CONTENT: The Battle of Britain. Operations in the Middle East January - May 1941. Operations by the Allied Expeditionary Air Force in NW Europe November- September 1944 Operations in Greece 1940-1941. Liberation of Europe (Operation "Overlord"). Operations of Coastal Command, RAF, May - August 1944. Far East October 1940-December 1941. Report on the Air Operations During the Campaign in Malaya and Netherland East Indies December 1941- March 1942. Operations in Burma and Bay of Bengal January - May 1942. Operations by Fighter Command November 1940 - December 1941. Operations by Air Defence of Great Britain and Fighter Command in Connection with the German Flying and Rocket Offensives,1944-1945. Operations in South East Asia November 1943 - May 1944. Operations in South East Asia November 1943 - May 1944. Operations in South East Asia from June 1944 - to the Occupation of Rangoon May 1945. Operations in South East Asia May 1945 - September 1945. The Part Played by the Allied Air Forces in the Final Defeat of the Enemy in the Mediterranean Theatre March to May 1945.

The original dispatches that provide vivid accounts of some of the most famous naval operations of the Second World War

In September 1946, the London Gazette published a despatch from Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh C T Dowding that was titled simply: The Battle of Britain. Written and submitted to the Air Ministry in 1941, this document became the very framework for the accepted Battle of Britain narrative which has been established across the following eighty years. Set out by the leader of the ‘Few’ himself, its authoritative tone could surely be considered a definitive outline of the battle, how it was fought and the eventual outcome. It even retrospectively set the dates for the commencement and conclusion of the campaign. In this work, Andy Saunders takes a critical look at Dowding’s despatch and analyses the facts and details contained in that important document. He also puts ‘flesh on the bones’ of the matters that the former commander-in-chief of RAF Fighter Command outlines, adding intriguing historical detail and perspective to the 1946 publication. Additionally, Andy looks at the behind-the-scenes machinations at the highest levels of government and Air Ministry before the despatch finally saw the light of day. As a historical document, Dowding’s London Gazette despatch is worthy of the critical analysis and factual expansion which the author provides in what is a uniquely different look at the Battle of Britain, with illustrations throughout.

A total of eleven British armoured divisions were formed during the 1939-1945 war but, as this highly informative book reveals, just eight saw action.??In 1940 only 1st Armoured Division faced the German blitzkrieg and it was in the North African desert that armoured divisions came into their own. The terrain was ideal and six such divisions of Eighth Army fought Rommel's Panzers into submission. Three were disbanded prior to the invasion of Sicily and Italy. The campaign from D-Day onwards saw the Guards Armoured, 7th Armoured (the Desert Rats), 11th and Percy Hobart's 79th Armoured Division in the thick of the action.??Of particular interest are the men who commanded these elite formations and the way their characters contributed to the outcome of operations. While some, such as Dick McCreery, went onto greater heights, others did not make the grade; the stakes were high. A number, such as 'Pip' Roberts, were just perfectly suited in the role.??Written by a leading military historian, this book describes many fascinating aspects of armoured warfare from its uncertain beginnings, through the development of tactics and the evolving tank design. Due to British deficiencies, reliance had to be placed on US Grants and Shermans, with the Comet coming late and the Centurion too late.??The combination of gripping historical narrative and well researched fact make this an invaluable and highly readable work on the contribution of British Armoured Divisions to victory in the Second World War.