Velimir Vuksic – illustratör

Few of the combatants of World War II have captured the imagination as compulsively as the Fallschirmjäger.Boldness and courage were vital characteristics in the rigorous selection process, and their training was highly demanding. Hitler's airborne troops were involved in some of the most daring actions of the whole war; from the 1940 assault on Eben Emael and the invasion of Crete in 1941, to the rescue of Mussolini and the attempt on Tito's life. In addition, they saw service as elite line infantry in the key theatres of North West Europe, North Africa and the Eastern Front.This title looks at the life and experiences of the average Fallschirmjäger, and includes first-hand accounts from different theatres and periods of the war.

In World War II the Panzer crews spearheaded every major campaign or battle from the invasions of Poland and France to the last great counter-offensive in the Ardennes.Germany's Panzer crews fought on every front and along the way earned a formidable reputation for élan in attack and steadfastness in defence. This book charts the recruitment, training, service conditions and combat experience of a typical World War II German tank crewman, serving on various fronts - from the scorching heat of the Western Desert to the frozen tundra of the Eastern Front.It features many unpublished photographs from both private collectors and Panzer veterans themselves.

The security units of the Third Reich were many and diverse, yet often an oversimplified view is projected of these organisations.This title provides a detailed and informed picture of the variety of operations and duties, as well as the motivation and behaviour of the men involved. It charts the experiences of typical World War II security forces and police soldiers - from the routine of military traffic duty, to combating partisans and resistance fighters.It covers the military police of the Armed Forces proper and the Waffen-SS, the combat units of the German State Police, the SD Sicherheitsdienst, the Schutzmannschaft' units, and the extreme and dreaded anti-partisan units 'Dirlewanger' and 'Kaminski'.

The Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 battered the surface fleet, but the submarine force escaped unharmed.It was up to the "Silent Service" to spearhead the naval war against Japan, cutting her supply routes and neutralizing her naval threat. By August 1945, US Navy submarines had made 488 war patrols. The achievements of the "Silent Service" were not without consequence - 3,500 American crewmen lost their lives.This is a close look at the "Dolphins" of the US Navy submarine force. Examining recruitment, training, service conditions and combat experiences, it also discusses the effects of advances in torpedo technology on crew roles.

The Polish hussar was, to quote one of many foreign visitors impressed by them, 'without doubt one of the most spectacular soldiers in the world'.Most dramatic of all hussar characteristics were the 'wings' worn on the back or on the saddle; their purpose has been hotly debated. The hussar's main offensive weapon was a 4–5 metre lance (kopia). This title takes a close look at the origins and development of the Polish 'winged' hussars, and using many years' painstaking research drawn from unpublished Polish sources, provides a rounded view of the training, tactics, appearance and experiences of these legendary and fascinating warriors.

The civil war that raged in Yugoslavia following the German invasion in 1941 was brutal, uncompromising and complex, pitting royalists, fascists, communists, ethnic groups, and the Axis powers against one another in a shifting and bloody theatre of war.The Partisan forces under the command of Josip Broz Tito were a constant thorn in the side of the Wehrmacht divisions in the Balkans, prompting numerous anti-partisan operations. Using primary source material, stunning contemporary images and personal accounts, this book explores a well-known but little published subject for the first time, bringing to light the development, training, weaponry, tactics and combat experiences of Tito's formidable guerrilla force, and the events of this bloody theatre of World War II.