Author: David Greentree
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472861108
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 141
Book Description
This illustrated study assesses the British Crusader and the Italian M13/40, two medium tanks that played crucial roles in World War II's Desert War. Making its combat debut in North Africa during December 1940, Italy's M13/40 medium tank was armed with a 47mm main gun. Its British opposite number, the Crusader I, was armed with a 2-pdr (40mm) main gun; it entered the fighting in June 1941. While the M13/40 could fire armour-piercing rounds but also high-explosive ammunition against infantry and towed-gun targets, the Crusader could only fire armour-piercing ammunition. In this book, David Greentree charts the evolution of these two tanks as the Desert War raged on. While the Crusader III, making its debut at the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942, was armed with the much more effective 6-pdr (57mm), the M13/40 could not be upgunned or uparmoured; new types such as the US-built M3 Grant tipped the balance in favour of the British. Joined in the front line by the similar M14/41, the M13/40 soldiered on; as the M4 Sherman also entered British service, the Italian tanks were largely wiped out as the Axis forces retreated from Egypt. Featuring all-new full-colour artwork, archive photographs and expert analysis, this engaging study assess the origins, development and combat effectiveness of these two mainstays of the Desert War during 1941–42.
Crusader vs M13/40
Author: David Greentree
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472861116
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 81
Book Description
This illustrated study assesses the British Crusader and the Italian M13/40, two medium tanks that played crucial roles in World War II's Desert War. Making its combat debut in North Africa during December 1940, Italy's M13/40 medium tank was armed with a 47mm main gun. Its British opposite number, the Crusader I, was armed with a 2-pdr (40mm) main gun; it entered the fighting in June 1941. While the M13/40 could fire armour-piercing rounds but also high-explosive ammunition against infantry and towed-gun targets, the Crusader could only fire armour-piercing ammunition. In this book, David Greentree charts the evolution of these two tanks as the Desert War raged on. While the Crusader III, making its debut at the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942, was armed with the much more effective 6-pdr (57mm), the M13/40 could not be upgunned or uparmoured; new types such as the US-built M3 Grant tipped the balance in favour of the British. Joined in the front line by the similar M14/41, the M13/40 soldiered on; as the M4 Sherman also entered British service, the Italian tanks were largely wiped out as the Axis forces retreated from Egypt. Featuring all-new full-colour artwork, archive photographs and expert analysis, this engaging study assess the origins, development and combat effectiveness of these two mainstays of the Desert War during 1941–42.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472861116
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 81
Book Description
This illustrated study assesses the British Crusader and the Italian M13/40, two medium tanks that played crucial roles in World War II's Desert War. Making its combat debut in North Africa during December 1940, Italy's M13/40 medium tank was armed with a 47mm main gun. Its British opposite number, the Crusader I, was armed with a 2-pdr (40mm) main gun; it entered the fighting in June 1941. While the M13/40 could fire armour-piercing rounds but also high-explosive ammunition against infantry and towed-gun targets, the Crusader could only fire armour-piercing ammunition. In this book, David Greentree charts the evolution of these two tanks as the Desert War raged on. While the Crusader III, making its debut at the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942, was armed with the much more effective 6-pdr (57mm), the M13/40 could not be upgunned or uparmoured; new types such as the US-built M3 Grant tipped the balance in favour of the British. Joined in the front line by the similar M14/41, the M13/40 soldiered on; as the M4 Sherman also entered British service, the Italian tanks were largely wiped out as the Axis forces retreated from Egypt. Featuring all-new full-colour artwork, archive photographs and expert analysis, this engaging study assess the origins, development and combat effectiveness of these two mainstays of the Desert War during 1941–42.
The Desert War
Author: Jean Paul Pallud
Publisher: After the Battle
ISBN: 1399076655
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 598
Book Description
Following Mussolini’s declaration of war in June 1940, initially Italy faced only those British troops based in the Middle East but as the armed confrontation in the Western Desert of North Africa escalated, other nations were drawn in — Germany, Australia, India, South Africa, New Zealand, France and finally the United States to wage the first major tank-versus-tank battles of the Second World War. First tracing the history of the very early beginnings of civilization in North Africa, and on through the period of Italian colonization, Jean Paul Pallud begins his account when the initial shots were fired at the 11th Hussars as they approached Italian outposts near Sidi Omar in Libya. It proved to be the opening move of a campaign which was to last for three years. When the Afrikakorps led by Rommel joined the battle in February 1941, the Germans soon gained the upper hand and recovered the whole of Cyrenaica, minus Tobruk, in the summer. The campaign then swung back and forth across the desert for another year until Rommel finally captured Tobruk in June 1942 and then moved eastwards into Egypt. With British fortunes at their lowest ebb, changes in command led to Montgomery launching his offensive at El Alamein the following November. This began the advance of the Eighth Army over a thousand miles to Tunisia, resulting in the final round-up of the German and Italian forces in May 1943. Jean Paul and his camera retraced the route just prior to the recent civil war in Libya and the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt in 2011, so he was fortunate to capture the locations before yet another war left its trail of death and destruction. Although the campaign in 1940-43 was dominated largely by armor, nevertheless the Allies lost over 250,000 men killed, wounded, missing and captured and the Axis 620,000. Those that never came home lie in cemeteries scattered across the barren landscape of a battlefield that has changed little in over 70 years.
Publisher: After the Battle
ISBN: 1399076655
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 598
Book Description
Following Mussolini’s declaration of war in June 1940, initially Italy faced only those British troops based in the Middle East but as the armed confrontation in the Western Desert of North Africa escalated, other nations were drawn in — Germany, Australia, India, South Africa, New Zealand, France and finally the United States to wage the first major tank-versus-tank battles of the Second World War. First tracing the history of the very early beginnings of civilization in North Africa, and on through the period of Italian colonization, Jean Paul Pallud begins his account when the initial shots were fired at the 11th Hussars as they approached Italian outposts near Sidi Omar in Libya. It proved to be the opening move of a campaign which was to last for three years. When the Afrikakorps led by Rommel joined the battle in February 1941, the Germans soon gained the upper hand and recovered the whole of Cyrenaica, minus Tobruk, in the summer. The campaign then swung back and forth across the desert for another year until Rommel finally captured Tobruk in June 1942 and then moved eastwards into Egypt. With British fortunes at their lowest ebb, changes in command led to Montgomery launching his offensive at El Alamein the following November. This began the advance of the Eighth Army over a thousand miles to Tunisia, resulting in the final round-up of the German and Italian forces in May 1943. Jean Paul and his camera retraced the route just prior to the recent civil war in Libya and the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt in 2011, so he was fortunate to capture the locations before yet another war left its trail of death and destruction. Although the campaign in 1940-43 was dominated largely by armor, nevertheless the Allies lost over 250,000 men killed, wounded, missing and captured and the Axis 620,000. Those that never came home lie in cemeteries scattered across the barren landscape of a battlefield that has changed little in over 70 years.
Tobruk
Author: William F Buckingham
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752487159
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 394
Book Description
The siege of Tobruk was the longest in British military history. The coastal fortress and deep-water port was of crucial importance to the battle for North Africa, and the key that would unlock the way to Egypt and the Suez Canal. For almost a year the isolated garrison held out against all attempts to take it, and in the process Tobruk assumed a propaganda role that outweighed its great strategic value, becoming a potent symbol of resistance when the war was going badly for the British. Goebbels referred to the garrison as 'rats,' and they proudly adopted the insult as a title, and became the 'Rats of Tobruk.' When it finally fell to German tanks on 21 June 1942 with the loss of 25,000 men, Churchill said it was 'one of the heaviest blows I can recall during the war'. William F. Buckingham's startling account, drawing extensively on official records and first-hand accounts from both sides, is a comprehensive history of this epic struggle, and essential reading for anyone with an interest in the Western Desert Campaign.
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752487159
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 394
Book Description
The siege of Tobruk was the longest in British military history. The coastal fortress and deep-water port was of crucial importance to the battle for North Africa, and the key that would unlock the way to Egypt and the Suez Canal. For almost a year the isolated garrison held out against all attempts to take it, and in the process Tobruk assumed a propaganda role that outweighed its great strategic value, becoming a potent symbol of resistance when the war was going badly for the British. Goebbels referred to the garrison as 'rats,' and they proudly adopted the insult as a title, and became the 'Rats of Tobruk.' When it finally fell to German tanks on 21 June 1942 with the loss of 25,000 men, Churchill said it was 'one of the heaviest blows I can recall during the war'. William F. Buckingham's startling account, drawing extensively on official records and first-hand accounts from both sides, is a comprehensive history of this epic struggle, and essential reading for anyone with an interest in the Western Desert Campaign.
Desert Fox
Author: Samuel W. Mitcham
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1621578925
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 450
Book Description
Just who was Erwin Rommel? War hero or war criminal? Hitler flunky or man of integrity? Military genius or just lucky? Now, bestselling military historian Samuel W. Mitcham Jr. gets to the heart of the mysterious figure respected and even admired by the people of the Allied nations he fought against. Mitcham recounts Rommel’s improbable and meteoric military career, his epic battles in North Africa, and his fraught relationship with Hitler and the Nazi Party. Desert Fox: The Storied Military Career of Erwin Rommel reveals: • How Rommel’s victories in North Africa were sabotaged by Hitler’s incompetent interference • How Rommel burned orders telling him to commit war crimes • Why it wouldn’t have helped Patton if he really had read Rommel’s book • How Rommel was responsible for the Germans’ defense against the D-Day landing • Why the plot to overthrow Hitler was fatally compromised when Rommel was gravely injured in an Allied attack • The reason Rommel agreed to commit suicide after his part in the plot was discovered by Hitler Mitcham’s gripping account of Rommel’s life takes you through the amazing adventure of the World War II battles in North Africa. Again and again, Rommel outfoxed the Allies—until the war of attrition and Hitler’s blunders doomed the Axis cause. Illustrated with dozens of historical photos, this illuminating biography paints a fascinating and tragic picture of the man known as the Desert Fox.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1621578925
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 450
Book Description
Just who was Erwin Rommel? War hero or war criminal? Hitler flunky or man of integrity? Military genius or just lucky? Now, bestselling military historian Samuel W. Mitcham Jr. gets to the heart of the mysterious figure respected and even admired by the people of the Allied nations he fought against. Mitcham recounts Rommel’s improbable and meteoric military career, his epic battles in North Africa, and his fraught relationship with Hitler and the Nazi Party. Desert Fox: The Storied Military Career of Erwin Rommel reveals: • How Rommel’s victories in North Africa were sabotaged by Hitler’s incompetent interference • How Rommel burned orders telling him to commit war crimes • Why it wouldn’t have helped Patton if he really had read Rommel’s book • How Rommel was responsible for the Germans’ defense against the D-Day landing • Why the plot to overthrow Hitler was fatally compromised when Rommel was gravely injured in an Allied attack • The reason Rommel agreed to commit suicide after his part in the plot was discovered by Hitler Mitcham’s gripping account of Rommel’s life takes you through the amazing adventure of the World War II battles in North Africa. Again and again, Rommel outfoxed the Allies—until the war of attrition and Hitler’s blunders doomed the Axis cause. Illustrated with dozens of historical photos, this illuminating biography paints a fascinating and tragic picture of the man known as the Desert Fox.
Desert Armour
Author: Robert Forczyk
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472859839
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 369
Book Description
Robert Forczyk covers the development of armoured warfare in North Africa from Rommel's Gazala offensive in 1942 through to the end of war in the desert in Tunisia in 1943. The war in the North African desert was pure mechanized warfare, and in many respects the most technologically advanced theatre of World War II. It was also the only theatre where for three years British and Commonwealth, and later US, troops were in constant contact with Axis forces. World War II best-selling author Robert Forczyk explores the second half of the history of the campaign, from the Gazala offensive in May 1942 that drove the British forces all the way back to the Egyptian frontier and led to the fall of Tobruk, through the pivotal battles of El Alamein, and the final Allied victory in Tunisia. He examines the armoured forces, equipment, doctrine, training, logistics and operations employed by both Allied and Axis forces throughout the period, focusing especially on the brigade and regimental level of operations. Fully illustrated throughout with photographs, profile artwork and maps, and featuring tactical-level vignettes and appendices analysing tank data, tank deliveries in-theatre and orders of battle, this book goes back to the sources to provide a new study of armoured warfare in the desert.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472859839
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 369
Book Description
Robert Forczyk covers the development of armoured warfare in North Africa from Rommel's Gazala offensive in 1942 through to the end of war in the desert in Tunisia in 1943. The war in the North African desert was pure mechanized warfare, and in many respects the most technologically advanced theatre of World War II. It was also the only theatre where for three years British and Commonwealth, and later US, troops were in constant contact with Axis forces. World War II best-selling author Robert Forczyk explores the second half of the history of the campaign, from the Gazala offensive in May 1942 that drove the British forces all the way back to the Egyptian frontier and led to the fall of Tobruk, through the pivotal battles of El Alamein, and the final Allied victory in Tunisia. He examines the armoured forces, equipment, doctrine, training, logistics and operations employed by both Allied and Axis forces throughout the period, focusing especially on the brigade and regimental level of operations. Fully illustrated throughout with photographs, profile artwork and maps, and featuring tactical-level vignettes and appendices analysing tank data, tank deliveries in-theatre and orders of battle, this book goes back to the sources to provide a new study of armoured warfare in the desert.
Bolt Action: Campaign: The Western Desert
Author: Warlord Games
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 147283433X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 170
Book Description
One of the most popular and enduring campaigns of World War II is that of the Western Desert, where Allied armies beat back the hard-pressed German and Italian forces under the gruelling African sun. Covering crucial operations such as Crusader, Lightfoot, and Supercharge, and the great battles of Tobruk, El Alamein, and Gazala, this book brings the unforgiving battlefields of North Africa to the tabletop. In-depth information on the forces involved, linked scenarios, and new Theatre Selectors make this an ideal resource for any Bolt Action player with an interest in the Desert War.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 147283433X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 170
Book Description
One of the most popular and enduring campaigns of World War II is that of the Western Desert, where Allied armies beat back the hard-pressed German and Italian forces under the gruelling African sun. Covering crucial operations such as Crusader, Lightfoot, and Supercharge, and the great battles of Tobruk, El Alamein, and Gazala, this book brings the unforgiving battlefields of North Africa to the tabletop. In-depth information on the forces involved, linked scenarios, and new Theatre Selectors make this an ideal resource for any Bolt Action player with an interest in the Desert War.
Italian soldier in North Africa 1941–43
Author: Piero Crociani
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1780968566
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 66
Book Description
Despite the attention paid to the Afrikakorps over the years, it was the numerically far superior forces of the Italian Army that held the line and formed the bulk of the fighting power available to the Axis powers during the War in the Desert from 1941 through to 1943. Their performance has been unfairly criticised over the years – the best units of the Italian Army were equal to those of the British and Germans – but they suffered from a lack of mobility and poor equipment that made it impossible for them to meet mobile British forces on anywhere near equal terms. Despite this, the Italian Army went through many changes through the period, with the introduction of a variety of elite units – armoured, mechanised and parachute divisions that did much to restore the fighting reputation of the Italian soldier in the desert war. Their German allies belatedly acknowledged this with the redesignation of Panzerarmee Afrika as 1st Italian Army in February 1943. This title details recruitment, organisation and experience of the Italian forces in this theatre, casting new light on a force whose fighting power and capabilities have been unfairly ignored and maligned for too long.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1780968566
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 66
Book Description
Despite the attention paid to the Afrikakorps over the years, it was the numerically far superior forces of the Italian Army that held the line and formed the bulk of the fighting power available to the Axis powers during the War in the Desert from 1941 through to 1943. Their performance has been unfairly criticised over the years – the best units of the Italian Army were equal to those of the British and Germans – but they suffered from a lack of mobility and poor equipment that made it impossible for them to meet mobile British forces on anywhere near equal terms. Despite this, the Italian Army went through many changes through the period, with the introduction of a variety of elite units – armoured, mechanised and parachute divisions that did much to restore the fighting reputation of the Italian soldier in the desert war. Their German allies belatedly acknowledged this with the redesignation of Panzerarmee Afrika as 1st Italian Army in February 1943. This title details recruitment, organisation and experience of the Italian forces in this theatre, casting new light on a force whose fighting power and capabilities have been unfairly ignored and maligned for too long.
The Eighth Army in North Africa
Author: Simon Forty
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1526723808
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 250
Book Description
A pictorial history of the British Eighth Army’s campaigns in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia during World War II. The British Eighth Army, which played a decisive role in defeating the Axis in North Africa, was one of the most celebrated Allied armies of the Second World War, and this photographic history is the ideal introduction to it. The carefully chosen photographs show the men, weapons, and equipment of the army during campaigns in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia. The battles the army fought in the Western Desert in 1941 and 1942 are the stuff of legend, as is the second Battle of El Alamein when, under Montgomery, it defeated the German and Italian forces commanded by Rommel. With vivid insight into the fighting and the desert conditions, this book shows what a varied, multinational force the army was, for it brought together men from Britain and the British Empire and Commonwealth as well as Free French, Greeks, and Poles.
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1526723808
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 250
Book Description
A pictorial history of the British Eighth Army’s campaigns in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia during World War II. The British Eighth Army, which played a decisive role in defeating the Axis in North Africa, was one of the most celebrated Allied armies of the Second World War, and this photographic history is the ideal introduction to it. The carefully chosen photographs show the men, weapons, and equipment of the army during campaigns in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia. The battles the army fought in the Western Desert in 1941 and 1942 are the stuff of legend, as is the second Battle of El Alamein when, under Montgomery, it defeated the German and Italian forces commanded by Rommel. With vivid insight into the fighting and the desert conditions, this book shows what a varied, multinational force the army was, for it brought together men from Britain and the British Empire and Commonwealth as well as Free French, Greeks, and Poles.
Tempest V vs Fw 190D-9
Author: Robert Forsyth
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472829271
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 81
Book Description
Arguably two of the finest piston-engined fighters ever built, the Tempest V and Fw 190D-9 raised the bar in terms of aircraft design and operational capability during World War II. The long-nosed 'Dora 9', designed by Kurt Tank, first appeared in the skies over the Western and Eastern Fronts in the late summer of 1944. Fast, and with an exceptional rate of climb, it quickly bettered almost every fighter that the RAF, USAAF and Soviet Red Air Force could field. The Hawker Tempest V entered service in early 1944, initially proving itself a stalwart performer when it was deployed to intercept V1 flying bombs over southern England. From the autumn of 1944, the Tempest V also equipped squadrons of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, operating in support of the Allied armies advancing across north-west Europe. It became a potent ground-attack aircraft, armed with underwing rockets, but also a first-class interceptor when pitted against the Luftwaffe's advanced Fw 190D-9 and Me 262. Featuring full colour artwork, this book describes in fascinating detail combats between the Tempest Vs of No 274 Sqn and the Fw 190D-9s of I. and III./JG 26 between February and April 1945.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472829271
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 81
Book Description
Arguably two of the finest piston-engined fighters ever built, the Tempest V and Fw 190D-9 raised the bar in terms of aircraft design and operational capability during World War II. The long-nosed 'Dora 9', designed by Kurt Tank, first appeared in the skies over the Western and Eastern Fronts in the late summer of 1944. Fast, and with an exceptional rate of climb, it quickly bettered almost every fighter that the RAF, USAAF and Soviet Red Air Force could field. The Hawker Tempest V entered service in early 1944, initially proving itself a stalwart performer when it was deployed to intercept V1 flying bombs over southern England. From the autumn of 1944, the Tempest V also equipped squadrons of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, operating in support of the Allied armies advancing across north-west Europe. It became a potent ground-attack aircraft, armed with underwing rockets, but also a first-class interceptor when pitted against the Luftwaffe's advanced Fw 190D-9 and Me 262. Featuring full colour artwork, this book describes in fascinating detail combats between the Tempest Vs of No 274 Sqn and the Fw 190D-9s of I. and III./JG 26 between February and April 1945.
The Second World War
Author: Nick Smart
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351125869
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 512
Book Description
The significant and sustained popular interest in the Second World War is matched by the scale and scope of scholarly engagement in the subject. The articles selected for this volume cover a wide range of topics reflecting the fact that the largest recorded war in history and the most intense period of global instability in the twentieth century, was fought by many different states, large and small, over differing periods of time and for many different reasons. In an area where there is no shortage of material to choose from, the articles presented here are distinguished for their depth of scholarship, stylistic elegance and inter-disciplinary confidence.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351125869
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 512
Book Description
The significant and sustained popular interest in the Second World War is matched by the scale and scope of scholarly engagement in the subject. The articles selected for this volume cover a wide range of topics reflecting the fact that the largest recorded war in history and the most intense period of global instability in the twentieth century, was fought by many different states, large and small, over differing periods of time and for many different reasons. In an area where there is no shortage of material to choose from, the articles presented here are distinguished for their depth of scholarship, stylistic elegance and inter-disciplinary confidence.