The "Smelyi" type destroyer, Project 30 bis (Skoryi class, according to NATO classification), was the first destroyer designed and built after World War two with new shipbuilding technologies available in the USSR. World War Two demonstrated that all early-built Soviet destroyers had serious flaws. Poor seaworthiness, hull fragility, lack of displacement reserves for modernization. The technical design and working drawings of the new EM were developed under the leadership of the main designer A.L. Fisher. On 28 January 1947, by order of the Council of Ministers of the USSR N3 149-75 "On the construction of destroyers of the 30K and 30 bis Projects", the technical design developed in TsKB-53 was approved. The construction of ships of this series was to take place at four shipyards: No. 190 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), No. 200 in Mikolayov, No. 199 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and No. 402 in Molotov (now the town of Severodvinsk).

When, in the early 1930s, the Americans began modernizing their navy, they considered the replacement of old destroyers from the Great War as one of the most urgent tasks. However, the new projects, disappointed and dissatisfied the sailors. Some of these vessels were heavily overloaded (e. g. Sims class and early Benson ships), as a result some of the weaponry had to be removed. By proceeding with the design of subsequent series of destroyers, efforts were made to respect the Treaty restrictions (London, 1936). The originally formulated requirements envisaged a destroyer with a displacement of 1,600 tons and armament consisting of not less than 4.5-inch (127 mm) guns and 10 x 533mm torpedo tubes and a speed of 36 knots. There were six variants of vessels slightly different from earlier Benson and Sims classes. It soon became apparent that additional requirements could not be met within the limits of this displacement. This mainly concerned making space for a 28-mm quadruple automatic cannon and more powerful ASuW weapons.

The Mirage F1 emerged from a series of design studies performed by French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation. Having originally sought to develop a larger swept wing derivative of the Mirage III, which became the Mirage F2, to serve as a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) propulsion testbed akin to the Dassault Mirage IIIV, however, it was soon recognised that the emerging design could function as the basis for a competent fighter as well. Both the Mirage F2 and a smaller derivative, referred to the Mirage F3, received substantial attention from both Dassault and the French Air Force, the latter being interested in its adoption as a long-range fighter bomber as a stopgap measure prior to the adoption of the envisioned Anglo-French Variable Geometry (AFVG) strike aircraft. Parallel with the Mirage F3 study, which was intended to serve as an interceptor aircraft, Dassault decided to study a single-seat derivative which featured the all-French SNECMA Atar 9K-50 turbojet engine. The Spanish Air Force was the second Mirage F1 customer, and purchased a total of 91 machines of different variants from 1975, equipping a total of four squadrons, during the period 1998-2000, the survivors were upgraded to Mirage F1M standards, and were phased out of service in June 2013, but about 22 of them were given a new lease of life after beinjg acquired by Draken International to be used as aggressors in the US.

Sd.Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther is a German tank destroyer developed by Krupp and Daimler-Benz. The order was placed in August 1943 and the vehicle entered service in the first months of 1944. It was armed with a very effective anti-tank tank gun. PaK 43 cal. 88 mm. The destroyer’s combat compartment was armoured with 40 to 100 mm thick (front plate) armour plates. From January 1944, 415 pieces were produced (at the MIAG, MNH and MBA factories). The vehicle was based on the chassis of the Panther Ausf. G, but it didn’t have as many technical problems as the mentioned tank. Due to the favourable power-to-weight ratio, Jagdpanther had good performance and maneuverability. Together with a powerful cannon, which was able to destroy any allied armoured vehicle that time, it made it an extremely effective and dangerous destroyer. Vehicles were used by independent tank destroyer battalions. Jagdpanthers debuted in Normandy in 1944 (within 555th and 654th Panzerjagerabteilung), achieving great successes. Also during the offensive in the Ardennes, the Allies took a toll on them. They appeared on the Eastern Front in the autumn of 1944, effectively fighting all Soviet armoured guns and heavy tanks, including IS-2.The vehicle was produced in two main variants. The early version – designated as G1 – had a smaller yoke that was welded to the hull, a modified engine compartment from the Panther Ausf. A and two driver’s visors. In the later version – G2 – the Panther Ausf. G engine compartment was used, one driver’s visor and a larger yoke which was bolted to the front plate with screws. There were also many hybrid variants combining the features of both versions. Until September 1944, Jagdpanthers were covered with Zimmerit in the form of characteristic squares, and not the more popular “snakes”. Jagdpanthers proved to be the most effective German tank destroyers, but they appeared too late and in too few numbers to significantly influence the course of the war.

M3 General Lee – an American medium tank from World War II era, also used by the British army. In the US, known as Lee, in the United Kingdom as Grant. M3 tank was created as a result of the need to replace the obsolete M2 tank, which did not match the WWII battlefield. The serial production began in August 1941. The M3 tank had many components from the M2 light tank, including chassis, Wright R975 EC2 star engine and the shape of the combat compartment. M3 was meant to be a transitional solution due to the lack of turrets for a 75 mm cannon (M2 type cannon), which was finally mounted in the sponson on the right front of the hull. Second anti-tank gun – 37 mm caliber – was mounted in the turret and intended to fight enemy vehicles. The original M3 was equipped with a riveted hull and a turret in which M6 cannons were mounted (cal. 37 mm). In the M3A1 version the riveted turret construction, dangerous for the crew, was replaced with a cast version. The new turret was easier to assemble, which accelerated the production process. It also reduced the weight of the vehicle. Both guns were equipped with gyroscopic stabilizers. Additional armament included two or three Browning M1919 machine guns, caliber 0.30 inches. In American M3, two Brownings were mounted in a small rotating dome at the top of the turret. In the British version there was a entrance hatch for the crew. The crew of the tank consisted of six soldiers (initially seven). A total of 6258 M3 tanks were produced in all versions. They served in the British, Australian, American and Soviet armies.

Su-24 (Fencer) is a Soviet jet bomber with variable-geometry wings. The aircraft was supposed to be a response to the American F-111, and therefore it’s structurally similar. Su-24 can operate in any weather conditions, also at night. It was designed to carry tactical nuclear weapons. In the 1960s, the military command of the Soviet Union set requirements for a new attack aircraft that would be able to operate despite strong ant-aircraft defense of NATO troops. An aircraft was expected to fly on a very low altitude at a very high speed. Initially, it was based on Su-7 and Su-15 airframes, but due to the decision to use variable-geometry wing, it was necessary to build a completely new structure. Variable geometry allowed to achieve high speeds while maintaining good takeoff and landing characteristics. This is how Su-24 was born. The first prototype was flown on July 2, 1967 (marked as T6-1), and the second on January 17, 1970 (T6-2I). Variable-geometry wings were only used in the second prototype. In December 1971, the first serial Su-24 was built, but due to the prolonged acceptance tests (lasting until 1974), the aircraft officially did not become operational until February 1975. Su-24 was named Fencer in the NATO code.

A new volume dedicated to the close range antitank fight by German tank hunters during the Second World War, with the treatment in particular of the actions carried out by the Waffen SS fighters and with the relative detailed list of the decorated with the Badge for destroyers of tank, with a brief biography for each of them. A detailed review of the weapons used and fighting techniques, with the publication of official documents published by the command of the German Army for troop training. A large part is dedicated to the same Badge for tank destroyers, with information and photos of the various versions. The complete translations of the two manuals Die Panzerfaust and Der Panzerknacker complete the work, with all the original pages in German and the relative translation in English. The volume is completely illustrated with hundreds of original b/w and colour photographs and reproductions of manuals and documents of the period.

The M16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage (M16 MGMC) also known as M16 half-track, was a US self-propelled antiaircraft gun built during World War Two. The chassis of the half-rack armored personnel carrier was used to build various variants of self-propelled guns. They were tested on training grounds. Some of them were accepted for military service, series production and then they would see combat. These mainly included self-propelled antiaircraft guns armed with large-caliber 12.7 mm machine guns. In the Autumn of 1941, the first vehicles of this type were tested. The basic requirement of their design was to combine the half-track transporter chassis with a self-propelled revolving turret, the very same as the ones mounted on the bomber aircraft.

The monograph on the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, WW2 German fighter plane, discusses the origins and development of its A, F, G and S versions, which prototypes and fighter, assault, fighter-bomber, reconnaissance and trainer production variants are specified and described, including technical specifications and changes made in all sub-variants and conversions. All used types of armament: shooting weapons, bombs, missiles and torpedos are listed. The book also contains the production list of Fw 190 A with serial numbers and technical data of each variant. In a separate chapter, the author describes camouflage schemes and markings of Fw 190s used in combat units on the basis of particular examples.

In the ‘30s, Americans began working on a modern vehicle for cavalry reconnaissance and artillery units in freshly formed armoured and motorized units. The American command became interested in French half-track vehicle designs. On their basis the American industry proposed its own solutions. In 1938, White Motor Company created a vehicle called T-7, which was a combination of the design of the M3 scout car and the T-9 half-track transporter. Year later, a version with a more powerful engine was prepared. The new car was designated T-14 and used mainly by artillery units. In 1940, the project was renamed M2 and put into production.

The signal of need of such kind of vehicles extension occurred when the struggle against the Soviet Union began. Another ones came from North Africa. In both cases few times turned out that hard-to-eliminate foible of the units equipped with towed guns was its mobility when the tanks and short-barreled assault guns, engaged often and often as the anti-tank artillery, revealed insufficient firepower. There were self-propelled guns called Panzerjäger, put into service in the turn of 1942 and 1943. Despite the fact of being armed with a valuable 75 mm or 76,2 mm main armament, their crews were not protected effectively – the armor plates’ thickness was merely up to 10 mm.

The designation of Nieuport is linked with the origins of aviation. Édouard de Niéport (August 24, 1879-September 16, 1911) – a pilot and designer – was one of the aviation pioneers. In 1909 he established the Société d’Aérolocomotion aircraft factory in Suresnes, manufacturing airplanes of his design. He was one of the few designers who preferred the monoplane layout with the smallest possible number of drag-increasing items. The first construction, the Nieuport I, did not distinguish itself in performance, but it was a kind of laboratory which enabled the designer to develop his new brainchild, the Niueport II of 1910, into a machine singled out for its novel technical solutions: the fabric-covered fuselage with the pilot’s seat so arranged that only his head would protrude above the fuselage, or the landing gear with the wheels attached to a skid through a steel suspension spring.

In 1902, Japan signed an Alliance Pact with Britain, which was then a leading sea power. It ordered modern ships at British shipyards, and Japanese shipyards were to co-operate. After the new class of battlecruisers had emerged, Japan decided to design them for its navy. They were to be ships with a displacement of 19,000 tons and a main armament of 305 mm calibre guns. However, with the news that the British were working on a new design of the LION class cruiser with 343 mm main armament, work on the Japanese project was discontinued. An agreement was signed with the Vickers shipyard for the design and construction of new ships. The design of the LION cruiser was significantly improved by Vickers in co-operation with the Japanese Navy Technical Department. The new project’s main armament envisaged 356 mm guns not used before and developed by Vickers. Medium gun calibre was increased from 102 mm to 152 mm. The power unit was left as on the LION class. Four ships were ordered. The first, KONGO, was built at Vickers’ shipyard, the others were to be built in Japan. KIRISHIMA was built at the Mitsubishi shipyard in Yokosuka. Keel laying – 17 March 1912, launching – 1 December 1913, commissioned on 19 April 1915.

The Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (flying swallow) was designed to use the licensed copy of the German Daimler-Benz 601 engine, manufactured in Japan as Ha-40 by Kawasaki’s Akashi motor plant. It was planned to create two airframes – a heavily armed Ki-60 intended for offensive operations at low and medium ceilings, as well as a more agile and lightly armed Ki-61. Although the construction of the Ki-60 was considered a priority and work on it started a few months earlier, the Ki-61 contained the conclusions from the unsuccessful Ki-60 tests. Ultimately, the younger fighter entered the service. The Ki-61 engine mounting was constructed as an integral part of the fuselage, so it was only possible to remove the top and bottom covers, which was quite an unique solution. There were ammunition boxes behind the engine firewall for two 12.7 mm Ho-103 machine guns. It was a relatively light weapon, but very fast-firing. The supply of ammunition was only 250 rounds for a barell. The weaponry was supplemented by a pair of wing machine guns or cannons (depending on the version). The pilot was protected by an armoured windscreen and a 13 mm thick steel plate behind the seat. The engine and oil radiators were placed under the fuselage.

By the turn of the events, at the very begging of the first Balkan war, entirely unexpectedly an example of R.E.P type F fell into the hands of the Serbian Army. This example was ordered by the Ottoman empire, and when the war started it was crated in a railway wagon within a composition which was at the time located at the railway station in Toponica near Niš. Even though Serbia later had to pay for the confiscated example, “the present” was welcomed by the Serbian Army Command which hurriedly worked to equip and to organize its own air force. This book describes the use of the sole example of R.

Destroyers of Project 30bis, also referred to as the Smelyi-class (NATO: Skoryi-class), is a series of 70 Soviet destroyer ships built after the Second World War in the years 1950-1953. It was the most extended postwar series of destroyers in the world. The ships of Project 30bis were created as a continuation of large destroyers from World War II, which were part of Projects 30 and 30K. However, in comparison to the 30 and 30K project destroyers, the new ships were slightly larger, and their hull was welded entirely. Moreover, the appearance of the superstructures changed, the armament was slightly modified, and more sophisticated electronic equipment was installed. The propulsion system was also modernized, increasing the power of the boilers. The project was developed in 1946 and approved in January 1947. The construction of ships commenced in 1948. Although the first completed and commissioned on February 5, 1950, destroyer was Bditielnyi (Watchful), the entire series was named after the eighth destroyer Smelyi (Courageous), which was commissioned on March 19, 1950. This ship was used in the Gdansk Bay in the region of Baltijsk, Russia, for both state tests, and project qualifications. On the other hand, in the West, this type of ship began to be referred to as Skoryi-class, after the first identified ship. The battleships were built in four shipyards: Leningrad, Komsomolsk, Nikolayev, and Severodvinsk. The construction of 85 vessels commenced, of which 70 vessels were completed, and the remaining ones were resigned.