Women, Armies, and Warfare in Early Modern Europe examines the important roles of women who campaigned with armies from 1500 to 1815. This included those notable female individuals who assumed male identities to serve in the ranks, but far more numerous and essential were the formidable women who, as women, marched in the train of armies. While some worked as full-time or part-time prostitutes, they more generally performed a variety of necessary gendered tasks, including laundering, sewing, cooking, and nursing. Early modern armies were always accompanied by women and regarded them as essential to the well-being of the troops. Lynn argues that, before 1650, women were also fundamental to armies because they were integral to the pillage economy that maintained troops in the field.

The day after Vasiliy Krysov finished school, on 22 June 1941, Germany attacked the Soviet Union and provoked a war of unparalleled extent and cruelty. For the next three years, as a tank commander, Krysov fought against the German panzers in some of the most intense and destructive armoured engagements in history including those at Stalingrad, Kursk and Knigsberg. This is the remarkable story of his war. As the commander of a heavy tank, a self-propelled gun - a tank destroyer - and a T-34, he fought his way westward across Russia, the Ukraine and Poland against a skilful and determined enemy which had previously never known defeat. The ruthlessness of this long and bitter campaign is vividly depicted in his narrative, as is the enormous scale and complexity of the fighting. Honestly, and with an extraordinary clarity of recall, he describes confrontations with German Tiger and Panther tanks and deadly anti-tank guns. He was wounded four times, his crewmen and his commanding officers were killed, but he was fated to survive and record his experience of combat. His memoirs give a compelling insight into the reality of tank warfare on the Eastern Front.

For over 20 years France was the dominating, controlling and conquering power of the western world, a result not only of Napoleon's inspired leadership, but of the efforts of almost an entire generation of Frenchmen under arms. The French Revolution heralded both social change and a seismic shift in how armies were organized, trained and deployed.
This book provides an analysis of the preparation of French troops from manual regulations to the training ground, studying the changing quality of command and control within the army, which initially ensured that the French infantry were virtually unstoppable. Paddy Griffith not only explores the role of the French infantry at the apex of their powers and their actions in key battles, but also provides a detailed explanation of their eventual decline leading to defeat at Waterloo, providing a critical overview of French Napoleonic infantry tactics.

Ferdinand Porsche was an Austrian engineer born in 1875. In the interwar period, Ferdinand founded an automotive consultation firm, which gradually grew into today's Porsche AG automotive company. Porsche's firm was responsible for the design of the "Volkswagen," a simple model known today as the Beetle. During the Second World War, Porsche's firm played an important role in designing military vehicles for the Wehrmacht. This work follows up on author Michael Froehlich's book on Porsche's massive "Maus" tank and describes the firm's other armored-vehicle designs, with special emphasis on the VK 4501 (P) Tiger prototype and the "Ferdinand" tank destroyer. VK 4501 was the designation for the prototypes competing to be what would become the Panzer VI "Tiger." Porsche's concept used a novel gasoline/electric hybrid power plant, but the Tiger contract eventually went to Henschel. Through details on the Tiger trials at the Verskraft proving ground, readers will gain insight into the armament procurement process in the Third Reich. The hull/chassis design from VK 4501 (P) was later repurposed for a large tank destroyer named for the designer, "Ferdinand." These imposing vehicles saw combat on multiple fronts and were later renamed "Elefant." Froehlich's study, available in English for the first time, is grounded in original reports, manuals, and technical drawings.

Luftwaffe Panzer division formed from the paratroop corps was one of the elite units in the Wehrmacht and fought in North Africa and Italy.

- Pz.Kpfw. 38H (f) (Hotchkiss H35 mod.39) "Paderborn" - France, Summer 1940. - Bren 731 (e) (Scout Carrier) - 5. Flughafen-Betriebs-Kompanie, Luftwaffe II./KG55 airfield, Chartres, France 1940/41. - Pz.Kpfw. T.K.S. (p) (TK-S), Poland, May 1941 -Schwimm-Pz.Kpfw. T-38 (r) - Sanitatsabteilung 30., 30. Infanterie Division, Russia 1941 - Schwimm-Pz.Kpfw. T-40 (r) - 2. Batterie, Sturmgeschuetz-Abteilung 203. -Eastern Front, Winter 1941-1942. - Gepanzerter Mannschaftstransportwagen M3 (a) (Halfttrack M3) - Flak- Division 19., Tunisia, 1943 - Leichte Panzer M3 (a) (M3A1 Stuart) Tunisia, 1943 - M10 - Italy, 1943 -Pz.Kpfw. 35S 739 (f) (Somua S35) - callsign "101". Pz.Abt. 211, Finland, Winter 1943-1944. - Panzerspaehwagen P204 (f) (AMD-35 Panhard type 178) - callsign "1424", name "Marder" - 14.Kp./Sicherungs-Rgt.1., 325. Sicherungs-Division, Le Mans area, France, August 1944 - Pz.Kpfw 35R (f) (Renault R-35) - Panzer Kompanie "Paris", Paris, August 1944. - Pz.Kpfw. T-26 737 (r) (T-26 Model 1931) - Warsaw, Poland, August-November 1944. - Panzerjager-Selbstfahrlafette Su-76 (r) (SU-76M) call sign "115", Eastern Front, 1944-1945. - Pz.Kpfw. T-43 747 (r) (T-34 Model 1942-1943) - call sign "07" - 5. (verst.) Pol.Pz.Kp, Trieste, May 1945 - Pz.Kpfw. Sherman (M4A3E8 variant) - call sign "64", Germany, May 1945 - Sturmgeschuetz Su-85 (SU-85) - "75 309", Znojmo, Czech Republic, May 1945

This series focuses on the soldiers and warriors of specific historic conflicts. The in-depth text and illustrations will not fail to inspire modelers, historians, re-enactors and enthusiasts alike. Each volume features 20-22 detailed colour plates of fighting men in realistic settings, produced by world class artists. As the seemingly unstoppable German juggernaut tore through the heart of Europe, battled on the sands of Africa, and flooded across the steppes of Russia, much of the world girdled itself to resist the Blitzkrieg - the Lightning War. There was no secret to the initial German successes. The newly developed combined arms force - Panzer, artillery, infantry and Luftwaffe - coupled with well planned operations from an effective command and control system, lead to the success of the German Army during the early years of World War II. Gordon Rottman brings us twenty scenarios during the Blitzkrieg years, 1939 to 1941, with a background of history and description of uniform and equipment in each scenario. Among the battles covered are Warsaw, Narvik, Somme, Crete, Sidi Rezegh, Sollum, Smolensk and Leningrad.

The German Panther is one of the most famous, and greatest, tanks of World War II. Often considered the most elegant tank design of the war, it embodied a balance of firepower, armour protection, and mobility unmatched by any other tank of the period. This new study by German armour expert Thomas Anderson draws upon original German archival material to tell the story of the birth of the Panther in response to the Soviet tanks encountered in 1941. He then analyzes its success on the battlefield and the many modifications and variants that also came into play. Illustrated throughout with rare photographs and drawings, many of which have never been published in English before, this is a unique history of one of the most famous tanks of World War II.

Born in Kulm, Germany, on 17 June 1888, Heinz Wilhelm Guderian was the son of an army officer. He eventually joined the German Army and was commissioned in the Jaegers in 1908 where he became a communications specialist. He fought in the First World War and afterwards was a member of the right-wing Freikorps units. Between the wars, Guderian became a catalyst for developing a Panzer division in the German Army. By February 1938 he had been promoted to Lieutenant General; later that year Hitler appointed Guderian to the new post of Chief of Mobile Troops. Guderian was a man of ideas equipped with the ability to turn inspiration into reality. A master of strategy and tactics, he was the officer who led the attack on Poland in September and in so doing introduced the world to the reality of Blitzkrieg. This biography draws on material from Enigma sources and information taken directly from the extensive Guderian family archives to explore the man who was partly responsible for the development of modern tank warfare and who is considered to be the father of Blitzkrieg.The author also looks at Guderian s reaction to the July 1944 plot to kill Hitler as well as illuminates the struggles within the German hierarchy, in the process investigating why Guderian was so admired by some while denigrated by others.

The aim of this book is to evaluate the 51st (Highland) Division over the course of the First World War. Underpinning the study is an analysis of both change and continuity - at home and overseas - and the performance of the division as a fighting unit. The key themes identified for study have been training, esprit de corps, recruitment and reinforcement, and battle performance. Through the investigation of the key themes, other important characteristics have been analysed, such as command and control, organisation, and the level of centralisation in both the formation and in the wider army. Key questions in the research apply to both divisional study and to wider academic understanding of the First World War. The book considers a number of themes that have been neglected by historians old and new, and brings into sharp focus some areas of research that may have produced inaccurate assumptions. In addition, a substantial range and quantity of primary sources have been utilised - many unexplored until now. The selection of the 51st (Highland) Division for study was based on a number of criteria: (Highland) Division experiences were both unique and not unique. In some areas, it was a very individual formation, but in other areas (or at particular times of the war), it was not. The following quotations give some indication of the depth and variety of sources, and the distinctive nature of the 51st: From J.F.C. Fuller, Memoirs of an Unconventional Soldier: 'Presently a section of the night seemed to be advancing slowly towards us, an undistinguishable mass in the darkness; they came on at a pace which was just on the active side of standing still. As they passed, we learned that they were a Highland battalion, part of the 51st Division that fought so well and suffered so heavily on the following day. None of them spoke, and their silence, the weight and slowness of their tread, and the solemnity of their passing by, bore such an implication of fate, and were shrouded with so much mystery by the night, that one felt as if one were hailing men no longer of this world'. Major-General D.N. Wimberley: 'These two opposing characters of two different types of Scots, the fire of the Highlander and the dourness of the man from the Plains, were so blended in the old Highland Division that come what might against us the Division was resolute'. From M.M. Haldane, A History of the Fourth Battalion The Seaforth Highlanders: 'Long after the war was over a distinguished Irish General expressed the hope that if ever he had troops under him again they might be Scots. A Scotsman present expressed surprise at his preference for foreigners, to which the General replied that he held that hope because of the high standard of Scottish education, which ensured that the youngest lance-corporal would intelligently carry on his Commander's intentions even after all his officers were killed'. From J.G. Fuller, Troop Morale and Popular Culture in the British and Dominion Armies 1914-1918: 'The 51st perhaps owed its pre-eminence among Scottish Divisions in part to the fact that it was, until April 1918, the only Scottish Territorial Division on the Western Front: the 52nd (Lowland) was lost in the comparative backwater of the Palestine theatre. That left only the 9th and 15th Divisions which, as Kitchener formations, could not of course match the 51st'. Undoubtedly, the 51st (Highland) Division left strong impressions. How accurate were these impressions? Were they a result of something more than just consistent fighting quality? Indeed, was there a consistent fighting quality? This thesis will attempt to provide the answers.

The unputdownable and action-packed story of Ancient Rome.Correus and Flavius are half-brothers, sons of a brilliant general. One, son of a slave, is a born warrior destined to excel. The other, a nobleman by birth, must struggle relentlessly to succeed. When they both join the Centuriate, a position Flavius has always known he will inherit, and one that Correus has long coveted, together they face the brutal reality of war. Fighting German barbarians will prove dangerous, not only to their bodies, but to their souls as well... The Centurions is an epic Roman adventure, perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow and Ben Kane.

Beneath the Killing Fields of the Western Front still lies a hidden landscape of industrialised conflict virtually untouched since 1918. This subterranean world is an ambiguous environment filled with material culture that that objectifies the scope and depth of human interaction with the diverse conflict landscapes of modern war. Covering the military reasoning for taking the war underground, as well as exploring the way that human beings interacted with these extraordinary alien environments, this book provides a more all-encompassing overview of the Western Front. The underground war was intrinsic to trench warfare and involved far more than simply trying to destroy the enemy's trenches from below. It also served as a home to thousands of men, protecting them from the metallic landscapes of the surface.With the aid of cutting edge fieldwork conducted by the author in these subterranean locales, this book combines military history, archaeology and anthropology together with primary data and unique imagery of British, French, German and American underground defences in order to explore the realities of subterranean warfare on the Western Front, and the effects on the human body and mind that living and fighting underground inevitably entailed.

The field equipment of the German Army in World War II was closely related to that used throughout World War I and earlier, yet it was of relatively light weight, ruggedly constructed, well designed, functional, and generally of a high quality, though this deteriorated in the later war years. A high degree of design standardisation was maintained in most categories of equipment, though materials and their colours often varied widely. There were also many different specialisations for the various arms of service as well as theatres of combat, such as the Afrikakorps in the Western Desert. This title investigates all manner of German combat equipments throughout World War II, from belt buckles to magazine pouches.

This is the story of Britain's elite special force in Italy during the Second World War. In the summer of 1943 the SAS came out of Africa to carry the fight to the Germans and Fascists in Sicily and the mainland. On the Italian Armistice and Surrender in September 1943 the originator of the SAS, Scots Guards lieutenant David Stirling, was a prisoner at the high-security prisoner of war camp five at Gavi in Piedmont, north-western Italy, after being captured in January in Tunisia. He eventually ended up as a prisoner at Colditz Castle in Germany, but his work continued. The idea of small groups of parachute-trained soldiers operating behind enemy lines to gain intelligence, destroy enemy aircraft, and attack their supply and reinforcement routes, was realised in the many daring missions carried out in Italy by the men of 2nd SAS Regiment and the Special Raiding Squadron. The famous SAS motto of `Who dares wins,' was swiftly translated into the Italian `Chi osa vince.' This book reveals how words were turned into deeds.

Developed from the WWI-vintage French Canon de 155 mm Grande Puissance Filloux (GPF), the 155 mm gun M1A1, known as the Long Tom, along with its companion, the 8-inch howitzer M1, formed the backbone of the US Army's heavy field artillery during WWII and Korea. With ranges of just over 14 miles for the gun, and 10.5 miles for the howitzer, the cannons were notable for their long reach, heavy impact, and accuracy. These weapons were used on every front where GIs fought during WWII, and continued to be used by US forces, as well as those of allied nations, into the 1960s. Through vintage and modern photos, this volume follows the development of the 155 and the 8-inch, the details of their construction, and field use, as well as providing an overview of their associated prime movers and ammunition carriers, including the Mack NO and the Allis-Chalmers M4 high-speed tractor of the WWII era, and the Mack M125 10-ton 6x6 of the 1950s.

While best known as being the scene of the most terrible carnage in the WW1 the French department of the Somme has seen many other battles from Roman times to 1944. William the Conqueror launched his invasion from there; the French and English fought at Crecy in 1346; Henry V's army marched through on their way to Agincourt in 1415; the Prussians came in 1870. The Great War saw three great battles and approximately half of the 400,000 who died on the Somme were British - a terrible harvest, marked by 242 British cemeteries and over 50,000 lie in unmarked graves. These statistics explain in part why the area is visited year-on-year by ever increasing numbers of British and Commonwealth citizens. This evocative book written by the authors of the iconic First Day on the Somme.is a thorough guide to the cemeteries, memorials and battlefields of the area, with the emphasis on the fighting of 1916 and 1918, with fascinating descriptions and anecdotes.

Readers have come to expect a level of detail and critical rigour from the established military historian and author Bryan Perrett. They will not be disappointed at all here by this new publication. Focussing predominantly on the British armoured car units of World War One, it also untangles many fascinating strands forming the history of modern warfare. Full of detail, it acquaints the reader with the complete history of the armoured car, from invention onwards, setting the history of its Great War service career firmly in context. Well written in an accessible style, this publication serves as an impressive tribute to the armoured car, one of the most effective weapons utilised by the allies during the course of the Great War.

One Man in His Time is the biography of the Laird of Torosay Castle, traveller, wartime hero and escaper and distinguished politician.

War and landpower's role in the twenty-first century is not just about military organizations, tactics, operations, and technology; it is also about strategy, policy, and social and political contexts. After fourteen years of war in the Middle East with dubious results, a diminished national reputation, and a continuing drawdown of troops with perhaps a future force increase proposed by the Trump administration, the role of landpower in US grand strategy will continue to evolve with changing geopolitical situations. Landpower in the Long War: Projecting Force After 9/11, edited by Jason W. Warren , is the first holistic academic analysis of American strategic landpower. Divided into thematic sections, this study presents a comprehensive approach to a critical aspect of US foreign policy as the threat or ability to use force underpins diplomacy. The text begins with more traditional issues, such as strategy and civilian-military relations, and works its way to more contemporary topics, such as how socio-cultural considerations effect the landpower force. It also includes a synopsis of the suppressed Iraq report from one of the now retired leaders of that effort. The contributors -- made up of an interdisciplinary team of political scientists, historians, and military practitioners -- demonstrate that the conceptualization of landpower must move beyond the limited operational definition offered by Army doctrine in order to encompass social changes, trauma, the rule of law, acquisition of needed equipment, civil-military relationships, and bureaucratic decision-making, and argue that landpower should be a useful concept for warfighters and government agencies.

A major illustrated history of the Long Range Desert Group from the foremost expert on British wartime special forces. Formed in June 1940 for the purpose of gathering intelligence behind enemy lines, the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) played a secretive but vital role in North Africa during World War II. Highly trained in mechanized reconnaissance and specializing in desert operations, the unit provided support to the Special Air Service (SAS) in missions across the vast and treacherous terrain of the Western Desert. In this highly illustrated history of the LRDG, Gavin Mortimer reveals the origins and dramatic operations of Britain’s first ever special forces unit.

The Author sets the scene with action on a 2004 tour in Iraq where hard lessons were learnt. Next stop Helmand District, Afghanistan, after rigorous training. By now he had been a Sniper Instructor for eight years and his depth of knowledge makes this almost a sniper's manual. This, combined with his descriptions of the sniper engagements experienced during his Battalion's action packed tour, make this a thrilling and instructive read. He describes not just the operational background moves and tactics but his emotions - taking life even from distances of a kilometre is traumatic. Intense though the action was, there were long periods of watching and waiting. Snipers work in pairs so relationship and trust are all important. Snipers are elite soldiers and clearly the Author is among the best of the best. This is a superb description of professional soldiering at the sharp end. Extract: I could make out the head and shoulders of the insurgent as he was firing in the prone position. I aimed for the centre area - removed the safety catch and held that point of aim. Then I slowly and deliberately operated my trigger squeezing it gently to the rear. The round impacted into the target just below the shoulder. The target seemed to slide down disappearing out of sight, the rifle muzzle remained pointing uppermost in the air.

Originally developed as a swamp rescue vehicle by millionaire philanthropists Donald and John Roebling, the LVT (Landing Vehicle, Tracked), or "Alligator," was widely used in the Allied island-hopping campaign in the Pacific during World War II. Powered by a mammoth aircraft-type engine, the LVT(4) could cross treacherous coral reefs, deep water, and swamps to land troops ashore. The LVT(4) also introduced the rear ramp, which when lowered allowed troops to rush out, rather than clamber over the tall sides as on previous models. Produced by Food Machinery Corporation (FMC), railway equipment manufacturer St. Louis Car Company, and automobile maker Graham-Paige, over 8,000 LVT(4)s were built during the war; today only a few remain. Through dozens of archival photos as well as detailed photographs of some of the finest existent examples of these vehicles, this iconic landing vehicle is explored, and its history is explained.