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While much has been written about the Battle of Britain, the air
war over France and the Low Countries from September 1939 to June
1940 has been largely neglected - until now. As expert aviation
author Jerry Murland reveals in this fascinating book, there may
have been little ground action until May 1940 but the war in the
air was far from phoney'. In contrast to their adversaries, the
Allied air forces on the mainland of Europe were poorly equipped,
regardless of increased development from 1934 onwards. But in spite
of this, when the German invasion began, the Low Countries of
Holland and Belgium fought back tenaciously. While development of
the Spitfire, Blenheim and Wellington was continuing at a pace, the
RAF with only four squadrons of Hurricanes among a force of
outdated bi-planes, was a little more prepared than the French, but
still woefully outgunned by the Luftwaffe. While the Allied air
forces of Britain, France and the Low Countries may have been
inferior, the gallantry and tenacity of their pilots makes for
inspiring reading. This is a work that will enthral and inform all
those interested in the history of the Second World War,
particularly aviation enthusiasts.
When Jacques Schneider devised and inaugurated the Coupe d'Aviation
Maritime race for seaplanes in 1913, no-one could have predicted
the profound effect the Series would have on aircraft design and
aeronautical development, not to mention world history. Howard
Pixton's 1914 victory in a Sopwith Tabloid biplane surprisingly
surpassed the performance of monoplanes and other manufacturers
turned back to biplanes. During The Great War aerial combat was
almost entirely conducted by biplanes, with their low landing
speeds, rapid climb rates and manoeuvrability. Post-war the Races
resumed in 1920\. The American Curtiss racing aircraft set the
pattern for the 1920s, making way for Harold Mitchell's
Supermarines in the 1930's. Having won the 1927 race at Venice
Mitchell developed his ground-breaking aircraft into the iconic
Spitfire powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. This new
generation of British fighter aircraft were to play a decisive role
in defeating the Luftwaffe and thwarting the Nazis' invasion plans.
This is a fascinating account of the air race series that had a
huge influence on the development of flight.
Known in some accounts as the Battle of Wijtschaete, the
confrontation along the Ypres-Comines Canal in 1940 is still hardly
remembered in this country and, apart from the battle honours
displayed proudly on the colours of the regiments who took part -
many no longer in existence, very little has been written about the
four days which probably saved the British Expeditionary Force
(BEF) from almost complete destruction. This is quite surprising,
given the pivotal nature of the battle, for without the sacrifice
of the battalions on the canal there would probably have been no
evacuation from Dunkerque on the scale to which we have become
accustomed, and the war may well have taken on a different outcome.
Although there was fighting north of Ypres along the Canal Van
Ieper Naar De Ijzer, where 151 Brigade and the 3rd Division were
deployed, the actual Battle of the Ypres-Comines Canal took place
to the south, where the three divisions of General der Infantry
Viktor von Schwedler's IV Korps were pitted against three British
brigades along the disused canal which runs from Comines in the
south to Ypres in the north. The book looks in detail at the order
of battle of the British and German units engaged and focuses on
the four British brigades that fought on the canal. The mainly
territorial 143 Brigade was positioned in the south, 13 Brigade was
in the middle and 17 Brigade held the northern end of the line up
to Zillebeke Lake. Apart from the 12/Lancers and a few tanks from
3/RTR, Ypres itself was largely defended by 150 Brigade. Major
General Franklyn's instructions were to hold the line for as long
as possible to allow the remainder of the BEF to strengthen the
Dunkerque Perimeter. With over 150 contemporary and modern black
and white photographs, ten maps, and visits to eight CWGC
Cemeteries, the book enables the battlefield tourist to explore the
area and undertake three car tours together with two short walks.
Visitors will no doubt wish to combine a visit to the First World
War sites around Ypres with the fighting along the canal in 1940,
recognizing many places that were fought over in both wars
The story of 144 Brigade's defence of Wormhoudt and Bambecque must
rank in importance alongside the defence of Cassel and Hazebrouck
by 145 Brigade; however, what is often forgotten in the uncertainty
that surrounded Wormhoudt and Bambeque is the heroic defence of
West Cappel and Vwyfeg (les Cinq Chemins today) by the Welsh Guards
and the 1/Fife and Forfar Yeomanry (1/F&F Yeomanry). Brigadier
Norman's composite brigade was the final piece in the jigsaw of
defence on the western flank of the Dunkerque Corridor and, after
the last stand of the 2/Royal Warwicks and the 8/Worcesters,
Norman's Brigade, held the line south of Bergues, containing the
attacking German units at great cost, until the perimeter at
Dunkerque had been established. He and the remnants of his brigade
left Yvfweg just as the Germans were entering it from the south.
The full story of the evacuation of the BEF from Dunkerque can be
read in Battleground Europe: The Dunkerque Perimeter and Evacuation
1940. The defence of Wormhoudt in 1940 has long been associated
with the massacre of British servicemen after they had surrendered
and been taken prisoner. The events in the barn at La Plaine au
Bois will always be considered one of the most appalling acts of
the Second World War, carried out by elements of the Liebstandarte
Regiment, in what looked very much like revenge; a massacre that
was almost second nature to this group of fanatical followers of
Adolf Hitler. Up against the regular troops of the 2/Warwicks and
their supporting units, the Liebstandarte found no easy victory at
Wormhoudt in an encounter that saw their regimental commander,
Gruppenfuhrer Otto Sepp' Dietrich, having to take shelter in a
roadside ditch away from the fury of the Cheshire machine gunners.
Then again, what is often overshadowed by the events in the barn is
the series of other murders of civilians and British soldiers that
took place as the Liebstandarte overwhelmed the fragile defence of
the Warwicks. Captain Tony' Crook, the Warwicks' Medical Officer,
draws attention to just one of these incidents as he was marched
into captivity past the bodies of A Company men, who he felt sure
had been murdered in cold blood. Another incident involving the
Worcesters at Bambecque is related by Lieutenant Roger Cleverley of
C Company, who writes in his diary that all the wounded were shot
by a commander of the Liebstandarte. Apart from hearsay and diary
entries, there is little other evidence to support the deaths of
these men but, in the opinion of the author, there is no doubt
whatever that many British soldiers met a premature end after they
had surrendered in the fields and on the pavements of Wormhoudt and
Bambecque.
The 1917 Battle of Cambrai featured the first massed tank attack in
military history and provoked the biggest German counter-attack
against the British since 1914. The British aimed to break through
the German Hindenburg Line, then threaten the rear of the German
positions to the north. The battle is one of the most famous and
controversial episodes of the First World War, and the battlefield
is one of the most commonly visited on the Western Front. Jerry
Murland's clearly written, highly illustrated guide is the ideal
introduction to it. Visitors can trace for themselves the course of
the battle across the modern landscape and gain a fascinating
insight into the nature of the fighting - and the wider conflict
across the Western Front - throughout the war. Included are a
series of routes that can be walked, cycled or driven. Among the
key sites covered are Haverincourt, Flesqui res, M uveres,
Graincourt, Cantaign, Marcoing and Masni res, Bourlon, La Vacquerie
and Villers-Plouich, Gouzeaucourt and Gonnelieu. In each place
Jerry Murland describes the fighting that occurred there, recording
what happened, exactly where it happened and why, and he points out
the sights that remain for the visitor to see. His guidebook is
essential reading for visitors who wish to enhance their
understanding of the Battle of Cambrai and the war on the Western
Front.
The river Aisne featured prominently in August 1914 during the
Retreat from Mons and in September was the scene of bitter fighting
when the BEF re-crossed it in their unsuccessful attempt to
dislodge the German Army entrenched along the Northern Crest. The
fighting was hugely costly to the BEF which had already fought
three major engagements and marched over 200 miles in a month. The
three British Corps lost over 700 officers and some 15,000 men.
Little wonder one officer wrote that he felt he was in the company
of ghosts. Historian Jerry Murland places the Aisne battles in
their context, both from the BEF and German viewpoints. He
highlights the early deficiencies and unpreparedness of the British
Army staff and logistics organisation as well as friction among the
command structure, all of which hampered effective operations.
This is the first detailed account of the rearguard action that
took place between 25 and 29 May 1940 at Cassel and Hazebrouck on
the western perimeter of the Dunkirk Corridor. By 25 May the
decision to evacuate the BEF via Dunkirk had already been taken,
Lord Gort, commanding the BEF in France, had given instructions to
Lieutenant General Sir Ronald Adam to relinquish his command of III
Corps and prepare a perimeter of defence around Dunkirk. As part of
the western defensive line of the Dunkirk Corridor, 145 Brigade
were deployed to Cassel and Hazebrouck with the instructions to
hold the two towns until the last man. Under the command of
Brigadier Nigel Somerset, the brigade occupied Hazebrouck with the
infantry of 1st Buckinghamshire Battalion and Cassel with the 4/Ox
and Bucks Light infantry together with the regulars of the 2nd
Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment. Attached to Somerset s meagre
force was a number of units that had previously been part of two of
Gort s ad hoc formations - Macforce and Woodforce, and it was with
these men that the two towns were fortified against the advancing
German armoured divisions.?While Hazebrouck was overwhelmed very
quickly, the hilltop town of Cassel held out for much longer with
German forces failing to consolidate any penetration of the
perimeter. The book looks closely at the deployment of units in
both towns and focuses on the individuals involved in the defence
and the subsequent break-out, which ended in capture or death for
so many. There are two car tours that explore the surrounding area
of Cassel and the deployment of platoons within Hazebrouck. These
are supplemented by two walking tours, one in Cassel itself and the
second further to the west of the town around the area controlled
by B and D Companies of the 2nd Gloucesters. The book is
illustrated with ten maps and over 100 modern and contemporary
photographs.
On 10 May 1940 the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), under the
command of Lord Gort, moved forward from the Franco-Belgian border
and took up positions along a 20-mile sector off the River Dyle, to
await the arrival of the German Army Group B. Their expected stay
was considerably shorter than planned as the German Army Group A
pushed its way through the Ardennes and crossed the Meuse at Sedan,
scattering the French before them. Little did the men of the BEF
realise that the orders to retire would result in their evacuation
from Dunkirk and other channel ports. The line of the River Escaut
was seen as the last real opportunity for the Allied armies to halt
the advancing German Army, but the jigsaw of defence was tenuous
and the allied hold on the river was undone by the weight of
opposing German forces and the speed of the armoured 'Blitzkrieg'
thrust further south. As far as the BEF were concerned, the Battle
for the Escaut took place on a 30-mile sector from Oudenaarde to
Bleharies and involved units in a sometimes desperate defence,
during which two Victoria Crosses were awarded.This book takes the
battlefield tourist from Oudenaarde to Hollain in a series of tours
that retrace the footsteps of the BEF. With the help of local
historians, the author has pinpointed crucial actions and answered
some of the myriad questions associated with this important phase
of the France and Flanders campaign of 1940.
The book, the latest in a series of eight Battleground Europe books
that deals with the BEF's campaign in France and Flanders in 1940,
covers the fierce fighting around the Dunkerque Perimeter during
May and June 1940 between the retreating British Expeditionary
Force and its French allies and the advancing German army. It
covers the area that most people in Britain associate with the
fighting in France in 1940, a military disaster that could have
been much worse. This grievous military setback was soon
transformed into a morale boosting symbol of the resilience of the
British against a Germany that had crushed so many nations in a
matter of weeks. With over 200 black and white photographs and
fourteen maps, this book looks in some detail at the units deployed
around Dunkerque and Nieuport and their often desperate actions to
prevent the inevitable advance of German forces opposing them. The
evacuation of the BEF from the beaches east of Dunkerque is covered
in detail from the perspective of the Royal Navy and from the
standpoint of the soldier on the beaches. Unusual for a
Battleground Europe publication is the inclusion of a walk and
drive around Ramsgate and Dover, covering the English end of the
evacuation. In addition to visits to the relevant cemeteries, the
book includes three appendices and two car tours, one tour covering
the whole of the Dunkirk perimeter and the other covering Ramsgate
and Dover, although there is plenty of scope for walking in both
tours. There is also a walk around De Panne, which takes the
tourist along the beach that saw so much of the evacuation, and
into the back areas of the town where the Germans left their mark
when clearing up after the British had gone.
The network of canals stretching from the coast at Gravelines,
through St-Omer, B thune and La Bass e, follows the approximate
boundary between Artois and Flanders and was, in 1940, the
defensive line established on the western edge of the so-called
Dunkerque Corridor designed by Lord Gort to provide an evacuation
route to the channel coast. Even before events on the line of the
Escaut line had concluded with yet another Allied withdrawal, Lord
Gort was diverting units to bolster the Canal Line defenses This is
probably the first occasion that the fighting along the Canal Line
has been looked at in detail; overlooked by the inevitable
withdrawal towards the channel coast, the units deployed along the
canal faced some of the stiffest fighting in the whole 1940 France
and Flanders campaign. Whole battalions, particularly those in the
2nd Division, were sacrificed as units were thrown into the battle
in an attempt to slow down the German advance. The book looks in
some detail at the ad hoc nature of the Usherforce and Polforce
units, the units of the independent 25 Brigade and the vicious
fighting that enveloped the 2nd Division. Time is given also to the
notorious massacre of the Royal Norfolks at Louis Creton's farm
near Le Paradis. Material concerning the deployment of units along
the Canal Line in 1940 has been found in a variety of sources,
including regimental histories and unit war diaries. The author has
been fortunate in being able to access a number of personal diaries
and accounts from men serving with the independent 25 Brigade and
the 2nd Division, which has, in some cases, added to and enhanced
the actions taken by those units while deployed on the canal. The
book is illustrated by over a hundred contemporary and modern
photographs and by five car tours and three walks, all of which
give the tourist a greater access to the battlefield.
There is no other city in France that has the same associations in
time of conflict that the British have with Arras. Since the
campaigns of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, in the early
18th century, British soldiers have fought in and around Arras,
occasionally as an enemy but, more often, as defenders of French
and Allied democracy. Battlefield visitors to the area will
immediately recognize the names of towns and villages that were as
significant to the men of Marlborough s army as they were to those
who fought in the First and Second World Wars. This book serves
both as guide to the Second World War battlefields that surround
the city and its environs as well as detailing the actions of the
British armoured attack of 21 May 1940\. The book looks at the
strategic situation that led up to the famous Arras counter-stroke
and, using material that has not been published before, examines
the British and German actions between 20 and 23 May. The only
Victoria Cross action that took place during this time is looked at
in detail; as is the fighting that took place in Arras and during
the breakout. Despite its shortcomings, the counter-stroke achieved
the essential element of surprise and caused widespread alarm
amongst the German command and hit Rommel s 7th Panzer Division at
precisely the moment when his armoured units were ahead of the
infantry and gunners. The British infantry fought well and both the
Durham battalions were fortunate that their commanding officers and
senior NCOs were men who had already fought in one conflict and
possessed the determination to rally their less experienced junior
ranks and fight on regardless. Such was the case with the two tank
battalions, although sadly they lost both their commanding officers
and over half the tanks that went into the engagement. The attack
did enable the British to tighten their hold on Arras albeit
temporarily and, as is often cited, built doubts in the minds of
German High Command as to the speed of their advance and
contributed to the subsequent Hitler halt order of 24-27 May. The
author has gone to some lengths to track down accounts from those
individuals who served in the area during May 1940 and fought the
enveloping tide of the German advance The book is supported by
three car tours, one of which takes the visitor along the tragic
path taken by the Tyneside Scottish on 20 May and two walking
routes, which concentrate on Arras. 137 black and white photographs
(integrated) and a number of maps derived from regimental
histories; and six tour maps provide the battlefield visitor with
illustrations of the battlefields as they were in 1940 and as they
are today.
The battles fought by the British army in 1915, in the second year
of the First World War, are less well known than those fought
immediately after the outbreak of war in 1914 and those that
followed in 1916 which culminated in the Battle of the Somme. But
the fighting at Aubers Ridge, Festubert, Neuve Chapelle and Loos
was just as severe - as was the 1916 battle at Fromelles - and the
battlefields are just as interesting to explore today. This volume
in the Battle Lines series is the perfect guide to them. Expert
guides Jon Cooksey and Jerry Murland take visitors over a series of
routes that can be walked, biked or driven, explaining the fighting
that occurred at each place in vivid detail. They describe what
happened, where it happened and why and who was involved, and point
out the sights that remain for the visitor to see. Their highly
illustrated guidebook is essential reading for visitors who wish to
enhance their understanding of warfare on the Western Front.
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