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In late January 1968, some 84,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops launched a country-wide general offensive in South Vietnam, mounting simultaneous assaults on 36 of 44 provincial capitals, and five of the six autonomous cities (including the capital city of Saigon). The longest and bloodiest battle occurred in Hue, the most venerated place in Vietnam. The bitter fighting that raged there for more than three weeks drew the attention of the world.Hue was the ancient capital of Vietnam, and as such, had been previously avoided by both sides; it had not seen any serious fighting prior to 1968. All that changed on the night of January 31 that year when four North Vietnamese battalions and supporting Viet Cong units simultaneously attacked and occupied both parts of the city straddling the Perfume River. The Communist forces dug in and prepared to defend their hold on the city. US Marines and South Vietnamese soldiers were ordered to clear the city, supported by US Army artillery and troops. A brutal urban battle ensued as combat raged from house to house and door to door. It was a bloody fight and resulted in large-scale destruction of Hue. Eventually, the Marines and the South Vietnamese forces retook Hue, but it turned out to be one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the Tet Offensive, and led to a sea change in US policy in Vietnam.

Under Marshal Semyon Timoshenko, the Stavka's remaining reserves were assembled and prepared to conduct a breakthrough attack intended to encircle the German Sixth Army near Kharkov. However, Stalin was unaware that the Germans were planning their own riposte at Kharkov, known as Operation Fredericus.

A detailed study of the Syrian and Lebanon campaign of World War II.In June 1941, Australian, British, Indian, and Free French forces invaded the Vichy French-controlled Mandate of Syria and Lebanon. They were outnumbered, and faced an enemy that had more artillery, tanks, and aircraft. They fought in rocky, mountainous terrain, through barren valleys and across swollen rivers, and soon after the initial advance faced a powerful Vichy French counterattack on key strategic positions. Despite these difficulties, the Allies prevailed, and in doing so ensured that the territory did not fall into German or pro-German hands, and thus provide a springboard from which Axis forces could attack British oil interests in Iraq, or the key territory of Palestine. This book examines the high military and political strategy that lay behind the campaign, as well as the experiences and hardships as endured by the men on the ground. The battles in Syria and Lebanon were complex actions, often at the battalion level or below, and this work uses extensive war diaries and records available to make sense of the actions and examine how they affected the wider campaign.

This first volume of three discusses the tactical decisions made on day one and the ensuing combat, while also including a brief summary of the grand strategy in the Eastern Theater of the war, the conduct of the Pennsylvania Campaign from June 6 to 30, 1863, and the plight of civilians caught up in the conflict.The Battle of Gettysburg, which took place July 1-3, 1863 in and around the town of Gettysburg, PA resulted in the largest number of casualties of the entire American Civil War and is seen as the key turning point in the conflict. On its first day, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia sought to destroy the Union army, forcing its men to retreat through the streets of the Pennsylvania town to the hills just to the south. This volume, the first of three to cover the battle in depth, includes the morning cavalry skirmish, the morning clash at the Herbst's Woodlot and at the railroad cut, the afternoon clash at Oak Ridge, the afternoon fight at the Edward McPherson farm, the afternoon rout of the 11th Corps, the last stand of the 1st Corps at Seminary Ridge, the Union retreat through town, and the positions of the armies at nightfall.

Osprey's Campaign title for the Normandy campaign of World War II (1939-1945). D-Day, 6 June 1944, saw the largest amphibious landing operation in history. From ports and harbours on the southern coast of England, an armada of troopships and landing craft launched the Allied return to mainland Europe. Stephen Badsey provides a concise account of the Normandy campaign, from the fiercely contested landings, to the struggle to capture Caen, the 'Cobra' offensive and the dramatic pursuit of the Germans to the River Seine. This was the crucial campaign of the Western theatre: after the Battle of Normandy the only question was how soon the war would end, not who would win it.

With the help of bird's-eye views, this book describes one of World War II's most audacious operations. "Market Garden" was Montgomery's plan to end the war by the end of 1944, a plan that was to end in disaster.

An addition to the CAMPAIGN series which examines the German invasion of Byelorussia in June 1944, codenamed Operation Bagration, in which the Germans suffered huge losses. Illustrated with bird's-eye views and maps of the various stages of the campaign.

Japan in the 16th century was made up of effectively independent kingdoms led by warrior leaders. The author examines this period of Japanese history, looking at the commanders and armies and the way in which the destruction of the elite Takeda army affected the Samurai on all sides.

In 1862 Union General, George B. McClellan attempted to end the Civil War with a single campaign to capture the Confederate capital Richmond. This title shows how McClelland failed to take advantage of the opportunity to change the face of the war.

In June 1410 an army of Poles, Lithuanians, Russians, Tartars and Cossacks invaded the territory of the Teutonic Knights. When the armies clashed at the Battle of Tannenberg it resulted in a defeat for the order from which it would never recover.

In the wake of the defeat in Normandy in the summer of 1944, Hitler plans to stymie the Allied advance by cutting off Patton's Third Army in the Lorraine with a panzer offensive. But Patton's aggressive tactics continue to thwart German plans and lead to a series of violent armoured battles.

The D-Day landings of 6 June 1944 were the largest amphibious military operation ever mounted. A huge armada was assembled to transport US and British armies across the Channel to open the second front against the Third Reich. This text reveals the events of this day on Utah Beach.

This manual illustrates the development of samurai armies during the mid-16th century, which witnessed the introduction of firearms. Focusing on the Kawanakajima campaigns of 1553-1564, it relates the struggle between two of mediaeval Japan's greatest warlords, Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin.

An examination of the German invasion of Poland in 1939, which introduced the world to a new style of warfare - blitzkrieg. Having conducted graduate research in Poland, the author has amassed material that, he feels, dispels several persistent myths about the campaign.

The fighting at Omaha Beach is one of the most famous events in military history, and represented a crucial moment in the course of World War II. This book reveals the events of that single day in June 1944.

A highly illustrated and detailed study of one of the most important campaigns in the colonization of the Americas, the Spanish conquest of the vast Inca Empire.On November 16, 1532, the Inca emperor Atahualpa was the most powerful man in South America, having emerged victorious from a three-year civil war. Now his authority was absolute over millions of subjects living the length of an empire that stretched 2,500 miles from the towering mountains of the Andes, to the verdant rainforest of the Amazon, to the arid plains of the Pacific Coast. However, a group of strangers, comprising just 169 men and 69 horses led by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, soon entered his empire from the north. Despite having 80,000 men at his disposal, Atahualpa was seized and imprisoned. Pizarro burned with the same ruthless ambition as his cousin, Hernán Cortés, who had taken Tenochtitlan, and understood that by seizing the autocrat at the top of the social structure, the state would be at his disposal. Pizarro then marched on Cuzco, the Inca capital, and installed a new puppet emperor, Manco. However, in 1536, Manco roused the people against the intruders, and the Spaniards, having held sway over the entire empire, now found themselves under siege in the capital, desperately striving to hold back the overwhelming numbers of the Inca warriors massing against them. This fascinating and colorfully illustrated book documents the long and bloody siege, and describes how at the end of ten bitter months, during which Pizarro was defeated at the battle of Ollantaytambo and lost his brother, Juan, while storming the great fortress of Sacsayhuamán, Pizarro emerged the victor. Using photos, documents, and historical sources to illustrate the story, this volume brings an ancient piece of history vividly to life.

This study describes the air-sea offensive supporting the ground-force invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa in February and April 1945, which led to the sinking of the Yamato and the onslaught of the Japanese kamikaze.During the Pacific War, the island invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa were the last two major ground campaigns. By the time these took place in early 1945, the US Navy had reached an exceptional level of coordination in its amphibious operations, and was able to overrun and subdue Japanese territories efficiently. Faced with the increasing might of these forces and to prevent further defeat, Imperial Japan deployed its kamikaze aircraft and attacked many US heavy aircraft carriers and destroyers; several were sunk, while others were knocked out of the war. This superbly illustrated book explores the air-sea aspects of the pivotal battles that took place, and includes the "death ride" of the Japanese battleship Yamato (the largest ever built), and the mass kamikaze attacks off Iwo Jima and Okinawa, as well as the Iwo Jima and Okinawa amphibious invasions and the naval and air bombardments of the two islands. It also considers the contribution of the USAAF and the British Pacific Fleet to the eventual victory of US air and ground forces.

A gripping examination of the Battle of the Barents Sea, fought in the near darkness and icy cold of the northern winter, in which the Kriegsmarine sought to sever the crucial Allied Arctic Convoy route once and for all.The Arctic convoys that passed through the cold, dangerous waters of the Barents Sea formed a vital lifeline ΓÇô a strategic link in tanks, supplies and above all goodwill between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union. In December 1942, under Operation Regenbogen (Rainbow), the German Kriegsmarine sought to strike a crippling blow on the Arctic convoys and finally sever this all-important sea route. In this fascinating work, renowned naval expert Angus Konstam documents the fate of the Allied Convoy JW 51B as it came under attack from some of the Kriegsmarine''s most powerful surface warships ΓÇô a pocket battleship, a heavy cruiser and six destroyers. Illustrated with stunning battlescene artworks, maps, 3D diagrams and photographs, it explores the David and Goliath struggle between the Allied ships defending the convoy and the powerful German force, until the arrival of the two British cruisers tipped the balance of power. The Battle of the Barents Sea, fought amid snowstorms and the darkness of the Arctic night, would prove to be a turning point in the hard-fought war in northern waters, and would test Hitler''s patience with his surface fleet to the limit.

A gripping and detailed study of the brutal urban battle for Budapest, which saw German and Hungarian troops struggling to halt the joint Soviet-Romanian offensive to take the key city on the Danube.The 52-day-long siege of Budapest witnessed some of the most destructive urban fighting of the war. The Transdanubia region was strategically vital to Nazi Germany for its raw materials and industry, and because of the bridgehead it allowed into Austria. As a result, Hitler declared Budapest a fortress city in early December 1944. The battle for the city pitted 90,000 German and Hungarian troops against 170,000 Soviet (2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts) and Romanian attackers. The operations to take the city ran across several phases, from the initial Soviet approach to Budapest commencing in late October 1944, through the encirclement of city first on the Pest side of the Danube, and then on the Buda bank, and on to the savage urban fighting that began in December 1944 for the Hungarian capital. This superbly detailed work analyses the background, chronology and consequences of the siege from both a military and political perspective, and documents the huge losses in military and civilian casualties and material damage.

Offers an account of the origins, events and outcome of the Battle of Poltava in 1709, at which Peter the Great's newly modernized Russian Army smashed the Swedish Army of Charles XII, thus ending more than 50 years of Swedish military supremacy in northern Europe.

An account of the battle at Pavia in 1525 between France and the Holy Roman Empire. The Habsburg emperor Charles V defeated and captured Francis I of France; the battle marked the onset of Habsburg dominance in Italy.

This is the second volume in a two-part illustrated study of the October 23-26 Battle of Leyte Gulf, which resulted in a decisive defeat for the Japanese.The Battle of Leyte Gulf-the largest naval battle in history-comprised four major actions conducted over the course of two days, plus several associated minor clashes. The size and complexity of this epic battle remains unmatched, with two United States Navy (USN) fleets (Third and Seventh) facing a much-reduced Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), severely outnumbered and fatally lacking in airpower. Complementing the first volume's coverage of the IJN's First Diversion Attack Force at the battles of the Sibuyan Sea and off Samar, this superbly illustrated second volume focuses on the forces supporting the main Japanese thrust. Naval expert Mark Stille reveals how the Japanese Main Body succeeded in its mission of luring the US Third Fleet to the north, but at a tremendous cost in the ensuing Battle off Cape Engaño. Also explored in full visual detail is the fate of the small detachment of seven IJN ships ordered to attack into Leyte Gulf through Surigao Strait in the south. The resulting Battle of Surigao Strait on October 25, 1944 would prove to be the last battleship duel in history.

In early 1940, a battle raged to control the ice-free, iron-ore port in northern Norway - with changing fortunes until the very end. This highly detailed book covers both the naval battles and the individual Norwegian, British, Polish, French and German units that fought the land campaign over northern Norway. Highly detailed maps guide you step by step through the events. Few other books on Narvik give you as much detail on the forces of the fighting five. From Gebirgsjägers to Guardsmen, Fallschirmjägers to Foreign Legionnaires, it offers you an impressive level of tactical detail, even down to company command, whilst also helping you understand the strategic confusion surrounding the whole Allied expedition to the north too. Among the naval clashes covered in this action-packed story are the destroyer battles in the fjords, the sinking of the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious and the roles the famous battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau played in the fighting. No less dramatic are the land battles, which include amphibious landings, sabotage, commando raids, daring ski missions and a rare parachute insertion by Gebirgsjäger troops.

This edition has detailed information on the battle and maps pinpointing key moments in this campaign. The Gettysburg campaign was General Lee's last great gamble. By taking the war to the North he hoped to force Lincoln into peace or win support from European powers watching events closely.

The Battle of the Ebro was the last Republican offensive of the Spanish Civil War and the final opportunity to defeat Franco's Nationalist forces. This campaign volume looks at both sides' tactics, armies and weapons including the famous "Condor Legion" of troops.

Zorndorf was the first battle in which Frederick the Great faced the Russians. He had not taken the Russian threat seriously, but despite all of his tactical skill he could not achieve a breakthrough and the battle degenerated into a slugging match.

Before the War of Independence properly began, the American Continental Congress invited the Canadians to join their struggle against the British. This text details the battle between Montgomery and Arnold's untried troops and Carleton's awaiting British forces in Quebec.

Widely believed to be the turning point in the American War of Independence, at Saratoga General Burgoyne's men were forced to surrender. The colour maps, battle charts and artwork accompanying the text detail this crucial campaign.

An accurate illustrated account of one of the most controversial battles of the American Civil War which destroyed the career of General Burnside. The 3-D battlemaps detail the key points of the battle including the assault by the Irish Brigade on Marye's Heights.

The important Austrian victory at Kolin in 1757 broke the Prussian siege of Prague and saved the second city of the Holy Roman Empire from capture by Frederick the Great. This volume details the actions that took place at Kolin, covering the commanders, their plans and the outcome.