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Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence > Weapons & equipment > General
At its dawn in the early twentieth century, the new technology of aviation posed a crucial question to American and British cavalry: what do we do with the airplane? Lacking the hindsight of historical perspective, cavalry planners based their decisions on incomplete information. Harnessing the Airplane compares how the American and British armies dealt with this unique challenge. A multilayered look at a critical aspect of modern industrial warfare, this book examines the ramifications of technological innovation and its role in the fraught relationship that developed between traditional ground units and emerging air forces. Cavalry officers pondered the potential military uses of airplanes and other new technologies early on, but preferred to test them before embracing and incorporating them in their operations. Cavalrymen cautiously examined airplane capabilities, developed applications and doctrine for joint operations, and in the United States, even tried to develop their own, specially designed craft. Throughout the interwar period, instead of replacing the cavalry, airplanes were used cooperatively with cavalry forces in reconnaissance, security, communication, protection, and pursuit - a collaboration tested in maneuvers and officially blessed in both British and American doctrine. This interdependent relationship changed drastically, however, during the 1930s as aviation priorities and doctrine shifted from tactical support of ground troops toward independent strategic bombardment. Henning shows that the American and British experiences with military aviation differed. The nascent British aviation service made quicker inroads into reconnaissance and scouting, even though the British cavalry was the older institution with more-established traditions. The American cavalry, despite its youth, contested the control of reconnaissance as late as the 1930s, years after similar arguments ended in Britain. Drawing on contemporary government reports, memoirs and journals of service personnel, books, and professional and trade journals and magazines, Harnessing the Airplane is a nuanced account of the cavalry's response to aviation over time and presents a new perspective on a significant chapter of twentieth-century military history.
Among the makers of these unusual aircraft were Focke-Wulf, Flettner and Wiener-Naustdter.
Germany used many types of Russian battle tanks captured during WWII, and this book gives an accurate account in both photographs and text.
With over 260 images, this new volume is a concise, illustrated history of Germany's World War II artillery, its units and operations. Photos include both the towed and self-propelled weapon types. Also included are detailed unit organizational charts and line schematics of artillery rounds.
Among the major powers of World War II, the uniforms and equipment of the Japanese army have received the least coverage. This new, detailed volume presents the subject with a superb collection of actual vintage items, and rarely seen World War II era photographs. Among the subjects covered are: the Imperial Japanese army uniform series; undergarments; footwear; headwear; personal field equipment; extreme climate uniforms; work and specialty uniforms; soldier's personal items; and firearms. A short chapter examines reproductions.
All variations on the 20mm FLAK anti-aircraft gun, including towed versions, and self-propelled as used by all arms of Wehrmacht.
The world's 9mm weapons are covered in this detailed volume, showing the variety of weapons and ammunition in the 9mm format from Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Finland, France, Italy, Israel, Austria, Poland, South Africa, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and the United States. Among the famous makes covered are the Mauser, Walther, Llama, the various Berettas including the models now used in the American Armed Forces, the UZI, Colt and Smith & Wesson. Over 500 photographs, including detailed interior shots, and numerous line drawings makes this book ideal for the collector and enthusiast.
Behind the Fog is the first in-depth, comprehensive examination of the United States' Cold War radiological weapons program. The book examines controversial military-sponsored studies and field trials using radioactive "simulants" that exposed American civilians to radiation and other hazardous substances without their knowledge or consent during the Cold War. Although Western biological and chemical weapons programs have been analyzed by a number of scholars, Behind the Fog is a strong departure from the rest in that the United States radiological weapons program has been generally unknown to the public. Martino-Taylor documents the coordinated efforts of a small group of military scientists who advanced a four-pronged secret program of human-subject radiation studies that targeted unsuspecting Americans for Cold War military purposes. Officials enabled such projects to advance through the layering of secrecy, by embedding classified studies in other studies, and through outright deception. Agency and academic partnerships advanced, supported, and concealed the studies from the public at large who ultimately served as unwitting test subjects. Martino-Taylor's comprehensive research illuminates a dark chapter of government secrecy, the military-industrial-academic complex, and large-scale organizational deviance in American history. In its critical approach, Behind the Fog effectively examines the mechanisms that allow large-scale elite deviance to take place in modern society.
This book covers the history of aircraft armament from the early days of World War I when aviators fired hand-held weapons at each other, through the airborne gun advancements during World War II, and finally up to the modern Gatling Guns of today. During the 1960s, aircraft guns would become a part of the helicopter mission, and these choppers would play an important role in Vietnam. Also during this period there would be three special "Gun Ships," where an airborne ground-attack system was designed around side-firing guns. The famous A-10 was designed around its forward-firing Gatling Gun. With the advent of new air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, there were those who thought that the day of the aircraft gun was over. In fact, the F-4 Phantom's early versions carried no guns. Experience showed, though, that they were still needed, and later aircraft types saw them returned. The current aircraft of the USAF and U.S. Navy - the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, and F-22 - all carry a rapid-fire Gatling Gun in addition to their missile loads.
The fabled treasures of China span thousands of years of history. From the exotic Silk Road to the mysterious Great Wall, China’s allure is as vast as the country itself. Here, Natasha Bennett introduces the fascinating world of Chinese arms and armour in the Royal Armouries’ collection. Offering a colourful insight into one of the world’s earliest civilisations, she chronicles the development of personal weapons and armour from the late Bronze Age to the early twentieth century. It is ideal for anyone interested in the military and material culture of this absorbing land.
In 1945, the United States Army established a testing center for rockets and guided missiles in south-central New Mexico. Named White Sands Proving Ground, this center was the locale for many of America's first steps towards space. Rockets and Missiles of White Sands Proving Ground chronicles major activities at the base from 1945-1958. During this period, the Army, Navy, and Air Force all tested missiles at the desert installation. This book details the development and testing for such missiles as Hermes, Corporal, Nike Ajax, Sergeant, Honest John, and Viking. These missiles formed the backbone of much of America's arsenal during the Cold War and represented major technological advancements. In 1958, the White Sands Proving Ground became the White Sands Missile Range, as it is known today.
Covers the famed Russian rocket launchers of World War II.
Though never used in combat, the He 280 was the first turbo-jet aircraft designed for fighter use.
This book draws on the ten nation CREDIT (Capacity for Research on European Defence and Industrial Technology) network which was set up to tackle issue concerning defence science, technology and industrial policy, including the implications of the Cold War and a growing pan-European emphasis. By providing a comparative study of policy and practice in the countries of western Europe, the book provides vital insights into how governments and firms can begin to search for European-wide solutions to the dilemmas that face them.
Giving an overview of research and development in weaponry in the maritime and aviation sphere as well as land-based technology, this study looks forward to the effects of emerging innovations on defence policy-making.
The Boeing XF8B-1 "Five-in-One" fighter was the last piston engine fighter built by Boeing and very nearly the last fighter built by the company until its merger with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Conceived in 1943, the XF8B-1 was unusual for a naval fighter in having an internal bomb bay, tremendous range, and counter-rotating propellers, the latter necessitated by its huge Pratt & Whitney R-4360 "Wasp Major" engine, a 28-cylinder air-cooled radial that produced a staggering 3,500 hp. An exhaustive account based on extensive research at the National Archives and Boeing Historical Archive, this book contains an authoritative text along with hundreds of rare photos, general arrangement drawings, color profiles, artist's impressions, and extensive extracts from the pilot's and maintenance manuals.
U.S. Chemical & Biological Defense Respirators: An Illustrated History is a historical overview of United States military and civilian defense respirator developments spanning the period from the beginnings of CBW respiratory protection in the First World War. Accompanied by photographs, illustrations and other supplemental material, the book may serve as a valuable reference for military historians, NBC defense specialists concerned with the design, development and evolution of military and civil individual protection against war agents, and even collectors of military memorabilia. In view of the fact that no reference work of this type has ever before been prepared, U.S. Chemical and Biological Defense Respirators provides an informational starting point for individuals interested in developing personal understanding about a relatively exotic and important area of modern defensive technology.
The SIPRI Yearbook 1994 continues SIPRI's review of the latest developments in nuclear weapons, world military expenditure, the international arms trade and arms production, chemical and biological weapons, the proliferation of ballistic missile technology, armed conflicts in 1993, and nuclear and conventional arms control. It is the most complete and authoritative source available for up-to-date information in war studies, strategic studies, peace studies, and international relations.
Amply illustrated with pen & ink drawings, and including a glossary of key terms, this volume, originally published in 1955, traces the history of firearms and the pioneers who made that history, step by step, to the fringe of a complex modern science.
This book covers the most popular and common high powered services rifles (battle rifles) of the post-war period and studies the current problems in Afghanistan that have led to the returning use of these rifles after several generations of absence due to the development of the assault rifle. There is also a chronological historical summary of the development of the modern service rifle.
This new, extensively researched volume (volume two in the series) is a comprehensive guide to the history, development, wear, and use of uniforms and equipment during American military advisors involvement in the Vietnam War. Included are insignia, headgear, camouflage uniforms, modified items, Flak vests, boots, clothing accessories, paper items and personal items from the years 1957-1972, all examined in great detail. Using re-constructed and period photos, the author presents the look and appearance of American Army, Navy, and Marine Corps advisors in Vietnam. ARVN Ranger, Airborne, and ARVN infantry advisors, all have their own chapter, along with Junk Force, RAG Force, and South Vietnamese Naval and Marine Corps advisors.
The First World War was a watershed in global history. Both terrible and terrifying, it shredded the social order and ushered in a bleak new world. Inevitably, the war led to major advances in military strategy and tactics that were reflected in the weapons used on the battlefield. This book offers an extended introduction to the arms and armour of the Great War, with particular focus on iconic weapons such as the Maxim machine gun. It is a unique insight into the material culture that not only enabled the horrors of the Somme, Passchendaele and Gallipoli but also provided the means to bring peace in 1918.
Shows how new developments in guns and artillery played a decisive role in the English Civil War. NEW LOW PRICE The English Civil War has frequently been depicted as a struggle between Cavaliers and Roundheads in which technology played little part. The first-hand sources now tell us that this romantic picture is deeply flawed - revealing a reality of gunpowder, artillery, and a grinding struggle of siege and starvation. As with naval warfare, developments in gun technology drastically changed land warfare in the years leading up to 1642. The Civil War was itself shaped largely by the availability of munitions. A failure to procure them in 1643 and 1644 - combined with abortive attempts on London - ultimately proved the downfall of the Royalists. Moreover afinal move away from fortified local garrisons reshaped both the nature of warfare in England, and the country itself. STEPHEN BULL is Curator of Military History and Archaeology, Lancashire Museums.
Covers German anti-tank/assault aircraft: Bf 109, Fw 190, Ju 87, Ju 88, Hs 129, He 177 and others.
Given recent controversies over suspected WMD programs in proliferating countries, there is an increasingly urgent need for effective monitoring and verification regimes-the international mechanisms, including on-site inspections, intended in part to clarify the status of WMD programs in suspected proliferators. Yet the strengths and limitations of these nonproliferation and arms control mechanisms remain unclear. How should these regimes best be implemented? What are the technological, political, and other limitations to these tools? What technologies and other innovations should be utilized to make these regimes most effective? How should recent developments, such as the 2015 Iran nuclear deal or Syria's declared renunciation and actual use of its chemical weapons, influence their architecture? The Politics of Weapons Inspections examines the successes, failures, and lessons that can be learned from WMD monitoring and verification regimes in order to help determine how best to maintain and strengthen these regimes in the future. In addition to examining these regimes' technological, political, and legal contexts, Nathan E. Busch and Joseph F. Pilat reevaluate the track record of monitoring and verification in the historical cases of South Africa, Libya, and Iraq; assess the prospects of using these mechanisms in verifying arms control and disarmament; and apply the lessons learned from these cases to contemporary controversies over suspected or confirmed programs in North Korea, Iran, and Syria. Finally, they provide a forward-looking set of policy recommendations for the future. |
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