General Stanislaw Maczek has been
overlooked by most military historians in the West. Born in
1892, he was conscripted into the Imperial Austrian Army, with
which he served with great credit on the Italian Front. It was
this experience which was to serve Maczek well in his future
career in the Polish Army. He is remembered for his pioneering
use of mixed armour and infantry as well as commando-style units
during the Polish border wars of 1918-1920. He should also be
recognised as being the saviour of the Normandy Campaign, which
by August 1944 was seriously bogged down. It was feared that the
German forces in Normandy might be able to flee over the River
Seine and head eastwards towards Germany. A magnificent stand by
the Polish 1st Armoured Division during August prevented this
happening. After the war, Maczek was stripped of his Polish
citizenship by the Communists. This is the story of a man who
changed history.
New in the popular Service Publications series, this compact book
provides details of the Otter Light Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle
produced by General Motors of Canada which was brought into
production in 1941. The book is extensively illustrated with a
centre spread showing the Otter.
New in card cover -
24pp, 22 b/w photos, double page drawing
The seventy-seven-day siege of Khe Sanh in 1968 is one of the
best known actions of the Vietnam War, but scant attention has
been paid to the first battle of Khe Sanh, also known as “the
Hill Fights.” in the spring of 1967. Marines at the isolated
Combat Base monitored the strategically vital Ho Chi Minh Trail
as it wound through the jungles in nearby Laos. The base was
dominated by high hills on all sides - battle-hardened NVA units
roamed through the high grass surrounding it, & on steep,
sun-baked overlooks. The story of the Marines at Khe Sanh in
early 1967 is a microcosm of the Corps’s entire Vietnam War
OSPREY CAMPAIGN 93: VERDUN 1916 'THEY SHALL NOT
PASS'
by William Martin. Illustrated by Howard Gerrard
On 21 February, 1916 German General Erich von Falkenhayn
unleashed his hammer-blow offensive against the French fortress
city of Verdun. His aim was nothing short of the destruction of
the French army. Falkenhayn was sure that the symbolic value of
Verdun was such that the French would be ‘compelled to throw in
every man they have.’ He was equally sure that ‘if they do so
the forces of France will bleed to death’. The massed batteries
of German guns would smash the French troops in their trenches
and bunkers. But the French hung on with immense courage and
determination and the battle became a bloody war of attrition.
New in card cover - A4 format, 96pp, numerous colour plates & b/w
illustrations, 3D battle plans
Operation Overlord was a watershed in the history of World War II.
Neglected by historians, American glider pilots played a pivotal
role in Operation Neptune, the assault phase of Overlord. From being
called up in the US, to combat landings and fighting in the Normandy
countryside, the author uses documents and eyewitness accounts to
tell the story of these brave men who flew the gliders which
transported troops onto the field of battle.
English/French text.
New in illustrated
boards - Large format, 144pp, c200 colour & b/w photos & illustrations
