Lawrence Paterson – författare

Packed with illustrations, this is the first history of MarinegruppenkommandoSüd, Germany’s southern naval command that fought a fast and furious war at the far end of the Mediterranean.As Germany and Italy overran Yugoslavia and Greece in early 1941, the Kriegsmarine established a new theatre command, tasked with establishing German control over the eastern Mediterranean and coordinating actions with the Italian, Romanian and Bulgarian navies. With the invasion of the USSR that summer, the Black Sea would also become a battleground, and Naval Group South would be established.For the first time, Kriegsmarine historian Lawrence Paterson outlines the dizzying array of Kriegsmarine combat units that fought under Naval Group South – S-boats and U-boats, flotillas of escort ships, landing ships, artillery vessels, patrol boats, submarine hunters and minesweepers – and how they operated, including their organization, their complex logistics, and vital intelligence and communications. Combat was frequently fast and furious, ranging from pitched battles with the Soviet Black Sea Fleet and operations supporting Operation Barbarossa to combat against naval units of Tito’s Partisans off the Croatian coast.Superbly illustrated with rare photos, artwork of dramatic actions, 3D diagrams and maps, this explores the little-known naval war fought by Germany’s smaller craft, at the farthest reach of German naval power in Europe.

A unique perspective of the global history of U-boats during the entirety of the Second World War by Lawrence Paterson, one of the world’s leading U-boat experts.The accepted historical narrative of the Second World War predominantly assigns U-boats to the so-called ‘Battle of the Atlantic’, almost as if the struggle over convoys between the new world and the old can be viewed in isolation from simultaneous events on land and in the air. This has become an almost accepted error. The U-boats war did not exist solely between 1940 and 1943, nor did the Atlantic battle occur in seclusion from other theatres of action. he story of Germany’s second U-boat war began on the first day of hostilities with Britain and France and ended with the final torpedo sinking on 7 May 1945. U-boats were active in nearly every theatre of operation in which the Wehrmacht served, and within all but the Southern Ocean. Moreover, these deployments were not undertaken in isolation from one another; instead they were frequently interconnected in what became an increasingly inefficient German naval strategy.This fascinating new book places each theatre of action in which U-boats were deployed into the broader context of the Second World War in its entirety while also studying the interdependence of the various geographic deployments. It illustrates the U-boats’ often direct relationship with land, sea and aerial campaigns of both the Allied and Axis powers and dispels certain accepted mythologies. Finally, it reveals how the ultimate failure of the U-boats stemmed as much from chaotic German military and industrial mismanagement as it did from Allied advances in code-breaking and weaponry.

A unique perspective of the global history of U-boats during the entirety of the Second World War by Lawrence Paterson, one of the world''s leading U-boat experts.The accepted historical narrative of the Second World War predominantly assigns U-boats to the so-called ''Battle of the Atlantic'', almost as if the struggle over convoys between the new world and the old can be viewed in isolation from simultaneous events on land and in the air. This has become an almost accepted error. The U-boats war did not exist solely between 1940 and 1943, nor did the Atlantic battle occur in seclusion from other theatres of action. he story of Germany''s second U-boat war began on the first day of hostilities with Britain and France and ended with the final torpedo sinking on 7 May 1945. U-boats were active in nearly every theatre of operation in which the Wehrmacht served, and within all but the Southern Ocean. Moreover, these deployments were not undertaken in isolation from one another; instead they were frequently interconnected in what became an increasingly inefficient German naval strategy.This fascinating new book places each theatre of action in which U-boats were deployed into the broader context of the Second World War in its entirety while also studying the interdependence of the various geographic deployments. It illustrates the U-boats'' often direct relationship with land, sea and aerial campaigns of both the Allied and Axis powers and dispels certain accepted mythologies. Finally, it reveals how the ultimate failure of the U-boats stemmed as much from chaotic German military and industrial mismanagement as it did from Allied advances in code-breaking and weaponry.

A unique perspective of the global history of U-boats during the entirety of the Second World War by Lawrence Paterson, one of the world''s leading U-boat experts.The accepted historical narrative of the Second World War predominantly assigns U-boats to the so-called ''Battle of the Atlantic'', almost as if the struggle over convoys between the new world and the old can be viewed in isolation from simultaneous events on land and in the air. This has become an almost accepted error. The U-boats war did not exist solely between 1940 and 1943, nor did the Atlantic battle occur in seclusion from other theatres of action. he story of Germany''s second U-boat war began on the first day of hostilities with Britain and France and ended with the final torpedo sinking on 7 May 1945. U-boats were active in nearly every theatre of operation in which the Wehrmacht served, and within all but the Southern Ocean. Moreover, these deployments were not undertaken in isolation from one another; instead they were frequently interconnected in what became an increasingly inefficient German naval strategy.This fascinating new book places each theatre of action in which U-boats were deployed into the broader context of the Second World War in its entirety while also studying the interdependence of the various geographic deployments. It illustrates the U-boats'' often direct relationship with land, sea and aerial campaigns of both the Allied and Axis powers and dispels certain accepted mythologies. Finally, it reveals how the ultimate failure of the U-boats stemmed as much from chaotic German military and industrial mismanagement as it did from Allied advances in code-breaking and weaponry.

Germany''s legendary Atlantic surface war was fought by Naval Group West. Superbly illustrated, this unpacks the details of how it operated and fought.Having spent the 1930s on an ambitious but confused bid to build a new battle fleet, Germany began World War II woefully unprepared. Under Marinegruppenkommando West, its heavy ships and raiders were tasked with challenging Allied dominance of the Atlantic. In this book, Kriegsmarine specialist Lawrence Paterson explores how Naval Group West took on the challenge. He reassesses the qualities of the fleet, and how the confusion over their original role meant that ships like the Bismarck were less than ideal for raiding. Operating as far afield as the Indian Ocean also relied on an elaborate tanker and supply network, as well as Germany''s superb signals intelligence. He also explains the complex Kriegsmarine command structure during the 1930s and early war, how responsibility for the ships veered between Naval Group West, the Naval Staff, and type commanders, and how the conquest of France transformed the command. He also explains how the Luftwaffe failed the surface fleet, both in scouting at sea and defending them in port.With superb artwork, 3D diagrams, maps and archive photos, this book explores and assesses Germany''s commerce war, from the Graf Spee''s cruise to the ill-fated exploits of Bismarck, and the final high-risk retreat from Brest, the Channel Dash.

Germany’s legendary Atlantic surface war was fought by Naval Group West. Superbly illustrated, this unpacks the details of how it operated and fought.Having spent the 1930s on an ambitious but confused bid to build a new battle fleet, Germany began World War II woefully unprepared. Under Marinegruppenkommando West, its heavy ships and raiders were tasked with challenging Allied dominance of the Atlantic. In this book, Kriegsmarine specialist Lawrence Paterson explores how Naval Group West took on the challenge. He reassesses the qualities of the fleet, and how the confusion over their original role meant that ships like the Bismarck were less than ideal for raiding. Operating as far afield as the Indian Ocean also relied on an elaborate tanker and supply network, as well as Germany’s superb signals intelligence. He also explains the complex Kriegsmarine command structure during the 1930s and early war, how responsibility for the ships veered between Naval Group West, the Naval Staff, and type commanders, and how the conquest of France transformed the command. He also explains how the Luftwaffe failed the surface fleet, both in scouting at sea and defending them in port.With superb artwork, 3D diagrams, maps and archive photos, this book explores and assesses Germany’s commerce war, from the Graf Spee’s cruise to the ill-fated exploits of Bismarck, and the final high-risk retreat from Brest, the Channel Dash.

Germany''s legendary Atlantic surface war was fought by Naval Group West. Superbly illustrated, this unpacks the details of how it operated and fought.Having spent the 1930s on an ambitious but confused bid to build a new battle fleet, Germany began World War II woefully unprepared. Under Marinegruppenkommando West, its heavy ships and raiders were tasked with challenging Allied dominance of the Atlantic. In this book, Kriegsmarine specialist Lawrence Paterson explores how Naval Group West took on the challenge. He reassesses the qualities of the fleet, and how the confusion over their original role meant that ships like the Bismarck were less than ideal for raiding. Operating as far afield as the Indian Ocean also relied on an elaborate tanker and supply network, as well as Germany''s superb signals intelligence. He also explains the complex Kriegsmarine command structure during the 1930s and early war, how responsibility for the ships veered between Naval Group West, the Naval Staff, and type commanders, and how the conquest of France transformed the command. He also explains how the Luftwaffe failed the surface fleet, both in scouting at sea and defending them in port.With superb artwork, 3D diagrams, maps and archive photos, this book explores and assesses Germany''s commerce war, from the Graf Spee''s cruise to the ill-fated exploits of Bismarck, and the final high-risk retreat from Brest, the Channel Dash.

An authoritative, illustrated history of how Germany fought to dominate the North Sea in early World War II, and take the naval war to Britain's coasts.Britain's war economy relied not only on the Atlantic Convoys, but also on superiority in coastal waters. Six days out of seven, convoys left Scotland and northern England, laden chiefly with the coal that the south required London alone needing 40,000 tons a week. Cutting these lines, as well as challenging military and naval movements, was the responsibility of Germany's North Sea Command.Here, Kriegsmarine expert Lawrence Paterson offers the first study of Germany's fierce war in the North Sea from a strategic and operational perspective. Although famous for its dashing S-boats, the North Sea saw an array of ships from battleships (briefly) and cruisers to converted fishing boats. Destroyers, torpedo boats and minelayers laid extensive mine barrages close inshore, in the face of the Royal Navy. He also explores the command's defences, with its many Kriegsmarine shore troops, artillery emplacements, flak batteries and small units of marines.German coastal forces engaged British forces at Dunkirk and, with the fall of France, the war spread along the entire coastline. With diagrams, archive photos (some unpublished) and original artwork, this is the story of the Kriegsmarine's struggle to cut Britain's military and trade arteries.

An authoritative, illustrated history of how Germany fought to dominate the North Sea in early World War II, and take the naval war to Britain's coasts.Britain's war economy relied not only on the Atlantic Convoys, but also on superiority in coastal waters. Six days out of seven, convoys left Scotland and northern England, laden chiefly with the coal that the south required London alone needing 40,000 tons a week. Cutting these lines, as well as challenging military and naval movements, was the responsibility of Germany's North Sea Command.Here, Kriegsmarine expert Lawrence Paterson offers the first study of Germany's fierce war in the North Sea from a strategic and operational perspective. Although famous for its dashing S-boats, the North Sea saw an array of ships from battleships (briefly) and cruisers to converted fishing boats. Destroyers, torpedo boats and minelayers laid extensive mine barrages close inshore, in the face of the Royal Navy. He also explores the command's defences, with its many Kriegsmarine shore troops, artillery emplacements, flak batteries and small units of marines.German coastal forces engaged British forces at Dunkirk and, with the fall of France, the war spread along the entire coastline. With diagrams, archive photos (some unpublished) and original artwork, this is the story of the Kriegsmarine's struggle to cut Britain's military and trade arteries.

An authoritative, illustrated history of how Germany fought to dominate the North Sea in early World War II, and take the naval war to Britain's coasts.Britain’s war economy relied not only on the Atlantic Convoys, but also on superiority in coastal waters. Six days out of seven, convoys left Scotland and northern England, laden chiefly with the coal that the south required – London alone needing 40,000 tons a week. Cutting these lines, as well as challenging military and naval movements, was the responsibility of Germany’s North Sea Command.Here, Kriegsmarine expert Lawrence Paterson offers the first study of Germany’s fierce war in the North Sea from a strategic and operational perspective. Although famous for its dashing S-boats, the North Sea saw an array of ships from battleships (briefly) and cruisers to converted fishing boats. Destroyers, torpedo boats and minelayers laid extensive mine barrages close inshore, in the face of the Royal Navy. He also explores the command's defences, with its many Kriegsmarine shore troops, artillery emplacements, flak batteries and small units of marines.German coastal forces engaged British forces at Dunkirk and, with the fall of France, the war spread along the entire coastline. With diagrams, archive photos (some unpublished) and original artwork, this is the story of the Kriegsmarine’s struggle to cut Britain’s military and trade arteries.

Fully illustrated, this is the first full history of the Kriegsmarine’s challenging operations from occupied Norway, tackling Allied sea power in the North Sea and Arctic. The invasion of Norway was intended to secure Germany’s northern flank, and win access to the Atlantic and to vital Scandinavian resources. It was the Kriegsmarine’s biggest, most testing, and most costly amphibious operation, and victory only brought new demands on the mauled surface fleet. Naval historian Lawrence Paterson here examines the Kriegsmarine’s presence and operations in occupied Norway, as the fleet fought to secure its new waters and launch offensive operations, first against the British and later the Soviets. It is a theatre most famous as the last lair of Germany’s battleships and for operations against the Arctic Convoys, but operations involved the full spectrum of the navy. Convoy protection, coastal security and interdiction were vital throughout the war and relied heavily on Germany’s workhorse Vorpostenboote. Illustrated with some rare and unpublished photos, superb original artwork, diagrams and maps, this book explores the full story of the Kriegsmarine in Norway. From warships and combat to its strategic tasks, the complex and confusing command structure, intelligence, logistics, security and facilities, it is the first comprehensive history of Germany’s fleet in the far north.

Packed with illustrations, this is the first history of MarinegruppenkommandoS d, Germany's southern naval command that fought a fast and furious war at the far end of the Mediterranean. As Germany and Italy overran Yugoslavia and Greece in early 1941, the Kriegsmarine established a new theatre command, tasked with establishing German control over the eastern Mediterranean and coordinating actions with the Italian, Romanian and Bulgarian navies. With the invasion of the USSR that summer, the Black Sea would also become a battleground, and Naval Group South would be established. For the first time, Kriegsmarine historian Lawrence Paterson outlines the dizzying array of Kriegsmarine combat units that fought under Naval Group South S-boats and U-boats, flotillas of escort ships, landing ships, artillery vessels, patrol boats, submarine hunters and minesweepers and how they operated, including their organization, their complex logistics, and vital intelligence and communications. Combat was frequently fast and furious, ranging from pitched battles with the Soviet Black Sea Fleet and operations supporting Operation Barbarossa to combat against naval units of Tito's Partisans off the Croatian coast. Superbly illustrated with rare photos, artwork of dramatic actions, 3D diagrams and maps, this explores the little-known naval war fought by Germany's smaller craft, at the farthest reach of German naval power in Europe.

Packed with illustrations, this is the first history of MarinegruppenkommandoS d, Germany's southern naval command that fought a fast and furious war at the far end of the Mediterranean. As Germany and Italy overran Yugoslavia and Greece in early 1941, the Kriegsmarine established a new theatre command, tasked with establishing German control over the eastern Mediterranean and coordinating actions with the Italian, Romanian and Bulgarian navies. With the invasion of the USSR that summer, the Black Sea would also become a battleground, and Naval Group South would be established. For the first time, Kriegsmarine historian Lawrence Paterson outlines the dizzying array of Kriegsmarine combat units that fought under Naval Group South S-boats and U-boats, flotillas of escort ships, landing ships, artillery vessels, patrol boats, submarine hunters and minesweepers and how they operated, including their organization, their complex logistics, and vital intelligence and communications. Combat was frequently fast and furious, ranging from pitched battles with the Soviet Black Sea Fleet and operations supporting Operation Barbarossa to combat against naval units of Tito's Partisans off the Croatian coast. Superbly illustrated with rare photos, artwork of dramatic actions, 3D diagrams and maps, this explores the little-known naval war fought by Germany's smaller craft, at the farthest reach of German naval power in Europe.

Fully illustrated, this is the first study of how the Brandenburgers – Germany’s covert special forces – seized the bridges that led into France in 1940, in their biggest campaign to date.Formed from elements of various unorthodox units and militia groups that took part in the invasion of Poland, by mid-1940 the Brandenburgers were established as the Wehrmacht’s specialists in operating behind enemy lines. With several separate battle groups set tasks that could determine the success of the whole campaign, the invasions of France, Belgium, and the Netherlands would be the Brandenburgers' debut as a key part of the German war machine.The bold strategy of Fall Gelb and Fall Rot depended on seizing major river bridges in Belgium and the southern Netherlands, without which the Germans’ rapid advance would stall. Researcher and historian Lawrence Paterson examines the overlooked story of how the Brandenburgers were organized and tasked to seize dozens of these bridges and other key targets, relying both on deception and fighting skills. It was a role which proved their worth in major operations and prompted their expansion afterwards into a full regiment.Illustrated with archive photos and specially commissioned artwork and maps, this book examines and assesses the course of every assault – not all of which were successful, and which often turned into savage battles – as the Brandenburgers fought to open the road to France.

Formed in 1935, First U-Boat Flotilla operated against Hitler's enemies from the very earliest stage of the war through to September 1944 when disbanded amid the flames of Brest during the US siege. Over seventy-five per cent of operational U-boats were lost as the Allies' counter-measures and code-breaking successes took ever greater effect. This fascinating work records the Flotilla's successes and disasters in detail.

This study of the Kriegsmarine's Sicherungsstreitkr fte, their security forces, fills a glaring gap in the study of the German navy in World War Two. This wide array of vessels included patrol boats, minesweepers, submarine hunters, barrage breakers, landing craft, minelayers and even the riverine flotilla that patrolled the Danube as it snaked towards the Black Sea. These vessels may not have provided the glamour associated with capital ships and U-boats, but they were crucial to the survival of the Kriegsmarine at every stage of hostilities. As naval construction was unable to keep pace with the likely demand for security vessels, Grossadmiral Erich Raeder turned to the conversion of merchant vessels. For example, trawlers were requisitioned as patrol boats (Vorpostenboote) and minesweepers (Minensucher), while freighters, designated Sperrbrecher, were filled with buoyant materials and sent to clear minefields. Submarine hunters (U-Boot J ger) were requisitioned fishing vessels.More than 120 flotillas operated in wildly different conditions, from the Arctic to the Mediterranean, and 81 men were to be awarded the Knights Cross; some were still operating after the cessation of hostilities clearing German minefields.The author deals with whole subject at every level, documenting organisational changes, describing the vessels, and recounting individual actions of ships at sea, while extensive appendices round off this major new work.

Very little has been written about the U-boat war in the Indian Ocean, where almost forty German submarines were assigned to operate from the Malaysian port of Georgetown alongside troops of the occupying Imperial Japanese forces. From that base they sailed across the vast Indian Ocean and into the Pacific. Success in this theater of war could very possibly have swung the tide of battle in North Africa in favor of Rommel, and the joint operations with the Japanese allowed the Germans to penetrate the Pacific Ocean for the first time, attacking shipping off the Australian coast and hunting off New Zealand. Plans were even made to attack US supply lines.Hitlers Grey Wolves is the story of this forgotten campaign, bringing it vividly to life through Lawrence Paterson's incisive analysis, eyewitness testimony and an extensive collection of contemporary photographs. Very little has been written about the U-boat war in the Indian Ocean, where almost forty German submarines were assigned to operate from the Malaysian port of Georgetown alongside troops of the occupying Imperial Japanese forces. From that base they sailed across the vast Indian Ocean and into the Pacific.EPUB3: Reflowable

Very little has been written about the U-boat war in the Indian Ocean, where almost forty German submarines were assigned to operate from the Malaysian port of Georgetown alongside troops of the occupying Imperial Japanese forces. From that base they sailed across the vast Indian Ocean and into the Pacific. Success in this theatre of war could very possibly have swung the tide of battle in North Africa in favour of Rommel, and the joint operations with the Japanese allowed the Germans to penetrate the Pacific Ocean for the first time, attacking shipping off the Australian coast and hunting off New Zealand. Plans were even made to attack US supply lines.Hitlers Grey Wolves is the story of this forgotten campaign, bringing it vividly to life through Lawrence Patersons incisive analysis, eyewitness testimony and an extensive collection of contemporary photographs.Very little has been written about the U-boat war in the Indian Ocean, where almost forty German submarines were assigned to operate from the Malaysian port of Georgetown alongside troops of the occupying Imperial Japanese forces. From that base they sailed across the vast Indian Ocean and into the Pacific.

This unique account charts the complete story of a single U-boat patrol through the summer of 1942 based around a remarkable collection of photographs that were ‘liberated’ from a concrete U-boat pen in Brest at the end of the war and which had, until recently, remained hidden in a shoe box. The boat in question, U-564, carried the famous three black cat motif of Reinhard ‘Teddy’ Suhren who, along with Prien and Kretschmer, was one of the top U-boat commanders during the battles of the Atlantic. This remarkable book provides unique access into both the day-to-day life of a U-boat at sea and into the detailed workings of the Kriegsmarine. Through the successes and trials of U-564 the reader is transported to that vast and watery battlefield that was perhaps the most significant theatre of the Second World War.

As the Third Reich headed for destruction, German ingenuity in the naval field turned to unconventional weapons – midget submarines, radio-controlled explosive boats, and various forms of underwater sabotage. This is one of the last un-chronicled areas of World War II naval history and this well-known author describes how, facing overwhelming odds, German sailors – most of them volunteers – mounted attacks that were little better than suicide missions. Judged by their effect on the Allied advance, their successes were slight, but there seems to have been no collapse of morale and the indomitable bravery of those involved makes riveting reading. Pieced together from fragmentary sources, this largely untold story uncovers some of the most desperate operations of the War.

As the Third Reich headed for destruction, German ingenuity in the naval field turned to unconventional weapons - midget submarines, radio-controlled explosive boats, and various forms of underwater sabotage. This is one of the last un-chronicled areas of World War II naval history and this well-known author describes how, facing overwhelming odds, German sailors - most of them volunteers - mounted attacks that were little better than suicide missions. Judged by their effect on the Allied advance, their successes were slight, but there seems to have been no collapse of morale and the indomitable bravery of those involved makes riveting reading. Pieced together from fragmentary sources, this largely untold story uncovers some of the most desperate operations of the War.

The arduous development of a dedicated naval air arm for Germany's resurgent military was fraught with the kind of fierce inter-service rivalry that was rife throughout the turbulent history of the Third Reich. However, almost despite the odds, a small dedicated maritime strike force was assembled, germinating during the Spanish Civil War before being committed to action from the first days of the invasion of Poland. Concurrently, the operational Luftwaffe developed its own maritime units that would eventually subsume all of the Kriegsmarine-controlled formations as the war years progressed. This new book by the well-known author of German naval operations in WWII offers, for the first time, an in-depth study of all the Luftwaffe maritime operations. This is the first of two volumes and takes the story up to 1942.The story of Luftwaffe maritime operations has frequently been written about in fragmentary terms, delineating between the planned naval air arm operating under Kriegsmarine direction and the operational Luftwaffe'. Each branch of service and even aircraft type has usually been studied in isolation. This book, however, broadens the lens to study the development of German naval aircraft as a whole, not as separate independent services but rather as a concerted attempt to engage the enemy at sea in every theatre of operations, from Norway and Western Europe to the Mediterranean and the Eastern fronts, and, of course, over the Atlantic. Through ship-board aircraft, torpedo bomber attacks, minelaying and reconnaissance missions, Luftwaffe maritime aircraft played a vital role in Germany's naval war and the author analyses all the operations and the successes in the early years of the War. This first volume ends in 1942 when, despite great success, petty rivalry and naked arrogance combined to foreshadow the eventual defeat of the Luftwaffe's war at sea.Heavily illustrated throughout, this detailed and exciting operational history will be of huge appeal to both naval and aviation historians and enthusiasts.

The arduous development of a dedicated naval air arm for Germany’s resurgent military was fraught with the kind of fierce inter-service rivalry that was rife throughout the turbulent history of the Third Reich. However, almost despite the odds, a small dedicated maritime strike force was assembled, germinating during the Spanish Civil War before being committed to action from the first days of the invasion of Poland. Concurrently, the operational Luftwaffe developed its own maritime units that would eventually subsume all of the Kriegsmarine-controlled formations as the war years progressed. This new book by the well-known author of German naval operations in WWII offers, for the first time, an in-depth study of all the Luftwaffe maritime operations. This is the first of two volumes and takes the story up to 1942. The story of Luftwaffe maritime operations has frequently been written about in fragmentary terms, delineating between the planned naval air arm operating under Kriegsmarine direction and the ‘operational Luftwaffe’. Each branch of service — and even aircraft type — has usually been studied in isolation. This book, however, broadens the lens to study the development of German naval aircraft as a whole, not as separate independent services but rather as a concerted attempt to engage the enemy at sea in every theatre of operations, from Norway and Western Europe to the Mediterranean and the Eastern fronts, and, of course, over the Atlantic. Through ship-board aircraft, torpedo bomber attacks, minelaying and reconnaissance missions, Luftwaffe maritime aircraft played a vital role in Germany’s naval war and the author analyses all the operations and the successes in the early years of the War. This first volume ends in 1942 when, despite great success, petty rivalry and naked arrogance combined to foreshadow the eventual defeat of the Luftwaffe’s war at sea. Heavily illustrated throughout, this detailed and exciting operational history will be of huge appeal to both naval and aviation historians and enthusiasts.

The arduous development of a dedicated naval air arm for Germany’s resurgent military was fraught with the kind of fierce inter-service rivalry that was rife throughout the turbulent history of the Third Reich. However, almost despite the odds, a small dedicated maritime strike force was assembled, germinating during the Spanish Civil War before being committed to action from the first days of the invasion of Poland. Concurrently, the operational Luftwaffe developed its own maritime units that would eventually subsume all of the Kriegsmarine-controlled formations as the war years progressed. This new book by the well-known author of German naval operations in WWII offers, for the first time, an in-depth study of all the Luftwaffe maritime operations. This is the first of two volumes and takes the story up to 1942.The story of Luftwaffe maritime operations has frequently been written about in fragmentary terms, delineating between the planned naval air arm operating under Kriegsmarine direction and the ‘operational Luftwaffe’. Each branch of service — and even aircraft type — has usually been studied in isolation. This book, however, broadens the lens to study the development of German naval aircraft as a whole, not as separate independent services but rather as a concerted attempt to engage the enemy at sea in every theatre of operations, from Norway and Western Europe to the Mediterranean and the Eastern fronts, and, of course, over the Atlantic. Through ship-board aircraft, torpedo bomber attacks, minelaying and reconnaissance missions, Luftwaffe maritime aircraft played a vital role in Germany’s naval war and the author analyses all the operations and the successes in the early years of the War. This first volume ends in 1942 when, despite great success, petty rivalry and naked arrogance combined to foreshadow the eventual defeat of the Luftwaffe’s war at sea.Heavily illustrated throughout, this detailed and exciting operational history will be of huge appeal to both naval and aviation historians and enthusiasts.

This is the second volume of Lawrence Paterson's detailed account of all the Luftwaffe's naval operations during World War II. The first volume took the story up to 1942, and by the end of that year Hermann G ring's Reich Air Ministry had subsumed nearly every aspect of Wehrmacht maritime aviation. Kriegsmarine attempts to develop an independent Fleet Air Arm had been perpetually frustrated, reflecting the chaotic nature of the Third Reich's internal military and political mechanics.Driven more by vanity than operational prudence, the Luftwaffe had continually thwarted the advancement of maritime aviation, and by 1942 began to reap the whirlwind it had created. The U-boat war hung precariously in the balance, the lack of well trained and properly equipped aerial reconnaissance suddenly assuming greater importance than ever before. During 1943 the nature of Germany's war mutated and by its close the Allies were on the offensive in nearly all theatres. This volume resumes the story with Operation Torch in November 1942, when Germany faced an Allied seaborne invasion of North Africa that it was ill-equipped to counter by land, sea or air; and the spectre of even greater invasion armadas loomed on both the southern and western fronts during the months that followed. Facing the Russians, maritime air units were stripped to the bone, those precious few formations available shunted rapidly between military crisis points until barely able to function. The rise of Luftwaffe maritime operations described in the author's first volume now became, from 1942 onwards, a fall of catastrophic proportions as frequently undertrained crews flew increasingly obsolete aircraft against odds that had become overwhelming. The Luftwaffe was paying the price for its pre-war lack of cohesive strategic planning, none more so than its beleaguered maritime specialists. The author covers this story across all the theatres of the war and in doing so gives the reader a complete and coherent picture of all the Luftwaffe's naval operations.Heavily illustrated throughout, this detailed and exciting narrative will be of huge appeal to both naval and aviation historians and enthusiasts.

A fitting tribute to Germany's clandestine warriors, and a guarantee that their extraordinary efforts have not been relegated to comparative obscurity or entirely forgotten' - David R Higgins.Hitler's daring and pioneering Brandenburgers special forces served in every German theatre of action. This is the most comprehensive account of an unusual and profoundly successful band of men. Lawrence Paterson traces the origins of the small unit, before the outbreak of war in 1939, as the brainchild of Admiral Canaris and part of his Abwehr intelligence unit through through to its breaking up in 1944 when it was largely converted to a, conventional Panzergrenadier division. At that point, many Brandenburgers transferred to Otto Skorzeny's SS Jagdverbande.It is well-known that German troops disguised themselves as Allied troops for the Battle of the Bulge - but less well known the Brandenburger operations used such disguises - more effectively -in in advance of the Blitzkrieg in 1939-41.Despite their profound success as commando raiding troops their history has been overshadowed by equivalent Allied units and largely ignored. However, within North Africa the Brandenburgers employed similar techniques to the SAS and LRDG, at first earning Erwin Rommel's disapproval for their unorthodox methods until he began to feel the effect of similar Allied raids.Paterson details the roles of key individuals, such as Theodor von Hippel, along with forensic details of key operations. He explodes many of the myths about the unit and provides a clear and comprehensive history of this key part of the Wehrmacht.

"e;Provides an excellent overview of the development of parachute troops as well as an exciting battle narrative and gripping human interest story."e; -Argunners MagazineFormed by a collection of free-thinking army and air force officers, the fledgling British paratrooper unit, known as the "e;SAS,"e; deployed trial and error in terms of tactics and equipment before an elite few were selected to make the first British parachute raid of the war, which took place in Basilicata, Italy on 10 February 1941. Collectively known as "e;X-Troop,"e; these men were parachuted by specially selected bomber crews into the heart of enemy territory, where they successfully destroyed their target, the Tragino Aqueduct, before becoming the object of an exhaustive manhunt by Italian troops and civilians. Captured, they were variously interrogated, imprisoned, and the Italian SOE agent placed on trial for treason and executed. Given the distances that had to be covered, the logistical complications and the lack of any precedent, the raid was a remarkable feat. Its success or failure depended on a group of men using methods and equipment thus far untried by the British Army. They were truly "e;guinea pigs"e; for those that would follow in their footsteps. Often overlooked in British military history, Paterson brings this extraordinary episode to light, drawing on verbatim testimony and interrogating the truth of previous accounts. From the formation of the unit and the build up to its first deployment, through Operation Colossus and its aftermath, to its ongoing legacy today, this is the fascinating story of the modern-day British Parachute Regiment. "e;Well written with all the flash and dash of typical commando warfare."e; Historical Miniatures Gaming Society