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Jungvolk (v. 1.0.11)

Casemate Publishers опубликовал приложение 2011-07-30
(обновлено 2011-07-30)

Jungvolk: The Story of a Boy Defending Hitler's Reich
By Wilhelm R. Gehlen and Don A. Gregory

This is the wartime memoir of a boy named Will, who happened to be the nephew of the head of Nazi Germany’s intelligence agency, Foreign Armies East. After reading this book, the reader will wonder who had the most exciting time during World War II.

Will Gehlen’s father, a trolley driver, was drafted into the Wehrmacht to man a Sturmgeschutz assault gun in Russia. His older brother, Len, was enlisted in the Hitlerjugend. The author, only 10 years old when the war began, became a helper at the local Luftwaffe flak battery, fetching ammunition. It was exciting work for Will (a member of the “Jungvolk”) and by the end of the war he had become expert at judging attacks. As fighter raids increased in frequency he noted that the pilots became less skilled.

Aside from aircraft kills, Gehlen had other adventures during the war, as when his mother dragged him to visit his aunt in Luxembourg in 1944. Crossing the lines they found no aunt but met American troops, and were surprised when the German Army launched an offensive, overrunning the village and forcing US soldiers to retreat with casualties. Making their way back to Germany was even more perilous, until they discovered the most secure vehicles were mail trucks. No one, not even the SS, tried to interfere with their progress.

Gehlen’s town was repeatedly bombed and he often had to help with the wreckage or to pull survivors from basements. He witnessed more death than a child ever should; nevertheless, his flak battery continued firing until US tanks were almost on top of the position. In this book Gehlen, provides an intimate glimpse of the chaos, horror and black humor of life just behind the front lines. As seen through the eyes of a child, who was expert in aircraft identification and bomb weights, food-rationing and tank types, one encounters a view of life inside Hitler’s wartime Reich that is both fascinating and rare.

Reviews

“In his first effort, Gehlen, born in 1933 Germany, provides a firsthand look behind Axis lines. . . . Too young for the Hitler Youth (though his big brother attends every meeting), Gehlen’s account [focuses] mostly on his home-life: the trials of his overworked mother, the deployment of his father, and the companionship of a Nazi platoon operating weaponry in the fields near his home. Eventually, Gehlen becomes a messenger for the field fighters during multiple attacks, and he recounts intriguing conversations with Nazis, Nazi sympathizers, and Allied soldiers. . . . The memories Gehlen shares are . . . remarkable for the child’s perspective they bring to bear on a warring country’s ferocious struggle.”

PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY , 2008-08-08

“…An extraordinary account of a young boy caught up in the middle of a war…Frank and even funny at times…utterly absorbing…Heartily recommended for anyone wanting to know what life was for ordinary people in Hitler’s Third Reich, but also for students of history and people who are simply interested in other people’s lives.”

BOOKS MONTHLY UK, 2008-07-08

“…a very good read and describes a part of the Second World War that is not often delved into; usually civilians are merely identified as victims or statistics. This book gives them their humanity back.”

PLAYHISTORY(UK), 2008-07-08

“…gives us an intriguing glimpse into a rarely seen aspect of life inside the Third Reich.”

YORKSHIRE EVENING POST , 2008-07-08

“a real gem, a quiet tour de force. It’s very hard to accurately recapture how it feels to be 10 years old again but the author has more than succeeded in doing this… we are given a window into home front Germany that is unique in it s perspective. Despite its serious subject matter the book reads as an adventure story from start to finish and I can honestly say I did not want it to end… If you buy one book this year make it this one.”

MILITARY MODELING , 2008-05-15

Kamikazes (v. 1.0.11)

Casemate Publishers опубликовал приложение 2011-07-30
(обновлено 2011-07-30)

Kamikazes, Corsairs and Picket Ships: Okinawa, 1945

“To any who want to learn more about the age of the Kamikaze at Okinawa, this book is to be desired. For the serious historian who wants a “blow by blow” coverage of the US defense against the Japanese airpower portion of the battle for Okinawa, it is a must. And for the casual reader…you’ll gain insight even if you just peruse this book.” —Airborne Quarterly

“. . . crisp, engrossing narrative . . . puts the reader right onto the blazing decks and into the cockpits of the attackers and defenders during one of the most hard-fought engagements of the entire war.”—World War II History

This is the previously untold story of one of the most ferocious and prolonged air/naval battles in history: the battle at the radar picket stations during the American assault on Okinawa in the spring of 1945. The US fleet and its accompanying airpower that took station off Okinawa was of gigantic proportions, such that the Japanese could only rely on suicide attacks to inflict critical damage. While losses in the main fleet, including damage to ships such as the Enterprise and Intrepid, have been well covered, less known is the terrific battle waged on the radar picket line, the fleet’s outer defense against Japanese marauders. Of the 206 ships that served on radar picket duty, nearly 30 percent were sunk or damaged by Japanese air attacks, making theirs the most hazardous naval surface duty in World War II. The great losses were largely due to the relentless nature of the kamikaze attacks, but also the improper use of support gunboats, failure to establish land-based radar at the earliest possible time, the assignment of ships ill-equipped for picket duty, and, as time went on, crew fatigue. The nature of the US air cover is also described in full, as squadrons dashed from their carriers and land bases to intercept the Japanese swarms, resulting in constant melees over the fleet. Toward the end of the battle, the radar picket ships became the prime kamikaze targets as Japanese pilots despaired of getting through the “big blue blanket” of American fighter planes to reach larger prey. Robin L. Rielly has written an engrossing narrative of air/naval combat, combining firsthand action with astute tactical and strategic analysis.

Reviews

“…very detailed…a terrific book about a subject that has hitherto received scant coverage. To understand what thousands of sailors and airmen faced off the shores of Okinawa, this is a must read.”

AIR POWER HISTORY , 2009-11-15

“…crisp, engrossing narrative…puts the reader right onto the blazing decks and into the cockpits of the attackers and defenders during one of the most hard-fought engagements of the entire war.”

WORLD WAR II HISTORY , 2010-01-01


“To any who want to learn more about the age of the Kamikaze at Okinawa, this book is to be desired. For the serious historian who wants a “blow by blow” coverage of the US defense against the Japanese airpower portion of the battle for Okinawa, it is a must. And for the casual reader…you’ll gain insight even if you just peruse this book.”

AIRBORNE QUARTERLY , 2009-12-15

“fantastically well documented story…”

FLYPAST, 2008-11-08

“…a fascinating account replete with photos, maps and insightful analysis.”

PROCEEDINGS, 2009-02-09

“… an enlightening and captivating account of radar picket duty…a worthy resource for anyone interested in naval war tactics and battle strategies during this era of maritime history…”

THE NORTHERN MARINER , 2009-03-09


“…brings a scholar’s attention to detail to the task…extremely useful as a reference resource…will naturally appeal to naval officers and aviators, but its insights on how to combat terror warfare has relevancy for a much broader audience.”

MILITARY ISSUE , 2010-05-01

Nazi Millionaires (v. 1.0.11)

Casemate Publishers опубликовал приложение 2011-07-28
(обновлено 2011-07-28)

During the final days of World War II, German SS officers crammed trains, cars, and trucks full of gold, currency, and jewels, and headed for the mountains of Austria. Fearful of arrest and determined to keep the stolen loot out of Allied hands, they concealed their treasures and fled. Most of these men were eventually apprehended, but many managed to evade capture. The intensive postwar Allied investigation that followed recovered only a sliver of this mountain of gold. What happened to the rest of it, and what fate befell these men?

Authors Alford and Savas answer these questions and many more in this fast-paced and well-written new book. Their groundbreaking study is based upon thousands of pages of previously unpublished and recently declassified documents. The result is a fresh and absolutely original reading experience that offers insights into the minds and methods of these SS thieves, the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA) within which they labored, how they achieved their positions of near-absolute power, the complex Allied investigation into their activities, and what happened to the vast sums of wealth they looted from Europe's Jews.

Nazi Millionaires deftly captures the high drama surrounding these men and women and the secrets they carried with them during the closing days of World War II--and in some cases, to the grave. It is a remarkable tale of greed, lust, fraud, deceit, treachery, and murder. And it is one you will long remember.

About the Authors: Kenneth D. Alford, of Richmond, Virginia, is the author of Great Treasure Stories of World War II and The Spoils of World War II. Theodore P. Savas has written or edited a dozen books, including Silent Hunters: German U-Boat Commanders of World War II. He lives in El Dorado Hills, California.

Surrounded by Heroes (v. 1.0.11)

Casemate Publishers опубликовал приложение 2011-07-28
(обновлено 2011-07-28)

When the author was inducted into the U.S. Army in 1942 he had no reason to expect special treatment. Instead, because he was a typist and draftsman, he was grabbed up by an outfit desperately in need of those skills. It was the G-3 (Operations) Section of the 82nd Airborne. Len Lebenson thus gained a ringside seat for some of the greatest campaigns of World War II.

The 82nd fought throughout the ETO, from the invasions of North Africa, Sicily and France, to the Netherlands, the Bulge and the drive on Berlin. And throughout the campaigns sat Lebenson at the division’s nerve center, typing orders, drafting battle maps, and acting as liaison. A rare enlisted man with “bigoted” (top secret) status, he was privy to the 82nd’s actions as they were being devised. In the process, he was able to gain firsthand looks at Ridgeway, Gavin, Patton, Montgomery and other luminaries who came through the Headquarters.

Along with the divisional staff, the author arrived in battle in many different ways—by ship, plane, glider, parachute and jeep. With the rest of the All American Division he shared the blistering heat of Africa, the bonechilling cold of the Ardennes, the confusion of battle, and the ever-present enemy fire.

Rising from private to master sergeant, Lebenson thought that he had “the best job in the army.” In this revealing memoir, however, he never fails to give full credit to the men on the firing line who suffered the greatest hardships and casualties. The author has provided a rare behind-the-scenes view of the 82nd Airborne in World War II, yet he is the first to acknowledge that his greatest honor was to be “Surrounded by Heroes.”

Len Lebenson lives in New York City.

Reviews

“… interesting and easy reading and provides a lot of insight into the operations and inner workings of one of the most famous of the Army’s WWII divisions.”

AIR POWER HISTORY, 2009-01-15

Filthy Thirteen (v. 1.0.3)

Casemate Publishers опубликовал приложение 2011-05-08
(обновлено 2011-05-08)

Since World War II, the American public has become fully aware of the exploits of the 101st Airborne Division, the paratroopers who led the Allied invasions into Nazi-held Europe. But within the ranks of the 101st, a sub-unit attained legendary status at the time, its reputation persisting among veterans over the decades.

Primarily products of the Dustbowl and the Depression, the Filthy13 grew notorious, even within the ranks of the elite 101st. Never ones to salute an officer, or take a bath, this squad became singular within the Screaming Eagles for its hard drinking, and savage fighting skill—and that was only in training. Just prior to the invasion of Normandy, a “Stars and Stripes” photographer caught U.S. paratroopers with heads shaved into Mohawks, applying war paint to their faces. Unknown to the American public at the time, these men were the Filthy 13. After parachuting behind enemy lines in the dark hours before D-Day, the Germans got a taste of the reckless courage of this unit — except now the men were fighting with Tommy guns and explosives, not just bare knuckles. In its spearhead role, the 13 suffered heavy casualties, some men wounded and others blown to bits. By the end of the war 30 men had passed through the squad.

Throughout the war, however, the heart and soul of the Filthy 13 remained a survivor named Jake McNiece, a half-breed Indian from Oklahoma — the toughest man in the squad and the one who formed its character. McNiece made four combat jumps, was in the forefront of every fight in northern Europe, yet somehow never made the rank of PFC. The survivors of the Filthy 13 stayed intact as a unit until the Allies finally conquered Nazi Germany.

The book does not draw a new portrait of earnest citizen soldiers. Instead it describes a group of hardscrabble guys whom any respectable person would be loath to meet in a bar or dark alley. But they were an integral part of the U.S. war against Nazi Germany. A brawling bunch of no-goodniks whose only saving grace was that they inflicted more damage on the Germans than on MPs, the English countryside and their own officers, the Filthy 13 remain a legend within the ranks of the 101st Airborne.

The Swiss and The Nazis (v. 1.0.0.2)

Casemate Publishers опубликовал приложение 2011-04-19
(обновлено 2011-04-19)

While surrounded by the Axis powers in World War II, Switzerland remained democratic and, unlike most of Europe, never succumbed to the siren songs and threats of the Nazi goliath. This book tells the story with emphasis on two voices rarely heard. One voice is that of scores of Swiss who lived in those dark years, told through oral history. They mobilized to defend the country, labored on the farms, and helped refugees. The other voice is that of Nazi Intelligence, those who spied on the Swiss and planned subversion and invasion. Exhaustive documents from the German military archives reveals a chilling rendition of attack plans which would be dissuaded in part by Switzerland's armed populace and Alpine defenses.
Laced with unique maps and photos, the book is organized into four units. The first, A War of Words and Nerves, reveals German prewar subversion plans. Chapters also depict how the Swiss mobilized an active "spiritual defense" of their country, including the use of the press and cabaret as weapons against totalitarianism, and the role of Swiss newsreels in building the spirit of resistance.

The second unit, Preparing for Invasion, concerns military preparations. Swiss soldiers recall an epoch when every day could have been "the day" when all hell would break lose and they would meet the enemy. Blitzkrieg plans against Switzerland devised by the German Wehrmacht in 1940 are described in detail. Switzerland was an armed camp with countless fortifications, against which the Axis could have attempted access with extreme costs in blood. In Switzerland, Jews -- like all other citizens -- were in arms, and Jewish officers served in the highest levels of the Swiss army.

Struggle for Survival: Food, Fuel and Fear, the third unit, presents oral histories of daily life during the war with its shortages, alarms, and rumors. Jokes and slurs the Swiss devised to characterize the "Nazi pigs” are told. Daily life is probed, including the role of women in the military and the economy. A chapter on the refugee crisis investigates whether Swiss officials played a role in Germany's adoption of the "J" stamp on Jewish passports, how Switzerland became a lifeboat for refugees, and how asylum policies were liberalized as the persecution of Jews escalated.

Espionage and Subversion, the fourth and final unit, covers strategic issues and intelligence activities. German attack plans and bickering in the Gestapo about who would rule a conquered Switzerland persisted. One chapter focuses on Davos, where the Swiss struggled against a Fifth Column and which became a safe haven for American airmen whose crippled bombers made it to Swiss territory. The last chapter profiles Switzerland as America's window on the Reich -- how Allen Dulles and his OSS spied on the Nazis, at times with help from Swiss Intelligence.

High resolution images and footnotes courtesy Ebooq.

Screaming Eagles (v. 1.0.0.2)

Casemate Publishers опубликовал приложение 2011-04-19
(обновлено 2011-04-19)

Robert Bowen was drafted into Company C, 401st Glider Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, as World War II broke out, and soon afterwards found himself storming ashore amid the chaos on Utah Beach, through unfamiliar terrain littered with minefields and hidden snipers. He was wounded during the Normandy campaign but went on to fight in Holland and the Ardennes where he was captured and his “trip through hell” truly began.

In each of Bowen’s campaigns, the 101st “Screaming Eagles” the Allied effort against ferocious German resistance or, as at Bastogne, stood nearly alone against the onslaught of enemy panzers and grenadiers. His insights into life behind German lines, after his capture, provide as much fascination as his exploits on the battlefield. An introduction by the world’s foremost historian of the 101st Airborne, George Koskimaki, further enhances this classic work.

Written shortly after the war, Bowen’s narrative is immediate, direct and compelling. His account, one of the few by a member of a glider regiment, provides a brutal insight into the battlefields of World War II and a vivid recreation of just what life was like in an elite unit. From the horror of D-Day and the despair of captivity, to the taste of C Rations and the fear of soldiers under fire, this memoir tells the full story of one man’s total war.

High resolution pictures and footnotes courtesy Ebooq.

At Leningrad's Gates (v. 1.0.0.2)

Casemate Publishers опубликовал приложение 2011-04-19
(обновлено 2011-04-19)

“…a well-wrought ground level view of daily life in hell.”—World War II Magazine

This is the remarkable story of a German soldier who fought throughout World War II, rising from conscript private to captain of a heavy weapons company on the Eastern Front.

William Lubbeck, age 19, was drafted into the Wehrmacht in August 1939. As a member of the 58th Infantry Division, he received his baptism of fire during the 1940 invasion of France. The following spring his division served on the left flank of Army Group North in Operation Barbarossa. After grueling marches amidst countless Russian bodies, burnt-out vehicles, and a great number of cheering Baltic civilians, Lubbeck’s unit entered the outskirts of Leningrad, making the deepest penetration of any German formation.

The Germans suffered hardships the following winter as they fought both Russian counterattacks and the brutal cold. The 58th Division was thrown back and forth across the front of Army Group North, from Novgorod to Demyansk, at one point fighting back Russian attacks on the ice of Lake Ilmen. A soldier who preferred to be close to the action, Lubbeck served as forward observer for his company, dueling with Russian snipers, partisans and full-scale assaults alike. His worries were not confined to his own safety, however, as news arrived of disasters in Germany, including the destruction of Hamburg where his girlfriend served as an Army nurse.

In September 1943, Lubbeck earned the Iron Cross and was assigned to officers’ training school in Dresden. By the time he returned to Russia, Army Group North was in full-scale retreat. Now commanding his former heavy weapons company, Lubbeck alternated sharp counterattacks with inexorable withdrawal to Memel on the Baltic. In April 1945 his company was nearly obliterated, but in the last scramble from East Prussia, he was able to evacuate on a newly minted German destroyer.

After his release from British captivity, Lubbeck immigrated to the United States where he raised a successful family. With the assistance of David B. Hurt, he has drawn on his wartime notes and letters, Soldatbuch, regimental history and personal memories to recount his frontline experience, including rare firsthand accounts of both triumph and disaster.

Delivered with high resolution graphics and footnotes by Ebooq

First Clash with Iran (v. 1.0.0.2)

Casemate Publishers опубликовал приложение 2011-04-19
(обновлено 2011-04-19)

In May 1987 the US frigate Stark, calmly sailing the waters of the Persian Gulf, was suddenly blown apart by an Exocet missile fired from a jet fighter of Iraq’s Saddam Hussein. A fifth of the ship’s crew were killed and many others horribly burned or wounded. This event jumpstarted one of the most mysterious conflicts in American history: “The Tanker War,” waged against Iran for control of the Persian Gulf.

This quasi-war took place at the climax of the mammoth Iran-Iraq War, during the last years of the Reagan administration. Losing on the battlefield, Ayatollah Khomeini’s Iran had decided to close the Persian Gulf against shipping from Iraq’s oil-rich backers, the emirate of Kuwait. The Kuwaitis appealed for help and America sent a fleet to the Gulf, raising the Stars and Stripes over Kuwait’s commercial tankers.

The result was a free-for-all, as the Iranians laid mines throughout the narrow passage and launched attack boats against both tankers and US warships. The sixth largest ship in the world, the tanker Bridgeton, hit an Iranian mine and flooded. The US Navy fought its largest surface battle since World War II against the Ayatollah’s assault boats.

Meanwhile, US Navy Seals had arrived in the Gulf, setting up shop aboard a mobile platform from which they would sally out in fast craft to combat the Iranians. As Saddam Hussein, who had instigated the conflict, looked on, Iranian gunners fired shore-based Silkworm missiles against US ships, actions which, if made known at the time, would have required the US Congress to declare war against Iran.

In July 1988, nervous sailors aboard the cruiser USS Vincennes shot an Iranian airliner out of the sky, killing 300 civilians. This event came one month before the end of the war, and may have been the final straw to influence the Ayatollah to finally drink from his “poisoned chalice.” In Tanker War, Lee Allen Zatarain, employing recently released Pentagon documents, firsthand interviews, and a determination to get to the truth, has revealed a conflict that few recognized at the time, but which may have presaged further battles to come.

Hi resolution pictures and footnotes courtesy Ebooq.

Exodus from the Alamo (v. 1.0.0.2)

Casemate Publishers опубликовал приложение 2011-04-19
(обновлено 2011-04-19)

Contrary to movie and legend, we now know that the defenders of the Alamo in the war for Texan independence—including Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie and William B. Travis—did not die under brilliant sunlight, defending their positions against hordes of Mexican infantry. Instead the Mexicans launched a predawn attack, surmounting the walls in darkness, forcing a wild melee inside the fort before many of its defenders had even awoken.

In this book, Dr. Tucker, after deep research into recently discovered Mexican accounts and the forensic evidence, informs us that the traditional myth of the Alamo is even more off-base: most of the Alamo’s defenders died in breakouts from the fort, cut down by Santa Anna’s cavalry that had been pre-positioned to intercept the escapees.

To be clear, a number of the Alamo’s defenders hung on inside the fort, fighting back every way they could. Captain Dickinson, with cannon atop the chapel (in which his wife hid), fired repeatedly into the Mexican throng of enemy cavalry until he was finally cut down. The controversy on Crockett still remains, though the recently authenticated diary of the Mexican de la Pena offers evidence that he surrendered.

The most startling aspect of this book is that most of the Texans, in two gallantly led groups, broke out of the fort after the enemy had broken in, and the primary fights took place on the plain outside. Still fighting desperately, the Texans’ retreat was halted by cavalry, and afterward Mexican lancers plied their trade with bloodcurdling charges into the midst of the remaining resisters.

Notoriously, Santa Anna burned the bodies of the Texans who had dared stand against him. As this book proves in thorough detail, the funeral pyres were well outside the fort—that is, where the two separate groups of escapers fell on the plain, rather than in the Alamo itself.

High resolution graphics and footnotes are handled by Ebooq.