In 1963 West Germany and the United States signed an agreement to develop the best tank in the world - the MBT/KPz-70. Though by 1970 this project was stopped, West Germany used the components created for the MBT/KPz-70 to develop a new main battle tank - the Leopard 2. Since 1979, when the first Leopard 2 rolled off the production line, the Leopard 2 has undergone various modifications, and has been exported to various European countries. Enhanced by Osprey's signature colour plates and cutaway artwork, this book examines the development of the Leopard 2 from the first batch to its evolution into the improved Leopard 2 A5, detailing its features and variants.

A classic of maritime history updated with new information, John P. Holland, 1841-1914 is the sole full-length biography of the man whose technological innovations led to the launching of the first modern submarine in May 1897. While David Bushnell may be considered the father of the submarine, Holland devised the technical improvements that enabled a craft to operate equally effectively whether submerged or surfaced, and it was his design that the U.S. Navy purchased in 1900. Richard Knowles Morris draws on diaries and papers left by his grandfather, a longtime friend of Holland and an superintending engineer of the Holland Torpedo Boat Company (later Electric Boat), to trace the inventor's eventful life. Morris recounts Holland's early years, his frustration in dealing with the Fenians and the U.S. Navy, and his company's negotiations with Japan, Great Britain, and Russia for Holland boats. Of particular interest is the selection of photographs that offer an enlightening pictorial of early submarine history.

This book examines the design, development and deployment of the Boeing (McDonnell Douglas, formerly Hughes) AH-64A Apache - the US Army's primary attack helicopter, and the most advanced helicopter gunship flying today. It was the most expensive rotary-winged aircraft ever built when it was introduced in the early 1980s, but it has since proved its worth on battlefields all over the world, including action in the Gulf War, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo and the recent conflict in Iraq. It is a quick-reacting, airborne weapon system that can fight close and deep to destroy, disrupt or delay enemy forces. The Apache is designed to fight and survive during the day, night and in adverse weather anywhere, at any time.

To date there has been a paucity of books on this remarkable aircraft. Among its claims to fame are the following: the only RAF bomber to serve in its original role from first day of war to last, and in every theatre; the first type to bomb Germany; the first type to bomb Berlin; the first type to drop the 4,000lb 'Cookie' bomb; and so on. A serious study is well overdue, drawing not just on official documentation but relying greatly on personal accounts and anecdotes from the veterans who were there, both air and ground crew. And here it is. Through his diligent research over many years, author Steve Bond has produced an outstanding work. His coverage of operations will include, inter alia, the early bombing campaigns, the switch to main force activity, the use of OTU aircraft and crews on operations, the protection of Atlantic and Mediterranean convoys, service with the FAA and the French and the Wellington's continued use as bomber and transport aircraft.

This is an illustrated history of battleships, their origins and evolution. It covers Pre-Dreadnoughts, Dreadnoughts, battleships and battle cruisers from 1860 onwards. Specification boxes provide at-a-glance information about each ship's country of origin, launch date, size, weight, armament, power, performance and complement. It includes facts and anecdotes about the famous battles and naval operations in which these ships played a role. It features over 550 photographs from naval and military sources worldwide, many rarely seen before. This meticulously researched book begins with a history of the battleship, from the first ironclad woodenhulled ships of the 19th century to the revolutionary Dreadnoughts of World War I and the mighty battleships and battle cruisers of World War II. It includes a country-by-country directory of battleships, with details about each vessel's history, construction, appearance and function. Featuring more than 150 ships - including Dreadnought, Hood, New Jersey, Bismarck and Nagato - and illustrated with over 550 photographs, this is a must-have reference book for everyone interested in the battleships that have helped to make history.

The fourth volume of PeKo Publishing s photo-monograph series, Sturmgeschutz III on the battlefield 2, has the publisher s usual corporate image displayed. The hardcover, landscape formatted book s brief introduction is followed by more than a hundred mainly unpublished photographs, published in the highest possible quality. Both the introduction and the captions are bilingual (English / Hungarian).

This book describes the extraordinary combat career of the American-built Vultee Vengeance dive-bomber in both the Royal Air Force and Indian Air Force service during the Burma Campaigns of 1942-45. This single-engine, all-metal aircraft was ordered by the Ministry of Supply during the darkest days of World War II when the lethal German combination of Junkers Ju.87 Stuka and Panzer tank forces had conquered most of Europe in a campaign that lasted a mere few weeks and the invasion of Britain was considered imminent. The RAF had invented the dive-bomber concept in 1917 but had consistently rejected it in the inter-war period with the obsession of heavy bombing predominating official thinking almost exclusively. By the time the Vengeance arrived a still-reluctant RAF was seeking a precision bomber to prevent a repeat of the Japanese Naval attacks in the Indian Ocean and six squadrons were set up to counter this threat. With the Japanese on the borders of Burma and India, these aircraft, no longer required for the original role, proved by far and away the most accurate bomber aircraft operated by the British up to that time. The Allied Armies on the ground, including Orde Wingate's Chindits, clamoured for their continued use and considered them essential, but in vain, and by 1945 all had been replaced. Their achievements have been ignored, falsified or scorned ever since but here, from eyewitness accounts and official records, is their full and true story.

In 1955, the Vulcan B.Mk2 was proposed and a new wing modification was designed to take advantage of the more powerful Olympus engines and a new stand-off missile known as Blue Steel. The new wing was known as the Phase 2C development. Avro were given a contract for an aerodynamic prototype on 10 July 1956, with the first prototype VX777 making its first flight with the new wing on 31 August 1957. This led to a number of significant changes to the B.Mk2 electrical systems, flying controls and structure. The Avro Vulcan was originally designed as a high-altitude medium bomber, but the operating requirement changed when it was required to fly at a low level. Thanks to the Vulcan's inherently low aspect wing and structure, it proved more suitable to this role than the high aspect wings of the Vickers Valliant and Handley Page Victor. This fully illustrated volume looks at the development and history of the Vulcan B Mk2.

The AMX 13 was originally designed in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. It represents French ambitions for national resurgence and withdrawal from wartime dependence on American military technology. Being a light tank it was an ambitious and far sighted departure from conventional tank design and it found a ready export market as well as being a critical part in the French Army arsenal. Its basic hull design lent itself to the development of a vast list of variants. French designers progressively modernised, and indeed reinvented, the AMX13 and enabled it to claim to be one of the most successful armoured vehicle programmes of the post-war period. It proved its worth in numerous small wars worldwide in the service of many countries. This, the first commercially published work on the AMX13 in English, examines in detail the technical industrial and tactical story of this remarkably successful armoured fighting vehicle. The authoritative text is backed by an impressive selection of images

This is the definitive account of a mission thought to be an impossible one. A powerful depiction, an astounding tale of courage and bravery by men and women of both Britain and France one which is graphic in its telling. This is the complete no holds barred record, a deeply researched, highly detailed, intricately woven true story of a Combined Operations Clandestine Raid, with men who volunteered for Hazardous Service. Thirteen black-faced villains embarked on a secret mission via T-Class submarine and paddled 105 land miles in canoes to place limpet mines on Axis blockade runners deep inside enemy held territory. Led by Blondie Hasler the story tracks from an English seaside resort in the Solent to the Scottish lochs and onto the unpredictable waters of the Bay of Biscay by cigar-shaped coffin then by Cockle. From M.I.9 to an escape network care of a Countess, punctuated by the love of a fifteen-year old girl and the forlorn future hopes of young men and, for many, death by firing squad. With determination and by guile, this is the story of another Few - they were the 'Cockleshell Heroes'. Never before has this narrative been told in its entirety. Never before have all the individuals concerned been named. Never before have all those that played their part in this historic little event had each of their life stories told, intertwined with these 'commandos', these 'Cockleshell Heroes'. As The Daily Telegraph sported, this is, 'The Truth at Last'.

Founded in 1910 by Alliott Verdon Roe, A.V. Roe and Company Limited built its first military aircraft two years later. By 1914, the company was literally flying when it designed the first of many iconic aircraft in the shape of the Avro 504, which sold in colossal numbers and was the key factor in keeping the company in the aviation industry after the end of the First World War, while many others fell by the wayside. In 1936, Avro became part of the new Hawker Siddeley group and within two years was operating a new factory at Chadderton, where, together with Newton Heath, all focus was on building the Anson, Blenheim and later the Manchester. Following production of just 200 Manchesters, attention turned to one of the greatest bombers of the Second World War, the Lancaster, of which over 7,300 were built. This caused further expansion at Avro's main Woodford base, part use of Ringway and a shadow' factory at Yeadon under Avro control throughout the war years. Although an obvious contraction of orders took place during the post-war years, Avro was, thanks to its earlier successes, a big player in the British aviation industry and would continue to produce an iconic range of military aircraft. The last hurrah was the delightful 748 which just scrapes into this publication as the final example of an aircraft solely designed by Avro, while some still remain in service today. Of the company's big three, examples of the 504, Lancaster and Vulcan also remain airworthy as testimony to what they achieved, the men who flew them and the great aircraft manufacturer that designed and built them. Many more are extent in museums across the world. This company profile is one of several that will have to be divided into two parts, one military and one civilian, although there will be some crossover, as many types served in both capacities. Avro deserves two entries in the series, and this book gives a good grounding to the huge and diverse range of aircraft that this once proud manufacturer produced.

Travis Air Force Base, situated in Fairfield, California, is the 'Gateway to the Pacific', handling more cargo and passengers than any other American military air terminal, and is the transportation hub for the West Coast. Flying the KC-10 Extender, C-17 Globemaster III, and the C-5 Galaxy, Travis can handle any airlift mission for the United States Air Force, and its airmen have distinguished themselves in military operations at home and around the world, including the recent humanitarian evacuation from Kabul. The logistical capabilities at Travis help maintain America's military might by supplying people and parts to the right places at the right time. With over 150 images, most of which have never been published before, this book documents the aircraft, the technology, the airmen, and the behind-the-scenes operations at Travis.

This book explores the reconnaissance aircraft used by the British armed forces in the 1970s and '80s, namely the Avro Shackleton, Hawker Siddeley Nimrod, Fairey Gannet and English Electric Canberra. The maritime patrol and airborne early warning (AEW) Shackleton was a descendant of the Avro Lancaster and Lincoln and was in service from 1951 to 1991. The Nimrod, based on the de Havilland Comet, was also a maritime patrol aircraft and served between 1969 and 2011. The Gannet first flew in 1949, but, during the period covered by this book, flew in the AEW role with just one Royal Navy squadron. Finally, the Canberra, which first flew in 1949, was used as a bomber and then mainly in the reconnaissance role. It was finally retired from the RAF in 2006. With over 180 black and white and colour photographs, this book, the fourth in a series covering British combat aircraft of the 1970s and '80s, looks at the aircraft used in the reconnaissance or AEW roles.

Our stories of industrial innovation tend to focus on individual initiative and lone breakthroughs. With Making Jet Engines, Hermione Giffard uses the case of the development of jet engines during World War II to offer a different way of understanding technological innovation, revealing the complicated mix of factors that go into any decision to pursue an innovative, and therefore risky technology. Giffard compares the approaches of Germany, Britain, and the United States, showing that each approached jet engines in different ways because of its own particular war aims and industrial expertise. Germany, which produced more jet engines than the others, did so largely as replacements for more expensive piston engines. Britain, on the other hand, produced relatively few engines but, by shifting emphasis to design rather than production, found itself at war's end holding an unrivaled range of designs. The US emphasis on development, meanwhile, built an institutional basis for postwar production. Taken together, Giffard's accounts make a powerful case for a more nuanced understanding of technological innovation, one that takes into account the influence of the many organizational factors that play a part in the journey from idea to finished product.

This fascinating story begins with post-World War Two sales of surplus Mustangs to various foreign governments and a few civilian customers. More than a decade later, in 1957 and 1958, the US Air Force auctioned off its remaining inventory of P-51s. These Mustangs became high-speed executive transports in the days before the introduction of the LearJet and other corporate aircraft. Soon after, in the mid-1960s and early 1970s, as the warbird movement was gaining traction, many of the remaining Mustangs came onto the civilian market. Today, these warbirds are the stars of airshows around the world. The effort to restore them to as close to their original wartime condition as possible has reached new levels of authenticity. With over 140 images, accompanied by service histories, this book shows the fighters where they should be seen - in the air.

Over the last two decades, the A ronautique Navale, French Naval Aviation, has grown into a powerful and battle-hardened force equipped with a large inventory of Rafale Marine naval strike fighters, E-2C Hawkeye early-warning aircraft, Falcon 50, Gardian and Atlantique 2 maritime surveillance/maritime patrol aircraft, Dauphin, Panther, Alouette and Ca man naval helicopters and CAP 10, Xingu and Falcon 10 trainers/light transport aircraft. Its well-trained aircrews, supported by highly qualified engineers, air traffic controllers, intelligence specialists and firemen, perform a wide range of missions over land and sea, both in continental France and abroad. With over 200 full-colour images and detailed information, this book plunges the reader right into the heart of French Navy squadrons, as it depicts the everyday life of modern-day A ronautique Navale units.

This authoritative book sketches the historical development of amphibious warfare, using real examples to illustrate the great range of scale, from raiding to full-scale invasion, with historical examples. It highlights the many coordinated activities necessary for a successful operation, from surveying and minesweeping to fire support, fighter direction and tri-service control. Two illustrated country-by-country directories cover landing ships, which transport personnel, cargo and vehicles from shore-to-shore, and landing craft, which focus on ship-to-shore movements. This instructive volume containing 530 photographs will provide enthusiasts and historians with a lively and engaging guide to a fascinating subject.

Colombian military aviation is one of the most powerful in Latin America and comprises aviation divisions from four branches: the Fuerza A rea Colombiana (FAC, Colombian Air Force), Armada Nacional de la Rep blica de Colombia (ARC, Colombian National Navy), Ej rcito Nacional de Colombia (EJC, Colombian National Army) and Polic a Nacional de Colombia (PNC, National Police of Colombia). While the FAC has been operating for more than a century, and remains the main aviation force, the other three have become very powerful and efficient forces over the past 40 years. The PNC is the biggest force of its type in the world. Colombia has struggled for decades with internal conflicts involving guerrilla groups and drug traffickers. In recent years, the threat posed by Venezuela has forced its aviation units to develop fighting capabilities from largely asymmetric warfare to facing a more conventional enemy. With over 180 images, this book provides a look at the history, organisation, deployment, missions and aircraft of all four of Colombia's aviation forces.

The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich houses the largest collection of scale ship models in the world, many of which are official, contemporary artefacts made by the craftsmen of the navy or the shipbuilders themselves, and ranging from the mid seventeenth century to the present day. As such they represent a three-dimensional archive of unique importance and authority. Treated as historical evidence, they offer more detail than even the best plans, and demonstrate exactly what the ships looked like in a way that even the finest marine painter could not achieve. This book is the first of a series which will take selections of the best models to tell the story of specific ship types - in this case, the evolution of the cruising ship under sail. Each volume reproduces a large number of model photos, all in full colour, and including many close-up and detail views. These are captioned in depth, but many are also annotated to focus attention on interesting or unusual features. Although pictorial in emphasis, the book weaves the pictures into an authoritative text, producing an unusual and attractive form of technical history.While the series will be of particular interest to ship modellers, all those with an interest in ship design and development will attracted to the in-depth analysis of these beautifully presented books.

This series of books provides details of all USN warships from 1893 to the present day. Every class and individual ship has an entry providing details of the procurement, dimensions and characteristics, and a summary of each ship's history and development. Profusely illustrated with photos. An essential manual for all US Navy enthusiasts and historians. This is volume four, part three - Destroyers (1937-1943).

As the climate changes it is even more vital to protect the world's forests. They provide both the lungs' of the world and the natural resources for many industries. This book looks at both the past and the current selection of fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and support aircraft tasked with protecting our natural environment from fire. Covering America, Canada, Russia, southern Europe and other nation states, the operators of these fleets - governments and private contractors - are looked at, along with their aircraft, as they go about the dangerous task of protecting the world's forests. With over 230 images, this book covers all the aircraft types used in the water bomber role - World War Two fighters and bombers, piston-powered airliners and cargo aircraft of the 1950s, turboprop aircraft, wide-body jets, as well as the custom-built water bombers and, finally, both large and small helicopters with tanks or under-slung loads.