Britain’s armaments industry shaped wartime resilience through organized production, workforce shifts, and strategic adaptations.This is the history of Britain’s armaments industry during the Second World War.It begins with the rearmament before the war and shows how a shadow industry was prepared, in response to German aggression. See how industry was organised and programmed, before learning how armaments were researched, designed and developed. The narra...

"Brings together in one work the full story of the Somme campaign from beginning to end . . . An absolute must-have title. 10/10" — The Great War MagazineThe five and a half month long Somme campaign in the summer and autumn of 1916 was a defining moment in the history of the British Army. From the disastrous opening day on 1 July to the final attacks in November, each large battle and minor action is given equal treatment inside these pag...

The camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau were an important part of the Nazis' final solution to the Jewish question. Over one million people were murdered in its gas chambers and tens of thousands of prisoners were worked to death in the nearby sub-camps. Others were held in the quarantine area before they were deported to work in the Third Reich.This is the story of the development of Auschwitz from a Polish prison camp into a concentration camp, and a thorough account of the building of Birkenau ...

Describes the fierce campaign, codenamed INFATUATE, mounted in November 1944 to clear the way through to the port of Antwerp. The book describes the extraordinary courage of the Germans who fought to the bitter end.

This is the story the British Expeditionary Forces part in the final days of the Advance to Victory. It starts with the massive offensive against the Hindenburg Line at the end of September 1918. Second Army launched the first of the British attacks in Flanders on the 28th, followed by Fourth Army the next day along the St Quentin Canal.Both First and Third Armies joined in, breaking the Hindenburg Line across the Lys plain and the Artois region, taking Cambrai by 10 October. The narrative...

In September 1915 Kitcherner's men were in action for the first time in the largest offensive of the year. Using gas, British troops managed to open a three mile gap in the German line. However, misuse of the reserves allowed the chance of success to pass by. In the following struggle for Hohenzollern Redboubt, the British were defeated time after time by superior weapons and tactics. For the first time visitors will be able to explore this key battle, a battle that cost the BEF over 50,00...

Following the landings in Normandy, one of the Allies main concerns was how to supply the expanding beachhead. Having cut off the Cotentin peninsula, General Bradley turned his attentions to the port of Cherbourg, the deep-water port nearest to the American landing beaches. However, Hitler had given specific orders that the port must be held until the last man. For over two weeks three divisions battled for the ring of forts surrounding the town and only after heavy casualties was the port...

A detailed account of "the last great set piece operation carried out by the western Allies during the Second World War . . . surprisingly comprehensive."— Pegasus ArchiveBy Spring 1945, with the Russians closing fast on Berlin from the East, the US and British Armies of Patton and Montgomery were faced with one major hurdle, the Rhine. Heavily defended by the Nazis, this obstacle would only be crossed by a massive operation requiring meticulous planning a...

In Spring 1945 one final hurdle faced the American and British Armies under Ike's supreme command - the Rhine. This mighty river was literally the last ditch for the defence of Hitler's Germany. Crossing it would be a major military undertaking. The race was on to find intact crossings that could save many lives and precious time.Famously the American forces in a daring coup-de-main operation seized the Bridge at Reagen which due to German blunder and oversight remained intact.This is the ...

The Battle of Loos formed part of a wider offensive conducted by both French and British Forces in September 1915. The British First Army, under the leadership of General Haig, were to break through the German line at Loos thanks in part to their superior numbers, while other operations were to achieve a similar result in Champagne and at Vimy Ridge. Due to lack of artillery the Loos attack was planned to be preceded by a massive gas attack. Chlorine gas would hopefully entirely overcome t...

A new battlefield guide to the Peninsular War is long overdue. Modern development in Spain and Portugal has encroached on many of the battlefields, new research has questioned established interpretations of events, and there is a broader appreciation of the parts played by all the armies involved - the French on one side and the Spanish, Portuguese and British on the other. Andrew Rawson, in this highly illustrated and practical guide, offers a wide-ranging, up-to-date and balanced account...

This is the history of Britain’s munitions industry in the First World War. It begins with the shortages caused by an expanding army required to fight in trenches, then shows how the country was organised, with the expansion of private companies and the introduction of state owned factories. It also explains how new laws regulated industry.The narrative describes how production was initially estimated, until experience illustrated how the armed services’ demands could be met. It al...