Featuring specially commissioned artwork and drawing upon an array of sources, this study investigates the origins, doctrine, training, and armament of the Chinese and Japanese forces who fought in the opening stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War. In order to fight the japanese Chiang Kai-shek, the nominal leader of Nationalist China, was compelled to do deals with these regional powers.
For their part, the japanese employed ground forces broadly comparable to those fielded by Western powers, including modern artillery and tanks.
French Foreign Légionnaire vs Viet Minh Insurgent: North Vietnam 1948-52 Combat
The actions explored in this study cover three contrasting phases of the war in Tonkin during 1948–52, setting both sides on the path that would lead to the conflict's climactic encounter at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. It was also unique in that the insurgency evolved from low-level guerrilla activity to mobile operations by a large conventional army which finally defeated a large European-led expeditionary force supported by artillery, armor, and air-power.
The french indochina war 1946–54 was the largest of the first generation of post-World War II wars of decolonization as Vietminh insurgents sought to topple their French colonial masters.
Russian Soldier vs Japanese Soldier: Manchuria 1904-05 Combat
At the turn of the 20th century, the region of manchuria sat atop a potentially catastrophic political fault line; the ancient strength of China was crumbling, leaving opportunities for both Russia and Japan to claw out new territories from the edges of that dying empire. Russian pride would contend with japanese ambition in a conflict that ushered in the age of massed armies fighting on battlefields that were being redefined by the new tools of war such as newer, larger artillery pieces, and the use of machine guns in pitched battles.
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Imjin River 1951: Last stand of the 'Glorious Glosters' Campaign
The us 3rd infantry division took the brunt of the attack along with the attached British 29th Infantry Brigade officially styled the 29th British Independent Infantry Brigade Group, which included the Gloucestershire Regiment the “Glosters”. The heroic defense of the american and british forces would pass into legend, most especially the doomed effort of the Glosters, as they sought to buy time for the rest of the UN forces to regroup and organize an effective defense of Seoul, the South Korean capital city.
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Tsushima 1905: Death of a Russian Fleet Campaign
Japan wanted to further emulate its European mentors and establish a protectorate over Korea, yet Japanese efforts were blocked by Imperial Russia who had their own designs on the peninsula. The russo-japanese war started with a Japanese surprise naval attack against an anchored enemy fleet still believing itself at peace.
This gripping study describes this pivotal battle, and shows how the Japanese victory over Russia led to the development of the dreadnought battleship, and gave rise to an almost mythical belief in Japanese naval invincibility.
The Aleutians 1942-43: Struggle for the North Pacific Campaign
These geographic conditions tended to neutralize traditional American strengths such as air power, radar, naval bombardment, and logistics. It is a barren, freezing rains, rugged archipelago of icy mountains and thick bogs, with a climate of constant snow, and windstorms. Capturing the aleutian islands, located in Alaska territory, was seen by the Japanese as vital in order to shore up their northern defensive perimeter.
Aleutians 1942–43 is the full story of the forgotten battle to liberate American soil from the Japanese during World War II. It is often forgotten that during world war II, the Japanese managed to successfully invade and conquer a precious part of American home soil--the first time this had happened since 1815.
Fighting in the Aleutians was uniquely brutal.
US Soldier vs Afrikakorps Soldier: Tunisia 1943 Combat
The axis forces in north Africa were powerfully well armored and equipped, but fresh to war, and it showed. Despite such failings the us GIs and their commanders learned very quickly, adapting to German tactics and the realities of mechanized warfare. Organization suffered from a surfeit of peacetime theories and training was insufficient and ill-applied.
. The german doctrine of mechanized warfare had proved itself time and again, but ever-growing logistical and supply problems were blunting its effectiveness. The afrikakorps was seasoned by years of fighting against increasingly powerful British and Commonwealth forces, and was led by one of the Reich's most capable generals.
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British Destroyer vs German Destroyer: Narvik 1940 Duel
Employing specially commissioned artwork and drawing upon a range of sources, this absorbing study traces the evolving technology and tactics employed by the British and German destroyer forces. Following the german invasion of denmark and Norway in early April 1940, British and German destroyers would clash in a series of battles for control of the Norwegian coast.
The opening months of world war II saw Britain's Royal Navy facing a resurgent German navy, the Kriegsmarine.
Chinese Battleship vs Japanese Cruiser: Yalu River 1894 Duel
For their part the japanese fleet, including the Matsushima and her sister ships Itsukushima and Hashidate, were each armed with a single 12. 6in canet gun and 11 or 12 4. 7in guns, plus smaller guns and four torpedo tubes. The scene was set for a bloody confrontation that would stun the world and transform the relationship between China and Japan.
The chinese beiyang northern fleet was led by her flagship, dingyuan, they were armed with four 12in guns and two 6in guns, and her sister ship, which were the biggest in Asia; German-built armored turret ships, Zhenyuan, plus six smaller guns and three torpedo tubes.
USN Fleet Destroyer vs IJN Fleet Submarine: The Pacific 1941-42 Duel
Outnumbered by the usn, the imperial Japanese Navy planned to use its large, ocean-going submarines to chip away at its opponent before the grand battle. Challenging the assumption that japanese submarines were ineffective during the Pacific War, this fully illustrated study examines their encounters with the US Navy, and the successes and failures of American destroyers in protecting their capital ships.
Leading up to the pacific war, Japanese naval strategists believed that a decisive fleet engagement would be fought against the United States Navy.
Hitlerjugend Soldier vs Canadian Soldier: Normandy 1944 Combat
Employing first-hand accounts and the latest research, fighting techniques, ethos, this absorbing study investigates the origins, as well as specially commissioned artwork and carefully selected archive photographs, training, and weapons of both sides during the epic struggle for Normandy. Officers and ncos were joined by inexperienced teenagers, Bretteville, notably at Authie, and clashed with the Canadians repeatedly, and Hill 168.
The struggle quickly took on an especially bitter nature, fueled by the massacre of Canadian prisoners by Hitlerjugend personnel.