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Fallschirmjäger! Helion & Co. via Casemate UK Before WWI there was no such animal as the paratrooper, although it was considered briefly by the Americans but was rejected due to the lack of preparedness of any aspect of the mission, troops, technology or method of delivery. Under the circumstances it was little more than a pipe-dream, but you could also argue that it was some seriously advanced thinking by Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, he of B-25 fame. After WWI the static-line parachute was developed, and with the rapid progression of aviation technology, the idea became a reality, initially in a small way. With the rearmament of Germany after Hitler came to power, Göring had a rare good idea that the Luftwaffe could benefit from having a parachute division, which in German the parachute part is Fallschirm, while the Jäger element originates from the Prussian hunter regiments of yore. Their initial success at the outbreak of WWII made the Allies sit up and take notice, resulting in most countries establishing an equivalent group within their military structure. The members of the Fallschirmjäger were initially volunteers, and wore a distinctive brimless variant of the Stahlhelm worn by the Wehrmacht and SS soldiers. Their battle dress was also different, consisting of knee-length smock and voluminous trousers tucked into their boots. They were a respected foe, as they were well-trained and heavily indoctrinated, so after their usefulness as paratroopers waned, they became more of a special forces outfit that fought on the ground, and were called upon to provide support to struggling areas of the front. This book by Helion & Co is a collection of memoirs of survivors of the Fallschirmjäger, that have been gathered together by author Greg Way over a number of years. Greg is a self-confessed addict to their history and exploits, having served in a totally unrelated branch of the British military himself, cultivating his interest through correspondence with survivors of this dangerous branch of the German military via the internet and upon his own dedicated forum. It is a perfect-bound measuring 170x245mm in portrait form with card cover as you can see at the top of the page. Inside are 308 pages of glossy paper, the last of which is blank. It is divided into chapters based upon the experiences of one contributor per section, some of which are longer than others, depending on what they each have to say. Each soldier has seen action of varying types, which differs but has a common theme of initial success that is coupled with sadness over loss of their comrades, and eventually leads to more loss and eventual retreat as the conditions of the war turned against the Nazis, with the inevitable resignation to captivity or death. These brave guys were little more than boys when they took weapon in hand and offered to jump out of perfectly serviceable aircraft to carry out their orders. It is interesting to hear the story from the opposite side of the lines, and how they fought as individual fighters, made their way through the battlefield when they got separated from their units, and how often it was random chance that one man lived while another died, sometimes horribly. On this subject, there are some stories that might be hard to read and some photos that might be upsetting if you’re of a delicate nature. I wouldn’t say I was, but one photo in particular of a heap of dead people in a building was quite disturbing, so you have been warned. The sections of the book are broken down as follows: Foreward Preface Acknowledgements Fallschirmjäger Rank Structure Glossary of Terminology & Abbreviations Précis of the Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger operations and campaigns 1939-45 Introduction Part I Dr Kurt Erich Schulz Wolfram von Beck Rudolf Jackl Sebastian Krug Wilhelm “Willi” Schulte Freidrich “Fred” Wilhelm Kranefeld Helmut “Bolle” Bollmann Karl-Heinz “Charlie” Pollmann Kurt Engelmann Josef “Sepp” Jendryschik Bernd Bosshammer Carl Bayerlein Erwin Bauer Robert “Bob” Frettlöhr Rudolf Müller Volker Strutzer Part II Bernd Bosshammer Heinrich Gömpel Franz Rheza Afterword Bibiography Index This is a book that you get to read primarily, but there are plenty of photos interspersed with the text, often from the protagonist’s personal collection, including photos of friends they lost along the way and some that survived to take more photos together in their old age. Also, at the end of some of the stories there are notifications of the date of death of the contributor, as their stories have been collected over a number of years, some of them 20 years or more ago, and no-one’s getting any younger. Conclusion This is a very interesting book for anyone that is interested in WWII, regardless of your interest in the parachutes, which to me adds another intriguing aspect, as they floated into some interesting places at times. Of course they were on the losing side, and that becomes evident as their stories progress, with occasional incidents of joy in amongst the pain along the way to the end of the war. Very highly recommended. Currently out of stock after a discounted offer, but worth looking out for the next restock Review sample courtesy of

Paradise Afire Volume 3 The Sri Lankan War 1990-1994 ISBN : 9781912390342 Helion & Company via Casemate UK While Sri Lanka is indeed a tropical paradise, it is also one of those areas that seemed to be in the news for a very long tome due to its long running internal conflicts. In 1971 the country was in political turmoil when the JVP (Jatiya Vimukthi Peramuna) a Sinhalese militant group tried to snatch power. The government at this time appealed for help and Pakistan airlifted troops and military equipment to help. The Pakistani forces took over external defence allowing the local forces to perform internal duties. At the same time India sent Naval Forces to block routes to Colombo, with some 150 Indian troops sent to guard the airport there. Due to initial Indian delays Pakistani forces were entrenched, plus the Indians were less than enthusiastic about the Tamil issue. This help from Pakistan lead to them supporting Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971. Further internal conflict would follow in Sri Lanka, however like many things the influence and agendas of other nations would have a great bearing on this small nation. India supported the Tamils from the 60s through to the 1980 (which in History the British had brought to the then Ceylon as workers). The Tamils built up support and following the riots in "Black July" 1983 a major struggle would begin. Indian intervention this time would be needed to turn the tide against the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam). India troops would leave in 1990 and at the same time the Tamil National Army faced total defeat. leaving the LTTE (The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) as the main Tamil Force. The Sri Lankan forces in this period had though developed into proper armed forces. Conflict would continue until a ceasefire was brokered with the help of international politicians which came into effect on 8th Jan 1995. However this peace would only last a few short months before the war returned. The book looks at all aspects of the air war as well as the conflict in general. It is A4 softcover in format with 64 pages. Black and white photographs feature throughout the text. There are 2 pages of aircraft profiles, three of AFVs, along with other photos, maps and profiles. Conclusion This book should provide readers with a understanding of the military operations in these 4 years of this civil war, Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Aerial Operations in Paraguay In the revolutions of 1922 and 1947 - Latin America @ War No.8 ISBN : 9781912390588 Helion & Company via Casemate UK Paraguay like a lot of countries in the region went through long periods of unsettlement with civil wars and foreign war. This publication looks at the use of fledgling air power in the 1922 Civil war, and then more established aircraft in the 1947 civil war. The 1922-23 conflict took place following cancellation of presidential elections in 1922. From the aftermath of the 1904 Revolution there had been a great deal of infighting and instability in the country. The cancellation of elections in 1922 lead to a civil ware breaking out. Both side hired ex WWI combat veterans for their air arms who were in effect mercenaries. Other pilots were Paraguayan nationals who had also fought in WWI. The government air arm used a variety of aircraft but the Revolutionaries used only Italian Ansaldo SVA.5 & SAV.10 aircraft. Following the Chaco war of 1932 to 1935 (covered here in Latin America @ War No.5) there was a coup by the Army. They then set about strengthening their air operations with an order of 60 aircraft from Italy. This $2.2 Million deal was a fortune at the time, even more so for a war ravaged country. Thus after the Government was returned to power by another coup they tried to cancel the order. In the end the Italians persuaded Paraguay to take 20 aircraft. Later on the Government would take deliveries of further Aircraft from the US which were supplied under lease / lend of WWII. All of these aircraft would then be used in the civil war of 1947 which followed the suspension of the constitution and a general strike, and student riots. By the time this civil ware ended in August 1947 a full third of the population had fled the country. Conclusion This book should give the reader and overview of the civil wars in the country and a look at the aircraft used. It looks at the relationship with Italy and the US under lend / lease. The book is a modest 40 pages containing black & white photos throughout. There are 7 pages of colour aircraft profiles and 2 of colour maps. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of