Osprey Elite Series

About half a million African Americans served overseas during World War II, almost all in segregated second-line units. This artificially limited their potential contribution, but their work - especially along the logistic lifelines of the fighting divisions - was vital. This book summarizes the service of these men and women; and it also focuses on the small proportion who, remarkably, overcame prejudicial barriers to reach the battlefields in combat units of the US forces and Coast Guard....

About this Osprey Publishing BookIn February 2014, street protests in Kiev and other Ukrainian cities led to the ousting of the Russian-backed President Yanukovych. The so-called Euromaidan Revolution saw many changes to Ukraine's constitution, but the violent reaction in the east and south of the country led to armed counter-revolution, unofficially backed by Russia.This conflict is the essential example of Russia's new policy of 'hybrid warfare', which blends propaganda, misinformation, and...

About this Osprey Publishing BookCarthage, the port-city in Tunisia first settled by Phoenicians from Tyre, grew to extend a competitive maritime trading empire all over the Western Mediterranean and beyond, increasingly defended by the best navy of the period. In the 6th century BC this came into confrontation with Greek colonists in Sicily, starting major wars that lasted through the 5th and 4th centuries, and involved much interaction with different Greek forces. During the 3rd century...

About this Osprey Publishing BookThe Dornier Do 335 was conceived as a high-speed, all-weather fighter, and represented the pinnacle of piston-engined aircraft design. The Do 335 was a big aircraft, weighing just over 10,000kg when laden with fuel, equipment, and pilot, yet powered by two Daimler-Benz DB 603 engines, it was capable of reaching a maximum speed of 750km/h at 6400 meters, making it the fastest piston engine aircraft produced in Germany during World War II.Some forty aircraft were...

Franco Prussian War by OspreyItem Number: OSPESS51Essential Histories 51Author: Stephen BadseyAbout this bookThe Franco-Prussian War broke out in 1870 when Bismarck engineered a war with the French Second Empire under Napoleon III. This was part of his wider political strategy of uniting Prussia with the southern German states, excluding Austria. The war was an overwhelming Prussian victory, and King Wilhelm I was proclaimed Emperor of the new united Germany. The Second Empire collapsed and...

About this Osprey Publishing BookDuring the Napoleonic Wars all the major combatants fielded large numbers of light cavalry. These nimble, fast-moving regiments performed a variety of vital roles, from reconnaissance and keeping contact with the enemy during the movement of armies, to raiding, skirmishing, and the pursuit to destruction of beaten enemies. In practice, light cavalry were often also employed for battlefield charges alongside the heavy cavalry.Featuring period illustrations and...

About this Osprey Publishing BookIn this fully illustrated book an expert on the conflicts traces the progress of the wars in Chechnya, from the initial Russian advance through to urban battles such as Grozny, and the prolonged guerrilla warfare in the mountainous regions. He assesses how the wars have torn apart the fabric of Chechen society and their impact on Russia itself. Featuring specially drawn full-colour mapping and drawing upon a wide range of sources, this succinct account explains...

Fighting an elusive and dangerous enemy far from home, the British army in Afghanistan has been involved in asymmetric warfare for the best part of a decade. The eight-year series of deployments jointly known as Operation Herrick, alongside US and other NATO contingents within the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, have been the longest continuous combat commitment of the British Army since World War II. Together with Operation 'Telic' in Iraq, which immediately...

About this Osprey Publishing BookIn the past decade and a half the unique requirements of dual wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have radically altered the appearance and capabilities of the British Army's infantry soldiers. Gone are the tactics uniforms and equipment of the Cold War, replaced by an elite fighting force, skilled in counterinsurgency operations and warfare in both urban and rural environments. Fully illustrated and written by an insider, this engaging book traces the major...

The timeless appeal of Homer's epic poem of the ancient TrojanWar, The Iliad, has meant an eduring interest in the Mycenaen age. Modern scholarship and new archaeological evidence now allows us to recontruct with reasonable confidence the appearance of this great warrior civilization, which dominated much of the eastern Mediterranean between the 16th and 12th centuries BC. We can also make deductions, from the few surviving pictorial sources, about the tactics of these armies. This absorbing...

About this Osprey Publishing BookHighly-trained and immensely skilled, the SAS are widely regarded as one of the best Special Forces units in the world. Their missions are uniquely diverse, ranging from counter-terrorist responses at home and abroad; counter-insurgency in collaboration with US Delta Force and other foreign Special Forces; mobile operations in support of conventional forces; targeting terrorist leaders and man-hunting war criminals, to 'direct action' raids.This book charts the...

Us Army Air Force 2 by OspreyItem Number: OSPELI51Elite 51Author: Gordon L RottmanIllustrator: Francis ChinAbout this bookWhile the most conspicuous components of the US Army Air Forces in World War II 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...

US Marine Corps Recon and Special Operations Uniforms & Equipment 2000-15 from Osprey Publishing Item Number:OSPELI208 Author: J. Kenneth Eward Illustrator: J. Kenneth Eward Short code: ELI 208 Publication Date: 20 Jan 2016 Number of Pages: 64In the age of modern warfare the changing landscape of the 21st century battlefield has demanded a transformation within the US Marine Corps Special Operations. Adapting to a huge range of combat environments, an enormous array of specialist uniforms,...

The US armed forces pioneered amphibious warfare in the Pacific and by the time of the D-day landings they had perfected the special equipment and tactics necessary for this extraordinarily difficult and risky form of warfare. This fact-packed study details the doctrine, equipment and tactics that evolved between the North African landings of November 1942 and those in the South of France in August 1944, and illustrates many aspects of the physical realities of assault landings through the use...

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 them 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 study traces the story of each of the 17 regiments, from their creation and...

Author: Simon JonesIllustrator: Richard HookAbout this bookThis remarkable book explains the practical details of a type of warfare waged for only three years, but which became one of the dominant aspects of World War I: the mass use of poison gases. It tells the story of German and Allied gas warfare from the first German attack at Ypres in April 1915 through to the 1918 Armistice: the gases, the means and tactics of delivery, the effects and influence on the battles, and the race to produce...

World War II Glider Assault Tactics from Osprey Publishing Item Number:OSPELI200 Osprey Elite Series: Each book in the Elite series focuses on a single army or elite unit, military tactics or a group of famous commanders. Military uniforms, insignia and equipment are shown in full colour artwork. Elite Books cover the full spectrum of military history, examining the greatest armies, units and commanders of the ancient, medieval, Napoleonic, American Civil War, World War I and World War II....

As infantry units advanced across Europe the only support they could rely on from day to day was that provided by the heavy weapons of their own units. While thundering tanks struck fear into the hearts of their enemies it was the machine guns, mortars and light cannon that proved to be most important, causing the majority of casualties suffered during World War II. Common principles were shared across units but the wide variety of weapons available to the different armies altered the way they...

Author: Gordon L. RottmanIllustrator: Peter DennisAbout this bookThis book explains and illustrates the actual materials and techniques adopted (both successfully and unsuccessfully) by tactical units i.e. the concealment of personnel, weapons, equipment, field positions, and movement by infantry riflemen and weapons crews, artillerymen, and vehicle crews. It covers all areas and seasons in the European and Mediterranean theaters of operations, for the US, British, German, and Soviet armies....

Author: Gordon L. RottmanIllustrator: Peter DennisAbout this bookThe cavalry regiments of the US Army were in the process of being transformed into a mechanized force when the USA entered World War II. While those cavalry regiments deployed to the Pacific to fight the Japanese were turned into infantry units, those sent to Europe were employed as light armor in the cavalry_s traditional spearhead roles _ reconnaissance, the screening of advances and flanks, and the pursuit of beaten enemy...

On the major European and Russian fronts throughout World War II, the challenge of crossing rivers under fire was absolutely central to any advance. The Panzers that crossed the Meuse at Sedan in May 1940 cut the French Army in two. The Wehrmacht's ability to cross the great rivers of the western USSR was vital to the lightning advances of Operation Barbarossa in 1941, and in 1943-45 the Red Army had to drive the Germans back from a succession of river lines during their advance to the Reich,...

With the need for large-scale amphibious landings to decide the outcome of World War II the US Navy developed several types of specialized unit to reconnoitre potential landing areas, degrade the enemy's ability to resist, and assist the landing forces on to the beaches. The Scouts and Raiders were the forerunners of the SEALs, Beach Jumpers made elaborate simulated landings to distract the enemy, the Naval Combat Demolition Units and Underwater Demolition Teams cleared obstacles to amphibious...

Zulu Wars 1879 by OspreyItem Number: OSPESS56Essential Histories 56Author: Ian KnightAbout this bookThe Zulu War of 1879 remains one of the best known British colonial wars and included two battles whose names reverberate through history. At Isandlwana the Zulus inflicted a crushing defeat on the British; the gallant British defence at Rorke's Drift followed and re-established British prestige. Yet as this book shows, there was more to the war than this. Six months of brutal fighting followed,...