational background ended up in a mental home. Now for one moment does he blame the Army, which clearly played a major role in the forming of his character, and his time in which he obviously enjoyed. But when a man is obliged to spend months behind the enemy lines and taught not only to kill but to take pleasure in killing, it is bound to leave some mark on his personality. Tanky leaves the reader to draw his own conclusions from this story which seldom moves at less then a gallop, and is packed, not only with adventure, but also with much wit and shrewd observation.
Tannenberg 1410
by Stephen Turnbull Richard HookBy 1400 the long running conflict between the Order of Teutonic Knights and Poland and Lithuania was coming to a head, partly as a result of the Order's meddling in the internal politics of its neighbours. In June 1410 King Wladislaw Jagiello of Poland invaded the Order's territory with a powerful allied army including all the enemies of the Teutonic Knights - Poles, Lithuanians, Russians, Bohemians, Hungarians, Tartars and Cossacks. This book recounts how, when the armies clashed on the wooded, rolling hills near the small village of Tannenberg, the Teutonic Knights suffered a disastrous defeat from which their Order never recovered.
Tannenberg “As It Really Was”
by General Max HoffmannGeneral Max Hofmann was well known as a consummate planner, even by the high standards of the German Army of the First World War. Working as the operation hub on the Eastern Front he and his superiors, Hindenburg and Ludendorff, used superior strategy to offset the huge advantage of number that the enemy Russian army possessed. The greatest victory that they achieved was the dramatic battle of Tannenberg, still studied today as a masterpiece. In this memoir translated from the German, Hoffmann analyses from a leadership point of view of the battle and results of the military decisions and actions of the leaders. "Tannenberg is not the work of a single person. It is the result of the excellent schooling and development of our leaders and the incomparable performance of the German soldier " states the author. Includes 7 maps.
Tap Code: The Epic Survival Tale of a Vietnam POW and the Secret Code That Changed Everything
by Carlyle S. Harris Sara W. BerryTap Code shares never-before-told details of underground operations during the Vietnam War while weaving in an inspiring story of true love, honor, and courage as husband and wife endured the hardest circumstances they had ever faced. When Air Force pilot Captain Carlyle "Smitty" Harris was shot down over Vietnam on April 4, 1965, he had no idea what horrors awaited him in the infamous Hoa Lo prison--nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton." Harris was the sixth American POW captured in the air war over North Vietnam, and for the next eight years, Smitty and hundreds of other American POWs--including John McCain and George "Bud" Day--suffered torture, solitary confinement, and abuse. Their dignity was taken, their wills were challenged, and their bodies were bruised and battered. But in the midst of the struggle, Smitty remembered once learning the Tap Code--an old, long-unused World War II method of communication through tapping on a common water pipe. He covertly taught the code to many POWs, and in turn they taught others. Simple and effective, the Tap Code quickly spread throughout the prison and became one of the most covert ways for POWs to communicate without their captors' knowledge. It became a lifeline during their internment--a morale booster, a vehicle of unity, and a way to communicate the chain of command--and was instrumental in helping them prevail over a brutal enemy. Back home, meanwhile, Harris's wife, Louise, raised their three children alone, unsure of her husband's fate. One of the first POW wives of the Vietnam War, she became a role model for many wives, advocating for herself and her children in her husband's absence. Told through both Smitty's and Louise's voices, Tap Code shares a riveting true story of ingenuity under pressure, strength and dignity in the face of the enemy, the love of family, and the hope, faith, and resolve necessary to endure even the darkest circumstances.
Tap-Dancing the Minefields
by Lyn GalaSometimes the fiercest battle a man faces is against himself. In the hidden alleyways of New York City, George “Tank” Tankersley defeated what he believed were demons. But the victory cost too much. Tank joined the Army in the hope of outrunning the guilt haunting him—only to stumble into a vast and deadly conspiracy, the enemies he’d hoped to never encounter again, and the arms of the brilliant, eccentric scientist tasked with saving humanity. In a world where the line between dark magic and alien science is thin, Dr. Lev Underwood must reverse engineer recovered alien technology to give humans a fighting chance against the extraterrestrial beings who consider Earth nothing more than a petri dish. His old friend, Colonel Clyde Aldrich, wants to protect Lev from entanglement with the scarred and emotionally volatile young soldier, but Lev cannot help the pull he feels toward Tank. Still, his first loyalty is to the secret government program, and love might have to take a back seat to protecting the world. But if he can find a way, Lev wants both.
Tapping Hitler's Generals: Transcripts of Secret Conversations, 1942–45
by Sönke NeitzelThese transcripts of wiretapped conversations between Nazi officers reveal &“a fascinating—and chilling—insight into the German view of the war&” (Financial Times). Between 1939 and 1942, the British Directorate of Military Intelligence created a number of POW interrogation camps in and around London where they secretly recorded private conversations between senior German staff officers. In this extraordinary work, historian Sonke Neitzel examines these transcripts in depth and presents the private thoughts, opinions, and secrets of Nazi officers during the Second World War. These transcripts address important questions regarding the officers&’ attitudes towards the German leadership and Nazi policies: How did the German generals judge the overall war situation? From what date did they consider it lost? How did they react to the attempt on Hitler&’s life in July 1944? What knowledge did they have of the atrocities? By turns insightful and horrifying, this unprecedented research is a must for any serious scholar of the period. &“A goldmine of information about what the German High Command privately thought of the war, Adolf Hitler, the Nazis and each other.&” —Daily Mail
Tarabas: A Guest on Earth
by Joseph RothThis modern fable of the Russian Revolution from the author of The Radetzy March follows the tragic life of a peasant who seeks meaning in violence. A Russian peasant, Nicholas Tarabas learns in his youth from a gypsy that he is destined to be both a murderer and saint. After fleeing to America under suspicion of a crime, he soon returns to fight for his homeland in World War I. Finding purpose in the army, he becomes a merciless officer, terrorizing townspeople—especially Jews. Already, the first half of the gypsy&’s prophecy has tragically come true. Only after the war and the revolution does Tarabas repent, devoting the rest of his life to attaining forgiveness for his crimes against his fellow man. It is Roth&’s special gift that, as Tarabas fulfills his tragic destiny, the larger movements of history find their perfect expression in the fate of one man.
Taranto 1940
by Angus KonstamThe Royal Navy's stunning attack on Taranto in 1940 heralded a new age of warfare. It was the decisive moment in a struggle for dominance of the Mediterranean that had gone on for months, as the British and Italian navies both looked to secure maritime supply routes for their colonies. With the enormous demands of a global war beginning to tell, the British capital ships were simply too thinly spread for a large fleet action against Taranto, where the bulk of the Italian fleet lay menacingly. How was the Royal Navy to eliminate the threat of the Regia Marina? This is the story of one of World War II's most devastating raids, recounting how a handful of obsolete Fairy Swordfish biplanes swooped in on the harbour, destroyed an Italian battleship and badly damaged two more. With expert analysis, detailed colour illustrations and a gripping narrative, this book explains the origins of the attack, how it was planned and executed, and what happened in the aftermath. Uncover the details of a strike that reverberated around the world and changed war at sea forever.
Taranto 1940: 'A Glorious Episode'
by A. J. SmithersIn the long history of the British Isles few years can stand in comparison with 1940 in terms of unrivalled gloom. The fiasco in Norway, the evacuation of the BEF from Dunkirk, the fall of France and the entry of Italy into the war were hardly offset by the success of the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain and the failure of the Italian troops in their attempted invasion of Egypt. Near the end of the year, however, there occurred an event which is remarkable not only for its dramatic effect on the course of the war but for the fact that it has virtually disappeared from public memory. This was the sinking of the better part of the Italian Fleet in Taranto harbour which, at one stroke, gave the Royal Navy control of the Eastern Mediterranean, somewhat ironically referred to by the Italians as Mare Nostrum. Perhaps even more remarkable, as A.J. Smithers describes in this book, enlivened as always and as critics have frequently remarked, by his mordant wit and extraordinary breadth of knowledge, was the means by which this feat was achieved In November, 1940, the areal torpedo was in its infancy, while its carrier, the Swordfish, known as the 'Stringbag', looked more like something left over from the previous war. But, flying at night and against all the odds, the pilots and observed achieved their objective and with one mighty stroke totally altered the balance of maritime power in the Mediterranean, at last for the foreseeable future.
Taranto: And Naval Air Warfare in the Mediterranean, 1940–1945
by David Hobbs“If you only read one book on the development of the Fleet Air Arm and Naval air warfare in the Mediterranean during World War 2 then this should be it.” —Military Historical SocietyAfter the Italian declaration of war in June 1940, the Royal Navy found itself facing a larger and better-equipped Italian surface fleet, large Italian and German air forces equipped with modern aircraft and both Italian and German submarines. Its own aircraft were a critical element of an unprecedented fight on, over and under the sea surface.The best-known action was the crippling of the Italian fleet at Taranto, which demonstrated how aircraft carriers and their aircraft had replaced the dominance of battleships, but every subsequent operation is covered from the perspective of naval aviation. Some of these, like Matapan or the defense of the “Pedestal” convoy to Malta, are famous but others in support of land campaigns and in the Aegean after the Italian surrender are less well recorded. In all these, the ingenuity and innovation of the Fleet Air Arm shines through—Taranto pointed the way to what the Japanese would achieve at Pearl Harbor, while air cover for the Salerno landings demonstrated the effectiveness of carrier-borne fighters in amphibious operations, a tactic adopted by the US Navy.The author’s years of archival research together with his experience as a carrier pilot allow him to describe and analyze the operations of naval aircraft in the Mediterranean with unprecedented authority. This provides the book with novel insights into many familiar facets of the Mediterranean war while for the first time doing full justice to the Fleet Air Arm’s lesser known achievements.“A full and fascinating story.” —Clash of Steel
Tarawa 1943
by Howard Gerrard Derrick WrightOsprey's study of the conflict between Japan and the United States during World War II (1939-1945). The island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll was defended by the elite troops of the Special Naval Landing Force, whose commander, Admiral Shibasaki, boasted that "the Americans could not take Tarawa with a million men in a hundred years". In a pioneering amphibious invasion, the Marines of the 2nd Division set out to prove him wrong, overcoming serious planning errors to fight a 76-hour battle of unprecedented savagery. The cost would be more than 3000 Marine casualties at the hands of a garrison of some 3700. The lessons learned would dispel forever any illusions that Americans had about the fighting quality of the Japanese.
Target Acquisition
by Don PendletonStony Man, the covert action arm of the Justice Department, is the highest level trump card at Presidential discretion. The handpicked team of commandos and brilliant cybernetic specialists engage in the kind of last-minute, high-difficulty and direct-intervention operations that sidestep red tape and rules. Stony Man's mandate: get the job done. With ground teams working separate missions across the globe-one against jihadists fueling terror in Pakistan and another rescuing a plane filled with American hostages in the Amazon-the cyber team at Stony Man connects the dots to an unfolding global nightmare. At its source, a megalomaniacal emir with the power and royal connections to cause international havoc. He's willing to sacrifice countless innocent lives for his own twisted vengeance. With ruthless efficiency, Stony Man engages in all-out war-to stop evil at its source.
Target America: A Sniper Elite Novel (Sniper Elite #2)
by Thomas Koloniar Scott McEwenFrom the coauthor of the #1 New York Times bestseller American Sniper comes a heart-pounding military thriller in which the fabled Special Ops unit is activated to stop a group of terrorists from launching &“suitcase&” nukes somewhere in America.When Chechen terrorists manage to smuggle a Cold War–era Russian nuke across the Mexican-American border, the President is forced to reactivate the only unit capable of stopping them: Navy SEAL sniper Gil Shannon and his brash team of SEALs and Delta Force fighters. First introduced in Sniper Elite: One-Way Trip, hailed by Publishers Weekly as a “meaty thriller” with “snappy dialogue and well-timed humor,” Shannon and his team were run out of the military after defying direct orders and instead choosing to save the life of one of their own. In Target America, Gil and his team, many of whom had gone rogue, are reunited as an off-the-books Special Ops unit that must race against the clock to save the country from nuclear destruction. #1 New York Times bestselling author Scott McEwen once again delivers a gripping and fast-paced adventure that illuminates the shadow world of clandestine military operations.
Target Basra
by Mike RossiterIn the dead of night on 20 March 2003, Royal Navy Marines from 40 and 42 Commando board a fleet of twenty helicopters. With faces blackened and mouths dry at the thought of what lies ahead, they have been given the job of capturing the oil pipelines and pumping stations through which 90 per cent of Iraq's oil is exported, to seal off the whole of the Faw peninsula and hold it against any counter-attack by the Iraqi Army. They will be the first troops on the ground in Iraq, literally kicking the door down. They will also suffer the first allied casualties in the war to overthrow Saddam Hussein.Operation Telic was a bold and audacious break with military doctrine, a night-time airborne assault against heavily defended positions. With the Commandos lightly armed and isolated, the night-time landing was just the beginning. They were engaged in a series of fast-moving and hard-fought battles as they moved rapidly north until they reached the outskirts of Basra. Finally, after a two-day battle that broke the back of the Iraqi resistance, and eighteen days after their first contact with the enemy, Royal Marine Commandos entered the presidential palace in Basra.Told from the perspective, and with the cooperation of officers and men in the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines, Target Basra is a story of courage, fortitude and the harsh realities of modern war, fought in the context of the turmoil of the Middle East.
Target Corinth Canal: 1940-1944
by Platon AlexiadesDuring the Second World War the Corinth Canal assumed an importance disproportionate to its size. It was the focus of numerous special Allied operations to prevent oil from the Black Sea reaching Italy, to delay the invasion of Crete and severing the vital German supply lines to Rommel's Army in North Africa.German airborne forces occupied the Canal to cut off the ANZAC retreat and Hitler needed the Canal kept open to maintain control of the Aegean Sea. Were this lost, he feared Turkey entering the War on the Allied side.Target Corinth Canal unearths a treasure trove of facts on the little known operations by SOE and other special force units. Heroes such as Mike Cumberlege emerge from the pages of this splendid work of military history.
Target Hiroshima
by Al ChristmanFor better or worse, Navy captain William S. "Deak" Parsons made the atomic bomb happen. As ordnance chief and associate director at Los Alamos, Parsons turned the scientists' nuclear creation into a practical weapon. As weaponeer, he completed the assembly of "Little Boy" during the flight to Hiroshima. As bomb commander, he approved the release of the bomb that forever changed the world. Yet over the past fifty years only fragments of his story have appeared, in part because of his own self-effacement and the nation's demand for secrecy. Based on recently declassified Manhattan Project documents, including Parsons' logs and other untapped sources, the book offers an unvarnished account of this unsung hero and his involvement in some of the greatest scientific advances of the twentieth century.
Target Hitler
by James P. Duffy Vincent L. RicciThis is the complete chronicle of all the attempts made to kill Adolf Hitler culminating in the July 20, 1944 bomb plot set by Colonel Klaus von Stauffenberg. But like all the preceding plots, the final attempt of 1944 also failed--even though it came very close to succeeding--and Hitler owed his survival to a few last-minute changes. The film Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise as von Stauffenberg, was a successful portrayal of that famous attempt.
Target Leipzig: The RAF's Disastrous Raid of 19/20 February 1944
by Alan CooperSeventy-nine heavy bombers failed to return from the catastrophic raid on the industrial city of Leipzig on the night of 19/20 February 1944. Some 420 aircrew were killed and a further 131 became prisoners of war. It was at that time by far the RAFs most costly raid of World War II. The town was attacked in an attempt to destroy the Messerschmitt factory which was building the famous and deadly Bf 109 fighter. The bomber stream flew into what appeared to be a trap. It seemed that the Luftwaffe and anti-aircraft guns were aware of the intended target and waiting to pounce as soon as the bombers crossed the coast. They were subjected to constant attack by night fighters and intense flak until those aircraft that remained clawed their way home and secured relative safety over the North Sea.This book analyses what went wrong. Espionage played a part, two bombers collided shortly after take off, as did others as they wove their way through enemy searchlights and maneuvered violently to escape Luftwaffe night fighters. At the outset poor navigational and meteorological briefings had hindered the bombers attempts to locate the target and confusion reigned. The author explains the concept of this third raid on Leipzig and describes the two previous ones in October and December 1943, both of which had been deemed successes. He looks at the third raid from every angle, including the defending forces and describes the daylight raid that followed on the 20th by the USAAF. The book includes appendices listing all RAF aircraft and crew on the raid, route maps and includes many photographs.
Target Lock
by James H. CobbA manufacturing and information-gathering satellite is stolen by a band of Indonesian pirates. It's up to Captain Amanda Garrett and the U.S. Navy Special Forces to get it back.