Osprey Military Books

The USAAF's Tuskegee Experiment, designed to prove that African-Americans were not capable of flying combat aircraft, resulted in the creation of one of the USAAF's elite units. Commanded by Col Bejamin O Davis, the 332nd were able to boast 111 aerial kills, 150 strafing victories and even the sinking of a German destroyer by the war's end. The group were both feared and respected by the Germans, who called them the 'Schwartze Voglemenschen' (Black Birdmen), and revered by others because they never lost a bomber under escort to enemy air attack - a feat unmatched by any other fighter group in World War 2. This book will reveal the true story of the unit who rose above discrimination to achieve elite status.

The German 88 mm was by far the most famous and versatile artillery weapon of World War II. First used during the Spanish Civil War, it saw further service in the German invasions of Poland and France, and during this period it was first used in the anti-tank role. This new role was particularly successful and the 88 became feared by tank crews from North Africa to Russia.

Gregory Fremont-Barnes examines the lives of the American Bomber Crewmen of the Eighth Air Force, 'The Mighty Eighth', who manned, maintained and repaired the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and the B-24 Liberators that flew from the airfields of England. He highlights the physical and psychological strain placed on these men, who required brute strength to control the aircraft on long bombing missions and extraordinary endurance to fly for hours at 20,000 feet at temperatures below freezing in unpressurised cabins. In addition to this, with Luftwaffe fighters and anti-aircraft fire to contend with, it required incredible skill and some luck to return from a mission unscathed. This book is a fitting tribute to these often uncelebrated heroes who took the war deep into the Third Reich, as well as a fascinating historical account of their experiences.

The Mississippi River played a decisive role in the American Civil War. The Confederate fortifications that controlled the lower Mississippi valley were put to the test in the lengthy Federal campaign of 1862-63. Vicksburg was a fortress city, known as the 'Gibraltar of the Confederacy', whose capture was seen as the key to victory in the war. This book explores the fortifications of the river valley, focusing on Vicksburg and its defences which boasted a network of forts, rifle pits and cannon embrasures surrounding the city, a well as examining the strengths and weaknesses of the fortifications when under siege. Also examined are numerous other fortified strongholds, including New Orleans, Port Hudson, New Madrid, and forts Henry and Donelson, all lavishly illustrated with full-colour artwork and cutaways.

The battle of Amiens was the turning point of World War I, confirming to all that the strategic initiative had decisively returned to the Allies. The battle heralded the arrival of new strategic, tactical and operational methods of attack for the Allies. Most importantly, by the time the battle ended on 11 August the desire of the German leadership to continue the war had been shattered. In this book Alistair McCluskey describes the course of the battle and the commanders involved. He details troop movements that illustrate the rapid advance of Allied forces, all of which are analysed using both traditional and bird's-eye-view maps. Released to coincide with the 90th anniversary of the battle, this book is illustrated with some amazingly poignant rare photographs and full-colour artwork, providing a detailed analysis of the battle that heralded the beginning of the end of World War I.

The first day of the battle of the Somme has always been perceived as a day of tragedy for the British Army, with the slaughter of 60,000 men on the battlefield. What seemed to be poor planning on the part of the British command meant that soldiers were sent into no man's land to face the horrors of uncut barbed wire and waves of German machine gun fire. However, there were triumphs amongst the tragedy. This book discusses the successes and failures of the British and the German forces along the frontline. It also offers a detailed account of the battle itself, following the actions of individual units throughout the day.