A highly illustrated look at the failed German and Finnish plan to capture Murmansk, and its consequences on the rest of World War II.After taking Narvik in 1940, the Germans then deployed further north and took up positions on the Finnish border by June 1941. As part of the larger Operation Silver Fox, Operation Platinum Fox was conducted by a force of German Gebirgsjager, commanded by General Eduard Dietl. Murmansk was critical as it was the onl...

Fully illustrated, this study assesses the importance of British and German infantry formations to the armies fighting in Operation Crusader during late 1941.During the Desert War (1940–43), both sides viewed armour as the decisive arm because the North African terrain did not hinder its manoeuvrability. Having defeated the Italians in 1940, the British believed their infantry did not need to co-operate with tanks, enemy tanks did not need to be targeted o...

Britain's budding airborne forces saw their first prolonged combat in the battles for North Africa and Sicily in 1942–43, while their German counterparts - reinforced and expanded since their costly victory in Crete - proved their value as veteran 'fire fighters', able to counter emergencies.The airborne forces of Britain and Germany were among their best troops of World War II and when they met in battle the result was a brutal trial of strength. British paratroop...

Britain's budding airborne forces saw their first prolonged combat in the battles for North Africa and Sicily in 1942–43, while their German counterparts - reinforced and expanded since their costly victory in Crete - proved their value as veteran 'fire fighters', able to counter emergencies.The airborne forces of Britain and Germany were among their best troops of World War II and when they met in battle the result was a brutal trial of strength. British paratroop...

Fully illustrated, this absorbing study assesses the Commonwealth and Italian infantrymen pitted against one another during the First and Second battles of El Alamein in 1942.By July 1942, the Allied troops fighting in North Africa, the multinational Eighth Army, had withdrawn to the El Alamein line, the last position stopping their German and Italian opponents from reaching the Suez Canal. Featuring full-colour artwork, carefully chosen archive photographs and inc...

This illustrated study assesses the British Crusader and the Italian M13/40, two medium tanks that played crucial roles in World War II's Desert War.Making its combat debut in North Africa during December 1940, Italy's M13/40 medium tank was armed with a 47mm main gun. Its British opposite number, the Crusader I, was armed with a 2-pdr (40mm) main gun; it entered the fighting in June 1941. While the M13/40 could fire armour-piercing rounds but also high-explosive a...

In early 1940, a battle raged to control the ice-free, iron-ore port in northern Norway – with changing fortunes until the very end.This highly detailed book covers both the naval battles and the individual Norwegian, British, Polish, French and German units that fought the land campaign over northern Norway. Highly detailed maps guide you step by step through the events. Few other books on Narvik give you as much detail on the forces of the fighting five. From Geb...

Drawing upon Soviet sources, this book assesses the evolving organization, uniforms, insignia, weaponry and personal equipment of Soviet naval infantry units from 1917 to 1991.Featuring eight plates of specially commissioned artwork alongside carefully chosen archive photographs, this study charts the history and appearance of the Soviet Union's naval infantry, from the October Revolution to the end of the Soviet era.Although Russian naval infantry achieved...

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 d...

Ever since the 15th century Switzerland had been exporting professional soldiers to serve as mercenaries for foreign monarchies.Napoleon, therefore, was not the first to make full use of the martial qualities of the Swiss and obtained Swiss agreement to expand the recruitment of regiments for service in the French Army. Napoleon would use Swiss troops on the battlefields of Italy and Spain, and in 1812 re-organize the four original regiments into a single division ...

Few weapons developed a more deadly reputation than the German '88' in the role of anti-tank gun, its long reach and lethal hitting power making it a significant problem for every type of British and later American armour.Despite its individual potency, it was almost always utilized as part of a comprehensive system of defences that relied on a mix of weapons carefully deployed in anticipation of the enemy's likely avenue and method of attack. Used in this way, the...

This fully illustrated study casts new light on the prolonged duel between the submarines of the Royal Navy and their chief opponents, Italy's torpedo boats.As the war in North Africa escalated, Axis war efforts became increasingly dependent on supply lines across the Mediterranean. To try to cut off these lines of supply the British deployed submarines from the besieged island of Malta with the directive to sink as much merchant convoy tonnage as possible. Italy r...