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Battle for the Baltic Islands, 1917: Triumph of the Imperial German Navy
by Gary Staff&“A very detailed operational account of the highly successful German amphibious landings in October of 1917 on the Russian islands of Osel and Dago.&”—The NYMAS Review In late 1917, the Russians, despite the revolution, were still willing to continue the war against Germany. This is an account of Operation Albion, the highly successful seaborne operation launched by the Germans to change their minds. The Baltic Islands were pivotal for the defense of the Finnish Gulf and St. Petersburg, so their capture was essential for any campaign towards the Russian capital. Only after the fall of the islands did Russia begin peace negotiations (freeing nearly half a million German soldiers for the Kaiser&’s last gamble on the Western Front). This then was a campaign of great significance for the war on both Eastern and Western fronts. A large part of the High Sea Fleet took part in the invasion of the Baltic islands, including the most modern dreadnought battleships. The Russians mounted a resolute defense despite being heavily outgunned and over a ten-day period there were many naval clashes around the islands as well as the campaign ashore, all of which are described in detail with the use of both Russian and German firsthand accounts. This book shatters the myth that the Imperial German Navy spent the last two years of the war cowering in port. &“Should be a blueprint for other military history books . . . The maps are some of the best I have seen in military books . . . The author tells the story of the campaign from the smallest mine sweeper to the various battleships involved.&”—A Wargamers Needful Things
Battle for the Bocage: The Fight for Point 103, Tilly-sur-Seulles, Vilers Bocage (Battleground Normandy Ser.)
by Tim SaundersThis WWII military study examines the combat experiences of three Allied divisions charged with spearheading the invasion of Normandy. To lead the charge into France after the Normandy landings, General Montgomery brought three veteran desert formations back from the Mediterranean. They were the 50th Infantry and 7th Armored divisions, plus 4th Armored Brigade. Their task beyond the beaches was to push south to Villers Bocage with armor on the evening of D-Day in order to disrupt German counter-attacks on the beachhead. Difficulties on 50th Division&’s beaches allowed time for German reinforcements to arrive in Normandy. As a result, 4th Armored Brigade was firmly blocked just south of Point 103 after an advance of less than five miles. A major counter-attack by Panzer Lehr failed, as did a renewed British attempt, this time by the vaunted 7th Armored Division, which was halted at Tilly sur Seulles. From here the fighting became a progressively attritional struggle in the hedgerows of the Bocage country south of Bayeux. More units were drawn into the fighting, which steadily extended west. Finally, an opportunity to outflank the German defenses via the Caumont Gap allowed 7th Armored Division to reach Villers Bocage. There then followed what the battalions of 50th Division describe as their &‘most unpleasant period of the war&’, in bitter fighting, at often very close quarters, for the &‘next hedgerow&’.
The Battle for the Caucasus, 1942–1943: Rare Photogaphs from Wartime Archives (Images of War)
by Anthony Tucker-JonesIn late 1942 Hitler's forces advanced far into the Caucasus in the southern Soviet Union in one of the most ambitious offensives of the Second World War, but this extraordinary episode is often forgotten-it is overshadowed by the disastrous German attack on Stalingrad which took place at the same time. Using over 150 wartime photographs Anthony Tucker-Jones gives the reader a graphic, concise introduction to this remarkable but neglected campaign on the Eastern Front.Operation Edelweiss was designed to seize the oil fields of Maikop, Baku and Grozny. Seen by some as a wholly unnecessary diversion of resources from the critical confrontation at Stalingrad, the assault on the Caucasus aimed to secure oil supplies for the Germans and deny them to the Soviets.As this memorable selection of photographs shows, the Werhmacht came close to success. Their forces advanced almost as far as Grozny, famously raising the Nazi flag over Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in the region, before they were compelled into a hurried withdrawal by the rapid deterioration of the German position elsewhere on the Eastern Front.
Battle for the Central Highlands
by George E. DooleyTHE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS--WHERE DANGER REIGNED SUPREME AND DEATH WAS A CONSTANT COMPANION The fighting was fierce in the Central Highlands where Green Beret George Dooley served with elite Special Forces A-teams, training the rugged Montagnards in guerrilla warfare and accompanying them on patrols. The Viet Cong and NVA were entrenched in the sparsely populated Highlands, where towering mountains gave them the ruthless upper hand. The missions Dooley led, often in enemy territory, provided a steady diet of sniping, ambushes, booby traps, and mines. As the war escalated, Dooley commanded his own A-team, and the battles against the large numbers of crack NVA troops became even more desperate and deadly. By then military command routinely assigned anything-but-routine missions to Special Forces and expected them to meet their objectives. BATTLE FOR THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS details the unbelievable valor of these legendary American warriors. . . .
Battle for the Escaut, 1940: The France and Flanders Campaign
by Jerry MurlandOn 10 May 1940 the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), under the command of Lord Gort, moved forward from the Franco-Belgian border and took up positions along a 20-mile sector off the River Dyle, to await the arrival of the German Army Group B. Their expected stay was considerably shorter than planned as the German Army Group A pushed its way through the Ardennes and crossed the Meuse at Sedan, scattering the French before them. Little did the men of the BEF realise that the orders to retire would result in their evacuation from Dunkirk and other channel ports.The line of the River Escaut was seen as the last real opportunity for the Allied armies to halt the advancing German Army, but the jigsaw of defence was tenuous and the allied hold on the river was undone by the weight of opposing German forces and the speed of the armoured Blitzkrieg thrust further south. As far as the BEF were concerned, the Battle for the Escaut took place on a 30-mile sector from Oudenaarde to Blharies and involved units in a sometimes desperate defence, during which two Victoria Crosses were awarded. This book takes the battlefield tourist from Oudenaarde to Hollain in a series of tours that retrace the footsteps of the BEF. With the help of local historians, the author has pinpointed crucial actions and answered some of the myriad questions associated with this important phase of the France and Flanders campaign of 1940.
The Battle for the Maginot Line, 1940
by Clayton DonnellWhat was it like as a French soldier to defend the Maginot Line when the Germans invaded in 1940, and was the line really a strategic and tactical disaster a massive waste of resources? Clayton Donnell's expert, finely detailed and graphic account of the role of the Maginot Line in the defense of France gives the reader an inside view of life in the bunkers, casemates and forts the sights, the sounds and the terror of the German attacks. And it questions common assumptions about the effectiveness of the resistance offered by the defenders and the impact the line had on the German assault. The layout of the line from Dunkirk to Switzerland, along the Alpine passes to the Riviera, and on the island of Corsica is described in expert detail, as is its history, construction and development. But the narrative concentrates on its performance in combat and the experience of the soldiers who manned it as the German offensive broke over them.
Battle for the Stars
by Edmond HamiltonIt was no place for man to be. Men were tissue, blood, bone, nerve. This place was not made for them. It was made for force and radiation. Go home, men.But I can't, thought Jay Birrel. Not yet...I have to go on into this place where a human being looks as pathetic as an insect in a furnace.
Battle for the Ukraine: The Korsun'-Shevchenkovskii Operation (Soviet (Russian) Study of War)
by Harold S. Orenstein David M. GlantzA comprehensive guide to the battle for the Ukraine from the Soviet perspective during the winter of 1943-1944. This volume is an unexpurgated translation of the originally classified Soviet General Staff Study No.14.
The Battle for Tinian: Vital Stepping Stone in America's War Against Japan
by Nathan N. Prefer<p>This vivid history chronicles the decisive US naval campaign that secured the Japanese island of Tinian—the site that would launch the end of WWII.<p> <p>In July 1944, the United States Navy and Marine Corps, Army, and Air Corps descended on the Pacific island of Saipan, just three miles away from the Japanese stronghold on the island of Tinian. There had been 20,000 Japanese troops on Saipan before the US unleashed a horrific all-arms campaign. The sudden silence indicated it was now Tinian’s turn.<p> <p>When the battle for Tinian finally took place, the US acted with great skill. Historian Samuel Elliot Morrison called it “the most perfectly executed amphibious operation of the entire war.” Nevertheless, the Japanese shore batteries riddled the battleship Colorado, killing scores, and made multiple hits on a destroyer, killing its captain. On the island itself, the United States used napalm for the first time, paving the way for Marines rooting out strongpoints. One last banzai attack signaled the end to enemy resistance, as Marines fought toe-to-toe with their antagonists in the dark.<p> <p>After Tinian was secured, the United States built the biggest airport in the world there—home to hundreds of B-29 Superfortresses. Among these, just over a year later, were the Enola Gay and Bockscar, which, with their atomic bombs, would quickly bring the Japanese conflict, and the Second World War, to an end.<p>
Battle for Ulster: A Study of Internal Security
by Tom F. BaldyAttention to the conflict in Northern Ireland is often pre-empted in North America by such other international problems as worldwide terrorism, eruptions in the Middle East, and insurgencies in Latin America. The Irish “troubles” seem to catch our attention primarily as headline events, such as the 1981 hunger strikes or the 1983 Christmas bombing of Harrod’s department store. Yet the protracted violence in Northern Ireland doesn’t cease between spectacular and heavily reported incidents—the violence continues daily. Indeed, since 1969, terrorist violence has killed more than 2,500 people and injured another 29,000.As Tom F, Baldy points out in this study, the British government’s internal security operation has sought for years to control the violence in Northern Ireland. To explain the existing situation, Mr. Baldy reviews the historical roots of the conflict, identifies its major factions, and outlines various options for its resolution. Baldy contends the British have managed, with their internal security operation, to limit open violence, but have failed to attain the ultimate objective: a workable, mutually acceptable political solution. Keeping that British goal in mind, Baldy speculates on Northern Ireland’s future.The “troubles” in Northern Ireland pose a continuing challenge to one of the United States’ most reliable and closest allies. The unique local issues aside, Britain’s effort to resolve the conflict within the United Kingdom nevertheless provides insights for people and governments confronting terrorism and guerrilla warfare in many other areas of the world, and reminds all of the dangers of factionalism for free governments.
The Battle for Veterans’ Healthcare: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Policy Making and Patient Care
by Suzanne GordonIn The Battle for Veterans' Healthcare, award-winning author Suzanne Gordon takes us to the front lines of federal policymaking and healthcare delivery, as it affects eight million Americans whose military service makes them eligible for Veterans Health Administration (VHA) coverage.Gordon’s collected dispatches provide insight and information too often missing from mainstream media reporting on the VHA and from Capitol Hill debates about its future. Drawing on interviews with veterans and their families, VHA staff and administrators, health care policy experts and Congressional decision makers, Gordon describes a federal agency under siege that nevertheless accomplishes its difficult mission of serving men and women injured, in myriad ways, while on active duty.The Battle for Veterans’ Healthcare is an essential primer on VHA care and a call to action by veterans, their advocacy organizations, and political allies. Without lobbying efforts and broader public understanding of what’s at stake, a system now functioning far better than most private hospital systems may end up looking more like them, to the detriment of patients and providers alike.
The Battle for Vimy Ridge, 1917 (Battleground Arras Ser.)
by Nigel Cave Jack SheldonIn a new departure in the Battleground Europe series, this book is a guide to both sides of a major battle in this case to the Canadian Corps operations against 1st Bavarian Reserve Corps at Vimy from 9 12 April 1917, which formed part of the opening of the British offensive, known as the Battle of Arras. Historically, the capture of Vimy Ridge was an event far more significant than its undoubted military importance alone. Here for the first time all four divisions of the Canadian Corps were deployed in line together in one offensive; and although the Corps went to fight even greater battles, Vimy marked a key point in the emergence of Canada as a fully sovereign nation.Although the Canadian side of the story has been well chronicled by a number of writers, until now there has been little concerning the defense during this great battle. Now, the accounts of the German soldiers and their commanders are combined with those of the Canadians and British deployed on the other side of No Mans Land and not simply those who fought above ground, but tunnelers also.
Battle Group!: German Kamfgruppen Action in World War Two
by James LucasThe author of War on the Eastern Front offers an in-depth analysis of Nazi Germany&’s shock troop tactics in every theater of WWII. The German army in the Second World War sought to fight and win swift, decisive victories in a succession of short campaigns known as blitzkrieg, or &“lightning war.&” Flexibility was as essential as the will to win. Battle groups, or shock troops, were created from miscellaneous and often disparate military units to undertake a specific local operation; it was the army's skill in combining superior numbers, aggressive tactics and the battle group commander's ability to exploit the changing situation on the ground which brought success on the battlefield. The actions described here cover all theaters of the war, and include battle groups large and small, deployed usually to smash a breach in the enemy line or seal off an enemy penetration. It covers operations in the first dynamic years when Wehrmacht forces defeated the armies of one European country after another in fast campaigns, through to the years after Stalingrad and Africa as they moved towards defeat. The battle groups&’ contribution to Wehrmacht fortunes offer powerful lessons in the tactics of battle management, and this book by James Lucas, a military historian known for his close studies of the German soldier, is considered to be one of the most detailed and authoritative accounts on the subject.
Battle Hardened: An Infantry Officer's Harrowing Journey from D-Day to V-E Day
by Craig S. ChapmanBattle-Hardened: An Infantry Officer's Harrowing Journey from D-Day to VE-Day tells the story of an American soldier's growth from a 2nd Lieutenant eager to prove his worth in battle to a skilled and resolute commander over the course of the Northern European Campaign. Craig Chapman delves deep into the personal recollections and mental state of Bill Champman as he fought against the Nazis, enduring frontline combat and witnessing horror on a massive scale. Lieutenant Chapman maintains his sanity by isolating his emotions from the chaos of the battlefield, and the young officer turns into a hard-edged warrior who dispassionately orders men to risk their lives yet still manages to hold onto his humanity.
Battle Hymn
by Col. Dean E. HessThe explosive, true story of a man of God turned fighter pilot who fought and prayed his way through 300 combat missions and two wars.Author Dean E. Hess is the subject of this inspiring autobiography, Battle Hymn, first published in 1956, which tells of his experiences as a U.S. Air Force colonel, including his involvement in the so-called “Kiddy Car Airlift” during the Korean War on December 20, 1950.With the airfield over capacity, Hess sent Korean orphans to an orphanage in Seoul. When the North Korean forces began to capture the city, Hess reportedly organized 15 C-54 Skymaster aircraft to airlift 950 orphans and 80 orphanage staff from the path of the Chinese advance to safety on Jeju Island. When Hess departed Korea in June 1951, a new orphanage on this island held over 1,000 Korean children.The book later served the basis for the 1957 film of the same name, where he was played by Rock Hudson.“Stirring”—San Francisco Chronicle“In his career as a war correspondent Quentin Reynolds has met his share of heroes, but few of them, he says have impressed him as deeply as Col. Dean E. Hess.”—Readers Digest“Twentieth century American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have enjoyed a warm reputation for caring about the children of the lands they have fought in. Col. Dean E. Hess—Air Force humanitarians—well represents this tradition.”—The Times Magazine
Battle Hymn
by William C. DietzFrom the New York Times bestselling author of the Legion of the Damned® novels comes the final volume in the postapocalyptic military science fiction trilogy about America warring with itself and the people trying to keep it together...The Second Civil War continues to rage as Union president Samuel T. Sloan battles to keep America whole and, more than that, to restore the country to its former greatness."Wanted Dead or Alive." Following a fateful battle between Union Army major Robin "Mac" Macintyre and her sister, the New Confederacy places a price on Mac's head, and bounty hunters are on her trail.But there's work to be done, and Mac is determined to help Sloan reunify the country by freeing hundreds of Union POWs from appalling conditions in Mexico and capturing a strategic oil reserve that lies deep inside Confederate territory.However, to truly have peace it will be necessary to capture or kill the New Confederacy's leadership, and that includes Mac's father, General Bo Macintyre.
Battle Hymn: The Best and Worst Civil War Generals
by Richard M. WalshThis entertaining work analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the Civil War&’s top Union and Confederate generals using extensive primary documents and original research. Included are the surprising answers to intriguing questions: How did Union general Ulysses S. Grant attain such a high rank after numerous failures in civilian life? What made the dour, almost fanatically religious Stonewall Jackson perhaps the best combat leader in the Confederacy? History professor Richard M. Walsh explains why Ambrose Burnside was demoted, who gave George McClellan the nickname &“Little Napoleon,&” and why men of both sides respected Robert E. Lee. Walsh even includes outstanding citizen soldiers who quickly advanced in rank on both sides in his remarkable chronicle. Fascinating facts are gathered in chapters that group the generals from the worst to the not so bad to the best, all punctuated by satirical portraits drawn by Charles H. Hayes. Walsh&’s record is a must read for history buffs from both sides of the Mason-Dixon!
Battle in the Arctic Sea
by Theodore TaylorAmerica's most crucial mission was to provide arms and supplies to our English and Russian allies. Taylor, who served in the merchant marines in World War II, tells the tragic tale of a convoy of 33 ships that sailed from Iceland to Russia.
Battle in the Baltic: The Royal Navy and the Fight to Save Estonia & Latvia, 1918–1920
by Steve R Dunn Al RossThe little-known campaign to save Latvian and Estonian independence: "Anyone interested in naval operations is likely to find some useful food for thought.” —StrategyPageFor most participants, the First World War ended on November 11, 1918. But Britain’s Royal Navy found itself, after four years of slaughter and war weariness, fighting a fierce and brutal battle in the Baltic Sea against Bolshevik Russia in an attempt to protect the fragile independence of the newly liberated states of Estonia and Latvia.This book describes the events of those two years when Royal Navy ships and men, under the command of Rear Admiral Walter Cowan, found themselves in a maelstrom of chaos and conflicting loyalties, and facing multiple opponents—the communist forces of the Red Army and Navy, led by Leon Trotsky; the gangs of freebooting German soldiers, the Freikorps, intent on keeping the Baltic states under German domination; and the White Russian forces, bent on retaking Petrograd and rebuilding the Russian Empire. During this hard-fought campaign there were successes on both sides. For example, the Royal Navy captured two destroyers that were given to the Estonians; but the submarine L-55 was sunk by Russian warships, lost with all hands. Seeking revenge in a daring sequence of attacks and using small coastal motor boats, the RN sank the cruiser Oleg and badly damaged two Russian battleships.Today few people are aware of this exhausting campaign and the sacrifices made by Royal Navy sailors, but this book retells their exciting but forgotten stories and, using much firsthand testimony, bring back to life the critical naval operations that prevented the retaking of the new Baltic countries that Churchill saw as an essential shield against the encroachment of the Bolsheviks into Europe—and resulted in an uneasy peace that would prevail until 1939.
Battle Leadership: Some Personal Experiences of a Junior Officer of the German Army with Observations on Battle Tactics and the Psychological Reactions of Troops in Campaign
by Adolf Von SchellA collection of lessons learned by Adolf von Schell, a small unit infantry commander during World War I.
Battle Line
by Trent Hone Thomas C. HoneA portrait in words and photographs of the interwar Navy, this book examines the twenty-year period that saw the U.S. fleet shrink under the pressure of arms limitation treaties and government economy and then grow again to a world-class force. The authors trace the Navy's evolution from a fleet centered around slow battleships to one that deployed most of the warship types that proved so essential in World War II, including fast aircraft carriers, heavy and light cruisers, sleek destroyers, powerful battleships, and deadly submarines. Both the older battleships and these newer ships are captured in stunning period photographs that have never before been published. An authoritative yet lively text explains how and why the newer ships and aircraft came to be. Thomas Hone and Trent Hone describe how a Navy desperately short funds and men nevertheless pioneered carrier aviation, shipboard electronics, code-breaking, and (with the Marines) amphibious warfare - elements that made America's later victory in the Pacific possible. Based on years of study of official Navy department records, their book presents a comprehensive view of the foundations of a navy that would become the world's largest and most formidable. At the same time, the heart of the book draws on memoirs, novels, and oral histories to reveal the work and the skills of sailors and officers that contributed to successes in World War II. From their service on such battleships as West Virginia to their efforts ashore to develop and procure the most effective aircraft, electronics, and ships, from their adventures on Yangtze River gunboats to carrier landings on the converted battle cruisers Saratoga and Lexington, the men are profiled along with their ships. This combination of popular history with archival history will appeal to a general audience of naval enthusiasts.
Battle Lines: Star Trek Voyager (Star Trek: Voyager #18)
by Greg Brodeur Dave GalanterWhile exploring a sector of uncharted space, the U.S.S. Voyager is ambushed -- and forcibly pressed into service as part of the Edesian Fleet in their war against the enemy Gimlon. The Edesian commander claims that the Fleet is fighting only to defend his people against a merciless invader, but Captain Janeway is suspicious. War, she has learned, is seldom so simple or black and white. With Chakotay and several other crew members held hostage, and the Starship Voyager under the control of the Edesians, Janeway has no choice but to join the campaign against the Gimlon, only to discover that the enemy has developed a new super-weapon capable of destroying entire worlds. Soon the Captain and her crew find themselves fighting a losing battle in a war they never wanted!
The Battle of Alamein: Turning Point, World War II
by John Bierman Colin SmithA new perspective on the important battle of Alamein drawing on hitherto unpublished material
The Battle of Albuera 1811: Glorious Fields of Grief
by Michael Oliver Richard PartridgeOn 16 May 1811 a combined British, Portuguese and Spanish force commanded by the British general Beresford met the French army under Soult at Albuera in southern Spain. What followed was one of the bloodiest and most controversial battles of the Peninsular War. Yet despite the battle's significance in the wider campaign to expel Napoleon's armies from Spain, the story of Albuera has rarely received the coverage accorded to other battles of the war. In this ground-breaking book, Michael Oliver and Richard Partridge seek to set the historical record straight. They examine the carnage of Albuera in unprecedented detail, and they give a lucid account of the circumstances and the conflicting allied and French strategies that gave rise to this awful confrontation. They also offer vivid portraits of the personalities and military skills of the notable commanders who took part.
The Battle of Allatoona Pass: Civil War Skirmish in Bartow County, Georgia (Civil War Ser.)
by Brad ButkovichA Civil War historian explores one of the conflict&’s most dramatic and significant yet overlooked battles. In the 1840s, engineers blasted through 175 feet of earth and bedrock at Allatoona Pass, Georgia, to allow passage of the Western & Atlantic Railroad. Little more than twenty years later, both the Union and Confederate armies fortified the hills and ridges surrounding the gorge to deny the other passage during the Civil War. In October 1864, the two sides met in a fierce struggle to control the iron lifeline between the North and the recently captured city of Atlanta. Though small compared to other battles of the war, this division-sized fight produced casualty rates on par with or surpassing some of the most famous clashes. In this expertly researched volume, Brad Butkovich explores the controversy, innovative weapons and unwavering bravery that make the Battle of Allatoona Pass one of the war's most unique and savage battles.