Finally, a terrain guide for this tragic, iconic beach. General Shuey, the author, was close to the action. As a young officer, he served under the orders of veterans of Omaha beach, like General Cota, and he commanded the celebrated 116th Infantry Regiment before taking command of all of the 29th Division at the end of his career. Section by section, with complete and detailed maps, he retraces the operations, putting emphasis on accounts from veterans, and he studies these engagements as they compare to the original military plans, and as regards the role played by the German positions. An indispensable complement to Omaha Beach by Georges Bernage.

On the night of 5 to 6 June 1944, some 15,000 American paratroopers were dropped into Normandy to outflank the German troops. Among them were the men of the 3rd Battalion of the 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, commanded by Lt. Col. Robert Wolverton. Dropped behind Utah Beach, their mission was to seize two bridges on the Douve, near Carentan, to prevent enemy reinforcements accessing the coast.As a result of long and painstaking research, Gilles Vallée has been able to reconstruct the route of Wolverton and his men as they embarked with him on board the C-47 «Stoy Hora», piloted by Colonel Frank Krebs of the 440th Troop Carrier Group.In this richly illustrated book with vintage photos and drawings by Christopher Esquerré, the author brings to life, by sharing the actions of a handful of paratroopers during this heroic night, events that marked the beginning of the end the Third Reich.In addition to the book, a DVD produced by Charles-Henry Groult collects pictures and archival records. An indispensable package for experiencing the famous night of the landings.

It is important to remind visitors of the history of the most emblematic monument on the battlefield: this is the role of this small 32-page guide, Douaumont Ossuary. Olivier Gérard and Jean-Luc Kaluzko have produced this indispensable brochure to offer visitors the history of this mythical sanctuary of the First World War. Illustrated with 90 photos, this book will accompany you in the discovery of the sites of Verdun. If more than 3,000 combatants and 400 associations have their names engraved under the vault, it is important not to forget those of the 130,000 unknown men and women mingled for eternity in the basement of this sanctuary. The sacred mission, entrusted more than 90 years ago to this private work, must continue so that future generations will never forget.

The commitment of Soviet women to their country during World War II was unprecedented, both in terms of their sheer numbers and also in terms of their unique roles. More than 100,000 of them would join the regular army, or the partisans. Of all the jobs women were allowed to do during the war, one of the toughest and most unlikely was that of the sniper. Here is the incredible story of those who, before the war, were teachers or students, and through the will to defend, or avenge, their country and their families, became snipers.Former deputy officer of the Foreign Legion, author Yuri Obratzov is a specialist in the field of identification.

Grumman F6F Hellcat was one of the best fighter aircraft of the World War Two era and the most effective fighter of the US Navy. There is no doubt that Hellcats won complete air superiority for the Americans over the vast areas of the Pacific, largely contributing to the victory over Japan. Volume One presents this legendary fighter in its first year of operational service – from the combat debut over Marcus Island and the Solomons in August 1943 until the end of the Marianas operation in late summer 1944. By then Hellcats participated, among others, in air strikes on Rabaul, Wake, Kwajalein and Truk, and supported the invasion of Tarawa in Gilbert Islands. The culmination of the Hellcats’ first year of service with the US Navy came about during the Marianas invasion in June 1944, when they took part in the First Battle of Philippine Sea. This largest aerial and naval battle in the Pacific to date broke the backbone of the Japanese Navy, and the Hellcats won such a tremendous victory in the air that the battle was aptly nicknamed the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. Throughout the war the only foreign user of Hellcats was Great Britain, receiving first aircraft in March 1943. Until late 1944 the Royal Navy Hellcats operated mainly in northern European waters and in the Mediterranean, participating in several air strikes on German battleship Tirpitz moored in Norwegian fiords, supporting Allied landings in Normandy and southern France, and joining operations in the Aegean Sea.

'My Vietnam' is Dave Morgan's story. A typical 20 year old, he was forced into extraordinary circumstances in Vietnam. The Vietnam War would expose Dave to an omnipresent danger and sheer terror that would impact him forever. Dave's story focuses on his time as a soldier and his return psychologically exhausted to a divided nation.

Now that the last veterans are gone, the First World War is now a completely historical subject—governed by archaeology and genealogy, battlefield tourism and military history. The anguish and privations are a bit further away, but there is still huge interest in the awful conditions and carnage endured by a generation of youth who sacrificed their lives for their country.“The Old Front Line” is a phrase first coined by the poet John Masefield when he looked back on the battle of the Somme from a distance of just one year, in 1917, and speculated how the Western Front might look in the future. Stephen Bull’s copiously illustrated work—part travel guide, part popular history—a century on, answers his speculations. The main source material is new and contemporary photographs, as well as some from the intervening century. Taken together these provide a series of exciting vistas and informative details that tell the story of the battles and landscapes. Aerial photography, old and new ground shots—and in a few cases even images taken underground—provide an authoritative summary of the war on the Western Front. Following an introduction that sets the scene and looks at the early stages of the war, eight chapters examine the Western Front geographically, looking closely at the main areas of fighting and what is visible today: not just the “iron harvest”—the scars left by trench and battle—but also the cemeteries, war memorials and statues that remind the visitor starkly of the loss of a generation.

Operation Market Garden has been recorded as a complete Allied failure in World War II, an overreach that resulted in an entire airborne division being destroyed at its apex. However, within that operation were episodes of heroism that still remain unsung.On September, 17, 1944, the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, floated down across the Dutch countryside, in the midst of German forces, and proceeded to fight their way to vital bridges to enable the Allied offensive to go forward. The 101st Airborne was behind them; the British 1st Airbourne was far advanced. In the 82nd’s sector the crucial conduits needed to be seized.The Germans knew the importance of the bridge over the Waal River at Nijmegen as well as James Gavin and his 82nd troopers did. Thus began a desperate fight for the Americans to seize it, no matter what the cost. The Germans would not give, however, and fought tenaciously in the town and fortified the bridge. On September 20 Gavin turned his paratroopers into sailors and conducted a deadly daylight amphibious assault in small plywood and canvas craft across the Waal River to secure the north end of the highway bridge in Nijmegen. German machine guns and mortars boiled the water on the crossing, but somehow a number of paratroopers made it to the far bank. Their ferocity thence rolled up the German defenses, and by the end of day the bridge had fallen. This book draws on a plethora of previously unpublished sources to shed new light on the exploits of the “Devils in Baggy Pants” by Dutch author and historian Frank van Lunteren. A native of Arnhem—the site of “The Bridge too Far”—the author draws on nearly 130 interviews he personally conducted with veterans of the 504th, plus Dutch civilians and British and German soldiers, who here tell their story for the first time.

The text part of this book describes technical specifications of the ship and her operational history in detail. This is accompanied by more than 100 color illustrations showing Lutzow's appearance during Operation Rösselsprung, July 1942. Elements that are shown in detail include armament, rangefinders, radar, searchlights, catapult with aircraft, etc. Blueprints in 1:350, 1:200, 1:100 and 1:50 scales (general views and details) are included on a separate sheet. This publication is an invaluable help to any modeler working on this ships' replica.• 80 pages• 140 renders• Gloss coated paper• Format (sizes): A4 (210x297 mm)• Booklet binding

During the Vietnam War, U.S. Army Special Forces A-Teams were deployed to isolated outposts or "camps” in the remote areas of South Vietnam. Their job was to recruit, train, and house members of the indigenous population while molding them into combat-ready fighting units. A-Teams consisted of up to 12 Green Beret soldiers who were experts in both combat and their individual military specialties. The role of the indigenous units, in conjunction with their American advisors, was to provide border security, counter the Viet Cong insurgency in the countryside, provide intelligence on enemy troop-strength and activities, and when necessary engage elements of the invading North Vietnamese Army. Bac Si (the Vietnamese term for “medic”) is the story of Sgt. Jerry Krizan who was assigned to Special Forces Camp A-331 in the III Corps tactical zone, only 10 miles from the Cambodian border. Because of its proximity to a major north-south NVA infiltration route, there were constant enemy troop movements through the camp's area of operations and A-331 itself came under attack on more than one occasion. The author meantime needed to accompany patrols and probes into enemy territory, not only prepared to provide aid but fight as a soldier if the squad was ambushed, or itself chose to attack. In this small-unit warfare against an expert enemy, U.

Ira “Taffy” Jones was a well-known air fighter during the First World War, having scored about 40 victories flying SE5 scouts in France with 74 Squadron. Well known in flying circles, Jones recorded stories drawn from his own experiences during the war and wrote of the many personalities he had met or known by association, both during the war and in the post-war flying years.An Air Fighter’s Scrap Book recreates the atmosphere of the days of the biplane, of wartime flying, of early peacetime adventures in the air, the development of civil aviation, and breathtaking record beating flights, all evoking the sheer delight in flying that characterised those early years.

Although the author has given this Jagdstaffel a fictitious number and changed the names of the pilots composing it, the incidents related in this book have the genuine ring of truth and will be recognised as facts by anyone who has had experience of flying on the Western Front or who has studied it since. Many experts believe this work draws on the experience of the Bavarian Jasta 35, which flew against the British; however, whatever its real number may have been, Jagdstaffel 356 undoubtedly fought in the air over Flanders in 1918.This book is an exciting account, obviously written from firsthand experience, of the air war from the German side.

A.R. Kingsford flew with 100 Squadron, the unit that dropped the first bomb at night on Germany and, on November 11, 1918, the last one. One of the many who came to Europe from all over the Commonwealth to fight in the First World War, Kingsford had sailed from New Zealand in 1914. He joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 and learned to fly at Northolt, before being posted to 33 Squadron at Lincoln, where he flew against Zeppelins which had been sent from across the North Sea on night bombing raids. Kingsford joined 100 Squadron in France early in 1918. He had an active career with this famous squadron up until the end of the war.Full of incident and adventure, Night Raiders of the Air is a first-person account by this young Commonwealth volunteer on his experiences during the war against Germany.

Through their photographic representation, the stories they tell and their actual historical significance, the battlefield relics shown here cast a different light on D-Day and the Battle for Normandy, and extoll the enthusiasm and worthiness of the collectors who preserved them. This important heritage, discovered on the battlefields of a hundred day struggle that spans from June 6, 1944 to the liberation of Paris, the capture of le Havre and the battle for Brest, features many surprising and unexpected artifacts, expressing the sacrifice of civilian victims or the happier times of a long awatied liberation.

The amazing life of Pieter Krueler (1885-1986) provides a window into a full century of conflict such as one man rarely experiences. Four-War Boer traces Krueler’s highly colourful life from the Second Boer War, where he first served as a 14-year-old scout, through his service in World War I with the German army in East Africa, to the Spanish Civil War to World War II, this time with the Allies, and on into the latter part of the 20th century, when he served as a mercenary during the 1960s Congo Crisis. Later, by this time in his eighties, he became a civilian trainer for the original Selous Scouts of Rhodesia, and later still a trainer for South African commandos. This biography of a most remarkable man and warrior is based on six years of historical research through hard-to-find secondary and published primary sources as well as extensive interviews with Krueler himself. Interviews with German officers and others who knew and worked with Krueler amply document the biography, adding first-person testimony and giving the work the immediacy of a memoir. Following the Boer defeat by the British, sided with the Germans during the East African Campaign. He also operated in the Belgian Congo where he led native African soldiers on extremely dangerous missions. After WWI, Krueler’s distrust of both the rising Fascist and Communist movements in Europe led him to volunteer as a mercenary during the Spanish Civil War, where he worked with the Pyrenees Basque movement. In World War II, he worked as a reserve officer instructor, and later as a coast watcher to guard the coast of South Africa from German incursion. Krueler later served as a mercenary with Michael Hoare during the 1960s Congo Crisis, before serving South Africa to train commandos. A chapter of this book is devoted to the formation of Rhodesia’s highly elite Selous Scouts, along with highlights of several previously classified missions. This material includes a wealth of fascinating new information, and breaks the great secrecy surrounding Rhodesian and South African special operations, as unveiled through the experience of a man who was a founding father of counterinsurgency in Africa.

This book presents an impressive inventory of the gigantic efforts employed by the workshops of the Allies to defeat the Oppressor. Each GI was backed by 12 tons of equipment ; for every infantryman, sailor or airman in action in the Battle of Normandy and later in the Battle for France, 10 soldiers were in support behind, to ensure they obtained their objectives with minimum risk speed and maximum ease. These were the troops of American, British and Canadian War Effort, (behind-the-lines), whose logistic support, made possible the Allied Victory of 1945. Not forgotten are the civilians on war-work, 65 million men and women, united in the vast industrial enterprise who together forged the tools of victory.