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 European Land Battles 1939-1943 (The Military History of World War II vol.1)
European Land Battles 1939-1943 (The Military History of World War II vol.1)
Author: Trevor Nevitt Dupuy
European Land Battles 1939-1943 (The Military History of World War II vol.01)
Franklin Watts, Inc.
1962
Format: PDF
Pages: 102
Language: English
Size: 27.2 MB

A retrospective of European Land Battles 1939-1943.

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 Mosquito: The Original Multi-Role Combat Aircraft
Mosquito: The Original Multi-Role Combat Aircraft
Mosquito: The Original Multi-Role Combat Aircraft
Author: Graham Simons
Pen & Sword Aviation
2011
ISBN: 1848844263
Pages: 256
Language: English
Format: EPUB
Size: 10 MB

During the history of aviation there have been very few aircraft that have achieved immediate success when entering front-line service. The de Havilland Mosquito was one such aircraft. It was not designed to an RAF requirement, but was the result of an initiative of the designers and builders to utilize the skills of woodworkers and the relative abundance of wood in the crisis years of World War II. The result was an airplane that could be built quickly, was extremely fast and extremely versatile. The pilots loved it. This book describes how it was built and utilizes many hitherto unpublished photographs from the design studio and production lines. It illustrates and explains the many different roles that the aircraft took as the war progressed. Fighter, bomber, reconnaissance, night fighter - there were few tasks that this brilliant design could not adopt.

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 Their Darkest Hour - People Tested to the Extreme in WWII
Their Darkest Hour - People Tested to the Extreme in WWII
Author: Laurence Rees
Their Darkest Hour - People Tested to the Extreme in WWII
BBC Books
2007
Format: PDF
Pages: 300
Language: English
Size: 12.6 MB

How could Nazi killers shoot Jewish women and children at close range? Why did Japanese soldiers rape and murder on such a horrendous scale? How was it possible to endure the torment of a Nazi concentration camp?
Award-winning documentary maker and historian Laurence Rees has spent nearly 20 years wrestling with these questions in the course of filming hundreds of interviews with people tested to the extreme during World War II. He has come face-to-face with rapists, mass murderers, even cannibals, but he has also met courageous individuals who are an inspiration to us all.
In Their Darkest Hour he presents 35 of his most electrifying encounters.

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 British Paratrooper 1940-1945 (Osprey Warrior 174)
British Paratrooper 1940-1945 (Osprey Warrior 174)
Author: Rebecca Skinner
British Paratrooper 1940-1945 (Osprey Warrior 174)
Osprey Publishing
2015
Format: PDF (e-book)
Pages: 66
Size: 3 Mb
Language: English

Inspired by the exploits of the German Fallschirmjäger in the blitzkrieg campaigns, Winston Churchill called for the formation of a 5,000-strong Airborne Force in June 1940. From these beginnings The Parachute Regiment became one of the foremost units of the British Army both in World War II and up to the present day. This new history of the British Paratrooper, from 1940 to 1945, details the unique training, weapons and equipment used by these elite troops. A wealth of first-hand and until now unpublished materials brings the history of the ordinary paratrooper to life, drawing on the author's position as a former curator of the Regimental Museum.

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 The Race for Hitler's X-Planes: Britain's 1945 Mission to Capture Secret Luftwaffe Technology
The Race for Hitler's X-Planes: Britain's 1945 Mission to Capture Secret Luftwaffe Technology
Author: John Christopher
The Race for Hitler's X-Planes: Britain's 1945 Mission to Capture Secret Luftwaffe Technology
The History Press
ISBN: 0752464574
2013
Format: EPUB
Pages: 224
Size: 7 Mb
Language: English

During World War II, Hitler's engineers had pioneered an incredible array of futuristic secret weapons, from the Me 262, the first operational jet fighter, to the deadly V2 intercontinental ballistic missile. With the Third Reich shattered and lying in ruins, in the summer of 1945, the Allies launched a frantic race to grab what they saw as the justifiable spoils of war. The Americans and Russians in particular were anxious to secure not only the aircraft and the research and production facilities, but also the key German scientists and engineers. This Nazi technology would define the balance of power in the phony peace of the Cold War era, launching an arms race that shaped the modern world for decades to come. Using previously unpublished secret Air Ministry reports, and offering comprehensive photographs of the aircraft, research, and manufacturing facilities, this book tells the untold story of the British mission to Germany.

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 Famous Airmen: The Allied Aces of World War II
Famous Airmen: The Allied Aces of World War II
Author: W.N. Hess
Famous Airmen: The Allied Aces of World War II
Arco Publishing
1966
Format: PDF
Pages: 65
Language: English
Size: 19.4 MB

Fighter aces in World War II had tremendously varying kill scores, affected as they were by many factors: the pilot's skill level, the performance of the airplane he flew and those he flew against, how long he served, his opportunity to meet the enemy in the air (Allied to Axis disproportion), and the standards his air service brought to the awarding of victory credits.

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 Sicily - Salerno - Anzio, January 1943-June 1944 (The United States Naval Operations in World War II)
Sicily - Salerno - Anzio, January 1943-June 1944 (The United States Naval Operations in World War II)
Author: Samuel Eliot Morison
Sicily - Salerno - Anzio, January 1943-June 1944 (The United States Naval Operations in World War II)
Little, Brown and Company
1962
Format: PDF
Pages: 488
Language: English
Size: 71.7 MB


This volume in Admiral Morison's history takes up the story of American naval activities in the Mediterranean, and covers three major amphibious operations — the invasion of Sicily, the capture of the Salerno beachhead, and the long Anzio beachhead struggle. In all three the United States Navy distinguished itself, both for impeccable performance in landing the Army where it wanted to go, and in supporting with naval gunfire the troops fighting ashore.

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 Blitzkrieg: From the Rise of Hitler to the Fall of Dunkirk
Blitzkrieg: From the Rise of Hitler to the Fall of Dunkirk
Author: Len Deighton
Blitzkrieg: From the Rise of Hitler to the Fall of Dunkirk
Ballantine Books
1982
Format: PDF
Pages: 358
Language: English
Size: 50.2 MB

The devastating "lightning war;' a new form of warfare unleashed by the Nazis in the opening months of World War II. ..welding armor, aircraft, and infantry into one swift and merciless military machine. Here are the Germans, rising under Hitler from national humiliation to a steel-willed mission of world conquest and the French, overwhelmed by the bold German sweep through the Ardennes Forest that ultimately led to the fatal encirclement of themselves and their British allies at Dunkirk.

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 Air Wars and Aircraft: A Detailed Record of Air Combat, 1945 to the Present
Air Wars and Aircraft: A Detailed Record of Air Combat, 1945 to the Present
Author: Victor Flintham
Air Wars and Aircraft: A Detailed Record of Air Combat, 1945 to the Present
Facts on File
1990
Format: PDF
Pages: 424
Language: English
Size: 61.4 MB

This unusual reference work presents capsule descriptions of every armed conflict of the postwar era in which air power played a part, from well-known wars to the most obscure skirmishes. Political backgrounds as well as air operations are given. The material is accurate and highly detailed, and aviation buffs will love the numerous tidbits of little-known information. Each section concludes with a technical section on aircraft, including colors and markings. An odd oversight is the lack of insignia information, and the pictures are few. This book will supplement (but not replace) the standard technical references, such as the annual Jane's All the World's Aircraft, and is recommended to all public library collections.

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 The Facts on File D-Day Atlas: The Definitive Account of the Allied Invasion of Normandy
The Facts on File D-Day Atlas: The Definitive Account of the Allied Invasion of Normandy
Author: John Man
The Facts on File D-Day Atlas: The Definitive Account of the Allied Invasion of Normandy
Facts on File
1994
Format: PDF
Pages: 152
Language: English
Size: 24 MB

The Allied landing in German-occupied Normandy on 6 June 1944 was the greatest amphibious operation in military history. On the beaches and in the towns, fields and hedgerows of the French countryside, the outnumbered and outgunned German forces fought one of the most tenacious, skillful and courageous defensive campaigns of the entire war, and the fighting throughout June, July and August rivaled in intensity the worst days on the Somme or at Verdun thirty years before. The D-Day Atlas traces the Normandy campaign from its conception through to the destruction of the German 7th and 5th Panzer Armies at Falaise and the Allied liberation of Paris. It brings a new clarity not only to the disposition and movement of military units but also to the plans and objectives of the commanders on both sides, the nature of the Normandy terrain, the role of Allied air interdiction and long-range naval fire support, the movement of reserve units and supplies and the activities of the French Resistance.

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 How the War was Won: Air-Sea Power and Allied Victory in World War II
How the War was Won: Air-Sea Power and Allied Victory in World War II
Author: Dr Phillips Payson O'Brien
How the War was Won: Air-Sea Power and Allied Victory in World War II
Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107014751
2015
Format: PDF
Size: 8,7 МБ
Language: English
Pages: 640

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 Rebuilding the Royal Navy: Warship Design Since 1945
Rebuilding the Royal Navy: Warship Design Since 1945
Author: D. K. Brown
Rebuilding the Royal Navy: Warship Design Since 1945
Seaforth Publishing / Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1848321503
2012
Format: EPUB
Pages: 208
Size: 8 Mb
Language: English

This design history of postwar British warship development, based on both declassified documentation and personal experience, is the fourth and final volume in the author's masterly account of development of Royal Navy's ships from the 1850s to the Falklands War. In this volume the author covers the period in which he himself worked as a Naval Constructor, while this personal knowledge is augmented by George Moore's in-depth archival research on recently declassified material.The RN fleet in 1945 was old and worn out, while new threats and technologies, and postwar austerity called for new solutions. How designers responded to these unprecedented challenges is the central theme of this book. It covers the ambitious plans for the conversion or replacement of the bigger ships; looks at all the new construction, from aircraft carriers, through destroyers and frigates, to submarines (including nuclear and strategic), to minesweepers and small craft.

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 Concord 7025 - Panzer-Division On The Eastern Front (1) - 1941-1943
Concord 7025 - Panzer-Division On The Eastern Front (1) - 1941-1943
Author: Robert Michulec
Concord 7025 - Panzer-Division On The Eastern Front (1) - 1941-1943
Concord Publications
ISBN: 9623616481
1999
Format: PDF
Size: 23,0 МБ
Language: English
Pages: 74
This is a good photo album of the equipment of the 4th Panzer division. They were one of the Heer divisions which got priority in attaining the newer panzers and other equipment.

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 Defeat to Victory - No.453 Squadron RAAF
Defeat to Victory - No.453 Squadron RAAF
Author: Bennett, John
Defeat to Victory - No.453 Squadron RAAF
Royal Australian Air Force Museum
1994
Format: PDF
Pages: 188
Language: English
Size: 12.4 MB

This is a comprehensive and detailed record of the Squadron’s operations in both Malaya and Europe and surely will evoke telling memories and feelings for all who read it, particularly for those who served in the Squadron. The operational successes described in the book are events of which Squadron members can be proud. On the other hand the reminder of the loss of so many fine comrades is a stark feature of the grimmest aspect of war and something those of us remaining continue to grieve over. 453 Squadron had a somewhat unique existence in that it was first formed in Australia in July 1941 and after a short but courageous period in Malaya it was withdrawn to Australia and disbanded in March 1942. Three months later, however, the Squadron was reformed in the United Kingdom where it again performed with distinction. Soon after the cessation of hostilities it was again disbanded, once and for all.

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 Comrade Emcha Red Army Shermans of WW2
Comrade Emcha Red Army Shermans of WW2
Author: Claude Gillono
Comrade Emcha Red Army Shermans of WW2 (Battleline 2)
The Oliver Publishing Group
2011
Format: PDF
Pages: 36
Language: English
Size: 34.3 MB

The use of Allied armor in Soviet service is well known, but not always that well documented. Like the last book from Oliver Publishing that I reviewed, this one is mostly a picture book, with some images taking the full paged. Within its 34 A4 size pages is a brief history of the tank in Soviet service including the difficulty of researching the subject and the type of Shermans that were offered. There is also a section on some of the major units that operated the tank as well as use of the tank in some campaigns. But it is the images that are the main draw. Each image has a rather extensive caption that not only describes the image, but provides a bit of background on it as well. The selections are well made and many of the tanks so photographed are included in the several pages of full color profiles. As these tanks were rarely in any camouflage other than Olive Drab, many of the profiles limit themselves to the turret, which is just fine.

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 Victory Fighters: The Veterans' Story, Winning The Battle For Supremacy In The Skies Over Western Europe, 1941-1945
Victory Fighters: The Veterans' Story, Winning The Battle For Supremacy In The Skies Over Western Europe, 1941-1945
Author: Stephen Darlow
Victory Fighters: The Veterans' Story, Winning The Battle For Supremacy In The Skies Over Western Europe, 1941-1945
Grub Street the Basement
2005
Format: pdf
Size: 5.1Mb
Language: English

Victory Fighters is largely a collection of eye-witness accounts of the struggle that raged in the skies over occupied Europe after the Battle of Britain. Expertly selected and inter-woven by Stephen Darlow, the book centres on the stories of six pilots and one navigator, the telling of which covers every aspect of this battle over land and sea. The author describes and analyses the relevant command decisions from the highest level down and against this background the men give their accounts from the start of their flying careers through to the preparations for operation Overlord, the invasion itself, the liberation of France, the crossing of the Rhine, to the end of the war in Europe on VE-Day. Through their eyes, the reader is introduced to a series of different tasks and situations, a multitude of aircraft types - Sunderlands, Mustangs, Tempests, Typhoons, Spitfires, Whirlwinds, Mosquitoes - and a great many squadrons. Through interviews and diligent research of documents, diaries and correspondence, the author has produced a fitting testament to these men and the countless others they represent.

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 Hermann Goring: Hitler's Second-in-Command
Hermann Goring: Hitler's Second-in-Command
Author: Fred Ramen
Hermann Goring: Hitler's Second-in-Command
Rosen Publishing Group
2000
Format: PDF
Pages: 118
Language: English
Size: 12.7 MB

One man- Hermann Goring- was with Hitler from his beginnings as a minor politician in Munich to his triumph as commander of the German army. Soldier, politician, and general, Goring was an important and influential member of the Nazi Party who did more to bring about both its successes and its ultimate failure than any other man.

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 Japanese Army Air Force Fighter Units and Their Aces: 1931-1945
Japanese Army Air Force Fighter Units and Their Aces: 1931-1945
Japanese Army Air Force Fighter Units and Their Aces: 1931-1945
Author: Christopher Shores, Ikuhiko Hata
Casemate Publishers
2002
ISBN: 1902304896
Pages: 320
Language: English
Format: EPUB
Size: 54 MB

Originally published only in Japanese, this in-depth study provides an in-depth review of the fighter units of the Imperial Japanese Air Force and their pilots. Commencing with a detailed study of the development, equipment and operations flown by this force since its inception immediately after the end of World War I, until the catastrophic conclusion of World War II, the initial section deals with the wars in China and Manchuria, as well as the Pacific War of 1941-45. The second section provides details of each of the units from formation onwards, listing the types of aircraft used, the bases from which they flew, and the unit and formation commanders. Details of the more notable actions in which each unit was involved are also provided. Biographical notes relating to all of the more notable fighter pilots form the third section, whilst the book also provides supporting listings and a glossary of Japanese terms.

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 The Oxford Illustrated History of World War Two
The Oxford Illustrated History of World War Two
Author: Richard Overy
The Oxford Illustrated History of World War Two
Oxford University Press
2015
Format: PDF
Size: 56 mb
Language: English

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