by RNS | Jun 13, 2021 | Beating Tsundoku
Dan Hagedorn & Mario Overall, The Caribbean Legion and its Mercenary Air Forces 1947-1950 (Lime Tree Press, 2021)
Welcome to the post-World War II world of the Caribbean Legion, an organisation dedicated to the overthrow of dictatorships in the region and the implementation of democracies. Dan Hagedorn and Mario Overall are experts in warfare in this part of the world, and in this book they guide us through the exploits of the Legion with an emphasis on their use of a makeshift airforce.
BUY NOW
Hagedorn and Overall begin by establishing the political context of a Caribbean region in flux during and shortly after WWII. They trace the origins of that into the promotion of democracy from the 1920s onwards in opposition to dictatorships in the region. The Caribbean Legion would take up that mantle after the War and had coalesced into an organization by February 1946. Their first serious test was the Cayo Confites affair, an attempt to remove the Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Trujillo. This was a failure but created the first air component for the Legion, the ELA at this point, with a transport service and some US warplanes. In short order, they had themselves a handy little airforce. They also acquired a few ships to support their invasion of the Dominican Republic. And then it all fell apart, including their collective arrest and transfer to Guatemala.
The Legion’s next adventure in 1948 was more successful, helping to knock over the Costa Rican government as part of the civil war that swept that nation, though few of the men took part in the actual combat. Their makeshift airforce was again prominent with some interesting modifications to some of the planes to turn them into fighting craft. The Legion’s leaders had outstayed their welcome in Costa Rica by January 1949, though most of the men had left by then. The Legion’s followed that with a return to the Dominican Republic to remove Trujillo. The planned airborne ‘invasion’ was an unmitigated fiasco. Subsequent diplomatic moves in the region heralded the end of the Legion. The authors add appendices on the various airplanes of the Legion, the Dominican military, and the Nicaraguan Air Force.
Hagedorn and Overall tell a fascinating tale of high ideals and low skulduggery as they piece together the exploits of the Caribbean Legion. They do so in an almost journalistic style replete with personal commentary and asides that makes this a fast read; perhaps a bit too much at times as the uninitiated reader struggles to hold on to the details. I sensed that there was a much bigger book in this if more of the background could have been fleshed out. Nevertheless, they capture the chaotic events involving the Legion very well and they clearly know their material. They are supported in their endeavour by some excellent photographs of warplanes. Readers interested in air warfare and post-War Caribbean conflict will enjoy this very much.
by RNS | Jun 12, 2021 | Beating Tsundoku
Hans Seidler, H*tl*r’s Anti-Tank Weapons 1939-1945 (Pen & Sword, 2020)
“Germans were masters of anti-tank warfare,” notes Hans Seidler. They ought to have been given the number of tanks they faced and the variety of weapons at their disposal. Seidler surveys these weapons and how they were used in this addition to Pen and Sword’s Images of War series.
BUY NOW
The first serious German anti-tank gun was the PaK35/36, which was small and reliable. They took thousands of them into Poland in 1939, according to Seidler, most of them towed by animals. But these were not good enough to take out heavier tanks than the Poles fielded. The Germans therefore brought in the 4.7cm gun for future campaigns and mounted some on vehicles. Better organisation was also introduced. The invasion of France, while successful, heralded the problems to come on the Eastern Front. The 5cm PaK38 proved it could do the job against T-34s and 7.5cm PaK40 guns also came into play, along with better dedicated ammunition. The problem became producing enough of them to counter the growing number of enemy tanks, despite the Germans using captured weapons when they could. The Germans also needed manoeuvrability, so introduced the Marder anti-tank vehicles that performed well, but again there were never enough.
In 1943, the 8.8cm PaK43 came off the assembly line, becoming the most powerful gun the Germans had used to date. This was also mounted to create new tank hunters such as the Nashorn and Elefant. Seidler also surveys the Italian front where PaK40s proved useful but cumbersome. Metal shortages affected production by this time, leading to some German use of hybrid weapons. The Normandy landings and aftermath saw the rise of the hand-held panzerfaust and Panzerschreck anti-tank weapons used effectively by the infantry, which became common on all fronts. By 1945, anti-tank guns and vehicles outnumbered tanks on the Eastern Front, but they were spread too thin, according to Seidler. Indeed, the situation grew desperate despite the Jagdpanzer IV and Jagdpanther’s introduction in 1944, until the Germans were finally overwhelmed. Seidler concludes, however, that the anti-tank component of the Germany army had certainly made its mark.
The Images of War series relies heavily on the photographs to make the books work. Seidler’s anti-tank weapons succeeds on that score with many excellent photographs to accompany his basic but informative text. However, the balance of pictures is also important, and this book falls down somewhat on that with almost no coverage of the desert war and limited photographs from the Western Front; students of the Eastern Front will be very happy with it though. Diorama modelmakers and wargamers will especially appreciate Seidler’s book, though any WWII reader will enjoy this too.
by RNS | Jun 9, 2021 | Beating Tsundoku
Robert Garland, Greek Mythology (Pen & Sword, 2020)
“The gods are jealous and they do cruel things, often with absolutely no justification.” So says Helen, of Troy fame, towards the end of Robert Garland’s spirited retelling of the Greek myths. If you get that far in Garland’s book without hiding under your bed, hoping none of the gods and heroes in this book ever visit you, then you will surely agree.
BUY NOW
All the significant gods and heroes have their stories told by Garland in a structure whereby one story flows into another. Odysseus is the star of the show, featuring in numerous stories, and the siege of Troy is the most significant event, tantalising as it is on the verge of recorded history – I prefer the mythological version. The stories are faithfully told from the first person perspective and in modern parlance, the justification being that the Greeks themselves retold these stories for their ‘modern’ audience so why can’t we? We hear, therefore, from amongst others Apollo and Achilles, Hermes and Heracles, Orion and Oedipus, and of course Zeus, but not Poseidon though we meet him often enough in other stories. Garland accompanies all this with some lovely, simple illustrations, which to take nothing away from the text, might be the highlight of the book.
Being brought up on Robert Graves’ Greek Myths, I was not sure Garland’s modernization would work. Indeed, I wasn’t sure all the way through until I finished the Envoi that marks the conclusion! Garland treads a fine line in just swerving away from trite in his simplifications, and this could have tipped into Greek Myths for young adults very easily, but there are some x-rated stories among the Greek myths and Garland does not shy away from those. I would not look for any analysis here either, that is not Garland’s remit; these are just stories for your enjoyment. Garland’s gods and heroes come across as rude, boorish, crass, selfish, egotistical, sex-crazed, and sometimes just downright nasty. I did not like or sympathize with any of them, but I was entertained by their stories and that was enough.
by RNS | May 31, 2021 | Beating Tsundoku
Andrew Bamford ed., Rebellious Scots to Crush (Helion, 2020)
In Rebellious Scots to Crush, Andrew Bamford has collated seven essays relating to the military reaction to the Jacobite uprising of 1745. They relate primarily to military responses in England, though Bamford highlights two essays on Scottish forces raised to fight the Jacobites to further his thesis that this was not a war between England and Scotland but a civil war. The result is an entertaining and thought-provoking read.
BUY NOW
In his introduction, Bamford places the essays in their context. He begins with an overview of the British Army from the Foot Guards through the numbered Foot regiments and artillery to the new units that had to be raised to fight the Jacobites and the foreign mercenaries who remained on the side-lines. Jonathan Oates leads the essay charge with his dissection of the 13th and 14th Dragoons before narrating their ignominious conduct in battle against the Jacobites who saw more of the horses’ tails than their muzzles. Mark Price follows the 13th Regiment of Foot on its campaign with an analysis similar to Oates’. They too fought at Falkirk but also marched with Cumberland to Culloden; Price includes a first-hand account of the battle that is well worth reading. Andrew Cormack ponders the Noblemen’s Regiments, 11 of Foot and 2 Cavalry, raised to help provide security during the rebellion then happily disbanded. Arran Johnston examines the Edinburgh Units: the Trained Bands that were anything but; the City Guard that tried but couldn’t defend the City; the Edinburgh Regiment that struggled to recruit; and the Edinburgh Volunteers who at least had an adventure to relate when they joined in at the Battle of Falkirk. Jenn Scott discusses the Argyll Militia; the problems they had getting organised and maintaining them. They took part in the rout at Falkirk, but not the battle, and fought at Culloden, taking part in its bloody aftermath too. Jonathan Oates uncovers the Yorkshire Blues raised for the civil defence of that County. Forty-one infantry companies were raised, quite easily compared to the Argyll Militia apparently, and they performed well as an armed police force, argues Coates. Andrew and Lacy Bamford look at a similar organization in the Derbyshire Blues. Derby was the turning point of the Jacobite advance south, though the Blues had little to do with that, choosing to make themselves scarce. The Bamfords also discuss the Chatsworth Contingent from Devon who came to Derby to assist the Blues in their non-participation. Appendices on organisation and orders of battle and regimental colonelcies conclude the book.
The seven essays in Rebellious Scots to Crush are uniformly interesting and illuminate an aspect of the Jacobite Rebellion in 1745 that has so far gone under the radar – there was certainly much more to this war than a couple of armies marching around while everyone else got on with their day jobs. And while I disagree with Bamford’s interpretation of this war, that did not detract from my enjoyment of the essays. Students of the ’45 will find much to entertain and inform them in this book.
by RNS | May 28, 2021 | Beating Tsundoku
John D Grainger, The Galatians (Pen & Sword, 2019)
The common perception of the Celts comes from the fierce warrior barbarians that fought the Romans in Gaul and Britain. But another significant branch of that culture migrated east into the Balkan region then Asia Minor, settling in both areas in their tribal groups. These were collectively known as the Galatians. In this riveting book, John Grainger narrates the rise and fall of this fascinating people who proved a thorn in the side for all the great Hellenistic powers before succumbing to the almighty Romans.
BUY NOW
According to Grainger, the Galatians were part of an expansion from a culture that spread across western and northern Europe, entering into the Balkans as the Scordisci. From there, they clashed with their neighbours in Macedon and Thrace. Grainger’s story begins with Philip II of Macedon who was the first ‘Greek’ to encounter the Galatians/Scordisci. His son Alexander also took note of them, but he had bigger fish to fry in the East. When he died, his Empire fragmented, and the Galatians consolidated their power to become a threat to Macedon and Greece. Serious incursions into both took place from 280 BCE, though they ended in defeat and the division of the Galatians.
A group of Galatians invaded Asia Minor as the situation in Thrace settled down in the 270s. They took Bithynia collectively then split into three tribes to continue their expansion. Grainger notes that they were not the overwhelming scourge that some sources posit – one tribe was defeated by Antigonus in the famous Elephant battle of 274 – but they were still more than a nuisance to their neighbours. Grainger also records how Galatians were employed as mercenaries across the Hellenistic world, enthusiastically at first but more reluctantly because they were considered untrustworthy and rebellious, or perhaps, as Grainger notes in his next chapter, they were not particularly good soldiers in pitched battles? As Galatia came into being in Asia Minor by the 260s, the three tribes had to fight their own wars. Grainger points out these were not raids as was commonly thought but military campaigns conducted by a properly organised State.
How the Galatians coped with Pergamon and Rome occupies Grainger next. Their use as mercenaries against Rome made them an enemy, which inevitably led to war. That was a one-sided affair and led to the steep decline of Galatia, first through domination by Pergamon then, after a spell of autonomy, under the pressure of Roman expansion. That said, the Scordisci back in the Balkans remained a force into the 1st century BCE before Rome defeated them followed by the rising Dacians. Roman annexation of the region was not too far behind. They annexed Galatia too, following another thread in Grainger’s story of Roman expansion, and made it into a successful Province. Indeed, notes Grainger in his appendix, Galatia furnished Rome with three Emperors.
The Galatians is a thoroughly enjoyable, well-written book on a people that are often overlooked amidst the great dynastic struggles of the Hellenistic world. Grainger wrings every drop out of his limited sources, both written and archaeological, and does so in a way that invites his readers into the conversation. He also works his way methodically through an often complex history, acknowledging at one point the ‘hyper-activity’ of the Roman Republic’s civil wars that he had to untangle. My one quibble is a lack of maps to help us follow the narrative, but other than that, this book will appeal to anyone interested in the Hellenistic world or just ancient history in general.
by RNS | May 25, 2021 | Beating Tsundoku
Jean-Louis Roba, The Luftwaffe in Africa 1941-1943 (Casemate, 2019)
You would think that clear desert skies were ideal for aerial combat. For the most part they were, but the majority of technical problems for the Luftwaffe tasked with supporting Rommel’s Afrika Korps came on the ground, while up in the air, the dark clouds gathering were the increasing numbers of enemy aircraft. In The Luftwaffe in Africa 1941-1943, Jean-Louis Roba explains how the Germans tried to cope with it all.
BUY NOW
Roba opens with a handy timeline, integrating Luftwaffe operations into the broader Desert War. That war began with the failed Italian offensive in Egypt. The British counter-offensive brought the Luftwaffe into the theatre, operating mainly from Sicily. When Erwin Rommel arrived in Africa the following month, the Luftwaffe came with him. They soon discovered a lack of ground support facilities and the dangers to engines posed by sand. What follows is a catalogue of operations and sorties flown by the Luftwaffe in support of the Afrika Korps and the important transport service across the Mediterranean. The Commonwealth air forces were initially weak and overstretched – most German losses came from Anti-Aircraft fire. The loss of Crete in May 1941 meant that the Germans could use the island as a base, but also concentrated Allied airpower into North Africa. The escalation of forces increased in Africa, and new planes fitted with sand filters also entered the fray, though so too did the Allied SAS and LRDG to conduct hit-and-run missions against Axis airfields.
That the tide was turning against the Luftwaffe can be seen in the numbers of serviceable aircraft available on the eve of Operation Crusader in November 1941 – the Allies outnumbered the Axis 2:1. The Luftwaffe’s depletion through transfer to other fronts and being hit hard by the Allies exacerbated the situation, though the supply lines failure caused by Allied control of Malta seems to have hit the hardest. All of that, as Roba makes clear, continued to swing towards the Allies. In January 1942, Rommel took the offensive, but the Luftwaffe struggled to cover the variety of missions it had to conduct. Roba notes that they also could not prevent Allied bombers while the Luftwaffe lost many in return. It did not help when the Allies deployed Spitfires.
Roba identifies 30 September 1942 as a turning point for the Luftwaffe in Africa when ace Hptm. “Jochen” Marseille, the Star of Africa, was killed. From then it was all downhill for the Germans. By 23 October and the El Alamein offensive, the Allies outnumbered the Germans 3:1 in the air; the Luftwaffe had also lost many of its aces and it was “virtually bled white”. The arrival of the Americans added to the imbalance, but still the Luftwaffe fought on, though more in desperation than confidence. New German aircraft such as the FW190 made little difference against the increasing numerical imbalance. By May 1943, those who could get out of Africa did so; those who remained had to surrender. Roba concludes that Rommel’s decision to attack Egypt cost Germany valuable Luftwaffe resources in what was a doomed effort.
This volume in Casemate’s Men, Battles, Weapons series is packed with just enough information to satisfy the drive-by reader but leave the curious wanting more. I think that is ideal for a series like this. The text is nothing to write home about, but it is informative, and Roba is supported by many photographs, maps, tables, and In Profile graphic artworks of relevant warplanes. This is a different perspective on the Desert War from the usual emphasis on ground operations and a welcome one.
