Osprey Publishing

Warrior 112 Author: Gordon L. Rottman Illustrator: Howard Gerrard About this book The Marine Corps began World War II with less than 66,000 officers and men. Yet despite suffering 10 per cent of the overall American casualties, the Marines were able to build on their proud traditions and history to transform a small branch of service into a premier combined arms amphibious assault force. Regardless of its expansion by 750 percent, the Corps was able to maintain its sense of tradition, instill that into thousands of new Marines, and create an elite arm of service. In this book, Gordon Rottman, follows a Marine Corps rifleman through his draft, training and participation in assaults such as: Roi-Namur in the Marshall Islands, Saipan and Tinian in the Mariana Islands, and Iwo Jima.

Warrior 109 Author: Ed Gilbert Illustrator: Howard Gerrard About this book The US Marine Raider was an elite within an elite. Modeled on British Commandoes, they were the earliest forerunners of the various special operations units of the modern US military. These units would conduct operations with only the equipment they could carry on their backs; their heaviest weapons were light mortars and light machine-guns. Highly trained in close-in fighting, the Raiders were expected to be equally skilled in watercraft, jungle survival, and jungle warfare. This book details the Raiders' experiences through some of the toughest raining ever to be experienced by a Marine and onto combat during the Makin Raid, and through the horrific jungle battles of the Solomon Islands.

Warrior 78 Author: Steven J. Zaloga Illustrator: Howard Gerrard About this book Revealing what it was like to live and fight in a medium tank this book is structured around the career of a single tanker from 37th Tank Battalion, 4th Armored Division. The focus is largely on the crew of an M4 Sherman, though light tank service is also studied. Tank operation required a well- trained and well-coordinated crew. The crew positions and roles of tank commander, gunner, driver, loader, and assistant driver are all covered in detail, together with recruitment procedure, specialist training, and the variety of specialized clothing and personal weaponry.

Warrior 56 Author: Robert S Rush Illustrator: Elizabeth Sharp About this book The ETO is seen by many as the major theater of World War II, with more infantry regiments serving there than any other. This title follows one soldier (Joseph) as he is drafted in February 1941, trains with the 22d Infantry in the United States and then ships to England in January 1944. On D-Day he lands on Utah Beach and in the following months fights through France, Belgium, and into Germany. The problems the common soldier faced between June 1944 and May 1945 are dealt with in particular in this authoritative and moving book.

Warrior 45 Author: Robert S Rush Illustrator: Elizabeth Sharp About this book This title deals with the experiences of the American soldiers who fought the Japanese across the Pacific islands, and the specific nature of this combat environment. It follows a hypothetical soldier, ‘Michael’, through his enlistment into and training with the 165th Infantry Regiment (New York National Guard). It takes him through the 1941 maneuvers the 27th Infantry Division participated in, the transfer to Oahu, and into the reality of daily life and combat in the Pacific theater from 1942 to 1945, including Makin, Saipan and Okinawa. It also looks at the PTO administrative procedures for replacements, and medical and psychiatric care of the ordinary soldier. Whilst the focus is on one individual, the experiences of the many are examined and woven into an intricate and meticulous narrative.

Warrior 141 Author: Edward M. Young Illustrator: Adam Hook About this book Merrill’s Marauders were the first American Army infantry unit to fight in the China-Burma-India theatre, and one of the most renowned units to come out of World War II. The Marauders established a lasting reputation for hard fighting and tenacity in the face of adversity, combating a determined enemy, some of the most difficult and disease-ridden terrain in the world, and a seemingly indifferent higher command. Pushed beyond the limit of their endurance, at the end of nearly six months of operations behind Japanese lines, the remaining Marauders were withdrawn from combat after suffering over 90% casualties. Because of its courageous actions, the unit received the very rare honour of having every member presented with a Bronze Star for gallantry. This book explores the creation, training and combat experiences of the Marauders, one of the most famous units in the US Army’s roll of honour.

Warrior 69 Author: Mir Bahmanyar Illustrator: Michael Welply About this book This title follows one recruit through commando, raiding and amphibious training in Scotland, and into action. It shows how the Rangers differed from the standard infantryman in both their combat mission and their combat skills, and how tactics were modified in the light of lessons learned. The experiences of battle covered include the Rangers' first action during the 1942 Dieppe raid, fighting elite Italian Bersaglieri units at Station de Sened and the Afrika Korps at Dernaia Pass in 1943, spearheading the invasion of Sicily and Italy in late 1943, and the gruelling combat up the Italian boot until war's end. Packed with first hand accounts, and many unpublished photographs, it provides a vivid description of life among the elite soldiers of Darby's Rangers.

Warrior 133 Author: Terry Crowdy Illustrator: Steve Noon About this book On average a Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent would be dead within three months of being parachuted into action. Terry Crowdy tells the extraordinary story of these agents, some of whom were women as young as 22, following them through their experiences beginning with their recruitment and their unorthodox training methods, which included hand-to-hand combat and parachuting. Packed with photographs and full-colour artwork, this book recounts the incredible combat missions of the SOE agents from their role in the attacks on a heavy water plant in Norway, to operations in the field with Yugoslav and Greek partisans, as well as sabotage missions ranging from blowing up bridges to the raising of full-scale partisan armies as they attempted to fulfill Churchill’s directive to set occupied Europe ablaze.

Warrior 95 Author: Gordon L. Rottman Illustrator: Michael Welply About this book This book examines in detail the Japanese Infantryman who was, despite comparisons with the notorious German Waffen SS, an enigma to Westerners. Brutal in its treatment of prisoners as well as the inhabitants of the areas that it conquered, the Imperial Japanese Army also had exacting standards for its own men - strict codes of honor compelled Japanese soldiers to fight to the death against the more technologically advanced Allies. Identifying the ways in which the Japanese soldier differed from his Western counterpart, the author explores concepts such as Bushido, Seppuku, Shiki and Hakko Ichi-u in order to understand what motivated Japanese warriors.

Warrior 117 Author: Terry Crowdy Illustrator: Steve Noon About this book Working as an underground force, the French Resistance was initially formed spontaneously from scattered groups of the displaced and discontent. As the war progressed the Resistance developed into a secret army, terrorizing the occupying forces and would-be collaborators alike although they were unprotected by the Geneva Convention and faced torture and execution if captured. Striking photographs, coupled with first-hand accounts of capture and its terrible consequences, create an engaging and human history of the French Resistance fighter. Terry Crowdy details the military achievements, tactics, backgrounds and motivations of the patriots whose assistance helped ensure the success of the D-Day landings and French liberation.

Warrior 144 Authors: Pier Paolo Battistelli Piero Crociani Illustrator: Giuseppe Rava About this book This book documents the experiences of the Italian armed Fascist militia, the Camicie Nere (Blackshirts), from the Italian–Ethiopian war of 1935–36, through the Spanish Civil War to the end of World War II. It explores their origins, development, recruitment, training, conditions of service, uniforms and equipment, battle experience, political and ideological motivation. The Blackshirt legions were raised under army control from 1928, and were employed in 1933 in Libya in counterinsurgency operations against the Senussi tribes; from 1935 in Italy’s war against Ethiopia; and during the Spanish Civil War. Following the outbreak of World War II, the Blackshirts fought in North Africa, Greece, Croatia, on the Eastern Front and finally in Italy itself following the Allied invasion.