One of the newest titles in the Casemate Illustrated Series is Military Dogs of World War II by Susan Bulanda

The book starts with an introduction on dogs in the military and their military roles as Ambulance, Communication, Draft/Sled, Sentry, Mine-Detection, and Messenger Dogs.

The second chapter covers Dogs in the United States Military, and the third chapter covers Great Britain and the Commonwealth. Smaller chapters follow covering the USSR, and the Axis, and a chapter titled Going Home. A nice list of Sources gives the reader a place to look for more detailed information and further reading. The book concludes with a good Index to quickly find relevant information for reference.

This book is another offering of the Casemate illustrated Series and in this case deals with the destruction of the German Army Group South by the Soviet forces. The book offers five color maps, one for each section/area where the two armies fought. In addition, you will find 20 commanders’ profiles. Both sides are given 10 commanders each involved in the conflict. The book describes 5 main battles and each has the order of battle for both the Soviets and the Germans. Finally, there are 13 profiles for equipment used during the battle by both the Germans and Soviets.

As in every book of this particular series you will find a timeline of events at the beginning of the book, starting with the retreat of the Army Group South to the Dnieper River during August, 1943, and ending with the participation of the Soviet Army in the Silesian and Prague

From the GSW Website, here are the use and application of these new items. I used them on my review build of a Supermarine Spitfire and you can see the results.

GSW Decal Fixer helps the application of decals onto surfaces of models, miniatures and dioramas. The GSW Decal Fixer prepares the surface with special agents that soften the solvents of modern paints making decals more resistant and glue stronger. In addition, the decal fixer makes the decal more flexible and increases the adherence, preventing the silvering effect.

Decal Fixer

Content: 1x 17ml bottle

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 price of the book and really help the reader understand the complexities of these campaigns with their vast distances.

From the Acknowledgments,

This is the 2024 Cross & Cockade Calendar published by The Great War Aviation Society located in England. The organization focuses on WWI aircraft and provides more than 50,000 pounds British Sterling toward the maintenance of the British Air Services Memorial at St-Omer, France, through annual calendar sales.

The calendar consists of 12 beautifully detailed artworks of WWI planes. Each painting has been done by a different artist. They include the well-known "kites" in their normal environment - flying, and on the ground. Only two paintings show them in a battle/combat situation. Other lesser well-known aircraft are also featured.

The renditions are superb and the subject descriptions are also good. Each painting will look great framed!