Military

Combat History of Sturmpanzer-Abteilung 217 tells the story of the only Sturmpanzer IV equipped unit to see action on the western front. Formed in May 1944, Stu.Pz.Abt.217 fought in Normandy, Belgium, Aachen and the Ardennes Offensive before finally perishing in Ruhr pocket in April 1945. Researched over more than twenty years using hundreds of German and American records; authors Timm Haasler and Simon Vosters have meticulously retraced the steps of the battalion to offer the reader the most co...

The story of the B-29 Superfortress developed by the US. This book chronicles its design, development and combat history.

The story of an iconic model in the long history of Harley Davidson. Developed for the US Army's mechanical cavalry, it was used by the US and Alied forces in WWII. Known as the Liberator this is the story of this iconic motorcycle.

Contains a plethora of colour photos. Content covers history, walkaround, interior-detail, engine detail and chassis detail.

During the Second World War, how were the multitude of items required by the soldiers in the front line selected, ordered and delivered, and how were they produced? In this the second volume in her detailed, scholarly study of the army's logistical system, Janet Macdonald describes the necessity for central advanced planning for each expeditionary force as well as those engaged in home defence, and the complex organization of personnel who performed these tasks, from the government and military ...

Part 2 – Technology and Driver Training Vehicle Leopard 2 The Leopard 2 main battle tank can easily be regarded as a child of the depths of the Cold War. When the Leopard 2 was first fielded in 1979, it already was by far the best MBT in the world as it not only stood out from other tanks in all important parameters such as protection, mobility and armament, but also in secondary aspects like ergonomics, maintenance friendliness and reliability. Besides its high performance, its growth potentia...

Part 1 – Development and Active Service The Leopard 2 main battle tank can easily be regarded as a child of the depths of the Cold War. When the Leopard 2 was first fielded in 1979, it already was by far the best MBT in the world as it not only stood out from other tanks in all important parameters such as protection, mobility and armament, but also in secondary aspects like ergonomics, maintenance friendliness and reliability. Besides its high performance, its growth potential, adaptability an...

The FV4201 Chieftain was the first purposely designed main battle tank (MBT) of the British Army, and the main weapon system of the Royal Armoured Corps for most of the Cold War era. When it entered service in the 1960s it replaced the medium and heavy gun tanks in service with the British Army at that time, namely the FV4007 Centurion and FV214 Conqueror. The Chieftain was designed to dominate the battlefields of Western Europe if the Cold War ever turned hot, plus it was engineered to be super...

In January 1985, the US Army conducted a cold-weather, multinational field training exercise (FTX) in West Germany – Central Guardian. This was part of the strategic mobility exercise REturn of FORces to GERmany 85 (REFORGER 85). The aim of REFORGER 85 and Central Guardian was to rehearse the capacity of US Army forces to reinforce Europe and to fight in adverse weather conditions. These operations were to be carried out in operational circumstances simulating wartime conditions as much as possi...

The Hummel ("bumblebee") and Nashorn ("rhinoceros") are two of Nazi Germany's most widely recognized self-propelled artillery pieces. The Hummel, with its heavy field howitzer, was indispensable as heavy field artillery despite its open-top fighting compartment. The Nashorn, also known as the Hornisse ("hornet"), utilized the same chassis but mounted the formidable 88 mm antitank gun, becoming one of the most feared pieces of antitank artillery, or Panzerjäger ("tank hunter"). This book chronicl...

At the Forward Edge of Battle is the first ever illustrated history of the Pakistan Armoured Corps. The Pakistan Armoured Corps is based on a unique blend of values and traditions inherited from its predecessors, and those of the post-Independence national army. The origins of this force can be traced back to the time when the cavalry units of the British India Army were mechanized, in the late 1930s. They were worked up and then deployed extensively during the Second World War, and further mou...

In the broad history of the Cold War, the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale was the climax of a far-off, but nonetheless important African war. It was waged between the apartheid South African Defence Force (SADF) and the armed forces of the communist MPLA government in Angola and the People's Republic of Cuba. Led by Soviet generals, the MPLA embarked on a grand offensive in order to knock out the pro-Western rebel movement UNITA in southeastern Angola. As UNITA's survival was crucial to South Africa's...