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.

The Red Ball Express is the nickname given by the Americans to the supply route established between the landing beaches and the frontline, first in the Cotentin in Normandy and then throughout France.While awaiting final repairs to the rail network, the road was the only way to supply the 28 Allied divisions each in need of 750 tons of supplies each day, for a total of 12,500 tons daily.Red Ball Express describes accurately all the logistical means implemented by the U. S. Army Liberty ships to the railway through the floating ports and GMC trucks.This book is the first substantial book devoted to American logistical effort during the Second World War, offering detailed descriptions of logistical methods, tactics, techniques and more.THIS BOOK IS IN ENGLISH.

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.

That they were unique or on the contrary produced in millions of copies, hundred objects presented within the framework of this work have this in common that they form the weft of one Major episode of the Second World War, the Battle of Normandy. If all the objects selected in these pages turn out "unknown persons", none is nevertheless harmless.

With about 100 panoramic photos, Christophe Daguet offers us a timeless postcard of Normandy of the D-DAY and invites you in a real journey in the landscapes of the Landing. The book is completed by an internet version which will allow you to reach sequences videos realized by the author, the comments in foreign languages, virtual visits 360°of the main sites and museums, and practical information.

Made famous by her final commanding officer, John F. Kennedy, PT-109 is one of the most celebrated warships in American history. However, a full chronicle of PT-109’s wartime story has heretofore been lacking. Behind the familiar account of the future president and the boat’s violent demise is the little-known record under two previous officers during the swirling battles around Guadalcanal.In these mainly nocturnal fights, when the Japanese navy was at its apex, America’s small, fast-boat flotillas would sally out to probe enemy strength, vying with enemy destroyers, who were similarly roaming the waters and able to blast a PT-boat out of the water if main armament could be brought to bear. It was constant hit-and-run and dodging between searchlights across Iron Bottom Sound, as the PT-boats darted in among the enemy fleet, like a “barroom brawl with the lights turned out.”Bryant Larson and Rollin Westholm preceded Kennedy as commanders of PT-109, and their fights with the brave ship and its crew hold second to none in the chronicles of US Navy daring. As the battles moved on across the Pacific the PT-boat flotillas gained confidence, even as the Japanese, too, learned lessons in how to destroy them.Under its third and final commander, Kennedy, PT-109 came a cropper as a Japanese destroyer suddenly emerged from a dark mist and rammed it in half. Two crewmen were killed immediately but Kennedy, formerly on the swim team at Harvard, was able to shepherd his wounded and others to refuge. His unsurpassed gallantry can not resist retelling, yet the courage of the book’s previous commanders have not till now seen the light of day.This book provides the complete record of PT-109 in the Pacific, as well as a valuable glimpse of how the American Navy’s daring and initiative found its full playing field in World War II.

The text part of this book describes history of the ship's construction and service. This is accompanied by more than 100 color illustrations showing USS Massachusetts' appearance towards the end of her service in the Pacific, 1945. Elements that are shown in detail include superstructures, armament, fire control instruments, aircraft, boats, equipment, rig, etc. Blueprints in 1:350, 1:200, 1:100 and 1:50 scales (general views and details) are included on a separate sheet. The publication is a great reference for building a detailed model of USS Massachusetts.• 80 pages• 80 drawings• 146 renders• Gloss coated paper• Format (sizes): A4 (210x297 mm)• Booklet binding

The Dam Buster raid, Operation Chastise, has gone down in history as one of the greatest feats of arms executed by the Royal Air Force. Extraordinary demands were placed upon the airmen who took part in the raid, one of whom was the particularly accomplished young pilot Henry Maudslay. Henry, educated at Eton, was well-regarded and respected by contemporaries and Masters alike. He left school in 1940 and volunteered immediately for the RAF, becoming part of a generation for who transition into adulthood would, again, be cast in the heat of battle.Henry flew his first operational tour with No. 44 Squadron on Handley Page Hampdens, following which his experiences and skills were utilized during service trials for the new Avro Lancaster. Henry joined No. 50 Squadron at the start of 1943 for a second tour and in March 1943 he was selected to join a new squadron, No. 617, then forming at RAF Scampton. Henry Maudslay attacked the Eder Dam on the night of 16/17 May 1943. After a number of attempts, he released his weapon which struck the parapet and detonated on impact almost immediately behind the aircraft. Contrary to contemporary reports the aircraft survived, and set course for home, only to be brought down near the Rhine with the loss of all its crew. Combining material from family, school and official archives, together with personal letters and recollections from those who knew him, Robert Owen, Official Historian of the No. 617 Squadron Association, describes in detail the family background, school life and extraordinary flying career of this young and enigmatic airman.

This Comprehensive Order of Battle includes: - The structure of the armies- Changes in command due to casualties- Commanders from regimental level and above- Casualties listed by number including killed, wounded and captured/missing- Percentage of casualties of total engaged for all units- Short biographical sketches of commanders and key participants in the battle

One of the great arguments of World War II took place among Allied military leaders over when and where to launch a second front against Germany in Europe. Stalin, holding on by his teeth in Russia, urged a major invasion from the west as soon as possible. The Americans, led by Marshall and Wedemeyer, argued likewise. It was Churchill who got his way, however, with his Mediterranean strategy, including a campaign on the Italian peninsula, which he mistakenly called the “soft underbelly of Europe.”This realistic, fact-based work posits what would have happened had Churchill been overruled, and that rather than invading North Africa in the fall of 1942, thence Sicily and Italy, the Allies had hit the coast of southern France instead. The key element that enables the alternative scenario is the co-operation of Vichy, which was negotiated at the time but refused. If the Allies had promised sufficient force to support the French, however, the entire southern coastline of France would have been undefended against a surprise invasion.In this book, once the Allied armies are ashore, German stream toward the front, albeit through a gauntlet of Maquis, Allied paratroopers and airpower. Meantime the Allied forces push up the Rhône Valley and titanic armoured clashes take place near Lyons. Already in desperate straits at Stalingrad, where they had committed their air and armoured reserves, the Germans had also yet to switch to a full total-war economy, with tanks like the Panther and Tiger not yet deployed.This fascinating alternative history comes close to informing us exactly what might have happened had D-Day in Europe come as early as some had wished.About the AuthorAlexander M. Grace is the author of a number of well-received novels including Holy War, Hegemon, Coup and Sky Blue. When not writing he is a professor and former Foreign Service officer.

The Propagandakompanien, the German propaganda companies, were the primary method of communication of the Third Reich.The soldiers of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS were the eyes and ears of the Ministry of Propaganda who relied upon them to transform the reality of victories into defeats.While their photographs and their films are known, nothing has been written about the people behind the cameras, all the technicians associated with the propaganda machine. This first volume presents the implementation of this psychological weapon, from an organizational point of view, technical and human. With extensive documentation, the Wehrmacht propaganda companies are presented with a particular focus on 6 Pk. of the Luftwaffe. Finally, thanks to the testimony of reporters the author details the campaigns in Poland, Norway, France and the beginning of the Russian campaign.THIS BOOK IS IN ENGLISH.

This book provides a unique insight into one of the most important days in World history, the World's greatest ever seaborne invasion - June 6th 1944 - D-Day. Drawing upon four decades of research and two decades of working the battlefields as the region's foremost guides, the authors use a compelling combination of background narrative and first-hand accounts provided exclusively to them by many veterans. This comprehensively illustrated book serves as an essential accompaniment to any visit to the region, includes directions of how to find the important sites, what to see during a visit to the battlefields, and how to discover the lesser known areas only familiar to those with an intimate knowledge of the area. To be used as a history book or as a guidebook for visitors to the battlefield, 'Following in the Footsteps of Heroes' will touch every reader and provide to those who previously knew nothing of the subject or those who have previously studied it in depth, a new perspective into one of the greatest military feats ever achieved. Historical reference and essential guidebook. Comprehensively illustrated with over 240 photographs and maps. Written and researched by the regions foremost battlefield guides. Includes exclusive first-hand accounts by D-Day veterans. All author royalties donated to two charities which help maintain Normandy battlefield sites.

Ronnie Selley, a South African from rural Natal, joined the RAF on a short-service commission in 1937, considered the Golden Age of aviation. During these glory years of Howard Hughes and Amelia Earhart few guessed at the brewing storm and dark days to come. After completing his training on antiquated First World War aircraft, Selley was posted to 220 Squadron Coastal Command, the RAF’s under-staffed and under-equipped poor relation to the more prestigious Fighter and Bomber Commands. Tasked with reconnaissance, convoy patrols and submarine-hunting the pilots of Coastal Command chalked up more flying hours than any other RAF Command. It was not uncommon for pilots to be in the air, searching the waters of the North Atlantic, for up to sixteen hours a day, in aircraft that were neither capable of such ranges nor, initially, adequately armed to defend their charges. From the outbreak of war until after its cessation Coastal Command had aircraft in the air twenty-four hours a day, every single day. The toll this took on the men of Coastal Command was unthinkable. The first RAF pilot to sink a German U-boat, Selley went on the win the DFC for his actions during the Dunkirk evacuation. He won high praise and newspaper headlines such as “Plane fights 13 German warships”, “One RAF man bombs 3 ships, routs Nazis” and “One against eight” were not uncommon. Selley subsequently suffered acute battle fatigue and spent time convalescing at the Dunblane Hydro. Thereafter, he was posted by the Air Ministry as Air Vice-Marshal Breese’s personal pilot. On 5 March 1941 Ronnie Selley, Air Vice-Marshal Breese and the entire crew of the fully armed Lockheed Hudson they was flying experienced engine problems, lost speed, stalled and exploded on impact at Wick in northern Scotland.

The book presents the history and combat operations of JG 53 "Pik As" - one of the Luftwaffe's most famous fighter wings. A collection of forty original photographs is supplemented by a list of all JG 53 commanders, details of each of the wing's squadrons and flights and a listing of the unit's equipment used during the war. Full-page, color aircraft profiles will serve as an excellent source of documentation and a welcome addition to a set of decals included with the book. • 28 pages• 41 archive photos• 4 painting schemes• 10 throws of painting schemes• format (sizes): (205x275 mm)• decals with markings in 3 scales• booklet binding