CATEGORIES

D-DAY LANDING CRAFT
History of War

D-DAY LANDING CRAFT

Over 4,000 Allied landing craft took part in the Normandy Landings with a huge range of designs created for specific roles and capabilities

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3 mins  |
Issue 133
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
History of War

BEHIND ENEMY LINES

Spearheading the invasion of occupied France in 1944 were a small number of Special Forces soldiers dropped deep into enemy territory. Among them was a young Londoner, fresh from training here he reveals how he survived guerrilla warfare in France and beyond as part of the fledgling Special Air Service

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5 mins  |
Issue 133
JIMMIE MONTEITH
History of War

JIMMIE MONTEITH

In the crucible of battle at Omaha Beach on D-Day, this officer of the famed 1st Infantry Division earned his nation’s highest honour at the cost of his life

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6 mins  |
Issue 133
KLEINKAMPFVERBÄNDE - GERMANY'S COUNTER-ATTACKS
History of War

KLEINKAMPFVERBÄNDE - GERMANY'S COUNTER-ATTACKS

As Allied forces crossed the Channel and stormed into Normandy, Hitler's navy fought back using a deadly new breed of maritime weaponry

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8 mins  |
Issue 133
STORMING GOLD BEACH
History of War

STORMING GOLD BEACH

War veteran Ron Peet helped assault Gold Beach on D-Day Here he shares his experiences

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3 mins  |
Issue 133
UNDERGROUND WREN
History of War

UNDERGROUND WREN

Deep in the bowels of Fort Southwick, radio operator Marie Scott was one of the first to hear reports as Operation Overlord got underway, passing critical communications between the men on the beaches and high command

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6 mins  |
Issue 133
MINESWEEPER OFF NORMANDY
History of War

MINESWEEPER OFF NORMANDY

After helping clear the path to France, Royal Navy veteran Claude Sealey and his crewmates experienced a deadly encounter with their own countrymen

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7 mins  |
Issue 133
THE RECCE RIDER OF RANVILLE
History of War

THE RECCE RIDER OF RANVILLE

After fencing behind enemy lines in Normandy, William Bill’ Gladden conducted us reconnaissance on his motorcycle

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6 mins  |
Issue 133
SWORD BEACH
History of War

SWORD BEACH

The easternmost sector of the 6 June Normandy Landings was a mostly British affair, and Saw some of the biggest territorial gains of the first day of the Allied invasion

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9 mins  |
Issue 133
THE FIRST ON JUNO BEACH
History of War

THE FIRST ON JUNO BEACH

As a member of the RAF Beach Squadrons, Teacher's job was to help unload and dispatch personnel and equipment

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4 mins  |
Issue 133
WHAT IF...D-DAY HAD FAILED?
History of War

WHAT IF...D-DAY HAD FAILED?

The consequences of an unsuccessful invasion would have been felt for decades to come

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6 mins  |
Issue 133
THE IRA'S WAR IN COUNTY TYRONE
History of War

THE IRA'S WAR IN COUNTY TYRONE

The IRA's East Tyrone Brigade was one of its deadliest units. This is the inside story of how one of its attacks triggered a retaliatory ambush by the SAS

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10+ mins  |
Issue 122
'HATRED IS NOT THE WAY'
History of War

'HATRED IS NOT THE WAY'

Speaking to mark the publication of his new memoir, Ivor Perl describes how he survived both Auschwitz and Dachau concentration camps during the Holocaust

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10+ mins  |
Issue 122
JOHNSON BEHARRY
History of War

JOHNSON BEHARRY

Two acts of valour from this young private saved the lives of his comrades in the narrow streets of Al Amarah, Iraq

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6 mins  |
Issue 122
SUPER SPREADERS IN THE TRENCHES
History of War

SUPER SPREADERS IN THE TRENCHES

During the latter period of WWI, infection and disease were a universal enemy on both sides of no man’s land. Vaccination and prevention methods became essential for survival, never mind victory, on the frontline

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10+ mins  |
Issue 122
PROKHOROVKA AND THE FIGHT FOR HILL 252.2
History of War

PROKHOROVKA AND THE FIGHT FOR HILL 252.2

The Battle of Prokhorovka, on 12 July 1943, was the culmination point of the southern pincer of Operation Citadel. The Soviets ultimately emerged victorious, despite suffering extremely heavy losses to their armour. Here, Dr Ben Wheatley recounts the struggle for one critical position during the battle: Hill 252.2

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8 mins  |
Issue 122
AIR BATTLE FOR KURSK
History of War

AIR BATTLE FOR KURSK

On the eve of Operation Citadel, the Red Air Force sought to pre-empt the attack by smashing the Luftwaffe. The risky spoiling operation failed spectacularly

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7 mins  |
Issue 122
ITALIANS IN THE EAST
History of War

ITALIANS IN THE EAST

Reeling from his setbacks in North Africa, and eager to prove his forces’ worth against the communist foe, Il Duce sent a large expeditionary force to join the Nazi invasion of the USSR

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3 mins  |
Issue 122
SHOWDOWN IN THE DESERT
History of War

SHOWDOWN IN THE DESERT

The Italian campaigns in Africa sought to end British rule over Egypt and control of the Suez Canal, strengthening Mussolini’s dominance over the Mediterranean

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4 mins  |
Issue 122
CORPO TRUPPE VOLONTARIE
History of War

CORPO TRUPPE VOLONTARIE

During the Spanish Civil War, tens of thousands of Italian soldiers fought in Spain to support the fascist Nationalist forces of Francisco Franco

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4 mins  |
Issue 122
STRIKE AT AFRICA
History of War

STRIKE AT AFRICA

Mussolini envisaged building an empire to rival Ancient Rome. Once he’d established his grip on Italy, he set his sights on Abyssinia as the place to begin

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3 mins  |
Issue 122
PREPARING FOR KURSK
History of War

PREPARING FOR KURSK

Dr Ben Wheatley of the University of East Anglia reveals the huge German and Soviet preparations for the largest tank battle in history

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9 mins  |
Issue 121
BATTLE OF JINGXING
History of War

BATTLE OF JINGXING

Strategic brilliance and an audacious plan ensured victory for the underdog in this legendary clash in ancient China

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7 mins  |
Issue 121
WWII'S FORGOTTEN V-2 HEIST
History of War

WWII'S FORGOTTEN V-2 HEIST

In the summer of 1944, a daring mission was launched to retrieve an intact German rocket, recovered by the Polish Home Army, to analyse and counter Hitler’s devastating vengeance weapon

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10+ mins  |
Issue 121
AUBREY COSENS
History of War

AUBREY COSENS

In February 1945, as the Allies began a renewed push into Nazi Germany, a Canadian sergeant single-handedly cleared three enemy-held buildings to earn the Commonwealth’s highest military honour

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6 mins  |
Issue 121
SAS IN SICILY
History of War

SAS IN SICILY

How the elite unit emerged from chaotic beginnings to spearhead the Allies' 1943 invasion of the Mediterranean island fortress

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10+ mins  |
Issue 121
BATTLE FOR SICILY THE 'SOFT UNDERBELLY'
History of War

BATTLE FOR SICILY THE 'SOFT UNDERBELLY'

Eighty years ago, Allied forces invaded the Axis homeland for the first time in a huge, complex operation that involved airborne and amphibious landings

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10+ mins  |
Issue 121
COLD WAR
History of War

COLD WAR

After the defeats and divisions of WWII, the Armée de L’Air struggled for aircraft and a role for them. Ironically, breaking away from NATO united the force behind a single aim

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3 mins  |
Issue 121
REARMAMENT & THE BATTLE OF FRANCE
History of War

REARMAMENT & THE BATTLE OF FRANCE

France entered Second World War while still suffering the effects of the First. Out-thought as much as out-fought, the Armée de L’Air was left ill-equipped in both mindset and aircraft

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3 mins  |
Issue 121
LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE
History of War

LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE

During WWI, the burgeoning French Air Force formed a squadron of volunteer American pilots who served France with distinction over the Western Front

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 121