Learn the story of one of World War II's most masterfully executed raids. On the southwest shore of Laguna de Bay, near a village of the same name, stood the Los Banos Internment Camp. Held within were over 2,000 starving men, women, and children, guarded by 250 Japanese soldiers, and surrounded by several thousand more in the nearby countryside.
As the desparate battle for Manila raged, it was feared that the prisoners would be executed or moved beyond the reach of the liberating armies. Only 130 Paratroopers could be spared for the rescue operation and this stunning triumph of...
Learn the story of one of World War II's most masterfully executed raids. On the southwest shore of Laguna de Bay, near a village of the same name,...
Osprey's new Weapon series provides a highly-detailed yet affordable overview of the development, use, and impact of small arms throughout history-from the sword to the machine gun.
In this volume, Gordon Rottman examines this history of the longest serving weapon in the U.S. military's small arms inventory. Thoroughly researched and illustrated with rare photographs and original artwork by Johnny Shumate, the book takes readers from the origins of the "fifty" on the battlefields of World War I (1914-1918) to its use in the war on terror today. Rottman provides lists of the...
Osprey's new Weapon series provides a highly-detailed yet affordable overview of the development, use, and impact of small arms throughout history-...
Osprey's elite title dealing with various sabotage devices and booby traps that were used by the British and the Americans during World War II (1939-1945). Following Churchill's directive to set occupied Europe ablaze, the SOE and later its American sister organization, the OSS, were deployed across the continent. Outnumbered, surrounded and in great peril, these brave agents were armed with a wide variety of devices to help them achieve their objectives, including numerous pieces of sabotage equipment and cunning booby traps.
This book examines these different pieces of equipment...
Osprey's elite title dealing with various sabotage devices and booby traps that were used by the British and the Americans during World War II (193...
The Kalashnikov AK-47 is the most ubiquitous assault rifle in the world, with more AK-47s and its variants in use than any other individual small arm. Created by Senior Sergeant Mikhail Kalashnikov, and first adopted by the USSR soon after World War II (1939-1945), its production continues to this day, with an estimated 75 million produced worldwide. It is the longest serving post-World War II military weapon and its ease of use, durability and low production costs ensure that its use will continue for generations to come.
This book takes a look at the complete history of the...
The Kalashnikov AK-47 is the most ubiquitous assault rifle in the world, with more AK-47s and its variants in use than any other individual small a...
The M16 was first introduced in 1958 and was revolutionary for its time as it was made of lightweight materials including special aluminium and plastics, which had previously not been used in mainstream weapons. It was first adopted by US Special Forces and airborne troops in 1962 before it was issued to Army and Marine units serving in the Vietnam War (1955-1975). Its use spread throughout the following decades and a number of variants including submachine and carbine versions were also fielded. It was not only the rifle itself that proved revolutionary. The 5.56x45mm cartridge was also...
The M16 was first introduced in 1958 and was revolutionary for its time as it was made of lightweight materials including special aluminium and plasti...
While the most conspicuous components of the US Army Air Forces in World War II (1939-1945) were the air units, there were also hundreds of ground units and organisations. Besides assigned military personnel the AAF also employed thousands of civilians. Many unique outfits were designed to meet the AAF's special needs. Uniformed civilians also possessed a variety of unique uniforms and insignia. These general issue and specific uniforms are the subject of this volume by one of Osprey's most experienced authors, Gordon L. Rottman, whose detailed text is backed by plenty of contemporary...
While the most conspicuous components of the US Army Air Forces in World War II (1939-1945) were the air units, there were also hundreds of ground uni...
Browning .30-caliber machine guns saw US Army, Navy, Marine, and Air Force service in World War I & II, Korea, and Vietnam, and are still occasionally found in use elsewhere even today. Produced in both water-cooled and air-cooled versions, it has been employed in every imaginable role for a machine gun - antipersonnel, antiaircraft, mounted on aircraft as both defensive and offensive armament, defensive armament aboard vehicles (armored and soft-skin), mounted on watercraft, and others.
The .30-caliber story began in World War I, as legendary US weapon-designer John M. Browning...
Browning .30-caliber machine guns saw US Army, Navy, Marine, and Air Force service in World War I & II, Korea, and Vietnam, and are still occasiona...
From North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, to Normandy and Holland, the Battle of the Bulge, into the heart of Nazi Germany, and also in jungle battles in the Pacific the parachute infantry regiments were among the most highly decorated US Army units of World War II, and between them they saw action right across the world. The elite nature of these units led to their being committed to action not only in the way that had been intended; their quality tempted commanders to keep them in the line longer than their light armament justified, and they were tested to the limit.
This engaging...
From North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, to Normandy and Holland, the Battle of the Bulge, into the heart of Nazi Germany, and also in jungle battles ...
From Eben Emael to Crete, Sicily, Market Garden, the Rhine, and Burma, glider-borne paratroopers brought extra firepower to bear using techniques that helicopter troops adapted for modern air cavalry techniques.
This book explains the development and organization of World War II glider troops, their mounts, and the air squadrons formed to tow them; the steep and costly learning-curve, as armies and air forces worked out the techniques needed to carry and deliver men and equipment safely to the chosen landing zones; and the tactics that such troops learned to employ once they arrived...
From Eben Emael to Crete, Sicily, Market Garden, the Rhine, and Burma, glider-borne paratroopers brought extra firepower to bear using techniques t...
After the Guadalcanal landings, Admiral Nimitz wanted to distract Japanese attention by launching an amphibious raid elswhere. Foreshadowing Bloody Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and countless other landings in the face of intense Japanese resistance, the Makin Raid taught the Marines a great deal.
Featuring specially commissioned full-color artwork and expert analysis, this gripping account of the fateful Makin Raid tells the whole story, from the plan's conception to its troubled execution and aftermath.
On August 17-18, 1942, 211 men of the US Marine Corps' 2nd Raider Battalion...
After the Guadalcanal landings, Admiral Nimitz wanted to distract Japanese attention by launching an amphibious raid elswhere. Foreshadowing Bloody...
