Osprey's study of gas warfare tactics that were employed during World War I (1914-1918). Battlefield Gas was first employed in April 1915 at the village of Langemarck near Ypres. At 1700 hours the Germans released a five mile-wide cloud of 168 tons of chlorine gas from 520 cylinders, causing panic and death in the French and Algerian trenches. Despite initial widespread condemnation and disgust, its use rapidly spread with all the armies entering into the race to produce gases, new ways to use them, and protective measures including masks and warning systems.
For the first time in...
Osprey's study of gas warfare tactics that were employed during World War I (1914-1918). Battlefield Gas was first employed in April 1915 at the vi...
The book clearly explains and illustrates the mechanics of how Roman commanders - at every level - drew up and committed their different types of troops for open-field battles. It includes the alternative formations used to handle different tactical problems and different types of terrain; the possibilities of ordering and controlling different deployments once battle was joined; and how all this was based on the particular strengths of the Roman soldier. Covering the period of "classic" legionary warfare from the late Republic to the late Western Empire, Ross Cowan uses case studies of...
The book clearly explains and illustrates the mechanics of how Roman commanders - at every level - drew up and committed their different types of troo...
Osprey's examination of Germany's home front situation during World War II (1939-1945). At the outbreak of war in 1939 Germany was committed to the concept of Blitzkrieg - a swift and decisive war. Yet, the reality became something very different as every corner of German society was hit by the realities of war.
This book details the critical civilian support that was necessary to maintain Nazi control of the civilian population and includes first-hand accounts of the experiences of civilians who suffered at the hands of their own government as well as enduring the deprivations and...
Osprey's examination of Germany's home front situation during World War II (1939-1945). At the outbreak of war in 1939 Germany was committed to the...
Osprey's examination of assault tactics used by the infantry during World War II (1939-1945). Just about every war movie - famously, Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers - includes dramatic scenes of soldiers trying to attack an enemy pillbox or trench. Continuing the series explaining World War II tactics, Gordon L Rottman (who became expert in these tactics during the Vietnam War) explains and illustrates the kit and techniques used in assaulting fortifications. He covers the differences in US, British, German, Soviet and Japanese approaches and experiences, concentrating on small units...
Osprey's examination of assault tactics used by the infantry during World War II (1939-1945). Just about every war movie - famously, Saving Private Ry...
Osprey's examination of the situation on the United States home front during World War II (1939-1945). The outbreak of World War II in Europe in 1939 led to cautious attempts to raise volunteer organizations among American men and women, to back the armed forces in the event of the USA becoming directly involved in the conflict. The attack on Pearl Harbor caused a huge surge of patriotic response, and voluntary enlistment in a wide range of auxiliary and civilian support services, as well as the armed forces, swelled vastly. Looking first at the background and general character of wartime...
Osprey's examination of the situation on the United States home front during World War II (1939-1945). The outbreak of World War II in Europe in 1939 ...
Osprey's examination of French infantry tactics during the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). For over 20 years France was the dominating, controlling and conquering power of the western world, a result not only of Napoleon's inspired leadership, but of the efforts of almost an entire generation of Frenchmen under arms. The French Revolution heralded both social change and a seismic shift in how armies were organized, trained and deployed.
This book provides an analysis of the preparation of French troops from manual regulations to the training ground, studying the changing quality of...
Osprey's examination of French infantry tactics during the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). For over 20 years France was the dominating, controlling an...
Osprey's study of desert tactics employed in North Africa during World War II (1939-1945). In 1940-43 North Africa saw the first major desert campaign by modern mechanized armies. The British, Italians, German Afrika Korps and US Army all addressed and learned from the special problems - human, logistical, mechanical and tactical - of the desert environment, most significantly a terrain empty of resources and offering little chance of concealment. Paddy Griffith traces the fast-learning development of armor, artillery and infantry tactics in this exceptional situation and illustrates it using...
Osprey's study of desert tactics employed in North Africa during World War II (1939-1945). In 1940-43 North Africa saw the first major desert campaign...
Osprey's study of British troops prior to and during the Anglo-Zulu War (1879). On 4 March, 1878 at King William's Town, British Kaffraria, Gen. Sir Arthur Cunnynghame handed over supreme command of the British forces in southern Africa to his successor, Lt. Gen. Sir Frederic Thesiger. The High Commissioner, Sir Henry Bartle Frere, was convinced that one solution to the complex problems which beset the region was to overthrow the last powerful independent black kingdom bordering British possessions the Zulu kingdom of King Cetshwayo KaMapande. However Cetshwayo had remained on the political...
Osprey's study of British troops prior to and during the Anglo-Zulu War (1879). On 4 March, 1878 at King William's Town, British Kaffraria, Gen. Sir A...
Osprey's study of the German Afrikakorps of World War II (1939-1945). The campaign in North Africa between September 1940 and May 1943 holds not only an enduring fascination for postwar generations; but also a perhaps unique degree of nostalgia for some surviving participants. The campaign was no less costly in terms of human lives and material than many others; but regret at the cost is accompanied by positive memories in the minds of many veterans. This is not to suggest that the dead have been forgotten; but an almost mystical bond nevertheless exists, even between former enemies, amongst...
Osprey's study of the German Afrikakorps of World War II (1939-1945). The campaign in North Africa between September 1940 and May 1943 holds not only ...
War played a central part in the history of Japan. Warring clans controlled much of the country. The wars were usually about land, the struggle for control of which eventually gave rise to perhaps the most formidable warriors of all time: the Samurai. Ancient Yayoi warriors developed weapons, armour and a code during the ensuing centuries that became the centrepiece for the Japanese Samurai. Anthony Bryant chronicles the history, arms and armour of these truly elite warriors, from the rise of the Yayoi through the Genpei War (1180 1185) between the Minamoto and Taira clans, to the Mongol...
War played a central part in the history of Japan. Warring clans controlled much of the country. The wars were usually about land, the struggle for co...