Reviews for the Hardback Edition: “If you have any interest in the Vietnam War or military history in general I can thoroughly recommend Marine Corps Tank Battles in Vietnam as a great read that's very hard to put down once you have started.” Model Military International “The Marine tankers found themselves in the forefront of this fierce fight and endured some of the heaviest fighting of the war, but throughout it all they demonstrated versatility, dedication and courage despite the harsh conditions and this excellent book tells the story of these men in a no-holds barred account of life of a US Marine Tanker.” Military Machines International “A fascinating read that takes you through the mind numbing daily routine of the M48 crews, their frightening actions and what happened to them afterwards. ” Tankette “...an interesting book, giving us a very down-to-earth account of the war in Vietnam...” Tank “... an effective picture of the War from a Marine Corps tankers point of view” Classic Military Vehicle “This is an enthralling account of tank combat in Vietnam from the Marine perspective based largely on first hand accounts from veterans.” AFV Modeller UK “…does a fine job of combining the personal stories (of which there are many) of Marine tankers with well-documented descriptions of both tactical and strategic situations as they developed throughout the war….near the top of my must read military history list.” Military

During the Second World War, British and American soldiers were sent to new and challenging theatres, fighting to survive not only encounters with the enemy but the landscape they found themselves in. Being posted to South-East Asia and the Pacific to fight the Japanese meant soldiers had to learn to survive in the tropics, fighting and living in endless steamy jungle and perilous swamps. In this environment, men had to be able to take care of themselves rather than relying on their unit to supply their needs, something which did not come naturally to the many soldiers born and raised in cities. To help them in this completely alien environment, the British and US armies produced a number of official training manuals and guides to explain to the men how to identify and fight the Japanese and avoid their deadly panji traps, but also ‘jungle lore’: how to find and cook plants that were safe to eat; which animals and insects could kill them; how to identify and treat tropical illnesses and diseases; and avoid the dangers of polluted water and cannibals. The Jungle Survival Pocket Manual brings together the official manuals and information that enabled the Allies to fight in Burma, Malaya, Thailand, Indochina, Singapore and the Pacific Islands and win the war. Clothbound and with retro-styling, this volume will appeal to those interested in the South-East Asian and Pacific theatres of WWII as well as those researching their family history. It makes a unique gift for all those interested in survival techniques, and those of travelling to Asia. The Jungle Survival Pocket Manual is complete with some 20 diagrams and drawings reproduced from the original guides.

Cet ouvrage exceptionnel est issu de la même collection 1914-1918 que Sturmtruppen - les troupes d’assaut de l’armée allemande, précédemment publié par Heimdal. Il présente l’organisation et les stratégies de l’artillerie allemande avec absolument tous les canons, les obusiers et les mortiers utilisés durant la Première Guerre mondiale. Il y a aussi de larges chapitres consacrés aux uniformes et à ceux utilisés pour la guerre chimique, une nouvelle arme qui apparaît en 1915, introduisant la terreur parmi les combattants. Cet ouvrage contient plus de 180 photos d’uniformes et d’équipement avec 20 illustrations et de nombreux schémas. Une oeuvre d’exception.

The Normandy Landings of 6 June 1944 were a major and decisive episode of the Second World War and have been, for more than sixty years, the object of countless books, films, investigations, reports and television series. However, is it known that D-Day was preceded by, on 27 April 1944, a tragic rehearsal that resulted in over nine-hundred deaths and which remained a secret for decades ? Is it known that the beautiful Lily Sergueiev, an artist and great traveller, was considered by the Allies as their best disinformation agent. ...and by the Germans as their most efficient agent in Great Britain ? Or is it known that, Lionel Crabb, the Royal Navy's star frogman, was the inspiration for Ian Fleming's character, James Bond ? Is it known that the Germans' favourite song Lili Marlene, was also very popular with the allied soldiers ? These are some of the surprising revelations contained in this book which is both original and informative, based on over half a century of research undertaken by Philippe Bauduin and which casts a new light on D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.Fascinated by new technology that he discovered during the summer of 1944, a time when he was still a teenager, Philippe Bauduin went on to undertake a scientific career which notably led him to set up the GANIL in Caen (Large Heavy Ion National Accelerator). He is the author of seventeen books and numerous articles on various aspects of the Landings.Jean-Charles Stasi has worked as a journalist since 1985 and is the author of twenty books, most of which deal with the Second World War. He was awarded the Prix Grand Témoin 2007 and the Grand Prix de la Légion d’Honneur 2008 for his book L’Épopée du Normandie-Niémen, co-written with Roland de la Poype.

Eighty years after its creation, the Luftwaffe is still one of the most fascinating forces in the history of aviation. A companion to Luftwaffe in Colour Volume 1, which covered the victory years from 1939 up to Spring 1942, this volume with nearly 400 images contains even more fascinating material on the machines of the Luftwaffe and the men who flew them, as their fate took an increasingly grim path. Initially the Luftwaffe ruled the skies but thereafter fought an increasingly futile war of attrition which when combined with vital strategic mistakes in aircraft production, was its death knell. Despite this the Luftwaffe produced the most successful air aces of all time who feature in this volume. Among many remarkable images we see one of the last Junkers 87 B-2 operational on the front line on the Eastern Front during the winter of 1942-1943, the huge BV 222 V-5 of Lufttransportstaffel in the port of Heraklion in late 1942, pilots in Tunisia in 1943, the aces Hans Philipp, Wolfgang Spate and Heinz Schnaufer and a vivid demonstration of the reversal in fortunes in 1944 as Allied bombers destroy 106 places, engulfing them in fire at Schwabisch-Hall on German soil. In this painstakingly pieced together collection, originally published in France, the full detail behind the propaganda is once more revealed, in rare colour photographs.

The gallant stand of the 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne has long become part of historical and media legend. But how many students of the war realize there was already a U.S. unit holding the town when they arrived? And this unit—the 10th Armored Division—continued to play a major role in its defense throughout the German onslaught.

‘Tonight you are going to the Big City. You will have the opportunity to light a fire in the belly of the enemy that will burn his black heart out.’ The message from Commander-in-Chief of RAF Bomber Command Sir Arthur Harris was clear. As the Second World War continued into a fifth year, the airmen of Bomber Command were to fly deep into hostile airspace and bring the war direct to the German Nazi capital Berlin. From the autumn of 1943 to the last days of winter in early 1944, during the hours of extended darkness, the bomber crews braved the flak, the searchlights, enemy night fighters and extremes of weather, to bombard the ‘black heart’. Prior to the all-out campaign against the ‘Big City’ Sir Arthur Harris firmly believed his bomber force could break the German will to wage war, but he also prophesied that ‘It will cost us between 400 and 500 aircraft’. Fighting High Publishing brings together acclaimed Bomber Command historians to tell the story of some of the thousands of airmen who failed to return from operations as part of the 1943 and 1944 Bomber Command Battle of Berlin. The authors, utilising family archives, personal testimony and records, wartime memoirs, diaries and letters, witness recollections, logbooks, and official documents, piece together the remarkable, yet ultimately tragic events surrounding the losses described. Illustrated throughout with previously unpublished black and white and colour photographs Bomber Command Battle of Berlin Failed to Return ensures the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice is kept alive. ‘We Will Remember Them’.

Ce nouvel album illustré de près de 200 pages nous présente dix témoignages de vétérans de la 12.SS-Panzer-Division «Hitlerjugend» ayant combattu en Normandie. Ces témoignages, communiqués à l’auteur, sont présentés chronologiquement, illustrés de près de 300 photos, inédites pour la plus grande partie, avec des documents ayant appartenu à ces combattants. Un nouveau document permettant de retrouver l’enfer de la bataille de Normandie en un vrai reportage captivant.

The distinctive black and yellow chequered markings of the 353rd Fighter Group, the ‘Slybirds’, made them one of the USAAF ‘Mighty’ 8th Air Force’s most colourful fighter groups. Flying P-47D Thunderbolts and later P-51D Mustangs the 353rd’s appearance in the skies over occupied Europe witnessed growing American air power and helped to change the course of the air war. From mid-1943 until the end of hostilities in Europe, the 353rd participated in all major aerial battles from the 1943 Regensburg and Schweinfurt raids to ‘Big Week’, the attacks on Berlin, and the support of the D-Day landings and Normandy campaign in 1944. They went on to win the Distinguished Unit Citation during the Arnhem operation of September 1944 and after converting to P-51 Mustangs they continued to play a full and prominent role in the final smashing of the Third Reich from the air.Fighting High Publishing has come together with respected 8th Air Force historian Graham Cross to tell the story of the ‘Slybirds’. With access to an unparalleled photographic archive built up over nearly thirty years of close association and friendship with the group, the author provides a detailed representation of all aspects of the group’s key activities. Focussing not just on the aircraft and pilots but also the vital work of the ground crews and service personnel, this is a stunning tribute that fills a major gap in the history of 8th Fighter Command. A full honour roll to those who made the ultimate sacrifice is included along with details of all POWs and all confirmed claims by the Group’s air-to-air aces.Packed with nearly 450 photos, the majority of which are previously unpublished, unseen wartime colour photos and detailed captions, this book is a visual and information feast. This latest volume in Fighting High Publishing’s ‘Odyssey’ series is the most in-depth photographic record of the 353rd to date and provides a unique window on a fighter group at war.

Ils sont un peu les oubliés de l’histoire du Débarquement. Dans la nuit du 5 au 6 juin 1944, alors que les hommes des 82e et 101e divisions aéroportées américaines et ceux de la 6e division Airborne britannique s’apprêtent à sauter sur la Normandie, trente-six commandos français sont largués sur la Bretagne. Ils appartiennent au Special Air Service (SAS), une unité des forces spéciales britanniques créée en juillet 1941 et dont la devise est « who dares wins » (qui ose gagne). Si leur effectif est bien plus modeste que celui de leurs camarades parachutistes alliés, leur mission n’en est pas moins capitale : coordonner et entraîner la Résistance – très active dans cette région – pour empêcher les Allemands qui y sont stationnés d’aller renforcer les troupes déjà positionnées sur la côte ou à proximité. Les trente-six hommes qui vont sauter sont des éléments précurseurs, ils doivent créer deux bases permettant l’arrivée du reste de l’effectif et de matériel dans les jours suivants afin de lancer des opérations de guérilla et de sabotage : Samwest, dans la forêt de Duhault (Côtes d’Armor), et Dingson, dans la forêt de Saint-Marcel (Morbihan). Tout au long de la bataille de Normandie, l’effectif des SAS français ne va cesser de croître et ils vont jouer un rôle majeur pour la libération de la Bretagne. C’est leur histoire méconnue qui est racontée dans ce livre, de leur entraînement en Grande-Bretagne jusqu’à leurs derniers combats en Hollande, en avril 1945. Avec de très nombreuses photos d’époque, des objets et des armes ayant appartenu à certains de ces parachutistes, des cartes et des infographies pour revivre au plus près le quotidien de ces combattants d’élite au cours de l’été 1944. Ouvrage édité en partenariat avec le Musée de la Résistance bretonne de Saint-Marcel (Morbihan). Journaliste et écrivain, Jean-Charles Stasi est l’auteur d’une vingtaine d’ouvrages dont plusieurs consacrés à la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Après avoir relaté l’épopée du commando Kieffer (Commando Kieffer, les Français débarquent en Normandie, Heimdal 2014), il tenait à raconter l’histoire de ces autres combattants français ayant pris part aux combats du Jour J.

Almost a century has passed since the signing of the armistice on 11 November 1918. Of all the soldiers who went through that hell on earth, photographs, letters, stories and old uniforms kept in attics are all that is left. Thanks to a collection of more than ten thousand documents, the author allows us to follow these young men with previously unseen photographs. All these faces, sometimes smiling, sometimes serious, have a story to tell. Many collectors have also allowed us access to their most precious objects, the fruit of their relentless research that helps save these objects that went through four terrible years of oblivion and destruction. Finally, being in the era of Internet, many links allow you to retrace the history of your ancestors and their regiments. Following their baptism of fire at Gallipoli in 1915, the Australians arrived on the Western Front in spring 1916. A few months later came the Somme with 24,000 casualties and the tragic events of Fromelles. Then, these tough men, who had travelled so far, continued fighting in France in 1917 and 1918. Since then, the bond of friendship between France and Australia is still going strong.

Throughout the course of centuries, the Somme has been the scene of numerous battles and the passageway for armies. However, the Great War of 1914-1918 was, by far, the most murderous conflict to fall upon the region, leaving in its wake an indelible mark. Today, the Somme has hundreds of military cemeteries. In the woods, trench lines still wind their way between the shell holes. In the fields, munitions still emerge when the tractor’s plough cuts through the earth.This guide takes a look at the major events that took place in the specific sector and, thanks to a map, covers a circuit of remembrance that follows the armies of both sides.

War changes everyone and for those lucky enough to survive there can be no return to the carefree days before the hell of war broke out. William Earl was a 26 year old Chemist’s Assistant when his call up papers arrived and his life changed forever. Leaving a wife and new baby virtually alone to fend for themselves was a constant worry and circumstances grew worse as the years went by. Joining the 214th Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corps as a Nursing Orderly William’s role was no soft posting. He was assigned to the Field Ambulance, so followed the infantry into battle to treat and recover the wounded, often under fire, before removing them from danger. Seeing action in North Africa and throughout the entire Italian campaign at places such as Salerno, Anzio and the Gothic Line William recalls his experiences in detail with the emotion of someone who lost many friends and was the last comforting voice to many a dying soldier. William is a charming, intelligent and independent man who will shortly be celebrating his 102nd birthday. Liz Coward has written his moving story with extracts from his letters home, original photographs, training manuals and official war diaries. Blood and Bandages is a very personal, honest and moving account of one man’s life over 6 years of war. A war which left William asking the guilty question on many a soldier’s lips: “Why did I survive when so many of my friends didn’t?”

Was There Crime in the Second World War? At a time of national emergency, the average person could be forgiven for thinking that crime rates would go down as everyone tried to help the war effort. However, the reality was that criminals saw the war as an opportunity to exploit the emergency conditions and those with a previously unblemished reputation found themselves tempted off the straight and narrow. Criminal activity wasn’t just a civilian occupation. The military services had its share of crime and the influx of foreign troops added to the problem. American and Canadian troops found themselves transported to Britain in preparation for D-Day. Lonely and far from home, some rioted and many looked for other distractions with desertion being a significant problem and one which was often funded by crime.Heavily illustrated with both contemporary and modern photographs Penny takes you back to some of the most infamous wartime crimes such as the blackout ripper, the bath chair murderer and the last person to be prosecuted in Britain for witchcraft. She also delves into the murky world of Spivs, Gangs, prostitutes and Robbers. At a time when rationing, shortages and the blitz meant feeding the family became ever more difficult it was all too easy for the increasingly blurred line of criminality to be crossed. Penny Legg shows how and why crime was committed during the Second World War and what became of those Spivs, Scoundrels, Rogues and Worse who strayed into the underworld.

Charles Pagan and Dick Baron, who served together in WWI, embark on a walking holiday in the Vosges Mountains in France, in 1930. En route they meet Cecil and his sister Clare who is recovering from the loss of her fiancé during the war. Pagan and Baron pitch camp at a guesthouse, but the strange behaviour of locals piques their interest in the surroundings: in particular the old battlefield nearby. They express an interest in visiting it and are told by their host in no uncertain terms that it is not the place to go at night. When they discover they have been locked in their bedrooms, the pair lose no time in putting a rope out of the window and shinning down it, intent on exploring the forbidden territory and viewing the apparition Pagan thinks he has glimpsed briefly by moonlight. Pagan, like W. F. Morris’s preceding novel Bretherton, is a mystery story, but one which could only have been written as a result of the war. Bretherton himself is mentioned in passing by his brothers in arms. It is exciting, spine-chilling, funny, and romantic, but the Great War taints all these elements like a colour filter on a camera. The war is only a decade away and wounds, both mental and physical, are raw. The novel works brilliantly as a thriller in its own right, and but also a commentary on post-war Europe.

The classic, revised story of how an elite group of US Air Force pilots fought a secret air war over Vietnam in Cessna 0-2 and OV-10 Bronco prop planes―flying as low as they could get. The eyes and ears of the fast-moving jets who rained death and destruction down on enemy positions, the Forward Air Controller made an art form out of an air strike―knowing the targets, knowing where friendly troops were, and reacting with split-second, life and death decisions as a battle unfolded. The expertise of the low, slow FACs, as well as the hazards attendant to their role, made for a unique bird’s-eye perspective on how the entire war in Vietnam unfolded. For Tom Yarborough, who logged 1,500 hours of combat flying time, the risk was constant, intense and electrifying. A member of the super-secret “Prairie Fire” unit, Yarborough became one of the most frequently shot-up pilots flying out of Da Nang―engaging in a series of dangerous secret missions in Laos. In this work, the reader flies in the cockpit alongside Yarborough in his adrenaline-pumping chronicle of heroism, danger and wartime brotherhood. From the rescuing of downed pilots to taking out enemy positions, to the most harrowing extended missions directly overhead of the NVA, here is the dedication, courage and skill of the fliers who took the war into the enemy's backyard.