When Brothers Fight - Chinese Eyewitness Accounts of the Sino-Soviet Border Battles, 1969

Published: December 23, 2023
Book Author(s): Benjamin Lai and Zhang Yiming
Company: Helion & Company

The Sino-Soviet border conflict was a seven-month undeclared military conflict between the Soviet Union and China in 1969, exacerbating the Sino-Soviet split during China’s Cultural Revolution. This book focuses on the Chinese perspective (another book in Casemate Publishers/Helion Company Asia @War series No.21 - The Sino-Soviet Border War of 1969, Volume 1 - First Clash at Damansky Island, and No. 23 - The Sino-Soviet Border War of 1969, Volume 2 – Confrontation at Lake Zhalanashkol) focuses on the Soviet perspective). The Battle of Damansky (Soviet name)/ Zhenbao (Chinese name) Island in the Ussuri (Wusuli) River in Manchuria, was a series of battles between the two largest Communist powers. While there were other skirmishes, the two battles outlined in this book are tied together… more

Kokusai Ta-Go

Published: December 18, 2023
Company: Brengun

The Kokusai Ta-Go is an obscure late World War II aircraft designed by Captain Yoshiyuka Mizuyama of the Imperial Japanese Army as an inexpensive kamikaze aircraft to be used in the Allied invasion of Japan. The Tachikawa Aircraft Company wasn’t interested as they were already overwhelmed with their production requirements. Undeterred, Captain Yoshiyuka Mizuyama built the prototype with volunteers. The original armament was a single 500kg bomb fixed to the aircraft (it couldn’t be dropped and it was designed for a single operation). The aircraft was destroyed in a bombing raid. The Captain then approached the Kokusai Corporation who expressed interest, but wanted it cheaper and lighter. Now vastly underpowered (the aircraft had a wingspan of 8.9m and was 7.4m long, powered by an inline… more

US GP 100lb AN-M30A1 Bombs

Published: December 18, 2023
Company: Brengun

The AN-M30A1 was a World War Two era general purpose (GP) 100-pound bomb that entered service in 1942. The AN-M30A1 was a slightly modified AN-M30 US Army developed bomb, differing in the base plug/plate construction, and the use of a different adapter-booster. The bomb served the US for about 20 years.

From the Bulletpicker website

These bombs are all general purpose high explosive bombs.

To overcome the erratic flight of these bombs when dropped from high altitudes by very heavy bombers, the tail assembly of the 260 pound Fragmentation Bomb M81 replaces the customary tail unit, which is two inches shorter, for such missions. Use of the Cluster… more

U.S. Army Ford M8 and M20 Armored Cars

Published: November 28, 2023
Book Author(s): Didier Andres
Company: Casemate Publishers

Noted author and defense consultant, Steven Zaloga, is well known to armor modelers the world over. He wrote this about the Ford M8 armored car,

The M8 light armored car is a 6×6 armored car produced by the Ford Motor Company during World War II. It was used from 1943 by United States and British forces in Europe and the Pacific until the end of the war. The vehicle was widely exported and as of 2006 still remained in service with some countries.

Author Didier Andres’ book “U.S. Army Ford M8 and M20 Armored Cars”, is a detailed, fascinating and photographic insight into the Ford M8 and M20 armored cars in the European Theater in WWII. The book is complete with extensive photographs, technical details and specifications, and detailed… more

Allied Victory Over Japan 1945

Published: November 25, 2023
Book Author(s): Jon Diamond
Company: Pen & Sword

The book’s title, Allied Victory Over Japan 1945, is a little misleading as the first, very detailed chapter delves into the strategic overview of the Pacific and Asian War with the Japanese blitzkrieg beginning in December 1941 through 1942. The Japanese victories in China, the Dutch East Indies, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaya, New Guinea, the Solomon, Mariana and Marshall Islands and the Philippines set the stage for this book on a long forgotten and neglected theater of World War II. The author does an amazing job simplifying the complex conditions, multi-national components, and the incredible distances encountered. The more one studies the Pacific War, the deeper the rabbit holes; the author’s strength is making it understandable and relatable. The first two maps alone are worth the… more

Czechoslovak Arms Exports to the Middle East Volume 4 - Iran, Iraq, Yemen Arab Republic and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen 1948-1989

Published: November 22, 2023
Book Author(s): Martin Smisek
Illustrators: David Bocquelet and Tom Cooper; photo credits to the author, DoD, and Aero Vodochody
Company: Helion & Company

This is the fourth book in Martin Smisek’s Czechoslovak Arms Exports to the Middle East series. The previous three volumes were previously competently and eloquently reviewed by Paul R. Brown of the IPMS/USA Review Corps:

• Czechoslovak Arms Exports to the Middle East - Volume 1: Israel and Jordan 1948-1989
• … more

Weapons of the Battle of the Bulge From the Photographic Archives of the US Army Signal Corps

Published: November 21, 2023
Book Author(s): Darren Neely
Company: Pen & Sword

Author Darren Neely in his book’s Introduction,

The Battle of the Bulge continues to inspire and draw the interest of the military history community. Yet, and partly due to the success of Band of Brothers, when people hear the words “Battle of the Bulge”, they immediately think of paratroopers holding Bastogne and then Patton’s tanks riding to the rescue. The fighting in the Ardennes was so much more than that and involved hundreds of thousands of soldiers on each side. In addition, it is forgotten that British and Canadians fought in the Bulge as well on the Northern shoulder. The Bulge battles are well known for the tanks of both sides trudging through the snow but like many engagements of World War II, it was fought and won by the soldier with the rifle, a… more

"Quietly came, quietly went…" - Special Operations Forces of Ukraine

Published: November 18, 2023
Company: ICM

From the ICM website -

The modern Special Operations Forces (SOF) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were created in 2016 on the basis of existing units and subunits, most of which already had some combat experience. As of the summer of 2023, the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces are based on two special purpose regiments – a special purpose maritime center, a special operations center and several other units. Their main tasks include in-depth reconnaissance, combat raids behind enemy lines, search and evacuation of captives or hostages, and anti-terrorist activities.

The selection process for Special Forces units is very rigorous, with only 10% of all candidates passing the… more

Acrylic Paint Set for Armed Forces of Ukraine

Published: November 11, 2023
Company: ICM

ICM continues to announce new models despite the ongoing Russian initiated war in Ukraine. While most subjects released by ICM are welcome, the current conflict subjects are even more relevant and timely. The Acrylic Paint Set for Armed Forces of Ukraine (Camouflage Uniform) is designed to be used with ICM figure sets No. 35752 (“Quietly came, quietly went…” Special Operations Forces of Ukraine) and No. 35754 (“Always the first” Air Assault Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine). This paint set is designed for the Multicam, not the Ukrainian pixel, camouflage.

The Acrylic Paint Set for Armed Forces of Ukraine consists of six 12ml paint bottles, that are surprisingly not dropper top, but rather are wide mouthed. The colors include:

• Off White (No. 1028)
• … more

British Tank Destroyer FV4005 Stage II

Published: November 4, 2023
Company: AFV Club

According to Tank Encylopedia’s ‘The Online Tank Museum’ -

In the late 1940s, the British War Office (WO) was concerned that – after the debut of the IS-3 in 1945 – the Soviet Union would continue to develop heavily armored tanks. As such, the War Office filed a requirement for the development of a gun capable of defeating a 60-degree sloped plate, 6 inches (152 mm) thick, at up to 2,000 yards (1,830 meters), and a suitable vehicle to carry it.

This requirement led to the development of the ‘Ordnance, Quick-Firing, 183 mm, Tank, L4 Gun’, the largest purpose-built anti-tank gun to have ever been created. It was intended that this gun would be mounted on a new ‘Heavy Gun Tank’ based on the FV200 series chassis. This was designated the ‘Tank, Heavy No. 2, 183… more