Military History Blog on the Web

Review: Hitler's Panzer Armies on the Eastern Front, Robert Kirchubel

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:09:49 PST

Hitler's Panzer Armies on the Eastern Front, Robert Kirchubel. A 'unit history' written on the largest scale, tracing the campaigns fought by the four Panzer Armies on the Eastern Front, from their roles in the early German victories, to their eventual defeat and destruction in the ruins of the Reich. A very useful contribution to the literature on the Eastern Front. [read full review]

Review: The Crusades: Crescent & The Cross (DVD).

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:09:24 PST

The Crusades: Crescent & The Cross (DVD). A 3-DVD boxed set that looks at the first three Crusades. Dramatic reconstructions supported by a good mix of experts means that the programmes give a well balanced account of the crusades, from the successful first crusade to the clash between Saladin and Richard the Lion Heart. [read full review]

Review: Sniper Ace: From the Eastern Front to Siberia, Bruno Sutkus

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:08:07 PST

Sniper Ace: From the Eastern Front to Siberia, Bruno Sutkus, An account of the life of one of the most successful German snipers on the Eastern Front and of the decades he spent in exile in the Soviet Union, of most value for the picture it paints of the fate of many German prisoners of war when they fell into Soviet hands at the end of the war. [read full review]

Review: Atomic: The First War of Physics, Jim Baggott

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:07:27 PST

Atomic: The First War of Physics, Jim Baggott. A look at the race to develop the atom bomb that clearly explains the science behind the bomb and the problems faced in turning theory into practise, looking at the British, German, American and Soviet bomb programmes from the point of view of the individual scientists and of the Allied and Soviet spies attempting to discover what their enemies and allies knew or were capable of. [read full review]

Review: The Soldier: A History of Courage, Sacrifice and Brotherhood

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:07:05 PST

The Soldier: A History of Courage, Sacrifice and Brotherhood, Darren Moore. A study of the life of the soldier, based on first hand accounts and interviews from the Napoleonic Wars to the current wars in Afghanistan and Ira, and a valuable insight into the often devastating mental and physical cost of war to the soldiers on the front line. Moore's work serves as a valuable reminder that war should always be the last resort. [read full review]

Review: Arms and Armour of the Imperial Roman Solder

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:05:49 PST

Arms and Armour of the Imperial Roman Soldier, From Marius to Commodus, 112 BC-AD 192, Raffaele d'Amato and Graham Sumner. A very impressive, hugely detailed, well organised and comprehensively illustrated look at the equipment of the Roman Soldier of the late Republic and early Empire, covering the arms, armour, cloths and symbols of the Roman infantry, cavalry, naval and auxiliary forces. [read full review]

Junkers Ju 86

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:04:31 PST

The Junkers Ju 86 was a disappoint medium bomber developed at the same time as the Heinkel He 111, and that had been phased out of front line service by the start of the Second World War
The Junkers Ju 86A was the first production version of the Ju 86 medium bomber, but suffered from poor stability and was soon replaced by the Ju 86B.
The Junkers Ju 86B was the designation given to civil versions of the Ju 86 medium bomber that were intended for the German market
The Junkers Ju 86C was a civil version of the Ju 86 that was given the same 42cm fin at the back of the fuselage as the Ju 86D bomber
The Junkers Ju 86D was the second production version of the Ju 86 bomber and differed from the Ju 86A mainly in having a 42cm extension at the rear of the fuselage.
The Junkers Ju 86E was the first military version of the Ju 86 to be powered by BMW radial engines in place of the diesel engines of earlier versions
The Junkers Ju 86G was the final version of the aircraft to be produced as a standard medium bomber, and was given a new nose that greatly improved visibility from the cockpit.
The Junkers Ju 86K was the designation given to the export version of the Ju 86 bomber. At lease eight different versions were produced, and were sold to Sweden, South Africa, Hungary, Austria, Chile, Portugal and Bolivia
The Junkers Ju 86P was a high altitude bomber and reconnaissance aircraft that gave an extra lease of life to the otherwise unsuccessful Ju 86 medium bomber.
The Junkers Ju 86R was an improved version of the Ju 86P high altitude bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, capable of reaching 14,800m (48,500), an increase in service ceiling of 10,000ft over the earlier aircraft.
The Junkers Ju 86Z was the designation given to civil versions of the Ju 86 built for the export market. It was produced in at least five versions, including one that was later used against the Axis powered by the South Africa Air Force.
The Junkers Ju 186 was a design for a high-altitude research plane based on the Ju 86 bomber
The Junkers Ju 286 was to have been a six engined high-altitude bomber based on the Ju 86

Minor Junkers aircraft of the Second World War

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:04:02 PST

The Junkers Ju 60 was a single engined transport aircraft produced in 1932 that was the precursor of the Ju 160, which saw use with the Luftwaffe during the Second World War.
The Junkers Ju 89 was a long range bomber that was developed in 1935-36, part of an early German attempt to develop a strategic bomber force that was abandoned early in 1937.
The Junkers Ju 90 was a four engined transport aircraft that was developed from the Ju 89 heavy bomber
The Junkers Ju 160 was a single engined transport aircraft developed from the Ju 60 and that same service with the Luftwaffe during the Second World War.
The Junkers Ju 252 was one of a number of aircraft designed in an attempt to replace the aging Ju 52/3m, but only a small number were produced, and for most of the Second World War the Luftwaffe was left without a modern transport aircraft.
The Junkers Ju 287 was a revolutionary design for a fast jet bomber with swept-forward wings that flew in prototype before the end of the Second World War.
The Junkers Ju 322 Mammut (Mammoth) was a massive all-wooden glider built to the same specifications as the more successful Messerschmitt Me 321.
The Junkers Ju 352 Herkules was a wooden version of the Ju 252 transport aircraft, itself developed in an attempt to replace the Ju 52/3m.
The Junkers Ju 390 was one of three long-range bombers designed to bomb New York from bases in Europe, and on one test flight actually reached within 12 miles of the city.

India Air Force squadrons of the Second World War

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:56:16 PST

No.1 Squadron, IAF, was the only squadron of the Indian Air Force to be formed before the outbreak of the Second World War, and served as an army co-operation squadron and then a fighter-bomber squadron over Burma.
No.2 Squadron, IAF, was an army co-operation and reconnaissance squadron that saw a short period of front line service over Burma between December 1944 and May 1945.
No.3 Squadron, IAF, served on the North West Frontier for most of the Second World War, only spending two months early in 1945 operating over Burma.
No.4 Squadron, IAF, served as a fighter-bomber squadron over Burma between April 1944 and April 1945, before taking part in the Allied occupation of Japan.
No.6 Squadron, IAF, served as a tactical reconnaissance and ground-attack squadron for five months over the winter of 1943-44, before moving to the North West Frontier for the rest of the war.
No.7 Squadron, IAF, served as a ground attack squadron over Burma between July 1944 and May 1945, first with the Vultee Vengeance and later with the Hawker Hurricane.
No.8 Squadron, IAF, served over Burma from December 1943 until the end of the war, first as a dive-bomber squadron, and then from January 1945 as a Spitfire equipped fighter squadron.
No.9 Squadron, IAF, was a fighter-bomber squadron that took part in the campaign in Burma between April 1944 and April 1945.
No.10 Squadron, IAF, was a ground-attack squadron that served in Burma from December 1944 until July 1945.
No.12 Squadron, RIAF, was a post-war fighter squadron that became a transport squadron before Indian independence.
No.101 Squadron, IAF, was a short-lived coastal defence squadron, formed in April 1942 and disbanded in November.
No.104 Squadron, IAF, was a coastal patrol squadron that operated over the Indian Ocean from April-June 1942.

Reviews: The Four Days Battle of 1666; Story of HMS Revenge

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:15:33 PST

The Four Days Battle of 1666, Frank L Fox. This is a detailed study of the longest major battle of the age of sail, using English and Dutch accounts of the fighting to produce a clear but detailed account of the battle, the events that led up to it and its aftermath. An excellent study of a battle often described as the 'Greatest Sea Fight of the Age of Sail', and one that came just as the old melee tactics were being replaced by the line of battle [read full review]

The Story of HMS Revenge, Alexander Stilwell. This book looks at the ten British warships to have borne the name Revenge, starting with one of the most famous Elizabethan warships and ending with a recently de-commissioned nuclear submarine. In between we find powerful sailing ships of the Anglo-Dutch and Napoleonic Wars, and a super-dreadnaught that fought at Jutland and took part in the hunt for the Bismarck. [read full review]

Review: Land Girls and Their Impact

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:14:35 PST

Land Girls & Their Impact, Ann Kramer. For a long time a forgotten army, this book looks at the remarkable achievements of the Women's Land Army during the Second World War, the recruitment, training and daily lives of the land girls and lumber jills, and the reactions (both positive and negative) they inspired in rural communities [read full review]

Reviews: French Battleships 1922-56 and MiG Menace over Korea

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:13:36 PST

French Battleships, 1922-1956, John Jordan & Robert Dumas. A very detailed look at the generation of French battleships built or designed between the world wars, looking at the design, construction and military careers of the Dunkerque, Strasbourg, Richelieu, Jean Bart, Clemenceau and Gascogne, supported by an impressive number of plans and photographs. [read full review]

MiG Menace over Korea: The Story of Soviet Fighter Ace Nikolai Sutiagin, Yuri Sutiagin and Igor Seidov. An invaluable account of the career of the leading Soviet fighter ace of the Korean War, this book gives us a fascinating view of life in the Soviet Air Force during its top secret involvement in the Korean War, the only time when Soviet and American fighter pilots clashed in large numbers during the Cold War. [read full review]

Reviews: Target Leipzig and The Battle of the Narrow Seas

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:12:05 PST

Target Leipzig, The RAF's disastrous raid of 19/20 February 1944, Alan Cooper. A detailed account of one of the most costly Bomber Command raids of the Second World War, in which seventy nine Halifax and Lancaster heavy bombers were lost and 420 crewmen killed. At its best when Cooper takes us into the air with the bomber crews who took part in the disastrous attack of Leipzig. [read full review]

The Battle of the Narrow Seas, Peter Scott. An account of the battles fought by Britain's Light Coastal Forces in the Channel and North Sea, written by Sir Peter Scott, the future conservationist and commander of one of the Motor Torpedo Boats whose exploits are described in the text. Written in time for the Christmas market of 1945 this is one of the most immediate and vibrant accounts of service during the Second World War that you will ever read. [read full review]

Reviews: Black Flag and Fighting for the French Foreign Legion

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:10:48 PST

Black Flag: The Surrender of Germany's U-Boats, 1945, Lawrence Paterson. A fascinating and well balanced look at the surrender of the German U-boat force, the only part of the German armed forces still to be stretched out around the world at the end of the Second World War. Paterson covers the surrenders at sea and in Allied ports, the Allied occupation of the remaining U-boat bases in France, Norway and Germany and the surrender of those men from the U-boat force who found them selves involved in the fighting on land in the last days of the war. [read full review]

Fighting for the French Foreign Legion: Memoirs of a Scottish Legionnaire, Alex Lochrie. A valuable account of life in the Legion during the period when it became an official part of the French armed forces, covering the selection process, training, and the Legion's involvement in peacekeeping in Africa and Bosnia as well as Operation Desert Storm. [read full review]

Reviews: American Civil War Guerrilla Tactics, Captain Cooks War and Peace

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:09:37 PST

American Civil War Guerrilla Tactics, Sean McLachlan. A look at the various forms of irregular warfare that were a feature of the American Civil War, covering the campaigns themselves, the guerrilla and irregular leaders and their impact on the war as well as the actual tactics used by and against the guerillas. [read full review]

Captain Cook's War and Peace: The Royal Navy Years 1755-1768, John Robson. This interesting study fills a gap in our knowledge of Cook's career, and makes it very clear why he was chosen to command the Endeavour on her expedition into the Pacific, as well as providing a view of the Royal Navy in the period that saw it win command of the seas. [read full review]

Reviews: Democrats to Kings and Men of Steel

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:08:32 PST

From Democrats to Kings, Michael Scott. A hugely entertaining account of the tumultuous century between the defeat of Athens at the end of the Peloponnesian War and the aftermath of the death of Alexander the Great, a period that saw the city states of ancient Greece lose their independence, and come under the rule of the great Hellenistic kingdoms. [read full review]

Men of Steel: 1st SS Panzer Corps, The Ardennes and Eastern Front 1944-45, Michael Reynolds. A hugely detailed account of the battles fought by the 1st SS Panzer Corps in the last few months of the Second World War, covering its role in the Ardennes offensive in the west and the last German offensive of the war in Hungary. [read full review]

South African Air Squadrons of the Second World War

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:05:26 PST

No.1 Squadron (S.A.A.F.) took part in the campaigns in East Africa, North Africa, Sicily and Italy, most of the time providing escorts for Allied bombers.
No.2 Squadron (S.A.A.F.) was a fighter squadron that served in East Africa, North Africa and Italy, sometimes providing fighter support for the Allied armies, but more often operating as a fighter-bomber squadron.
No.3 Squadron (S.A.A.F.) was a fighter squadron that took part in the fighting in East Africa and in Italy, after arriving in North Africa just as the fighting there came to an end.
No.4 Squadron (S.A.A.F.) operated as a fighter-bomber squadron, taking part in the desert battles between Operation Crusader and El Alamein, the advance into Tunisia, and the invasions of Sicily and Italy.
No.5 Squadron (S.A.A.F.) was a fighter squadron that took part in the fighting in North Africa in 1942 and early 1943, the invasion of mainland Italy and took part in raids over the Balkans.
No.7 Squadron (S.A.A.F.) was a fighter squadron that took part in the fighting in North Africa from the summer of 1942 until the German surrender in Tunisia, then served in the eastern Mediterranean before moving to Italy in the spring 1944.
No.9 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a short-lived fighter squadron that spend its entire existence in the Eastern Mediterranean.
No.10 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a fighter squadron that operated in Egypt and Libya for a short period during 1944.
No.11 Squadron, S.A.A.F. went through two incarnations during the Second World War, first as an army co-operation squadron in East Africa, and later as a Spitfire-equipped fighter squadron in the Eastern Mediterranean.
No.12 Squadron, S.A.A.F., spent most of the Second World War operating as a bomber squadron, first in Italian East Africa, and then in North Africa, Sicily and Italy.
No.15 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a bomber squadron that served in East Africa, North Africa, as an anti-shipping and submarine unit over the Aegean and as a day bomber squadron in Italy.
No.16 Squadron, S.A.A.F., went through three incarnations during the Second First World, first as a coastal reconnaissance unit, then as a bomber unit in East Africa and finally as a maritime patrol squadron in the Mediterranean.
No.17 Squadron, S.A.A.F., went through two incarnations during the Second World War - a short-lived period as a transport squadron in 1939 and a longer period as a maritime patrol squadron.
No.19 Squadron, S.A.A.F., had two short incarnations during the Second World War, first as a transport squadron in 1939 and later as a ground attack squadron operating over the Balkans.
No.21 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a medium bomber squadron that operated the Maryland, Baltimore and Marauder bombers in North Africa, Sicily and Italy.
No.22 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a maritime patrol squadron that spent most of its existence operating from South Africa before moving to Gibraltar in June 1944.
No.24 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a medium bomber squadron that operated in the Western Desert, Sicily and over Italy between 1941 and the end of the Second World War.
No.25 Squadron, SAAF, was formed as a coastal reconnaissance unit, and spent two years patrolling off the South African Coast, before moving to the Mediterranean, where it joined the Balkan Air Force.
No.26 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was an Wellington equipped reconnaissance unit that flew anti-submarine patrols from West Africa from 1943 until the end of the war.
No.27 Squadron, S.A.A.F., served as a coastal reconnaissance unit from South Africa, before moving to Algeria during 1944 to fly anti-submarime patrols.
No.28 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a transport squadron that served in the Mediterranean from its formation in 1943 until the autumn of 1945.
No.30 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a medium bomber squadron that operated in Italy from August 1944 until the end of the Second World War.
No.31 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a heavy bomber squadron that operated from bases in the Mediterranean from its formation in 1944 until the end of the war.
No.34 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a heavy bomber unit that operated from Italy from July 1944 until the end of the Second World War.
No.40 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was first formed as an army co-operation squadron, but spent most of the Second World War serving as a tactical reconnaissance unit equipped with single engined fighters.
No.41 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was formed as an army co-operation squadron during 1940, serving in East Africa, then spent most of 1943-44 operating as a fighter unit in the eastern Mediterranean.
No.44 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a a transport squadron that operated in the Mediterranean from July 1944 until the end of 1945.
No.60 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a photographic survey and reconnaissance squadron that operated in East Africa and the Mediterranean.

Reviews: Saracen Stronghold & Roman Conquests

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 08:20:42 PDT

Saracen Strongholds 1100-1500, David Nicole. The Central and Eastern Islamic Lands, David Nicolle. An effective introduction or overview of a vast topic, looking at the fortifications of the Seljuks, Ayyubids, Mamluks, Mongols and Assassins in an area that stretched from modern Turkey and Egypt east to India.
[read full review]

Roman Conquests: Italy, Ross Cowan. A look at the Roman conquest of the Italian Peninsula, the series of wars that saw Rome transformed from a small city state in central Italy into a power that was on the verge of conquering the ancient Mediterranean world. A lack of contemporary sources makes this a difficult period to write about, but Cowan has produced a convincing narrative without ignoring some of the complexity.
[read full review]

Reviews: Hitler's Gulf War & Nuclear Dawn

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 08:19:56 PDT

Hitler's Gulf War - The Fight for Iraq 1941, Barrie G James. A compelling account of one of the more obscure but important campaigns of the Second World War, presented from the point of view of the British, Iraqi and German participants in the Iraqi revolt that threatened to hand the Germans a commanding position in the Middle East. [read full review]

Nuclear Dawn: The Atomic Bomb from the Manhattan Project to the Cold War, James P. Delgado. A look at the development of the Nuclear Bomb from the first research in radiation, to the wartime development and use of the first atom bombs and on to the tests at Bikini Atoll and the early years of the Cold War. [read full review]

Reviews: Carmarthen Pals & The Art of Leadership

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 08:19:01 PDT

Carmarthen Pals: A History of the 15th (Service) Battalion The Welsh Regiment, 1914-1919, Steven John. A detailed and sobering account of the activities of a single battalion on the Western Front during some of the most famous battles of the First World War, including the Somme, Passchendaele and the final victorious offensives of 1918. [read full review]

The Art of Leadership, Field Marshal The Viscount Montgomery of Alamein. This is a revised edition of Monty's classic work on leadership including a chapter comparing Churchill and Eisenhower that was excluded from the original work. Of interest both for Montgomery's thoughts on what made a good leader and for the insight it gives us into his attitudes towards some of his wartime contemporaries. [read full review]

First Gallic Invasion of Italy and sack of Rome

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 08:17:02 PDT

The First Gallic Invasion of Italy of 390 B.C. was a pivotal event in the history of the Roman Republic and saw the city occupied and sacked for the last time in eight hundred years.
The battle of the Allia (18 July 390 B.C.) was one of the most embarrassing defeats in Roman history, and left the city defenceless in the face of a Gallic war band.
The sack of Rome (390 B.C.) was the worst recorded disaster in the history of the early Roman Republic, and saw a Gallic war band led by Brennus capture and sack most of the city, after winning an easy victory on the Allia
The battle of the Trausian Plain (c.390-384 B.C.) probably saw an Etruscan army from the city of Caere defeat all or part of the Gallic war band that was responsible for the sack of Rome

War: From Ancient Egypt to Iraq, ed. Saul David

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:43:59 PDT

War: From Ancient Egypt to Iraq, ed. Saul David. A massive and beautifully illustrated look at the history of war from the earliest recorded battles to the recent conflict in Iraq. By focusing on the most significant wars the authors have been able to produce a more readable book than is normal in this genre, and the wide scope of the book means that every reader should find something that is new to them. [read full review]

The Bantams, Sidney Allinson

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:43:19 PDT

The Bantams, Sidney Allinson. A look at the Bantam units raised in Britain and Empire during the First World War for men under the 5'3" height requirement for the British Army. Well supported by reminiscences from the Bantams, this book should help to prevent them from being forgotten.
[read full review]

At Rommel's Side: The Lost Letters of Hans-Joachim Schraepler, ed. Hans-Albrecht Schraepler.

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:42:50 PDT

At Rommel's Side: The Lost Letters of Hans-Joachim Schraepler, ed. Hans-Albrecht Schraepler. A series of letters written by Rommel's adjutant in North Africa in 1941 and edited by his son and that provide an interesting new layer of information to our knowledge of the war in the desert.
[read full review]

Who Dares Wins: The SAS and the Iranian Embassy Siege 1980

noreply@blogger.com (John Rickard) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:42:13 PDT

Who Dares Wins: The SAS and the Iranian Embassy Siege 1980, Gregory Fremont-Barnes. A look at the events behind one of the defining images of the early 1980s - the first public appearance of the SAS on the balcony of the Iranian Embassy as they ended the six-day long siege.
[read full review]