On 7th August 1942, US forces landed on the islands of Guadalcanal, Tulagi and Florida in the Solomons. Composed primarily of US Marines under General Vandergrift, the Allied forces attempted to deny the Japanese control of the islands and protect the vulnerable supply routes between the U.S and Australia. Attacking under cover of darkness,…
The “Ox and Bucks” first saw action on the retreat at Dunkirk, under Operation Dynamo 26th May-3rd June 1940. The 1st Battalion fought at the Battle of Ypres-Comines Canal, in which they had lost 300 men before evacuation could occur. During the retreat from France the rest of the regiment was fighting in the defence…
Born on 6 October 1910 in Nagyláz, Hungary, Edömér Tassonyi joined the Royal Hungarian army in 1938, where he was commissioned as a junior Lieutenant in the newly formed Parachute Assault Regiment. He soon gained recognition from his men and superiors for demonstrating outstanding leadership. By October 1944 Major Tassonyi was the commanding officer of…
The exploits of Combeforce are straight out of a Commando comic. A hell-for-leather drive across the desert, to block the retreat of a whole Italian army! Following their disastrous invasion of Egypt in December 1940, the Italian army was in full flight. Their fortified camps at Nibewa and Sidi Barrani had been overrun by courageous…
Throughout the autumn of 1944, the Axis forces in the Carpathian Basin were fighting for their very existence. The battle for Fortress Budapest was about to begin! The Red Army, pushing ever westward, was nearing the peak of its strength, with close to 6.7 million soldiers advancing on a front that ran from the Baltic Sea…
With the Bolt Action Theatre book ‘Duel In The Sun‘ and the latest Campaign book The Western Desert delving into the battles such as Beda Fomm 78 years on is easy! We couldn’t resist a brief look at the background of the famous 7th Armoured Division – otherwise known as the Desert Rats! (Unit insignia…
Renowned for its heavy armour, the Matilda II stormed across battlefields in France and the Western Desert. These infantry tanks played a key role in the Commonwealth’s early victories! Designed and commissioned in 1936, the Matilda infantry tank was designed to be a lumbering behemoth, impervious to anti-tank guns and field artillery, able to engage…
We’re always excited to see your miniatures – this week, we’re heading to the Philippines with Robin Dao’s Battling Bastards of Bataan! The War in the Philippines In the Philippines, two Japanese divisions – the 16th and the 48th under General Homma Masaharu –landed on the island of Luzon on 22 December. US General Douglas…
This week, we’re returning to the North African deserts, climbing into the high passes of the Atlas Mountains to witness the US Army’s baptism of fire at Kasserine. Following the success of the American, British and Free French landings in Morocco and Algeria as part of Operation Torch, the Allied armies concentrated their forces and…
The Battle of France has begun. The German Blitzkrieg is scything across the French countryside. This week, we’re taking a look at the very tip of the spear – General Erwin Rommel’s 7th Panzer Division, the Ghost Division! When the German Blitzkrieg smashed through France and the Low Countries, its vanguard was composed of the…
Tom Mecredy
RichC
Rich Dando