Nominated as Best Military History Book 2013 in the prestigious journal Air Power History, published by the US Air Force Historical Foundation The events in Jet Age Man took place during the early Cold War, an era that will go down as a period when civilization teetered on the edge of the abyss. To some, nuclear deterrence appeared as utter madness, and was in fact commonly referred to as M.A.D. The concept of Mutually Assured Destruction provoked protests and marches, and the architect of M.A.D, General Curtis LeMay, became a symbol of madness himself. Raised during those turbulent times, most contemporary historians conclude that we were lucky to have survived. What they fail recognize is that for LeMay and the thousands of Cold War warriors who fought and won while serving in the Strategic Air Command, the proof of concept lies not in the "what if?" but in the reality, "what did." Historically, M.A.D. succeeded where appeasement, diplomacy and even hot wars failed. When The Wall came down, strength, not weakness, had prevailed. Most of this story takes place in the Cold War trenches of the Strategic Air Command. It is about those who served and the many who died, told by someone who, as a young man, literally held the fate of all mankind within reach of a switch. More particularly, this is a story of man's interaction with two bombers that changed the course of political history, and were perhaps the most influential aircraft in the annals of aircraft development. The author piloted and instructed in both the B-47 and the B-52, starting out as a copilot in the B-47, then aircraft commander and finally, instructor pilot in both aircraft. Jet Age Man chronicles his fifteen-year relationship with the B-47 and the aircraft the B-47 became, the B-52--a bomber still in service today.
The Bushman soldiers were the most outstanding all-round fighters of the Border War. As the first of the indigenous population to take up arms on South Africa's behalf, they were among the last to lay them down. The border's oldest and most bush-wise people, they became feared as relentless trackers and dedicated soldiers.
This is an extremely thorough 4-volume guide to the regimental march tunes and other parade music, which inspired loyalty, pride and battlefield motivation for generations of Germans over three centuries.
With Trumpet, Drum and Fife' is described as a 'short treatise covering the rise and fall of military musical instruments on the battlefield'. Despite there being a plethora of books about military music, 'With Trumpet, Drum and Fife' stands out from the crowd in that it explores new areas of the world of military musical instruments. It is easy to read format and conciseness unwraps a depth and breadth of detail contained within. The chapters of the book guide you from the Ancient World through to the Restoration and up to the modern day giving examples of the origins and developments of the instruments employed. The author gives unique and well-researched accounts of the role of drummers within the military environment. The text explores the historical context of land battles and the importance of signaling instruments used in times of conflict. The status and pecking order of musicians within the military and the unique development of Drummers' uniforms are also detailed with the images contained within the book highlighting specific areas of interest.
This book investigates several controversial issues regarding the role of the Soviet Union and the performance of the Soviet government and Red Army, to which the author provides some provocative answers. The primary question explored by the author, however, regards the effectiveness of both the Red Army and of the Soviet military economy. Dr.
During World War II, Portugal played its cards uncommonly and subsequently became a member of NATO. This membership resulted in modernizing its navy and its integration into the Atlantic Alliance.
Originally published by Greenwood Press, 1997.
Few episodes in warfare are as famous as the evacuation of the British expeditionary force and many French troops from Dunkirk. It was a very British success, pulling something of a victory from the jaws of defeat - a triumph in the face of catastrophe.
In the wake of the Red Army's signal victory at Stalingrad, which began when its surprise counteroffensive encircled German Sixth Army in Stalingrad region in mid-November 1942 and ended when its forces liquidated beleaguered Sixth Army in early February 1943, the Soviet High Command (Stavka) expanded its counteroffensive into a full-fledged winter offensive which nearly collapsed German defenses in southern Russia. History has recorded the many dramatic triumphs the Red Army achieved during the initial phases of this winter offensive, culminating with its rapid advance deep into the Donbas and Khar'kov regions in February 1943. It has also described the subsequent feats of German Field Marshall Erich von Manstein, who, tasked by his Führer, Adolph Hitler, to restore German fortunes in southern Russia, skillfully orchestrated a counterstroke of his own that indeed restored stability to Germany's defenses in the East and paved the way for the climactic battle of Kursk in July 1943. As is so often the case, however, history has misled its audience for several cogent reasons. On the one hand, the Soviet Union and its historians, anxious to conceal the ambitiousness of its offensive and, at the same time, preserve the reputations of the Red Army and its senior commanders, willfully avoided describing the offensive's true scope and the many failures and shortcomings the Red Army experienced during its conduct. On the other hand, German and other Western historians, frequently basing their accounts on inaccurate Soviet sources, focused only on the most dramatic aspects of the offensive, ignoring much of their adversary's actions and, not coincidentally, missing his intent. This volume, and the series that provides it context, restores the lost and concealed to the historical record. Exploiting newly released Russian archival materials, it reveals the unbounded ambitions that shaped the Stavka's winter offensive and the full scope and scale of the Red Army's many offensive operations. For example, it reflects on recently rediscovered Operation Mars, Marshal Zhukov's companion-piece to the more famous Operation Uranus at Stalingrad. It then reexamines the Red Army's dramatic offensive into the Donbas and Khar'kov region during February, clearly demonstrating that this offensive was indeed conducted by three rather than two Red Army fronts. Likewise, it describes how the Stavka expanded the scale of its offensive in mid-February 1943 by ordering major strategic efforts, hitherto ignored, by multiple Red Army fronts along the Western (Orel-Smolensk) axis and, in Zhukov's forgotten operation Polar Star, along the Northwestern (Demiansk-Leningrad) axis as well. Finally, by restoring the full scope of these failed or partially failed Red Army offensives to history, this volume also reassesses the impact of Manstein's dramatic counterstrokes in the Donbas and Khar'kov regions, concluding that their impact was equivalent to that of a full-fledged strategic counteroffensive. This study includes over 100 operational maps to highlight key aspects of the offensives.
The Hungarian armed forces (known as the Honvédség) were built up in the 1930s, their expansion gaining momentum once Hungary became free of the strict post-WWI Trianon treaty limitations in August 1938. Politically, Hungary was looking for a strong ally, who would help it to recover at least some of the territories containing sizable Magyar ethnic populations that had been lost after the First World War. Initially, in the mid-1930s, Italy gave political assistance and supplied military material, then - on the eve of WWII - Germany also lent support.In November 1938, Hungary managed to peacefully recover a chunk of its former territory from Czechoslovakia, followed by the Sub-Carpathian area during a brief border war in March 1939, then the northern part of Transylvania from Rumania in August 1940. Later, in April 1941, the Bachka region and parts of Baranya were also taken back from the dismembered Yugoslavia, in a swift military action. The rub was that Hungary was sucked into the cauldron of the Eastern front, and soon the Honvéds (Hungarian soldiers) found themselves deep in Soviet territory, outgunned and outnumbered by the Red Army. Later on, from August 1944, the beleaguered Honvédség had to fight against the mighty Soviet army in defense of its own territory. Alongside tiny Croatia, Hungary remained the last German ally up to the bitter end.This comprehensive reference, to be published in two volumes, and the fruit of over twenty years of meticulous research, strives to provide a complete picture of the Hungarian armed forces between the years 1919-1945. It starts with a brief history of the Magyars, describes the political situation in Hungary before and during WWII, the building of the armed forces, the growth of domestic arms manufacturers, the organization of the armed forces units and how they changed during the war. The various campaigns of the war are described in great detail, illustrated with many photographs and maps.This, the first volume, contains approximately 550 photographs, many previously unpublished, as well as numerous tables and maps of the various campaigns. The authors drew on official Hungarian and German archives, and a multitude of private sources, both from individuals living in Hungary and Hungarian émigrés from the Western Diaspora. The result of this Herculean effort is a two-volume series destined to be the reference work on the topic, a must for people fascinated by military history, or generally interested in the 1100-year-long rich history of Hungary and its Magyar Warriors. Volume 2 will cover all small arms, artillery, soft-skin and armored vehicles, motorcycles, as well as aircraft, the insignia, markings and camouflage of armored vehicles and aircraft, both of Hungarian indigenous design and those supplied by Germany and Italy, complete with technical data, production and delivery figures. An extensive selection of b/w photographs and color plates will be included.
This groundbreaking new study, now significantly expanded, exploits a wealth of Soviet and German archival materials to present a detailed mosaic and definitive account of what took place, why, and how during the prolonged and complex battles in the Smolensk region from 10 July through 10 September 1941. The structure of the study is designed speci
Paperback reprint of the newly typeset edition by Helion & Company, Solihull, West Midlands, England, 2004.
Virtually born in battle, collecting precious combat experience and playing involved in so many conflicts, the Iraqi Air Force remains one of the most misinterpreted military services in the Middle East. Wings over Iraq provides a uniquely compact yet comprehensive guide to its operational history, officers, aircraft, and major operations.
In 1961, Portugal found itself fighting a war to retain its colonial possessions and preserve the remnants of its Empire. It was almost completely unprepared to do so, and this was particularly evident in its ability to project power and to control the vast colonial spaces of Africa. Following the uprisings of March 1961 in the north of Angola, Portugal poured troops into the colony as fast as its creaking logistic system would allow; however, these new arrivals were not competent and did not possess the skills needed to fight a counterinsurgency. While counterinsurgency by its nature requires substantial numbers of light infantry, the force must be trained in the craft of fighting a ¿small war¿ to be effective. The majority of the arriving troops had no such indoctrination and had been readied at an accelerated pace. Even their uniforms were hastily crafted and not ideally suited to fighting in the bush. In reoccupying the north and addressing the enemy threat, Portugal quickly realized that its most effective forces were those with special qualifications and advanced training. Unfortunately there were only very small numbers of such elite forces. The maturing experiences of the Portuguese and their consequent adjustments to fight a counterinsurgency led to the development of specialized, tailored units to close the gaps in skills and knowledge between the insurgents and their forces. This book is about the fuzileiros or Portuguese marines, a naval force that operated in the riverine littorals of Africa and that was both feared by the enemy and loved by those loyal to Portugal. The fuzileiros underwent one of the longest and most physically demanding specialist infantry training regimes in the world, lasting some forty-two weeks. Perhaps only 15 to 35 percent of the inductees eventually passed the course and were awarded the traditional and highly coveted navy blue beret. When deployed to Africa, they underwent further acclimation for weeks until they were able to move through the slime and mud of a riverbank with ease, as their lives depended on it. They became experts at riverine warfare and regularly ranged inland on extended patrols, many of which are recounted here. They were comfort able with the uncomfortable fighting nvironment, and this ability translated into an unpredictability that the enemy feared. This book is the story of how they came to be formed and organized, the initial teething difficulties, and their unqualified successes.
The North African campaign was one of the hardest fought episodes of the Second World War, yet the vital part played by the Italian Army is frequently overlooked. The key theme of the book is the Folgore Parachute Division's involvement in the Axis war effort through an analysis of their training, weaponry and battle tactics.
This is the story of how, in 1808, the Royal Navy used its dominance in the Baltic to rescue the Spanish Army of the Marques de La Romana.
Suriname became independent in 1975 under the Netherlands' decolonisation program. Bureaucratic mismanagement by the democratic government led to a military coup in 1980 and ultimately a civil war that lasted from 1986 to 1992. The volume is illustrated by more than 120 contemporary photographs, maps and authentic colour profiles.
How did an Austrian-born misfit who had never risen higher in military service than the rank of lance-corporal attain mastery over Germany and most of Europe? Much of that dubious credit can be attributed to the actions of his earliest paramilitary army, the Sturmabteilungen (SA, Storm Troops), and the men chosen by the Führer to lead it. This series analyses the lives and careers of those men, the first volume covering 49 officers, 35 of whom were, like their leader, veterans of the First World War who had found themselves stunned, bitterly disillusioned, and in many cases unemployed and destitute in the aftermath of that four-year struggle. They eagerly sought the opportunity to return to uniform, battled the enemies of the Nazi Party in the streets of inter war Germany, and saw their efforts rewarded by their own leader's betrayal, as he essentially decapitated his SA in favor of its own subordinate formation, Heinrich Himmler's SS, in the 'Night of the Long Knives' (30 June -1 July 1934). But the SA did not end with that devastating blow, and despite its loss of prestige and power it was to play an important role in military training and internal security within and outside the borders of the Reich. During World War II, many of its leaders were tasked with administering occupied territories and representing Germany as ambassadors to other Axis nations. Still others, men of all SA ranks, served individually as members of the German armed forces, tens of thousands of them losing their lives on all fronts and many of them receiving the highest awards for bravery and leadership. Relying primarily on contemporary documentation, including the official personnel files of these men, Michael Miller and Andreas Schulz have compiled the first in-depth study yet produced on the SA leadership corps, a series designed to provide as comprehensive a picture as possible of the hauptamtlicher (full-time, actively serving) and ehrenamtlicher (honorary) SA-Führer.
An explanation of why things went wrong for the Eighth Army for so long, despite the best efforts of brave and determined men.
This book outlines the plans for the English attack on the Spanish West Indies in 1655, their defeat on Hispaniola and occupation of Jamaica until the end of 1655.
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