Download or read book In the Footsteps of the Red Baron written by Michael O'Connor and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2005-02-19 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Manfred von Richthofen became a fighter pilot on the Western Front in August 1916. By January 1917, Richthofen had shot down fifteen aircraft had been appointed commander of his own unit. He painted the fuselage of his Albatros D-III a bright red and was nicknamed the Red Baron. In June 1917, Richthofen was appointed commander of the German Flying Circus. Made up of Germany's top fighter pilots, this new unit was highly mobile and could be quickly sent to any part of the Western Front where it was most needed. Richthofen and his pilots achieved immediate success during the air war over Ypres during August and September. Manfred von Richthofen was killed on 21st April 1918. Richthofen had destroyed 80 allied aircraft, the highest score of any fighter pilot during the First World War. This book is divided into three sectors of the WWI front line in which von Richthofen operated. Each area is conveniently reached within hours. Airfield sites, memorials and the graves of Manfred's famous victims are described and directions for the battlefield walker are included with information on related museums and historic sites with special association with this most famous of fighter pilots.
Download or read book Lionel Morris and the Red Baron written by Jill Bush and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2019-04-30 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A biography of the young, London-born, World War I pilot who was the first to be shot down by the legendary Red Baron. Nineteen-year-old Lionel Morris left the infantry for the wood and wires of the Royal Flying Corps on the Western Front in 1916, joining one of the world’s first fighter units alongside the great ace Albert Ball. Learning on the job, in dangerously unpredictable machines, Morris came of age as a combat pilot on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, as the R.F.C. was winning a bloody struggle for admiralty of the air. As summer faded to autumn and the skies over Bapaume filled with increasing numbers of enemy aircraft, the tide turned. On 17 September 1916, Morris’s squadron was attacked by a lethally efficient German unit, including an unknown pilot called Manfred von Richthofen. As the shock waves spread from the empty hangars of No.11 Squadron all the way to the very top of the British Army, the circumstances surrounding Morris’s death marked a pivotal shift in the aerial war, and the birth of its greatest legend. Told through previously unpublished archive material, the words of contemporaries, and official records, Lionel Morris and the Red Baron traces a short but extraordinary life and reveals how Morris’s role in history was rediscovered one hundred years after his death. Praise for Lionel Morris and the Red Baron “The best written World War I aviation history account this reviewer has read in some time . . . has earned the highest recommendation.” —Over the Front “This is a book that deserves to be read.” —The Aviation Historian
Download or read book The Red Battle Flyer written by Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen and published by DigiCat. This book was released on 2022-07-20 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is written by the Red Baron, the famous German flying ace of the Great War who was credited with 80 combat victories in flying battles. It is an autobiography, talking about his early life and love of horses and dogs, and his family. A fascinating insight into a famous figure.
Download or read book The Red Baron s Last Flight written by Norman L. R. Franks and published by St. Catharines, Ont. : Vanwell Publishing. This book was released on 1997-01-01 with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Walking Arras written by Paul Reed and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2007-07-19 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The historic background and present-day battleground of a great—but often overlooked—battle fought by the British Expeditionary Force in World War I. Walking Arras marks the final volume in a trilogy of walking books about the British sector of the Western Front, following Walking the Somme and Walking the Salient. Paul Reed once more takes us over paths trodden by men who were asked to make a huge and, for all too many, the ultimate sacrifice. The Battle of Arras falls between the Somme and Third Ypres; it marked the first British attempt to storm the Hindenburg Line defenses, and the first use of lessons learned from the events of 1916. But it remains a forgotten part of the Western Front. It also remains one of the great killing battles of the Great War, with such a high fatal casualty rate that a soldier’s chances of surviving Arras were much slimmer than even the Somme or Passchendaele. Most soldiers who served in the Great War served at Arras at some point; it was a name very much in the consciousness of the survivors of the Great War. Ninety years later, while there has been development at Arras, it is still an impressive battlefield and one worthy of the attention of any Great War enthusiast. This book will give a lead in seeing the ground connected with the fighting in 1917. Making a slight departure from the style of the previous two walking books, the chapters look at the historical background of an area and then separately describe a walk; with supplementary notes about the associated cemeteries in that region.
Download or read book The Red Baron written by Barry Pickthall and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2016-11-19 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beginning his wartime career on the Western Front in August 1916, Manfred von Richthofen, or the Red Baron as he became known, had shot down an impressive total of fifteen aircraft by January 1917, as well as being appointed commander of his own unit. By the time of his death in 1918, he had destroyed a staggering total of eighty allied aircraft. From the perspective of the allies, he was a deadly menace. For the Germans, he was a fighter pilot hero of legendary significance. This fascinating collection of rare images offers a fresh perspective on the Baron himself, as well as a number of his adversaries from the Allied side of the line.
Download or read book The Peninsular War written by Andrew Rawson and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2009-06-30 with total page 387 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new battlefield guide to the Peninsular War is long overdue. Modern development in Spain and Portugal has encroached on many of the battlefields, new research has questioned established interpretations of events, and there is a broader appreciation of the parts played by all the armies involved - the French on one side and the Spanish, Portuguese and British on the other. Andrew Rawson, in this highly illustrated and practical guide, offers a wide-ranging, up-to-date and balanced account of this prolonged conflict, and he guides the reader and the visitor across the terrain over which the armies marched and fought. He reconstructs the major battles in graphic detail, and provides practical tours of the major battlefields and campaigns. Also included are sections examining the armies, the military organization and tactics of the time and the role of the Spanish guerrillas. This guide to the Peninsular War will be essential reading for anyone who wants a concise and accessible introduction to the conflict, and it will serve as an invaluable reference guide for visitors who want to explore the sites of the fighting two centuries ago.
Download or read book Operation Varsity written by Tim Saunders and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2008-07-15 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Spring 1945 the outcome of the war was ritually certain but the mighty River Rhine still stood in the way of the Allies. Eisenhowers strategy was to guarantee a crossing in the Ruhr area by allocating the main effort to Montgomerys 21st Army Group. Montys task was to envelope and take out the last German war production and open the way onto the North German Plain.On the morning of 24 March 1945 the Normandy veterans of 6th British Airborne Division were to land just three to six miles in front of XII Corps, within supporting distance of their artillery, with the aim of linking up with the ground forces on day one. First in were the two parachute brigades, who benefited from the numbing effect of the Allied bombardment but by the time 6th Airlanding Brigade came in aboard their gliders, the German anti-aircraft gunners were recovering and, on the DZs, resisting and even counter-attacking the British and Canadian paratroopers.Casualties were heavy, not least because the Airlanding Brigade were gliding in amidst an Armoured kampfgruppe. Despite their presence, the glider infantry of the Ox and Bucks and the Ulster Rifles took their bridges and the Devons fought a desperate battle for the key village of Hammelkeln.By evening, despite heavy losses, General Bolss 6th Airborne Division had linked-up with XII Corps, the airborne objectives had been taken and the gateway onto the North German Plain and final victory was open.
Download or read book Hitler s Atlantic Wall Normandy written by Paul Williams and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2013-06-26 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This highly informative book begins with an examination of the background to Germany's primary military objectives in relation to the western end of their self-styled 'Fortress Europe' including the early foundation of shore defences in northern France.??In 1941, there was a switch in emphasis of the Atlantic Wall's role from attack to defence. Beach defences became more elaborate and the Nazi-controlled Todt Organisation began a massive building programme constructing new bunkers and reinforcing existing sites, using forced labour.??Hitler appointed Rommel to formulate Germany's anti-invasion plans in early 1944. At the same time the Allies were making extensive studies of the fortifications and preparing for the challenge of overcoming this most formidable of obstacles.??Using, in many cases, previously unpublished accounts of the soldiers on the ground this book follows Britain's 79th Armoured Division, Sir Percy Hobart's 'Funnies', as they utilised their unique weaponry in support of Allied efforts to ensure the success of the invasion. The author draws on British, American, Canadian and German sources.??Hitler's Atlantic Wall Normandy also includes information on war cemeteries along with travel information and accommodation suggestions and a guide to the relevant museums.
Download or read book Battle for the Escaut 1940 written by Jerry Murland and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2016-11-30 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On 10 May 1940 the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), under the command of Lord Gort, moved forward from the Franco-Belgian border and took up positions along a 20-mile sector off the River Dyle, to await the arrival of the German Army Group B. Their expected stay was considerably shorter than planned as the German Army Group A pushed its way through the Ardennes and crossed the Meuse at Sedan, scattering the French before them. Little did the men of the BEF realize that the orders to retire would result in their evacuation from Dunkirk and other channel ports. The line of the River Escaut was seen as the last real opportunity for the Allied armies to halt the advancing German Army, but the jigsaw of defense was tenuous and the allied hold on the river was undone by the weight of opposing German forces and the speed of the armored ÔBlitzkriegÕ thrust further south. As far as the BEF were concerned, the Battle for the Escaut took place on a 30-mile sector from Oudenaarde to Blharies and involved units in a sometimes desperate defense, during which two Victoria Crosses were awarded. This book takes the battlefield tourist from Oudenaarde to Hollain in a series of tours that retrace the footsteps of the BEF. With the help of local historians, the author has pinpointed crucial actions and answered some of the myriad questions associated with this important phase of the France and Flanders campaign of 1940.
Download or read book Wilfred Owen written by Philip Guest and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 1998-08-12 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a guide to the battlefields that inspired the young and sensitive poet, whose poems are probably the twentieth century's best-known literary expressions of experience of war. Detailed maps, military diaries, photographs and modern roads guide the visitor through the battlefields. Owen's letters are used extensively, together with his poetry, linking specific places events, vividly describing the suffering of the trench.
Download or read book The Battle of the Lys 1918 written by Phil Tomaselli and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2011-06-13 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The battles fought at Estaires and Givenchy, just south of Ypres, in April 1918 were critical episodes in the larger Battle of Lys which determined the outcome of the ultimate German offensive on the Western Front. The massive assault of Ludendorffs armies crashed against defenses manned by the British and Portuguese. A series of intense attacks and counterattacks followed, and the Germans were on the verge of gaining the decisive breakthrough that both sides on the Western Front had struggled for since the onset of trench warfare in late 1914. A German success might well have forced the British to retreat from Ypres. Phil Tomasellis vivid account reconstructs events in the typical Battleground style. He describes the course of the fighting in close detail, using eyewitness accounts, official records, photographs and maps, and he provides walking and driving tours of the battlefield and of the monuments and cemeteries associated with it.
Download or read book Operation Goodwood written by Ian Daglish and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2003-07-30 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Operation GOODWOOD is the story of the largest armoured battle fought in the campaign for north west Europe. Over a thousand British and Canadian tanks were employed as three British armoured divisions pushed forward down a narrow corridor in an attempt to achieve a clean penetration of the German lines. The clash between two very different armies resulted in a number of local battles, which are studied in detail. Close to Caen, this battlefield is particularly accessible to cross-channel visitors. This Battleground book guides visitors around the tanks battlefield, showing what remains and what has changed, using copious present-day images alongside previously unpublished1944 pictures, including detailed aerial photography of the battle in progress
Download or read book The Battle of the Lys 1918 written by Chris Baker and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2018-04-30 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The second of two Battelground Europe titles covering this highly significant battle of spring 1918.The German offensive in Flanders in April 1918 came close to catastrophe for the British Armies, but ultimately ended in strategic defeat for the Kaisers men. Following close on the heels of the devastating Operation Michael attack in March, which had been aimed against the British front on the Somme and Arras, this offensive, Operation Georgette, was aimed at strangling the vital railways and roads that supplied the British at Ypres and threatening the vital logistics links with the Channel Ports.Having assembled an overwhelming numerical advantage, the Germans attacked in thick fog on 9 April 1918. By days end, the Germans had succeeded in gaining a crossing of the River Lys and were well on their way to the railway junctions at Hazebrouck. Next day, they extended the attacked front northwards and advanced to the very gates of Ypres, forcing a British retirement from the bloodily won advances during the Third Battle of Ypres. Messines Ridge, captured so spectacularly by the British in June 1917, was soon in German hands and fighting inched towards Mont Kemmel, which dominated the Ypres front. Once this fell, the way was open for the capture of the main supply roads into Ypres.To find sufficient reserves to counter the German attack, the British took the heart-breaking decision to abandon the ground won so dearly in the Passchendaele offensive in the summer and autumn of 1917. Gradually, fresher British and French reserves arrived and held their ground. With disappointing results, mounting casualties and a diminishing return for their efforts, the Germans paused to regroup. Late in the month they unleashed a rapid, unstoppable attack that captured Kemmel from the French forces that had been rushed north to reinforce the threatened line and which had been holding the summit: one of the finest military feats of the Great War.Behind the scenes, however, the Germans were already calling off a continuation of the offensive and so, by a seeming miracle, the bastion that was Ypres remained in British hands.What the British call The Battle of the Lys 1918 is a fascinating yet curiously neglected period of military history. Chris Baker examines this major battle from the strategic down to the platoon level, highlighting the key events, characters and acts of enormous bravery on both sides, both in historical narrative and in a series of tours of the area.This volume concentrates on the northern half of the battlefield; nearly all of the actions described in this volume took place in Belgium.
Download or read book Fort Eben Emael 1940 written by Tim Saunders and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2005-10-19 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This WWII battlefield guide offers a detailed history of the Siege of Fort Eben Emael during the Nazi invasion of Belgium—with maps and photos throughout. On May 10th, 1940, German forces launched an attack on Fort Eben Emael on the Belgian-Dutch border. The seizure of the fortress stronghold by German Airborne and Special Forces was the dramatic opening shot in the Nazis' devastating Belgian Campaign. Codenamed Operation GRANITE, it involved glider forces in a daring "coup de main" operation achieving total surprise and success. This comprehensive guide to the Fort Eben Emael battleground offers extensive background information on the fort itself and the significance of the Nazi offensive. A detailed account of the two-day battle is supported by numerous photographs and maps. The simultaneous assaults on key bridges on the Albert Canal are also covered in graphic detail.
Download or read book Monash s Masterpiece written by Peter FitzSimons and published by Hachette Australia. This book was released on 2018-04-24 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Battle of Le Hamel on 4 July 1918 was an Allied triumph, and strategically very important in the closing stages of WWI. A largely Australian force, commanded by the brilliant Sir John Monash, fought what has been described as the first modern battle - where infantry, tanks, artillery and planes operated together as a coordinated force. Monash planned every detail meticulously, with nothing left to chance. Integrated use of tanks, planes, infantry, wireless (and even carrier pigeons!) was the basis, and it went on from there, down to the details: everyone used the same maps, with updated versions delivered by motorbike despatch riders to senior commanders, including Monash. Each infantry battalion was allocated to a tank group, and they advanced together. Supplies and ammunition were dropped as needed from planes. The losses were relatively few. In the words of Monash: 'A perfected modern battle plan is like nothing so much as a score for an orchestral composition, where the various arms and units are the instruments, and the tasks they perform are their respective musical phrases.' Monash planned for the battle to last for 90 minutes - in the end it went for 93. What happened in those minutes changed for the rest of the war the way the British fought battles, and the tactics and strategies used by the Allies. Peter FitzSimons brings this Allied triumph to life, and tells this magnificent story as it should be told.
Download or read book Over the Front written by and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
