This fully illustrated volume compares two of the most iconic AFV's: the SU-152/ISU-152 and the Tiger, used on the Eastern Front during World War II. On the Eastern Front in 1943, the Tiger-equipped heavy Panzer battalions gave German armoured divisions an unmatched capability that cost the Red Army dearly. The Tiger's 88mm gun had the potential to carve through Soviet defences in the attack and cause havoc amongst advancing Soviet armoured formations when used in defence. Neither of the Red Army's heavy tanks (the KV-1 and KV-2) could match the Tiger's gun, and, more importantly, penetrate its armour at anything approaching standard combat range. The Soviet response was a stopgap Tiger-killing vehicle that mounted a 152mm artillery piece onto the KV tank's chassis: the SU-152. The latter would evolve into the ISU-152 in late 1943 (mounting the same powerful gun on an IS chassis). This fascinating book describes the mighty duels fought between these opposing AFVs. The colour illustrations explore key details of both the SU-152/ISU-152 and Eastern Front Tigers, including armament, ammunition and crew positions, and the period photographs show rarely seen views of these iconic AFVs in action. How each attempted to best the other using its strengths and advantages is documented across a wide range of dramatic Eastern Front armoured battles.

More than thirty years after their first publication, William T. Larkinss illustrated surveys of Navy and Marine Corps aircraft remain two of the most valuable books about these airplanes ever written. First published in 1959 and 1961, these two volumes have become classics eagerly sought in the rare-book market by aviation buffs worldwide. They have become the criteria against which serious aviation research is measured. With over 1,000 photographs combined, they remain the definitive record of the formative years for Navy and Marine Corps aviation. Larkinss emphasis throughout is on squadron use, experimental and one-of-a-kind types, insignia, colors and marking schemes, technical innovations, and the service duty and tactical deployment of the various aircraft.

Using maps, contemporary photographs, and new artwork, this book examines the Hellcat and the naval aviators who flew them. Joining combat in the Pacific in late 1943, the Hellcat squadrons soon demonstrated their ascendency over their Japanese opponents, culminating in the great "Marianas Turkey Shoot" during the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944. The fighter proved to be a dream for pilots to fly, allowing both novice and veteran Naval Aviators alike to prevail in largescale aerial combats. From October 1944 to January 1945, the Fast Carriers supported General MacArthur's invasion of the Philippines. Featuring specially commissioned armament views and battlescenes, this book covers the key role played by Naval Aviators flying the Hellcat into action during the Fast Carrier Task Force's strikes against the Philippines in September and October 1944. Using maps, contemporary photographs, and technical diagrams, the volume examines the highly effective tactics used to prevail against large enemy formations, and reveals the training that underpinned the success enjoyed by the Naval Aviators and their Hellcats. The key combat actions are vividly described through 3D ribbon diagrams providing a step-by-step depiction of the main dogfights featured in the book, as well as action reports, both from previously unknown pilots and from more famous Hellcat aces.

A study of the design, development and eventual fates of the uncompleted super-battleships intended to be built before and during World War II. At the start of World War II the battleship was still king, and all the major powers were designing even mightier battleships to surpass their most modern and powerful classes. But when World War II broke out, aircraft carriers would dominate naval warfare, and none of these monster warships were completed. In this book, naval expert Mark Stille uncovers these lost battleships as they are reconstructed with superb new full-colour artwork. The US Navy wanted five Montana-class ships, based on the Iowas but with a heavier main battery and improved protection, and the Royal Navy began work on three 16in-gun Lion-class fast battleships. The German Navy developed its H-class designs: initially an improved Bismack-class, they became more fantastical, culminating in the 141,500-ton, 20in-gun H-44. The Japanese A-150 was based on the Yamato-class but with 20.1in guns, while the 15 ships planned for the USSR's Sovetsky Soyuz-class would have rivalled the Montanas in size. Explaining the design, intended roles and fate of these ships, this is the story of the last battleship designs in history.

The first squadrons of American-trained fighter pilots to enter combat in April 1918 during World War I were equipped with the Nieuport 28. Douglas Campbell, Jimmy Meissner, and Eddie Rickenbacker, were among those who cut their teeth on the Nieuport 28 fighter and gained the experience, skills, and confidence necessary to survive and succeed in aerial combat. This book provides an exhaustive history of the Nieuport 28, from its design inception in 1917, through its combat service with the U.S. Air Service, and into the postwar era. Replete with pilot reports, maps, over 400 photographs, and specially commissioned technical drawings and color profiles this book is a fitting testament to the Nieuport 28.

This study explains how the armies of North and South Vietnam, newly equipped with the most modern Soviet and US tanks and weaponry, fought the decisive armored battles of the Easter Offensive. Wearied by years of fighting against Viet Cong guerillas and North Vietnamese regulars, the United States had almost completely withdrawn its forces from Vietnam by early 1972. Determined to halt the expansion and improvement of South Vietnamese forces under the U.S. "Vietnamization" program, North Vietnam launched a major fourteen-division attack in March 1972 against the South that became known as the "Easter Offensive." Hanoi's assault was spearheaded by 1,200 tanks and was counteracted on the opposite side by Saigon's newly equipped armored force using U.S. medium tanks. The result was ferocious fighting between major Cold War-era U.S. and Soviet tanks and mechanized equipment, pitting M-48 medium and M-41 light tanks against their T- 54 and PT-76 rivals in a variety of combat environments ranging from dense jungle to urban terrain. Both sides employed cutting-edge weaponry for the first time, including the U.S. TOW and Soviet 9M14 Malyutk wire-guided anti-tank missiles. This volume examines the tanks, armored forces and weapons that clashed in this little-known campaign in detail, using after-action reports from the battlefield and other primary sources to analyze the technical and organizational factors that shaped the outcome. Despite the ARVN's defensive success in October 1972, North Vietnam massively expanded its armor forces over the next two years while U.S. support waned. This imbalance with key strategic misjudgments by the South Vietnamese President led to the stunning defeat of the South in 1975 when T54 tanks crashed through the fence surrounding the Presidential palace and took Saigon on 30 April 1975.

The German heavy tank destroyer Panzerjäger Tiger (P) (Sd.Kfz. 184) Ferdinand was based on the chassis of the Tiger (P) tank designed by Ferdinand Porsche. The vehicle was not accepted by army, but because 90 chassis have already been produced at the Nibelungenwerke plant, it was decided that they could be usefully developed. This is how the tank destroyer based on the Tiger (P) chassis was born.

The terrorist act with sarin gas in the Tokyo underground and the case with the spread of anthrax spores through the U.S. postal system stimulated the development of orga- zation of fight against terrorism on a national and global level. The goal of this wo- shop was assessment of scientific concepts and practical means for management of chemical and biological agents casualties in the area of terrorist attacks with emphasis on improving the problems and situation in Eastern European Countries. In this book are included the results of both theoretical and practical research of chemical and biological terrorism presented during the workshop. Different trends of research to fight against terrorism on both local and governmental level including some Eastern European countries are discussed. The scientific articles are grouped into those areas: - New approaches in counteraction to chemical and biological terrorism - Medical treatment and decontamination of casualties from chemical and biological agents - Diagnosis of exposure to chemical and biological agents - Development of protection against injuries from chemical and biological agents In these articles the following are emphasized: - Some aspects of national and global defense against chemical and biological terrorism - National action plans and global agreements on combating terrorism - The characteristics of the major specific injuries connected with chemical and biological terrorism - Threats of terroristic attacks - Epidemiological and clinical peculiarities, ways of diagnosing, medical tre- ment and preventive health care measures These problems are analyzed from an interdisciplinary perspective.

This book covers the earliest forms of German armored fighting vehicles used primarily in WWI.

Michael Napier details the critical role of air power in the skies over Afghanistan, from the ten-year occupation by the USSR in the 1980s through to the US and NATO campaign from 2001 to 2021. US and British forces, strongly supported by air power, invaded Afghanistan in late 2001 in response to the Al Qaida attacks on 9/11. What began as a small-scale operation of 2,500 troops with the limited objective of destroying Al Qaida became ever larger, growing to over 100,000 troops ten years later. This experience matched that of the Soviets after their invasion in late 1979, when they saw a massive increase in resistance by Mujahidin. Afghan Air Wars details how Soviet aircraft including the MiG-21, MiG-23, Su-17 and Su-25, as well as Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters supported Soviet offensives in the Panjshir Valley and other regions. Despite these high-octane operations and overwhelming air superiority, Soviet forces eventually withdrew. Some 20 years later, US and NATO air forces were deployed in similar roles. F-15E, F-16, F/A-18, A-10, Mirage, Harrier and Tornado aircraft all saw action in the skies over Afghanistan as did the CH-47 Chinook and AH-64 Apache helicopters. Mike Napier fully details their series of operations in a hostile environment as well as the advent of high-resolution targeting pods and Precision Guided Munitions (PGM) which enabled aircraft to stand off from threat areas and also to deploy their weapons with deadly accuracy. The conflict also saw the groundbreaking introduction of Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPV) into routine air operations. Afghan Air Wars is richly illustrated with over 240 images – both official photos and privately taken, in-theatre images which have not been previously published. It also includes first-hand accounts by aircrews involved to create a unique and comprehensive picture of the part played by air power over Afghanistan in the last 40 years.

This fully illustrated study assesses the origins, development, and combat record of the legendary Tiger and Churchill Tanks during World War II. The Tiger and the Churchill are two of the most recognizable heavily armoured tanks of World War II. Both were designed hastily in the early years of the war, and both witnessed inauspicious debuts in battle in August 1942 (the Churchill in the disaster at Dieppe, the Tiger near Leningrad). Despite their heavy weight, both tanks, which were intended to serve in breakthrough operations, had surprisingly good tactical mobility. Yet there were key differences between them too, chiefly in the effectiveness of their main armament. This fascinating and detailed work explores the design and development of these famous tanks and its influence on their head-to-head encounters, the effectiveness of the support services each tank relied upon, and the skills and experiences of the crews that fought in them. The specific battlefield conditions of Normandy in June and July 1944 are also examined, exploring the effect they had on the duels between these two heavyweight AFVs.

The full story of the development and early use of the U-2 has never been properly told - until now. This book describes in vivid detail how the high-flying spyplane was conceived, designed, built, and deployed in record time. It explains why the CIA, and not the U.S. Air Force, controlled the project. It traces how the Iron Curtain was pried apart by the epic overflights of denied territory from 1956 to 1960. It discusses why these flights were needed, what they were looking for, and how the intelligence they returned was processed and analyzed. Readers are taken inside the Soviet Union's military machine, as it developed new strategic weapons and (eventually) the means to shoot the U-2 down. The book also explores the political dimension, telling how President Eisenhower and Premier Khrushchev each faced the challenge of the U-2 flights - albeit from very different perspectives. Toward the Unknown will appeal to students of aviation and intelligence history, and to anyone wishing to learn more about a key episode in the Cold War.

'The authors are to be congratulated on a book which merits usage in the national curriculum.' - International Journal of Nautical Archaeology The raising of the Tudor warship Mary Rose in 1982 has made her one of the most famous ships in history, though there is a good deal more to her story than its terminal disaster. She served successfully in the Royal Navy for more than thirty years before sinking, for reasons still uncertain, during a battle off Portsmouth in 1545. There have been many books published about Mary Rose but this is the only one written largely by those who sailed with her. It is based around original documents, including all the known despatches written aboard Mary Rose by the commanding admirals. Extracts from accounts and other papers illustrate the building, equipping and provisioning of the ship. Although this is primarily a view from the quarter-deck, there are occasional glimpses of life below. The collection concludes with reports of the sinking, and of the first attempts to salvage the ship and her ordnance. The documents are presented in modern spelling and are set in context through linking narratives. Technical terms are explained, and the principal characters introduced. The texts are supplemented by contemporary images, and by photographs of the preserved ship and recovered objects. A new range of illustrations has been added to this edition, published forty years on from the raising of the hull.

This book covers the use and design of the German 8-wheeled reconnaissance vehicles during WWII.

This collection of essays offers a fresh look at the 1970s, the crucial decade when the nuclear non-proliferation regime took shape. Exploring a broad array of newly declassified archival sources from different countries across the globe, and moving freely across methodological and national barriers, historians from Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa discuss the making of the global nuclear order from truly international and transnational perspectives. The result is a fascinating and innovative volume which will remain an essential reference for historians of the nuclear age, of the cold war, and more generally of the evolution of the international system in the second half of the twentieth century. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of The International History Review.

In late 1941, war was looming with Japan, and Britain's empire in southeast Asia was at risk. The British government decided to send Force Z, which included the state-of-the-art battleship Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser Repulse, to bolster the naval defences of Singapore, and provide a mighty naval deterrent to Japanese aggression. These two powerful ships arrived in Singapore on 2 December - five days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. But crucially, they lacked air cover. On 9 December Japanese scout planes detected Force Z's approach in the Gulf of Thailand. Unlike at Pearl Harbor, battleships at sea could manoeuvre, and their anti-aircraft defences were ready. But it did no good. The Japanese dive-bombers and torpedo-bombers were the most advanced in the world, and the battle was one-sided. Strategically, the loss of Force Z was a colossal disaster for the British, and one that effectively marked the end of its empire in the East. But even more importantly, the sinking marked the last time that battleships were considered to be the masters of the ocean. From that day on, air power rather than big guns would be the deciding factor in naval warfare.

The ShipCraft' series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject, highlighting differences between ships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the subjects, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic gallery of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references - books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites. This volume covers the many variations of Royal Navy wartime escort destroyers, both the purpose-built Hunt' class and the conversions from older fleet destroyers. The Hunts' were built in four groups (Types I to IV), while the old V&W' classes were modified to Long Range Escort, Short Range Escort and Wair' (anti-aircraft) variants. Also included are the fifty ex-US flush-deckers' that became the Town' class. With its unparalleled level of visual information - paint schemes, models, line drawings and photographs - this book is simply the best reference for any modelmaker setting out to build any of these numerous escort types.

The British Airship Carrier HMS Furious is one of the most unusual units of the Second World War. The ship was designed during the previous conflict as a „great light cruiser� with 457mm guns, but far-reaching changes were made during construction. Furious entered service in June 1917 as aircraft cruiser with a large aircraft deck in the bow and a single turret with a gun of the mentioned caliber in the stern. Thus, Furious made history as one of the precursors of British on-board aviation, becoming a floating platform for various types of trials and tests with airplanes. It quickly turned out that aircraft deck took up the entire bow part and is insufficient to meet the needs of the day-to-day expanding on-board aviation. Therefore, after carrying out only a few patrols on the waters of the North Sea, the ship was returned to the shipyard in the same year, where it underwent further reconstruction. This time, the aft tower and mast were removed and in their place was built another hangar with an aircraft deck, which was connected to the bow with special platforms running on the sides of the preserved superstructures. Since then, Furious was already a powerful aircraft, unfortunately not very successful considering the superstructure with a chimney that occupies the entire amidships, which apart from obviously taking up space, caused air turbulences induced by the huge dimensions and warm exhaust gases coming from the chimney. However, this did not prevent Furious from becoming the hero of the historical event, which was on-board aviation first strike on land targets, which took place on July 19, 1918. The target of the attack was the German Zeppelin base in Tondern, and it was carried out using Sopwith Camel planes taking off from the deck of Furious.

An authoritative 100-year overview of the fascinating history of the cargo/troop-carrying trucks, wreckers, tankers, ambulances, communications vehicles and other specialized types that provide technical support to the front-line troops. The author begins by describing the history of the wheeled military vehicle. Key issues are covered in detail, with topics such as the emergence of standardized designs, missile transporters and amphibious vehicles, as well as the impact and aftermath of the two world wars. A country-by-country A-Z directory then covers over 185 specific vehicles in detail. The origins and development of each vehicle are clearly described, and a specification panel gives key performance and dimensional data. * The story of the development and production of the military vehicle, from the first basic trucks, through the advances made in the inter-war years, to the specialized vehicles in World War II and beyond * An illustrated A-Z catalogue of more than 185 vehicles, including famous makes such as Austin, Land Rover and Scammell from the UK; Willys, Dodge, and GMC from the USA; GAZ and ZiL from the Soviet Union; and manufacturers from around the world, including NEKAF, Tatra, Raba, Timoney, Beijing Jeep, Mitsubishi and DAF * Specification panels detail the country of origin, type, manufacturer, production dates, powerplant, transmission, suspension, brakes, electrical system, dimensions, weight and performance of each vehicle * Over 530 photographs illustrate each type, including commissioned work and many rare and unseen photographs

This book explores the fascinating feats of RAF’s photographic reconnaissance aircraft. During World War 2, photographic reconnaissance in the RAF started gathering intelligence on the enemy using cameras installed in PR Spitfires. The aircraft that proved this concept was the Supermarine Spitfire, which, stripped of all excess weight, and carrying cameras and additional fuel, penetrated deep into enemy territory to bring back photographs that specialist interpreters could scrutinise to determine the enemy’s activities. This fascinating book examines the evolution of the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (PRU), from a small clandestine flight of the British Secret Intelligence Service into an operational group fulfilling the photographic requirements of clients including the RAF and the War Office. From various bases in Britain, the uniquely camouflaged blue (and, occasionally, pink) Spitfires of the PRU covered targets in occupied Europe from the Norwegian fjords to the great German industrial centres. Their superior performance made an immediate impact in North Africa and Malta as the PR Spitfires kept watch on German and Italian forces. Further afield, in India, Spitfires flew over the jungles of Burma monitoring Japanese troops. Using specially commissioned aircraft profile artwork, first-hand accounts and original photography, aviation expert Andrew Fletcher explores the fundamental role of the iconic PR Spitfire throughout the war and its various theatres.

IN THE NEWSDon McCauley's audio interview with Kenneth FordThe Authors Show, 11 August 2016Mt. Airy scientist one of those who built the H-BombChestnut Hill Local, 19 February 2016Building the H-Bomb: The Big IdeaAPS News, June 2015 (Volume 24, Number 6)Behind the Making of a Super BombThe Washington Post, 22 May 2015Hydrogen Bomb Physicist's Book Runs Afoul of Energy DepartmentThe New York Times, 23 March 2015

Rome's rise to empire is often said to have owed much to the efficiency and military skill of her armies and their technological superiority over barbarian enemies. But just how 'advanced' was Roman military equipment? What were its origins and how did it evolve? The authors of this book have gathered a wealth of evidence from all over the Roman Empire - excavated examples as well as pictorial and documentary sources - to present a picture of what range of equipment would be available at any given time, what it would look like and how it would function. They examine how certain pieces were adopted from Rome's enemies and adapted to particular conditions of warfare prevailing in different parts of the Empire. They also investigate in detail the technology of military equipment and the means by which it was produced, and discuss wider questions such as the status of the soldier in Roman society. Both the specially prepared illustrations and the text have been completely revised for the second edition of this detailed and authoritative handbook, bringing it up to date with the very latest research. It illustrates each element in the equipment of the Roman soldier, from his helmet to his boots, his insignia, his tools and his weapons. This book will appeal to archaeologists, ancient and military historians as well as the generally informed and inquisitive reader.

This is the second volume covering the use and variants of the King Tiger, in both photographs and text.

From their first introduction at the Battle of the Somme in the First World War, tanks proved to be one of the most important military developments in the history of warfare. Such was their influence on the battlefield, both as infantry support and as an armoured spearhead, their presence could determine the outcome of any battle. Another significant development during the 1930s was that of airborne forces, with a number of countries experimenting with air-dropped troops. Such a concept offered the possibility of inserting soldiers behind the front lines to sow fear and confusion in the enemy's rear. However, such troops, parachuting from aircraft, could only be lightly armed, thus limiting their effectiveness. It is understandable, therefore, that much thought was given to the practicalities of air-lifting tanks that could be dropped, or deposited, alongside paratroopers. Tanks, though, are heavy, cumbersome vehicles and before there could be any thought of carrying them by air, much lighter models would have to be produced. Charles Roberts' fascinating book opens with an investigation into the efforts in the 1930s by Britain, the Soviet Union and the USA into the development of, or adaptation of, light tanks for airborne operations. It was, inevitably, the start of the Second World War which accelerated efforts to produce an airborne tank and the means of delivery. The use of conventional powered aircraft to carry the tanks, limited their use to existing airfields which negated their employment with airborne troops landing in the open countryside. Another method of delivery had to be found, and this took the form of the glider, which could be landed in a field behind enemy lines. The combination of light tank and glider made the aim of airborne forces being supported by armour a realistic proposition - and as a result, the 28th Airborne Tank Battalion was born. This detailed and comprehensive study deals with every aspect of design and deployment of American airborne tanks from the earliest concepts to their actual use, by British units, on D-Day and during Operation Varsity, the Rhine crossing.