New books by Osprey include battles in Vietnam and WW2 Africa, as well as the Eastern Front.
A fascinating study of one of the often overlooked World War II campaigns as British/Commonwealth, Indigenous and Italian forces battled for control of the Horn of Africa.
In mid-1940, Italy’s East African colonies posed a significant threat to the British Empire, and in particular to the flow of supplies through the Red Sea to Egypt. British High Command was worried about possible moves by Italian East Africa, so it sent reinforcements in Kenya and Sudan. The British tried to isolate the Italians and prevent them from threatening British supply lines. The British theater commander, General Archibald Wavell, decided to launch a rapid campaign in March 1941 to end the Italian threat. Addis Ababa is covered, as are Amba Alagi and Gondar. The book includes detailed maps and diagrams, colourful artwork, and a focus on the bloody fight for the Horn of Africa. With colourful artwork, detailed maps and diagrams, this book highlights an overlooked World War II campaign and the bloody fight for the Horn of Africa.
A highly illustrated, authoritative exploration of Operation
Apache Snow, including the infamous Battle of Hamburger Hill (Ap Bia Mountain), one of the most significant and well-known actions in the Vietnam War.Operation
Apache Snow was the result of a renewed Allied effort in early 1969 to neutralize the North Vietnamese forces in the A Shau, a 45km-long valley located in the southwestern Thua Thien Province. The area was used by Communists as an infiltration route from Laos, along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, to coastal cities in the northern I Corps Tactical Zone. The US and South Vietnamese forces eventually succeeded in taking the mountain, but the fierce fighting and heavy losses caused an uproar in Congress. Many congressmen condemned the actions. Maps and diagrams are used to show the progress of the operations, while photos and colour battlescenes bring the weapons and forces of each side to life. Willbanks also explores why, despite the Allied success in taking Hamburger Hill, the battle came to symbolize the frustration of winning costly encounters without ever consummating a strategic victory.Illustrated throughout, this book explains the composition and qualities of the Soviet tank force that fought Germany’s mighty Panzers at the biggest tank battle in history.
In the summer of 1943, Hitler’s army had rebuilt its Panzer forces after defeat at Stalingrad and retreat from the Caucasus. The Panther, Tiger and Elefant were among the new types of tanks that added to the Panzer’s traditional advantage in terms of tactical superiority. It was planned to start offensive operations from both the north and the south in order to isolate Soviet forces within the Kursk Salient. Although the Soviets were able to benefit from their impressive production capacity, tanks in Kursk differed widely. The Soviets were still short of tanks and operated the weak T-60, T-70, KV-1, as well as the T-70 heavy tank. Lend-Lease tank numbers were also significant, with M3 Lees and Valentines fighting alongside Stuarts, Churchills and first Shermans joining the Red Army. This detailed account explores a month-long critical battle that set up the strategic defeats of Germany on both Eastern and Western Fronts. Hube’s army was left with a materially weaker force, and its flanks were vulnerable due to the heavy losses it suffered. Zhukov’s 1st Ukrainian Front, and Konev’s 2nd Ukrainian Front, unexpectedly attacked the 1st Panzer Army on 4th March. They conducted a massive pincer attack. Hube’s army of 200,000 men was isolated in three weeks with their backs to the Dniester river. Hube’s destruction would have undoubtedly precipitated a German collapse in the Eastern Front, two months prior to the Allied invasion. Hube’s Army managed to escape Zhukov’s trap but it had lost much of its equipment. It was also no longer combat-ready. German forces in Eastern Europe were severely weakened and German armor in Western Europe was reduced to combat any Allied landings on French soil.