This week we officially launch our day-by-day history of the Second
World War, which now contains 5,182 facts covering all but a tiny
handful of the 2,214 days between the German invasion of Poland and
the Japanese surrender on Hong Kong.
http://www.historyofwar.org/secondworldwar/date/index.html
We also add articles on the B-24 Liberator, RAF Squadron histories, a
further look at the Napoleonic Wars and three early Islamic battles.
B-24 LIBERATOR - RAF SQUADRONS - NAPOLEONIC WARS - EARLY ISLAMIC
BATTLES
B-24 LIBERATOR
BRITISH VARIANTS
The Consolidated Liberator I was the first version of the aircraft to
see active service with the RAF, carrying out anti-submarine patrols
with No.120 Squadron.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_liberator_I.html
The Consolidated Liberator II was the final version of the aircraft to
be build as part of the original French order for the LB-30 and the
first to feature the long nose that became a standard feature of all
later versions.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_liberator_II.html
The Consolidated Liberator GR V was a version of the Liberator III/
B-24D modified for service with Coastal Command.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_liberator_V.html
The Consolidated Liberator III was the British designation for the
B-24D, serving with thirteen squadrons, seven of them performing
maritime patrol duties.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_liberator_III.html
The Consolidated Liberator IV was apparently the designation given to
the B-24E for RAF service, but no squadrons appear to have used that
aircraft.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_liberator_IV.html
The Consolidated Liberator VI was the RAF designation for the B-24H
and early B-24Js, the first production versions of the aircraft to be
built with a nose turret and was the most numerous RAF version of the
Liberator
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_liberator_VI.html
The Consolidated Liberator VII was the British designation for the
C-87 Liberator Express long range transport plane.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_liberator_VII.html
The Consolidated Liberator VIII was the RAF designation for late
production B-24Js. The type equipped twenty three squadrons, although
ten of those were post-war transport squadrons, leaving thirteen
wartime operators of the aircraft
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_liberator_VIII.html
The Consolidated Liberator IX was the RAF designation given to 27 RY-3
transport aircraft. This was a transport aircraft based on the PB4Y-2
Privateer, a specifically naval version of the B-24 Liberator.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_liberator_IX.html
AMERICAN VARIANTS
The Consolidated LB-30 was the USAAF designation for 75 Liberator IIs
taken from an RAF order in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_LB-30_Liberator.html
The Consolidated B-24G Liberator was the designation given to B-24
Liberators built by North American at Dallas. It would become the
third version of the aircraft to be built with a nose turret
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-24G.html
The Consolidated B-24J Liberator was built in larger numbers than any
version of the aircraft, with a total of 6,678 aircraft being built by
all five factories involved in the Liberator Production Pool.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-24J.html
The single Consolidated XB-24K Liberator saw the first attempt to fit
a single vertical tail to the B-24 with the aim of improving the
stability of the aircraft
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_XB-24K.html
The Consolidated B-24L Liberator was an attempt to improve the
performance of the aircraft by reducing its weight.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-24L.html
The Consolidated B-24M Liberator was the final production version of
the aircraft, and was produced by the two remaining Liberator
factories – Consolidated at San Diego and Ford at Willow Run.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-24M.html
The Consolidated XB-24N Liberator was a second attempt to fit the B-24
with a single fin and would have been the standard version of the
aircraft if the war had continued into 1946
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_XB-24N.html
The Consolidated F-7 was a photographic reconnaissance version of the
B-24 Liberator, produced at the Army Modification Centres. .
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_F-7_Liberator.html
The Consolidated C-109 Tanker was a fuel transport aircraft based on
the B-24.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_C-109_liberator_tanker.html
The Consolidated PB4Y-1 Liberator was the US Navy’s designation for
the B-24, used to fly long range anti-submarine patrols
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_PB4Y-1_Liberator.html
RAF SQUADRONS
No. 52 Squadron saw three incarnations during the Second World War, of
which only the second saw any combat, flying convoy escorts over the
Mediterranean in 1943
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/52_wwII.html
No. 58 Squadron spent two thirds of the Second World War serving with
Coastal Command, carrying out anti-submarine patrols with the Handley
Page Halifax
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/58_wwII.html
No. 61 Squadron spent the entire Second World War as part of RAF
Bomber Command, starting the war with the Hampden before converting to
the Avro Manchester and finally the Avro Lancaster
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/61_wwII.html
No. 63 Squadron began the Second World War as a bomber-training
squadron before being reformed with fighter aircraft, performing
reconnaissance duties
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/63_wwII.html
No. 75 Squadron was a bomber squadron formed from the New Zealand
Flight in 1940 and which operated with RAF Bomber Command until the
end of the war.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/75_wwII.html
No. 76 Squadron spent most of the Second World War flying the Handley
Page Halifax with RAF Bomber Command.
With the exception of a short time spent with Coastal Command in 1942
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/76_wwII.html
No. 77 Squadron spent the entire Second World War operating with
Bomber Command, flying first the Whitley and then the Halifax
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/77_wwII.html
No. 78 Squadron began the Second World War as a reserve training
squadron, before beginning bombing operations in July 1940. It
remained with Bomber Command for the rest of the war.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/78_wwII.html
No. 82 Squadron began the Second World War equipped with the Bristol
Blenheim, taking part in the Battles of France and of Britain, before
moving to the Far East in 1942, fighting over Burma from 1943 to
1945.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/82_wwII.html
No. 83 Squadron spent the first half of the Second World War as a
night bomber squadron and the second half serving with the
Pathfinders.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/83_wwII.html
No. 85 Squadron began the Second World War as a day fighter squadron,
taking part in the Battle of Britain, but in October 1940 it began
night fighter operations, performing that role 1944, at which point it
joined No.100 Group and carried out bomber support missions.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/85_wwII.html
No. 88 Squadron served as a medium bomber squadron throughout the
Second World War, beginning and ending the war supporting the Army as
it fought in Europe, although in very different circumstances.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/88_wwII.html
No. 90 Squadron was the first RAF squadron to operate the Flying
Fortress, but in an early ineffective version. It was later reformed
as a Stirling and then Lancaster bomber squadron.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/90_wwII.html
No. 96 Squadron went through two incarnations during the Second World
War, first as a night fighter unit (1940-1944) and then as a transport
unit in India.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/96_wwII.html
No. 97 Squadron was one of the small number of squadrons to use the
Avro Manchester, before converting to the Lancaster at the start of
1942.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/97_wwII.html
No. 98 Squadron began the war as a training unit operating the Fairey
Battle, before being reformed as a Mitchell bomber squadron late in
1942.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/98_wwII.html
No. 99 Squadron (Madras Presidency) spent most of the Second World War
operating the Vickers Wellington, first from Britain and later from
India, where it eventually converted to the Liberator.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/9_wwII.html
The six Consolidated LB-30As were the first production version of the
Liberator bomber to be produced, entering RAF Service in 1941.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_LB-30A.html
NAPOLEONIC WARS
Francois Joseph Lefebvre, Duke of Danzig, 1755-1820, was one of
Napoleon's more experienced marshals, rising to the rank of general of
division during the revolutionary wars. Despite this he rarely held an
independent command and did not take command of a large battle until
Zornoza in 1808.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_lefebvre_marshal.html
Charles Lefebvre-Desnouettes was a very capable French cavalry
commander who fought in most major campaigns of the Revolutionary and
Napoleonic Wars. He was present at Marengo and Austerlitz, fought in
Spain in 1808, took part in the invasion of Russia in 1812 and was
wounded at Waterloo.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_lefebvre_desnouettes.html
The Convention of Alessandria of 15 June 1800 ended Napoleon’s
victorious Italian campaign of 1800.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/convention_alessandria.html
The Armistice of Steyer of 25 December 1800 ended the fighting in the
Revolutionary Wars.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/armistice_steyer.html
The Peace of Lunéville of 9 February 1801 ended the Revolutionary Wars
and was a major French triumph.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/peace_luneville.html
The Treaty of Florence of 28 March 1801 confirmed French dominance in
Italy.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/treaty_florence.html
The French invasion of Spain of 1808 began with a series of surprise
attacks on the key Spanish border fortifications start at Pamplona on
16 February 1808 and then Barcelona on 29 February 1808, San Sebastian
on 5 March 1808 and finally Figueras on 18 March 1808
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/capture_pamplona.html
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/capture_barcelona.html
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/capture_san_sebastian.html
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/capture_figueras.html
Andoche Junot was a flamboyant but temperamental French general and
was probably the most able of Napoleon’s generals not to be created a
marshal.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_junot_andoche.html
Marshal Nicholas Jean de Dieu Soult was one of the most able of all
Napoleon’s marshals, rising from the ranks to become the Grand Old Man
of the French Army, and only the fourth man to be created Maréchal-
général of the French army.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_soult.html
The battle of Rolica, 17 August 1808, was the first battle during the
British involvement in the Peninsular War, and the first victory for
Sir Arthur Wellesley (the future duke of Wellington)
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_rolica.html
The battle of Vimiero, 21 August 1808 was the decisive battle of the
first British expedition to Portugal during the Peninsular War and saw
Arthur Wellesley defeat a French attack on his position
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_vimiero.html
EARLY ISLAMIC BATTLES
The battle of Badr (17 March 624 AD) was an early victory for the
prophet Muhammad over the Quraysh tribe of Mecca
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_badr.html
The battle of Mount Uhud (23rd March 625 AD) was a minor Muslim defeat
in the period after the battle of Badr
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_mount_uhud.html
The battle of the Ditch (627 AD) was the largest and last attempt by
the Qurayesh tribe to defeat the Muslim forces of Muhammad.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_the_ditch.html
