EUCOM Battle Knowledge Centers

The book examines the pioneering work by codebreakers which was to shorten the war. When the top secret codebreaking activities at Bletchley Park were revealed in the 1970s, much of the history of the Second World War had to be rewritten. Code Wars examines the role of ULTRA (the intelligence derived from breaking secret enemy signals) on major events of the Second World War. It examines how it influenced the outcome of key battles such as D-Day, El Alamein, Crete, key naval battles, the controversy surrounding Churchill and Coventry, the shadowing of Hitlers V1 pilotless aircraft and the V2 rocket.The book also examines the pioneering work in breaking Enigma by the Polish cryptographers, and the building of Colossus, the worlds first digital, programmable computer, which helped unravel the secret orders of Hitler and the German High Command. It also tells the story of the American successes in breaking Japanese signals, known as Magic.It also stresses the vital role of the intercept stations which took down the enemy messages, providing the raw material for the cryptographers to break.The book shows how the codebreakers were able to shorten the war by as much as two years and bring Signals Intelligence, in the post-war years, into a new era of military intelligence gathering.

It was not just the searing heat of the day, hot enough to boil an egg on the bonnet of a lorry, or the sand that nestled in every crevice of the body, or the shivering cold of the starlit nights, that the British and Commonwealth troops had to battle in the North African desert - it was also the tough and determined Axis forces under their brilliant leader, Erwin Rommel. The actions which resulted in the awarding of twenty-nine VCs in the Desert War included that of stretcher bearer Private Anderson walking alone into the gunfire of the enemy to rescue wounded comrades, not once, but time and time again until he too was shot and killed. Lieutenant George Gunn, who, at Sidi Rezegh, found his troop of the Royal Horse Artillery facing the onslaught of sixty German tanks. One by one the guns were put out of action, the crews killed or wounded. Eventually, only one gun was left, manned by the twenty-nine-year-old lieutenant and his sergeant. Regardless of the odds, Gunn fought on until he too was killed, shot through the head. The fighting in North Africa was not just in the harsh extremes of the rolling desert, but also the barren mountains of Tunisia, and the coastal strips of Libya. In every battle, every maneuver, the terrain was the limiting or enabling feature - and it was over that unforgiving ground that twenty-nine men distinguished themselves and were awarded the highest of all gallantry medals, the Victoria Cross.

The Special Interrogation Group (SIG) was the most exceptional of Special Forces. Created to raid behind enemy lines, posing as German troops, the SIG was largely made up of German Jews who were all too aware of the dangers they faced--capture meant either death or deportation to a concentration camp. In 1942, Operation Agreement saw the SIG tasked with taking part in a raid on Tobruk, where they were to make up the land-based element of the attack. Disguised as POWs under "escort" by German SIGs, the group covered close to 1,700 miles of desert to reach their target. The ruse worked perfectly and SIG went on to destroy a number of coastal guns before eventually being overwhelmed by Axis forces. This is the history of the SIG, revealing startling details about the group, and moving insights into the men, many of whom were Jewish volunteers who were putting their lives on the line to fight against the evils of fascism in Europe.

The Rise of the Wehrmacht is the first comprehensive work to deal with the German war effort in World War II from this point of view. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it covers the entire war effort from the point of view of the German military that actually conducted and fought the war, something that has never been done before on this scale. Excellent books have been written about the German Army, Navy, the Luftwaffe, and the SS, as well as about the Panzer branch, the parachute arm, the U-Boat forces, etc., but this is the first to cover them all in depth. Mitcham also covers the German Wehrkreise (roughly translated as military district) system in depth and recognizes its importance, both in the formation and expansion of the German Army before the war and in its continuing importance throughout the conflict. He deals with the German rearmament in greater depth and detail than has been done before, points out the importance of the police in the development of Germany's reserves before and during World War II, and offers new insights into the evolution and development of the German military doctrine of Kesselschlact (the decisive battle of encirclement and annihilation). In addition, The Rise of the Wehrmacht explains the problems the Wehrmacht faced because of its too rapid expansion. This expansion was far more rapid than the German generals intended and resulted in many problems, especially in terms of equipment shortages and a shortage of qualified officers. Finally, Mitcham addresses the contributions of the Hitler Youth to the war effort, where their work on farms, fire and rescue crews, in nursing, and as postal workers, for example, provided essential services to German infrastructure.

Over seventy years on the terrible events and outcome of the Second World War remains hugely relevant and important. Far from diminishing interest in this truly global conflict is increasing. The internet has enabled detailed research into ancestors' war records to an extent unimaginable a decade or so ago. There have been countless thousands of books on all aspects of the War, both general in scope, of particular subjects, biographies and personal memoirs. The author of The Second World War Explained has identified the need for a concise summary covering the main events and personalities. The result is a compelling, highly readable and informing book which allows an understanding of this most dramatic yet tragic period of history. Will appeal to all age groups.

Every soldier knows that geography is destiny. From the grandest of grand strategy to the smallest of small unit tactics, the 'lay of the land' has always been a key factor in military operations, whether in determining the outcome of a single hard-fought engagement of shaping the course of an entire war. Over the ages, armies have fought across every kind of terrain on earth, and in their fascinating study some of our foremost military historians explore the critical role of geography in 38 exemplary battles drawn from 25 centuries of armed conflict.

Fifty-two battles are arranged alphabetically. Entries describe the conflict, its reasons, and its impact on the course of the war. Tables give access to basic data and suggested readings. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Osprey's study of Operation Mercury, the German airborne assault on the island of Crete in May 1941 during World War II (1939-1945), whichnbsp;was the first strategic use of airborne forces in history. The assault began on 20 May, with landings near the island's key airports, and reinforcements the next day allowed the German forces to capture one end of the runway at Maleme. By 24 May, the Germans were being reinforced by air on a huge scale and on 1 June Crete surrendered. This book describes how desperately close the battle had been and explains how German losses so shocked the Führer that he never again authorised a major airborne operation.

The bestselling author of The Battle of Arnhem and D-Day vividly reconstructs the epic WWII struggle for Crete - reissued with a new introduction Nazi Germany expected its airborne attack on Crete in 1941 to be a textbook victory based on tactical surprise. Little did they know that the British, using Ultra intercepts, had already laid a careful trap. It should have been the first German defeat of the war when a fatal misunderstanding turned the battle around. Prize-winning historian and bestselling author Antony Beevor lends his gift for storytelling to this important conflict, showing not only how the situation turned bad for Allied forces, but also how ferocious Cretan freedom fighters mounted a heroic resistance. Originally published in 1991, Crete 1941 is a breathtaking account of a momentous battle of World War II.

The German invasion, conquest, and occupation of Europe sparked a civilian insurgency response never before witnessed in history. Understanding Germany's military and political failure is crucial in today's world, where unwelcome occupation forces, often in the guise of peace keepers, as well as invaders, attempt to maintain order in a world gone mad. This new book uses exclusive interviews with German and Allied soldiers and commanders as well as civilian irregulars who participated in irregular warfare, either as partisans or guerrillas during World War II. These interviews prove pivotal in supporting the records of both sides, separating fact from fiction, and finally determining the actual causation of political, nationalist, or even personal actions that destroyed a continent.

A masterly look at the value and limitations of intelligence in the conduct of war from the premier military historian of our time, John Keegan. Intelligence gathering is an immensely complicated and vulnerable endeavor. And it often fails. Until the invention of the telegraph and radio, information often traveled no faster than a horse could ride, yet intelligence helped defeat Napoleon. In the twentieth century, photo analysts didn't recognize Germany's V-2 rockets for what they were; on the other hand, intelligence helped lead to victory over the Japanese at Midway. In Intelligence in War, John Keegan illustrates that only when paired with force has military intelligence been an effective tool, as it may one day be in besting al-Qaeda.