History of War

At Aldershot Military Cemetery, Paratrooper pallbearers stand next to the flag-draped coffins of 16 soldiers from the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Parachute Regiment, killed during the Falklands War. The cemetery is the resting place of 17,000 servi

The sinking of HMS Hood in May 1941 was a disaster for Britain – all but three of the 1,418 crew went down with the Royal Navy’s prized battlecruiser, along with the nation’s perceived dominance at sea. Hood was reportedly thwarted by a lucky hit fro

Winston Churchill orders British troops to intervene, stating: “We have to hold and dominate Athens.” It takes three weeks for the British to gain the upper hand. Meanwhile, the Greek government falls apart, delaying the return of King George II, whi

As conflict erupted in Europe with the outbreak of the Second World War, Greece’s prime minister, right-wing strongman Ioannis Metaxas, was faced with the dilemma of whether to involve his country or stay out of the fight. He opted to steer the Greek

The power vacuum left in the wake of the Axis retreat in 1944 was immediately contested by two major political and military groups. One party claiming power was the communist National Liberation Front (EAM) supported by its military organisation the

Fresh from the embarrassment of the Varkiza Agreement, and the disbanding of ELAS, many communists who still believed in the goal of a communist Greece retreated to the EAM and ELAS strongholds in the Greek mountains. Without a centralising force, th

Throughout 1947 the British government was facing its own post-war financial difficulties, so began exploring ways to abandon its role in Greece. However, the Attlee government was also aware that a sudden ‘cut and run’ would lead to the collapse of

With a salvo from its huge guns ringing in the ears of its crew, a cry went up on the bridge of the Bismarck: “She’s blowing up!” It was 6am on 24 May 1941, and a huge column of black smoke on the horizon signalled the death of HMS Hood and all but t

Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar in 1805 gave Britain command of the seas. In the late 19th century a patriotic organisation called the Navy League was formed to bolster that dominance, recruiting 120,000 members to promote the navy politically, and kee

The Eastern Front is the second book in Professor Nick Lloyd’s First World War trilogy, which began with The Western Front, published in 2021. In this second volume, Lloyd uncovers what Winston Churchill named the “unknown war”, spanning much of East

With the starboard engine on fire, the wireless unresponsive, one weapon jammed and the entire aircraft shaking violently, pilot David Hornell pressed his Canso 9754 ‘P’ into the attack. Below at a distance of 1,500ft (460m), the surfaced U-1225 – a

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On 30 August, the French advance guard of 800 men occupies the village of Ollioules. The allies respond the next day with a sortie that costs the French eight killed, 30 prisoners, two cannon and two battalion colours. Having set up two batteries cal

As Hitler’s army marched into Poland on 1 September 1939, beginning the Second World War, the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco struggled to consolidate power in Madrid. His Nationalist Army had been heavily reliant on Nazi arms, tanks and planes to

Had Spain joined the war, the British defenders of Gibraltar would have been in an impossible position and soon would have lost control. The Strait of Gibraltar would have closed, cutting off the British Army in the Middle East. Now isolated from the

Motor racing was one of the glamour sports of the 1930s and German drivers were at the forefront of the pinnacle of the sport, the Grand Prix. Rudolf Caracciola won a trio of driver’s championships in 1935, 1937 and 1938 while Bernd Rosemeyer cemente

The Fairey Swordfish entered service with the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm (FAA) in 1936. Already slow and outdated by modern standards, a requirement was issued in the same year for a replacement. The Swordfish would finally leave service in May 1945,

The standard uniform for NSKK members was black trousers and boots, brown shirt and brown tie, a black patrol duty helmet or a brown kepi with black band and the NSKK emblem, and the usual swastika armband. There was also a leather crash helmet with

The ancient island nation of Japan has a history that goes back thousands of years and includes some of the most dramatic and chilling events the world stage has ever seen. Find out more… ON SALE NOW Ordering is easy. Go online at: magazinesdirect.co

A variety of events have been planned across Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day For more information visit: en.normandie-tourisme.fr D-Day Festival Normandy began in 2007, aiming to inspire people to visit and commemorate the landi

Rangers Lead the Way: an exhibition on the 2nd Ranger Battalion’s assault on Pointedu-Hoc, open 10-12 May. An installation of 1,475 silhouettes can be found at the British Normandy Memorial throughout the summer, commemorating the British soldiers wh

Author: Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc Publisher: Merrion Press Price: £18.99 (Paperback) Released: Out now The spectre of people abducted, executed and buried in remote locations has overshadowed the debate around the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland

Directors: Dominic Higgins, Ian Higgins Starring: Shane O’Regan, Jamie B Chambers, Sophia Eleni Released: Out now This recently released film from the renowned writer-director brothers Dominic and Ian Higgins tells the remarkable story of one the RAF

Director: Felipe Gálvez Starring: Mark Stanley, Camilo Arancibia, Benjamín Westfall Released: Out now The highly publicised but often exaggerated battleground between the historian and filmmaker – one with an absolutist eye for accuracy, the other wi

Discover the WWI roots of the tank, get to grips with some of the most famous models ever to grind into battle, pick through the debris of the greatest armoured clash in history and find out how these weapons of war are evolving. ON SALE NOW Ordering

Operation Overlord veteran interviews Inside Britain's victory on Sword Beach How Patton's 'Ghost Army' fooled the Nazis ON SALE 9 MAY ■

Development of a prototype glide bomb began in May 1940 under the supervision of Dr Herbert A Wagner. Based on the 1,102lb (500kg) general-purpose bomb, the glide bomb would allow German bombers to strike lightly armoured ships and merchant vessels w

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