A double update today, which includes a set of Second World War
biographies, more in our series of RAF Squadron histories and a big
increase in our coverage of the Peninsular War
ARMOURED WARFARE
The Vickers Archer tank destroyer came about because of a need to make
the 17 pounder anti tank gun more mobile. Designed as a stop gap
measure, the Archer proved to be a hard hitting and effective vehicle.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_vickers_archer.html
MODERN WEAPONS
The M79 Grenade Launcher is a very distinctive and simple weapon which
first appeared during the Vietnam War.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_M79_Grenade_Launcher.html
SECOND WORLD WAR BIOGRAPHIES
Lieutenant General Hatazo Adachi commanded the Japanese forces on New
Guinea from November 1942 until the end of the Second World War.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_adachi_hatazo.html
Field Marshal Harold Alexander was one of the most successful senior
British generals of the Second World War, and proved to be an able
commander of coalition armies.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_alexander_harold.html
General Korechika Anami was a Japanese general and polititian who
played a part in the rise of General Tojo, but whose loyalty to the
Emperor helped to foil the coup attempt of 14-15 August 1945.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_anami_korechika.html
General Wladyslaw Anders was a Polish general who commanded the Polish
II Corps during the fighting in the Western Desert and in Italy,
taking part in the final capture of Monte Cassino in May 1944.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_anders_wladyslaw.html
General Aleksei I. Antonov was a Soviet general who rose to be Head of
Operations and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Red Army from 1942 to
1945.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_antonov_aleksei.html
Rear Admiral Masafumi Arima was a Japanese army officer famous for
being one of the earliest "kamikaze" pilots, flying his own suicide
mission just before the official start of kamikaze missions.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_arima_masafumi.html
Colonel General Hans-Jürgen von Arnim was a Prussian general who is
best known for having commanded the German forces in Tunisia towards
the end of the fighting in North Africa in 1943.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_arnim_hans_jurgen.html
PENINSULAR WAR
The battle of Tamames of 18 October 1809 was the first Spanish
battlefield victory in the Peninsular War since Alcaniz (23 May 1809),
and the most significant since Baylen, right at the start of the war.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_tamames.html
The battle of Alba de Tormes of 28 November 1809 was a dramatic French
cavalry victory that ended the Spanish Junta’s autumn campaign of
1809.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_alba_de_tormes.html
The failure of the Spanish Junta's autumn campaign of 1809 left
Andalusia vulnerable to French conquest, and in January-February 1810
King Joseph led his armies across the mountains from La Mancha,
occupying Seville and forcing the Spanish Junta to flee to Cadiz.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/campaign_french_andalusia.html
The combat of Jaen of 23 January 1810 was a French victory during the
invasion of Andalusia, fought after the French had forced their way
across the mountains from La Mancha.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_jaen.html
The combat of Alcala la Real of 28 January 1810 was a minor French
victory during General Sebastiani’s invasion of Granada and Malaga.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_alcala_la_real.html
The siege of Astorga of 21 March-22 April 1810 was a preliminary
operation in the period before the start of Massena's invasion of
Portugal.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/siege_astorga_1810.html
The combat of Santiago of 23 May 1809 was a relatively rare victory
for a Spanish partisan force over regular French troops during the
Peninsular War.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_santiago.html
The combat of the Oitabén River of 7-8 June 1809 was a victory for a
largely partisan Spanish force over Marshal Ney, which played a large
part in the final defeat of French efforts to conquer Galicia.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_oitaben_river.html
The combat of Arzobispo of 8 August 1809 was a minor French victory
late in the Talavera campaign, which saw them force their way across
the River Tagus.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_arzobispo.html
The combat of Aranjuez of 5 August 1809 was an inconclusive skirmish
between the armies of King Joseph and General Venegas, fought towards
the end of the Talavera campaign.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_aranjuez.html
The battle of Almonacid of 11 August 1809 was a relatively costly
French victory that effectively ended the Talavera campaign.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_almonacid.html
The French siege of Ciudad Rodrigo of 5 June-10 July 1810 was a
precursor to Marshal Masséna’s invasion of Portugal.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/siege_ciudad_rodrigo_1810.html
The combat of Barquilla of 10 July 1810 was one of the few failures
for General Craufurd and the Light Division during Marshal Masséne’s
invasion of Portugal.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_barquilla.html
The combat of the Coa of 24 July 1810 was a rare defeat for Craufurd’s
Light Division during Masséna’s invasion of Portugal.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_coa.html
The siege of Almeida of 25 July-27 August 1810 was a delaying action
fought to slow down Marshal Masséna’s invasion of Portugal in 1810,
most famous for the dramatic explosion that ended the siege.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/siege_almeida_1810.html
Marshal Masséna’s invasion of Portugal of September 1810-March 1811
was intended to be the final campaign of the French invasion of
Iberia, ending the Peninsular War, but instead the French ran up
against the Lines of Torres Vedras, and the campaign ended in a
disastrous retreat.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/campaign_massena_portugal.html
The battle of Bussaco of 27 September 1810 was the one major battle
during Marshal Masséna’s invasion of Portugal of 1810, and was a
costly French defeat suffered in an attempt to attack a very strong
Allied position on the ridge at Bussaco
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_bussaco.html
The first combat of Sobral of 12 October 1810 was the first of two
skirmishes around the village of Sobral that would turn out to be the
only French attacks on the Lines of Torres Vedras, the strong
defensive position built to protect Lisbon.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_sobral1.html
The second combat of Sobral of 14 October 1810 was a skirmish south of
the village of Sobral that would turn out to be the most serious
attack the French would launch against the Lines of Torres Vedras.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_sobral2.html
The combat of Guarda of 29 March 1811 was a bloodless British victory
in the last stages of Masséna’s retreat from Portugal.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_guada.html
The combat of Sabugal of 3 April 1811 was the last serious fighting
during Masséna’s retreat from Portugal in 1811, and was a missed
chance for a major Allied victory over an isolated portion of
Masséna’s army.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_sabugal.html
The Lines of Torres Vedras, on the peninsula north of Lisbon, are the
most famous fortifications of the Napoleonic Wars, and in 1810 were
the only thing that saved Wellington from having to evacuate his army
from Portugal during Marshal Masséna’s invasion of the country.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/lines_of_torres_vedras.html
The combat of Pombal of 11 March 1811 was a skilful rearguard action
fought by Marshal Ney during the retreat from the Lines of Torres
Vedras.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_pombal.html
The combat of Redinha of 12 March 1811 was the second rearguard action
fought during Masséna’s retreat from the Lines of Torres Vedras in the
spring of 1811.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_redinha.html
The combat of Casal Novo of 14 March 1811 was a rearguard action
during Masséna’s retreat from Portugal that was notable for the
reckless behaviour of General Erskine, the temporary commander of the
British Light Division.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_casal_novo.html
The combat of Foz de Arouce of 15 March 1811 was the least successful
of Marshal Ney’s rearguard actions during Masséne’s retreat from
Portugal in the spring of 1811.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_foz_de_arouce.html
The passage of the Alva River of 17-18 March 1811 was a nearly
bloodless success for Wellington’s army during the French retreat from
Portugal in the spring of 1811.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/passage_of_alva.html
The battle of Fuentes de Oñoro of 3-5 May 1811 was Marshal Masséna’s
final defeat after his disastrous invasion of Portugal of 1810 and led
to the fall of Almeida, the last French stronghold in Portugal.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_fuentes_de_onoro.html
The Spanish Junta’s Autumn campaign of 1809 was a disastrous
politically motivated campaign launched in the hope that a spectacular
military victory might remove the pressure on the Central Junta to put
in place a more permanent government.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/campaign_spanish_junta_1809.html
The combat of Astorga of 9 October 1809 was a minor French setback in
the autumn of 1809.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_astorga_1809.html
The combat of Ocana of 11 November 1809 was a minor French victory
early in the Spanish Junta’s autumn campaign of 1809.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/combat_ocana_1809.html
The Battle of Ocaña of 19 November 1809 was a major Spanish defeat
that ended any chance of success in the Spanish Junta’s autumn
campaign of 1809.
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_ocana.html
RAF SQUADRONS
No. 102 "Ceylon" Squadron was a heavy bomber command squadron that
served with Bomber Command for most of the Second World War, equipped
first with the Whitley and then with the Handley Page Halifax.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/102_wwII.html
No. 103 Squadron began the war as part of the Advanced Air Striking
Force, suffering very heavy loses while equipped with the Fairey
Battle. By the end of 1940 it had joined Bomber Command, and took part
in the night bombing campaign for the rest of the war.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/103_wwII.html
No. 104 Squadron began the war as a Group Training Squadron, spend
most of 1941 operating as a night bomber squadron from Driffield,
before moving to the Mediterranean, where it remained for the rest of
the war.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/104_wwII.html
No. 105 Squadron began the Second World War equipped with the Fairey
Battle, suffering heavily during the Battle of France. After a short
spell with the Blenheim, it converted to the De Havilland Mosquito,
first as a low-level daylight bomber and later as a pathfinder.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/105_wwII.html
No. 106 Squadron began the Second World War as an operational training
squadron, only starting combat operations in September 1940. After a
brief spell with the Avro Manchester, it received the Lancaster in May
1942 and operated with that aircraft until the end of the war.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/106_wwII.html
No.107 Squadron began the Second World War by taking part in the first
British air raid against a German target, before taking part in the
battle of France, the defence of Malta and Coastal Command's anti-
submarine campaign. The squadron ended the war as a night intruder
squadron equipped with the Mosquito
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/107_wwII.html
No. 108 Squadron went through three very different incarnations during
the Second World War, starting as a training squadron in Britain,
before becoming a night bomber squadron in the Mediterranean and
finally a night fighter squadron, operating in Libya, Malta, Egypt and
finally Greece.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/108_wwII.html
No. 109 Squadron was formed from the Wireless Intelligence Development
Unit in December 1940, and spent the next three years involved in
scientific development, before joining the Pathfinders at the end of
1943.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/109_wwII.html
No. 110 "Hyderbad" Squadron served in two very different roles during
the Second World War, spending 1939-1942 operating as a Blenheim
bomber squadron from Britain and the rest of the war as a ground
attack squadron operating over Burma.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/110_wwII.html
No. 114 "Hong Kong" Squadron began the Second World War as a Blenheim
squadron, soon joining the RAF contingent in France. The squadron
fought during the German invasion of the west, then took part in the
attack on the invasion ports, before moving to North Africa in 1942,
fighting on Sicily and in Italy.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/114_wwII.html
No.115 Squadron was as near as any a typical Bomber Command squadron,
operating with the main bomber from bases in East Anglia for the
entire war.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/115_wwII.html
No. 138 Squadron was a Special Duties squadron which spent most of the
Second World War carrying out supply drops to resistance movements in
Occupied Europe.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/138_wwII.html
No. 139 Squadron was unfortunate enought to be caught up in two
military disasters in the early days of the Second World War, first in
France in 1940 and then in Burma in 1942. It ended the war as a
Pathfinder squadron, equipped with the Mosquito.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/139_wwII.html
No.142 Squadron began the Second World War as a Fairey Battle
squadron, suffering heavily during the invasion of France. It then
converted to the Wellington, operating from Britain and then in the
Mediterranean, before ending the war as a Mosquito equipped pathfinder
squadron.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/142_wwII.html
No.144 Squadron spent the first half of the Second World War as a
bomber squadron equipped with the Handley Page Hampden, and the second
half with Coastal Command, for most of that time serving as a torpedo
bomber squadron using the Beaufighter.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/144_wwII.html
No.148 Squadron went through three very different incarnations during
the Second World War, first as a training unit, then as a bomber unit
based on Malta and finally as a Special Duties squadron based in Libya
and finally Italy.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/148_wwII.html
No.149 "East India" Squadron was a mainstay of Bomber Command, taking
part on the Strategic Bombing campaign from its beginnings in May 1940
until the very end of the war.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/149_wwII.html
No.150 Squadron went through two incarnations during the Second World
War, starting as a Fairey Battle Squadron, which later converted to
the Wellington and was posted to the Mediterranean, before being
reformed late in 1944 as a Lancaster bomber squadron.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/150_wwII.html
