Sailors in Forest Green is a detailed examination of the uniforms and equipment used by Navy personnel attached to the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. Navy hospital corpsmen, Seabees, combat photographers, demolitions experts, and many other Navy specialists served with USMC units from 1941-1945. This subject is often overlooked today. Sailors in Forest Green is the first book of its kind to address this previously unexplored and fascinating topic. It is lavishly illustrated with over 800 previously unpublished archival and contemporary photographs, documents, and dramatic reconstructions. Both U.S. Navy and Marine Corps uniforms are highlighted, including officer and enlisted dress uniforms and insignia, combat and fatigue uniforms, camouflage, field gear and experimental equipment. Additionally, gas masks, medical supplies, and explosives are featured as well. Anyone with an interest in World War II militaria will marvel at this new and exciting breakthrough!

In World War II, the U.S. Army not only supplied its soldiers with the most modern equipment and uniforms, suitable for any combat situation, but went as far as providing them with their favourite drinks or candy bars, and seemingly anything else they might require. This comprehensive reference book brings together all the equipment issued to American soldiers in the European Theater of Operations, 1943-45. Each item is presented with its catalog numbers, described in detail and fully depicted in photographs, including close-ups of the labels to aid identification of items. Graphics and diagrams offer additional information and context. This second volume of the G.I. Collector's Guide is fully revised with the addition of sections including personal equipment, trophies and souvenirs, the wartime draft and Stateside training, and the life of POWs in German camps. More than one thousand new artifacts with detailed captions are featured in this completely revised new work. Expert Henri-Paul Enjames describes all variations of uniform, insignia, badges, weapons, and equipment in detail. As a complete catalogue with high-quality photographs, this book is invaluable to both family historians researching grandpa's kit found in the attic and to assist collectors in their quest to find authentic items among the reproductions that flood the modern market.

During the American Revolution (1775-83), German auxiliary troops provided a vital element of the British war effort. Some 30,000 German troops served in North America, continuing a long-established relationship between Britain and various German principalities. These troops were widely referred to as mercenaries, implying that they sold their services individually, but they were in fact regular troops hired as a body by the British. Initially feared by the American population, the German troops came to be highly respected by their opponents. Their role in the fighting would inform the tactics and methods of a generation of German officers who returned to Europe after the war, many of whom went on to hold senior commands during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. The largest body of German troops was from Hessen- Cassel. The only German contingent to be employed as a unit under its own general officers, they were clothed and equipped in the style of Frederick the Great's Prussians and were trained in much the same way. Many had seen active service during the Seven Years' War (1756-63) and served under career officers; they were well-disciplined and competent but showed little overt enthusiasm for the British cause. The troops of Hessen-Cassel would participate in every major campaign of the conflict, with the specialized skills of the famous Jager being particularly in demand. Fully illustrated, this lively study examines the organization, appearance, weapons, and equipment of the Hessen-Cassel troops who fought for King George in the American Revolution.

Since the end of their involvement in the Vietnam War, the Australian Army has been modernized in every respect. After peacekeeping duties in South-East Asia, Africa and the Middle East in the 1980s-90s, 'Diggers' were sent to safeguard the newly independent East Timor from Indonesian harassment in 1999, and to provide long-term protection and mentoring since 2006. Australian Army units have served in the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Australian Special Forces are currently operating alongside US and British elements against ISIS in northern Iraq. During these campaigns the Australian SAS Regiment and Commandos have fully matured into 'Tier 1' assets, internationally recognized for their wide range of capabilities.

The book, written by an Australian author who has written extensively about modern warfare, traces the development of the Army's organization, combat uniforms, load-bearing equipment, small arms and major weapon systems using specially commissioned artwork and photographs.

This two volume set is a fully illustrated, detailed look at the famous German "stahlhelm" of World War II. Full color photographs - including multiple-view, interiors, and up-close detail - show Army, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Paratroop, and many others. Both volumes have been specifically produced to give the advanced collector the opportunity to expand his or her knowledge, and to compare paint and insignia against their own collections. For the novice or would-be collector, these books are an invaluable reference.

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.

In the early 1900s, the decaying Ottoman Turkish Empire had lost some of its Balkan territories, but still nominally ruled all of North Africa between British Egypt in the east and French Algeria in the west. Libya had fertile coastal territory, and was the last North African (almost, the last African) region not yet conquered by a European colonialist power. Italy was a young country, ambitious for colonies, but had been defeated in Ethiopia in the 1890s. The Italian government of Giovanni Giolitti was keen to overwrite the memory of that failure, and to gain a strategic grip over the central Mediterranean by seizing Libya, just across the narrows from Sicily. The Italian expeditionary force that landed in October 1911 easily defeated the Ottoman division based in the coastal cities, incurring few losses. However, the Libyan inland tribes reacted furiously to the Italian conquest, and their insurgency cost the Italians thousands of casualties, locking them into the coastal enclaves during a winter stalemate which diminished Italian public enthusiasm for the war. To retrieve Italian prestige the government launched a naval campaign in the Dardanelles and the Dodecanese - the last Turkish held archipelago in the Aegean - in April-May 1912, and landed troops to capture Rhodes. The army finally pushed inland in Libya in July- October (using systematic air reconnaissance, for the first time), and after brutal fighting the war ended in a treaty that brought Italy all it wanted, although though the Libyan tribes would not finally be quelled until after World War I. Containing accurate full-colour artwork and unrivalled detail, Armies of the Italian-Turkish War offers a vivid insight into the troops involved in this pivotal campaign, including the tribal insurgents and the navies of both sides.

In their companion volume to British Army Cap Badges of the First World War, authors Peter Doyle and Chris Foster present an overview of the main cap badges worn by the British Army during the Second World War, which continued the rich and varied tradition of British regimental insignia. This book describes and illustrates, for the first time in high quality full colour, the main types of cap badge worn. With many amalgamations, war-raised units and special forces, British military insignia from the period have a surprising range that differs substantially from that worn by the soldiers of the previous generation. As in the first book, this volume contains contemporary illustrations of the soldiers themselves wearing the badges. Employing the skills of an established writer (and collector) and artist, it provides a unique reference guide for anyone interested in the British Army of the period.

An accessibly written and superbly illustrated introduction to armor used for battle, tournament, and ceremony This engaging book offers an introduction to and overview of armor in Europe from the Middle Ages through the 17th century, focusing in particular on the 16th century when plate armor reached its peak of stylistic beauty and functional perfection. Created by highly skilled armorers, often in cooperation with noted artists and commissioned by wealthy patrons, armor was worn for centuries on the battlefield, in festive tournaments, and for ceremonial events. Through informative discussions of representative works from the Metropolitan Museum's world-renowned collection, this new addition to the popular How to Read series shows what to look for when examining armor, the pieces that make up a typical suit of armor, how the parts work, the various methods used to decorate armor, and how armor became an important part of so many museum collections today. The book features a wealth of new photography of historically important armor and other works of art from the Metropolitan Museum and select pieces from other institutions. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press

Until 1945, Indonesia was a Dutch colony known as the Netherlands East Indies. In 1930, the area had over 60 million inhabitants and was a major exporter to Japan, providing some 13 per cent of its oil needs - second only after the United States. Following Germany's occupation of the Netherlands in May 1940, Japan decided to expand its influence in the Netherlands East Indies.

Defending the colony was the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL). This force, designed primarily for colonial policing, underwent a series of cutbacks in the interwar years before adopting a modernisation programme in 1936, which focused on building up a strike air force, introducing tanks and increasing the firepower of the infantry and artillery.

Fully illustrated with period photographs and full-colour artwork, this book examines the dress, insignia, equipment, organization and combat performance of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army as it faced the all-conquering Japanese forces in World War II.

This highly illustrated volume covers the uniforms and insignia of Germany's military in transition from the trenches of the Western front, to street fighting in Berlin, Munich, and other cities, the bitter contests with the Poles and Communists in the Baltic, the Kapp.Luttwitz Putsch, and finally the campaign in the Ruhr. The Quasi-uniformed look of the Communist revolutionaries, as well as images of the tanks and armored cars operated by the Kokampf of the Provisional Reishswehr, are also examined in detail. The photographs and many color illustrations pained and drawn during this violent time, make this a unique volume for uniform and equipment researchers, historians, and modelers. A companion volume will cover the period 1924-1935 and will include uniforms of the: Reichswehr, Stahlhelm, SA, SS, Erhardt Brigade and other para-military units.

The reign of Louis XIV of France had a great impact on the course of European and world military history. The years 1643 to 1715 were a defining epoch for western military, diplomatic, and economic matters. Most of those years were marked by conflict between major European powers and the Sun King's forces. This four-volume series is the first that present an extensive account of the many facets of the French army and the wars it fought. It was an era during which the Sun King's and eventually all armies saw extraordinarily significant changes such as: the advent of very large professional armies, increasingly centralized command systems, professional training for officers and men, introduction of obligatory military service, improvements in discipline and control, technical advances regarding armament thus affecting battlefield tactics, marked progress regarding fortifications, introduction of uniforms, logistics capable of supplying large armies, financial practices that permitted the upkeep and pay large military forces. The above and even more factors produced many influences that weighted heavily in European geo-political and geo-strategic maters. In these, the Sun King largely dominated Europe's agenda from the time he took effective autocratic power in 1661 to his last moments in 1715. Since his army was, initially, the largest, most modern and effective in Europe, he had success to the point that neighbouring countries formed coalitions to stop him. However, the Sun King was a master at geo-strategy, notably regarding the balance that he managed to maintain with the Ottoman Empire whose forces always threatened the eastern frontiers of France's opponents. Thus, France's forces were always sufficient to keep enemies mostly on the defensive; it was unthinkable that they would ever reach Paris. These and many more topics are presented in this four volume work. Each volume is basically in two parts. The first part is the era of the wars and their context, the second part consist of a detailed look at a part of the French army. The appendices present certain aspects such as uniform lists of the period and evaluations of opponent and allied armies of the Sun King's forces.

This book chronicles the history, training, and operations of United States Army Special Forces, including never before published photos and insignia that were designed and worn by the men of the United States Army Special Forces. The modern United States Army Special Forces was formed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on June 19, 1952. Special Forces have served in every major and numerous minor conflicts the United States military has been involved in since their inception. During and after these operations, individual teams had unique insignia produced to commemorate their operations.

During the Japanese occupation of large parts of Asia and the Pacific in 1941-45, Japan raised significant numbers of troops to fight alongside them, as well as militias to guard their conquests. The total number of these soldiers is estimated at no fewer than 600,000 men. These ranged from the regular troops of Manchukuo (200,000 men), Nanking China (250,000), Thailand, and recruits from the 'puppet' Burmese Independence Army (30,000) and Indian National Army (40,000), to constabularies and spear-wielding militias in the Philippines (15,000), Borneo, Indonesia and New Guinea. Many of the recruits from former European colonies hoped for independence as part of the 'Greater East-Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere' proclaimed by Japanese propaganda, but Japan's intentions were entirely cynical. They formed alliances to deny the Allied powers access to territory that they could not actually occupy, and raised these large numbers of auxiliary troops to relieve the manpower burden of occupation, or simply as 'cannon-fodder'. This extensively researched study examines each of these armies and militias in detail, exploring their history and deployment during World War II, and revealing the intricacies of their arms and equipment with stunning full-colour artwork and previously unpublished contemporary photographs.

This edition of Badges of the British Army presents a wholly new, completely revised guide for the collector. All the photographs are new, and the coverage extended to encompass the badges that had appeared since the book was first published. Through six editions and many reprintings, this book has proved itself immensely popular with collectors, as well as providing the novice with an invaluable introduction to the subject. Easy to slip into the coat pocket, it is the perfect companion to perusing market stalls in search of collectable items, providing immediate visual identification of each badge. The author, Frederick Wilkinson, supplies excellent advice to the collector, showing how to date badges, warning of the fakes, copies and re-strikes that abounded and how to recognise them, but also demonstrating how enjoyable and rewarding a pastime badge collecting could be. His introductory text presents a brief history of British Army badges, from the shako plates of Wellington's time - now valuable items - to the later, much easier to find, Staybrites.

Goebbels' 1941 propaganda campaign to present Germany's invasion of the USSR as a battle for European civilization against Asian barbarism convinced many men in occupied 'Germanic' European countries, such as Scandinavia and the Low Countries, to volunteer to fight on the Russian Front. One of the strongest national legions of such a kind was raised in the Netherlands, where it was supported by a large pro-Nazi movement led by Anton Mussert. The 3,000-man Netherlands Volunteer Legion fought on the Leningrad front in regimental strength, from the Red Army's winter 1941/42 counter-offensive until April 1943. The survivors were then reinforced to form a 5,500-strong Panzergrenadier Brigade, and after anti-partisan service in Croatia, they returned to Army Group North as part of Steiner's III SS Panzer Korps, fighting in the most arduous battles of 1943-44 until driven back into Pomerania. In the final months of the war the division formed the nucleus of the new 23rd SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division 'Nederland'. In this illustrated study of the Dutch Waffen-SS Legion and Brigade, specialist Massimiliano Afiero explores the full history of this important formation from its establishment in 1941 until it was incorporated into the 'Nederland' Division in 1944. Contemporary photographs and full-colour illustrations support the text and reveal key details including aspects of uniform and insignia.

This new photo album is number 28 in the MMP Books/Stratus "Camera On" series. It is the first to cover in such photographic detail the German usage of both the 2 cm Flak 28 and the Flak 30. Both of these weapons saw extensive action on all battle fronts of the Second World War wherever the German armed forces saw service. While they were both excellent weapons at their time of development, they both rapidly became less effective as ever faster and higher flying aircraft were produced by Germany's enemies. This book contains 140+ photographs taken by the average German soldier of both the 2 cm Flak 28 and 30 as well as their crews while in service and many of the environments they had to operate within. This volume illustrates these weapons as the soldiers themselves viewed them in both their fighting environment and, in many cases, just as a tool they lived with and had to look after on a daily basis, not the highly polished and sanitized views of the official photographers. This book is an invaluable reference for military historians and modelers alike.

This title explores and illustrates the armies of France, and six countries allied against Louis XIV, in a wide-ranging Continental conflict that ushered in more than a century of European warfare. Formed in 1689, the 'Grand Alliance' or League of Augsburg was a military coalition of the Holy Roman Empire, the Dutch Republic, Britain, Spain and the Duchy of Savoy, to resist Louis XIV's rich, powerful and expansionist France. The first stage of the nine year conflict that followed also coincided with the so-called 'Glorious Revolution' in Britain (1688-91), when the throne passed to the Dutch Protestant leader, William of Orange, the head of a multi-national Dutch, Danish and English army, which finally expelled James II's Jacobite and French forces from Ireland. The long war on the continent was notable for the first widespread use of regimental uniforms and flintlock muskets with bayonets, plus the sophisticated use of siege warfare under the great French engineer, Vauban. The final Treaties of Ryswyck (1697) brought the war to an end and marked Louis XIV's political zenith, and also the ascendancy of both the Dutch and British as first-rate global powers. This fully illustrated title explores the armies which fought the War of the Grand Alliance, examining their strength, organization, uniforms and weapons, and explaining their campaigns and major battles.

Beginning in the Civil War, the U.S. Army sought to find an effective system to distinguish troops from different units. In the closing days of World War I, it finally arrived at a practical and desirable solution with the adoption of the shoulder patch or shoulder sleeve insignia. For more than eighty years, this often simple device, has been the source of pride and inspiration for servicemen everywhere. This new book (the first of a multi-volume set), with a gallery of more than 800 color and sepia toned illustrations of original insignia and period photographs, documents the evolution of these special insignia. From the period beginning with World War I to the Korean War era, you won't find a more indispensable guide for the study and collection of U.S. Army shoulder patches. Collectors will especially enjoy the handy reference section for determining whether a patch was made by an ally or a former foe. With special emphasis on theater made patches, this volume and the ones that will follow are sure to be a collector's paradise. Without a doubt, this is the finest and most complete effort to date on the subject.

For many years the magnificent color prints published by the firm of Rudolf Ackermann during the 19th century have been in the possession of lucky collectors. However, with the passing of many years these frail works of art have become damaged, or have perished, so that many are not available to those who wish to find and appreciate the work and care which went into these productions.

Much of the exotic dress of the armies of Europe and elsewhere has its origins in the conditions of frontier wars fought by imperial armies. As states have expanded to control hinterlands occupied by culturally diverse peoples, the ensuing conflicts have had an impact on imperial armies and the way they have dressed. 'Hinterland warriors' have been employed by imperial governments for a multitude of reasons: they understand the tactics of enemies at the border and are skilled tacticians themselves; they possess local knowledge; they do not disrupt the labor supply; politicians do not have to answer for high casualty rates if these are suffered by hinterland rather than metropolitan troops; finally, they are often classed as 'martial races' and therefore do not require the training needed by fresh recruits.
Throughout time, imperial officers and auxiliaries adopted the dress of these hinterland troops under their command, and even metropolitan units in the imperial armies appropriated items of local dress while engaged in wars on the borders of the empire. These innovations frequently became institutionalized, and in many cases were distorted and stylized, resulting in a caricature of the dress of the hinterland troops that originally provided the model. This engrossing book charts how the perceptions of these marginalized peoples influenced and ultimately transformed the history of military dress.

Authoritative illustrated analysis of the history of the military Special Forces units of the Soviet Union and Russian Federation. When the shadowy, notorious Spetsnaz were first formed, they drew on a long Soviet tradition of elite, behind-the-lines commando forces from World War II and even earlier. Throughout the 1960s-70s they were instrumental both in projecting Soviet power in the Third World and in suppressing resistance within the Warsaw pact. As a powerful, but mysterious tool of a world superpower, the Spetsnaz have inevitably become the focus of many 'tall tales' in the West. In this book, a peerless authority on Russia's military Special Forces debunks several of these myths, uncovering truths that are often even more remarkable. Since the chaotic dissolution of the USSR and the two Chechen Wars, Russian forces have seen increasing modernization, involving them ever more in power-projection, counter-insurgency and anti-terrorism and the Spetsnaz have been deployed as a spearhead in virtually all of these operations. This fully illustrated book packed with details such as orders-of-battle, equipment and operational doctrine offers a unique, absorbing guide to the secrets of the Spetsnaz, their most noteworthy missions and personalities.

Throughout the relatively short yet highly distinguished history of the Royal Air Force there has been a tendency for the men and women of the Service to be overshadowed by the glamour of the aircraft. Nonetheless it is surprising that there has never before been a complete record of the uniforms and badges of the RAF and its predecessor, the Royal Flying Corps. Malcolm Hobart and Pen and Sword Books have cooperated to rectify this serious omission with this superbly colour illustrated and comprehensive collector's guide. Badges of rank and trade are all depicted not only for the flying arms but for ground staff. This valuable addition to our Collector series also covers the RAF Reserves and Auxiliary Service, Air Training Corps and the Royal Observer Corps. SELLING POINTS: . Comprehensive collector's guide . Superbly illustrated throughout . Also covers RAF Reserves, Auxiliary Service, Air Training Corps and the royal Observer Corps . ILLUSTRATIONS: Superbly illustrated *

During the period 1890-1910 the German Army of Kaiser Wilhelm II was ablaze in color, particularly the Garde and Cavalry regiments. In this superb new volume the author brings to the student of uniforms, as well as the art and military historian, the true glory of this brief, but most colorful time. Carl Becker was a skillful and talented artist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, whose treatment of German uniforms, the military pomp and ceremony, as well as the work-a-day activities of the Kaiser's army, are both realistically and artistically among the very best. The 104 never before published uniform plates are a treasure trove of color, action, and rarity which have only been viewed by a select few before this publication. The additional illustrations from books and the postcard art reproduced here well display the scope and depth of Becker's work. Technically correct, and artistically rendered on the subject of Kaiser Wilhelm II's flamboyant army of 1890-1910, this book will be a welcome addition to the library of the collector, the student of military costume, modelers and the appreciator of well executed military art.