Tanks of the World

The birth of today's modern battle tank stemmed from the darkest days of World War One when the shell torn battlefields of France were literally bogged down in a stalemate situation, with opposing forces confined to miserable conditions in dank trenches and the occasional bout of needless slaughter taking place as commanders sought to gain an advantage over each other. This standoff needed something special to break the deadlock, something that could cross the battlefield, break through the miles and miles of deadly barbed wire and cross the trenches protecting the enemy and all while taking fire from the enemy. The search for something to break the deadlock was so great that a number of unorthodox weapons were tested during the war, but ultimately it would be one machine that would take to the battlefields of France that would eventually make a difference. 1916 saw a new vehicle taking to the battlefield for the first time, a steel monster the likes of which had never been seen before and that vehicle would become one of the most feared weapons in land warfare in the decades that followed. That weapon was the 'Tank' and few weapons, let alone military vehicles have captured the imagination of the general public like the tank since.

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F-35 Lightning II

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter is already dominating investment in future airpower throughout the world, even before it has entered full-rate production. By mid-2013, the total US investment in the programme was close to $400 billion, with a requirement to procure 2,457 aircraft through 2037. The total life-cycle cost of the F-35 to the US Government is estimated to be in the range of $850 billion to $1.1 trillion, far greater than any other military aircraft in history. Internationa partners are looking at future force structures in which the F-35 will constitute much or a of their combat aircraft strength. Most of the air arms that will invest in F-35s have a broad range of combat experience and diverse operational needs, none of which cou d develop a fifth-generation fighter a one. The F-35 was intended from its inception to be an international programme, designed to enable the US armed services and a !y nations to carry out a range of tactical missions - primarily air-to-surface but a so air-to-air - in the face of high-performance threats, particularly surface-to-air missiles, that are likely to proliferate in the coming decades. The programme was a so aimed at addressing the continued viability of manned combat aircraft which has been threatened by rising procurement, operational and maintenance (O&M) costs.

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Flypast 08/2014

Benjaminsen in HP858 found a Junkers Ju 52 off Bergen on the 18th. The tri-motor, belonging to Fliegerführer Norwegen, flying from Stavanger to Vaernes, was promptly shot down. Four days later, Finn Eriksrud and Pty Off Erling Johansen in HP860 despatched Ju 88D 'D7+BH' south of Stavanger; Uffz Magnus Mannel and his crew were killed. The CO WTO te on their return: ''It was a determined and well performed attack which led to a complete destruction of the German aircraft." On December 18 Eriksrud downed an Fw 58 near Bonilo for his third victory. His Mosquito, HP861, as hit by debris and Eriksrud was forced to ditch, he and his navigator being captured. Sub Lt Harald Jensen and Sub Lt "Iorkildsen in HP862 shot down another Ju 88D in mid-December - the first of his three victories. Wyller and Benjaminsen were successful again on December 16 during a fight with Fw 190As of 12/JG 5, shooting down Uffz Willi Surr h off Moide. Sadly this promising crew was killed near their homeland on February 23, 1944. Having shot down a Ju 88D of Westa 1 they fell victim to an Fw 190 of JG 5. Although 333 Squadron's 'B' Flight gained some successes against the Luftwaffe, its main role was anti-shipping strikes. From the spring of 1944, the unit was increasingly involved in dangerous tussles with surfaced U-boats, to which end the Mosquitos often carried depth charges.

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Military Modelling Vol.44 No.8

This 120mm figure is among a number of figures sculpted by the very talented John Rosengrant and based on a selection of photos of grenadiers and panzer crew that were fighting on the Eastern Front, in Kharkov in the winter of 1943. The German army had a wide range of clothing at this time and along with sheepskin coats, winter parkas were the most commonly worn type in Kharkov, as can be seen in the accompanying reference photos on which John's figures are based. The Third Battle of Kharkov was a series of battles on the Eastern Front during World War Two, fought by German Army Group South against the Red Army, around the city of Kharkov between 19th February and 15th March 1943. The Germans knew this as the 'Donets Campaign', whereas the Soviets knew it as the 'Donbas' and 'Kharkov' operations. The German counter attack led to the destruction of around 52 Soviet divisions and the recapture of the cities of Kharkov and Belgorod. While the German Sixth Army was encircled in Stalingrad, the Red Army undertook a number of attacks against the rest of Army Group South. These reached a climax on 2nd January 1943 when the Soviets launched Operation Star and Operation Gallop, which between January and early February broke the German defences leading to the Soviet recapture of Kharkov, Belgorod, Kursk, Voroshilovgrad and Izium. However, the Russian victories caused the rest of the Soviet units involved to overstretch themselves.

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