When tanks, the newly invented British weapon, were used for the first time in a mass attack on November 20 1917, they not only achieved one of the most remarkable successes of the First World War but set the pattern for the future of mechanized warfare. For the first time in three years of bloody trench warfare, epitomized by the slaughter at Passchendaele which was then reaching its climax, tanks brought about a breakthrough of the massive German defense system of the Hindenburg Line, fo...

Failure to exploit the potential of an original idea is a recurring phenomenon in our national history. Few failures, however, can have been so costly in human life as that of our military commanders early in 1916 to appreciate that the tank was a war winning weapon. The slaughter of the Somme, Passchendaele and Ypres salient had to be endured before accepted 'conventional' methods were abandoned and the tank given a chance. Bryan Cooper describes the early tank actions in vivid detail, wi...

"The story of the division from formation in Ireland in August 1914 to departure from Gallipoli for Macedonia in October 1915.This history covers the period from the raising of the division to its departure from Gallipoli for Macedonia in October 1915. It was the first divisional history to appear in print, and it is a matter for regret that its scope is so narrow a one. As a history its limitation is that it is based mainly on the author's memory (he served in the division with 5th...

One of the major lessons of World War II was the importance of coastal waters. It was not widely recognised beforehand just how vital the control of such waters would become, both in defending essential convoys as well as attacking those of the enemy, and in paving the way for amphibious landings.While land based aircraft could carry out offshore operations by day and destroyers and cruisers patrolled deeper waters, the ideal craft for use in coastal waters were motor boats armed with torp...

This WWII naval history chronicles the development of small fighting boats as well as the evolution of their tactics and coastal warfare operations.Small, fast and highly maneuverable, gunboats and motor torpedo boats were a vital part of naval combat through the Second World War. Every major naval power built their own versions: The Germans had Schnellboote, the Royal Navy had MTBs and MGBs, and the Americans had PT boats. With their daring night raids and close-ra...

This WWII naval history chronicles the development of small fighting boats as well as the evolution of their tactics and coastal warfare operations.Small, fast and highly maneuverable, gunboats and motor torpedo boats were a vital part of naval combat through the Second World War. Every major naval power built their own versions: The Germans had Schnellboote, the Royal Navy had MTBs and MGBs, and the Americans had PT boats. With their daring night raids and close-ra...

Bryan Cooper's "The Tenth (Irish) Division in Gallipoli" provides a meticulously detailed account of the Tenth (Irish) Division's role in the Gallipoli campaign during World War I. The narrative captures the division's formation, their harrowing journey to the Dardanelles, and the brutal combat they faced. Cooper's work highlights themes of bravery, camaraderie, and the futility of war. He paints a vivid picture of the challenges these soldiers faced, from logistical nightmares to fierce o...

"The hunting down and sinking of the magnificent German battle cruiser Scharnhorst was one of the epic actions of World War II . . . stirring" ( Work Boat).On December 25, 1943, the German battle cruiser Scharnhorst slipped out of Altenfjord in Norway to attack Arctic convoy JW55B which was carrying vital war supplies to the Soviet Union. But British naval intelligence knew of the Scharnhorst's mission before she sailed, and the ...

"A personal and vivid view of the Royal Air Force's (RAF) engagement of the Luftwaffe in World War II . . . Exciting, valuable, and good reading." — Library JournalThis is the autobiography of Group Captain Sir Hugh Dundas CBE, DSO, DFC, who was one of the most distinguished fighter pilots of World War II. He writes of his wartime experiences, and particularly of his period as Squadron Leader and Wing Commander and his involvement in the Battle of Britain.

"This is the book that puts the flesh on the bones of its reputation as one of the best aircraft of the Second World War." — Pennant MagazineThe flak started about four or five minutes before the target and immediately it was apparent that it was intense and extremely accurate. Oboe entailed the pilot flying dead straight and level for ten minutes on the attack run. Suddenly a tremendous flash lit up the sky about 50 yards ahea...

"Once you heard that pinging sound you knew they had got to you, then the depth charges came. Terrible, just terrible." Kurt Wehling, u-boat survivor The steel coffins was the name given to the U-boats of the Kriegsmarine by their own crews. Their fatalistic view of the war was certainly justified; it is estimated that seventy-five per cent of the 39,000 men who sailed in the U-boat fleet paid the ultimate price as the tide of war turned inexorably against Hitler's Germany. This is the ill...

This comprehensive overview of the Me.262 was compiled by Emmy Award winning historian Bob Carruthers. It draws heavily on post-war interviews with Luftwaffe pilots and staff officers to produce a fascinating insight into the Me.262 at the tactical and operational level.Also featured are rare English translations of contemporary interviews concerning the 262 with Adolf Galland and Hermann Goering, along side the views of test pilot Hans Fey and Flug Kapitan Wendel who flew the aircraft in ...