Sunday, September 25, 2011

Latest Osprey Offerings

October 18th Street Date

OSPACE100
Ki-44 Tojo Aces of World War 2
$22.95 SRP

The 100th title of Osprey's celebrated Aircraft of the Aces series covers a subject sure to be of interest to historians of World War II. The Ki-44 'Tojo' was a fast-climbing, heavily armed point-defense interceptor that was used successfully in slashing hit-and-run tactics that caught Allied pilots by surprise. In the air defense role 'Tojos' pioneered the deployment of a unique 40 mm cannon, the firing system which had no cartridges but instead had the propelling charge contained in the base of the projectile. The Ki-44 was to be used by the JAAF in larger numbers in China than anywhere else. This exciting title from author Nicholas Millman brings the Ki-44's role in the Pacific theater to vivid life, accompanied by full color plates and archival photographs.

OSPCAM238
St Mihiel 1918
$19.95 SRP

The St Mihiel salient had been formed in 1914 as the Germans drove towards Paris. The French had attempted to recapture it in 1915 without success and in 1916 the Germans used the area as a base to attack Verdun. The bitter battle for Verdun had cost hundreds of thousands of German and French casualties. After the Germans called off their attack the salient the war shifted north, leaving the salient protruding ominously into the Allied lines. Despite holding the salient since 1914, after the losses of early 1918, Ludendorff reluctantly decided to abandon the area and retire to a heavily fortified line at the base of the salient. The evacuation was ordered to begin on September 8, 1918. This was to be the scene for the newly formed American Army's first major offensive of the war. This highly illustrated and detailed account will highlight every aspect of this important campaign. 

OSPCMD021
George Washington
$17.95 SRP

George Washington may be one of history's most underrated commanders. Overlooked in favor of his contemporaries such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Frederick the Great, Washington's achievements are arguably more impressive. Frederick and Napoleon inherited formidable militaries, and both had extensive military training and experience prior to assuming command of armies. Washington built his army from scratch, was self-taught, and had never commanded anything larger than a regiment before assuming command of the Continental Army in 1775. This new Command title will track the development of Washington's military career from his early missteps to his heroic efforts during the Revolutionary War that led him on the path to the presidency.

OSPCOM090
AV-8B Harrier II Units of Desert Storm
$22.95 SRP

In the 1970s the USMC bought the AV-8A Harrier from the UK to test V/STOL concepts for close air support. A successful funding battle was subsequently fought in the 1980s to secure military, political and economic support to expand this concept to develop and field the second generation AV-8B Harrier II from the late 1980s onward. The AV-8B was, and still is, the only tactical aircraft that could deploy with Marine forces on amphibious assault ships and provide air cover and close air support separate from large deck aircraft carriers. When Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, a coalition of nations launched Operation Desert Shield in order to defend Saudi Arabia. The Harrier II was among the first tactical air assets to be deployed to the region to support ground forces in their efforts to halt the advance of Iraqi forces at the border with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. During Operation Desert Storm, the five units flying the AV-8B in-theater became some of the top tactical squadrons of choice by air mission planners for allied battlefield preparation and close air support. This was due to the AV-8B's capabilities, proximity to the battle zone and the proven abilities of Marine pilots and forward air controllers, who were closely integrated with ground forces and knew their business so well. The untold story of the AV-8B in this conflict is vividly brought to life by the author through firsthand accounts and period photography sourced from those that were there, as well as official archives. This is planned to be the first of three volumes on USMC Harrier IIs in combat, with follow-on titles covering the jet's operations in Iraq in 2003-08 and Afghanistan in 2001-2009.

OSPELI182
Prussian Napoleonic Tactics
$18.95 SRP

Written by a leading expert on the Prussian army of the Napoleonic era, this title provides crucial insight into the 18th century evolution of the Prussian forces, the war-winning troops of the final battles against Napoleon. Using contemporary materials including drill regulations, instructions, staff and regimental histories and after action reports, this book provides a compelling history of the Prussian tactics from 1792 until 1815. It includes a study of the professional Prussian army during the Revolutionary Wars to the mass mobilization of a conscript army that fought during the Wars of Liberation and Waterloo. Following on from the success of Osprey's other Elite Tactics volumes, this is a must-have for serious students of Napoleonic warfare, armchair generals, and wargamers alike.

OSPFCE003
Ambush Valley
$24.95 SRP

A companion to the Vietnam War, covering the US involvement, as well as the 'Secret War' fought in Laos, and the French conflicts through the 1940s and 50s. This book adds new rules and operational possibilities for players of both Force on Force and Ambush Alley.

OSPFOR105
Forts of the American Frontier 1776-1891
$18.95 SRP

This title explores the contribution made by settlers, explorers, traders and goldseekers of various nations to the nascent architecture of the West Coast of the United States. In doing so, it charts the progress westwards of those who claimed new land as their own, and defended it with forts and blockhouses, and the resulting conflicts with indigenous Native American peoples. Packed with detailed illustrations, this book provides a fascinating study of the westward advance of modern America, and covers sites such as Fort Point at the entrance to San Francisco Bay, the Presidio of San Francisco, Fort Guijarros in San Diego, California, Fort Humboldt in Eureka, California, Sutter's Fort, the 19th-century agricultural and trade colony in California, and Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Washington and Oregon.

OSPMAA473
New Zealand Expeditionary Force 1914-19
$17.95 SRP

Although comparatively small in number, the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in World War I earned an elite reputation on the Western Front, and the New Zealanders' war effort was a defining moment in their national history and sense of identity. The statistics are astonishing: of the total population of New Zealand of 1 million, no fewer than 100,000 men enlisted - that is one in every five men in the country, and of those, 18,000 men were killed and 58,000 wounded. In other words, 15 per cent of the male population of New Zealand became casualties. The NZEF was first committed at Gallipoli in 1915, NZ cavalry regiments helped defend Egypt and fought in Palestine with Allenby's famous Desert Mounted Corps; on the Western Front the Kiwis were called the 'Silent Division' for their fieldcraft and their uncomplaining professionalism. This book is both a tribute and a history of the crucial contribution made by a small nation.

OSPRAID025
Ride Around Missouri- Shelbys Great Raid
$18.95 SRP

In July of 1863, Federal forces, emboldened by the victories at Vicksburg and Gettysburg, moved across the Missouri state line south into Confederate-held Arkansas, advancing from the northwest and northeast in a pincer movement that took all of the northern half of the state, including the prosperous Arkansas river valley and the state capital at Little Rock, by September 11. Secure in their position, the Federals began to transfer men to the campaigns east of the Mississippi. This new title's detailed and exciting account will highlight all aspects of the raid into Missouri planned by Colonel Jo Shelby, whose famed "Iron Brigade" was the boldest and most accomplished cavalry outfit in the Trans-Mississippi Theater. An indispensable source for anyone interested in Civil War history.

OSPTMW001
Tomorrow's War (Science Fiction Rules)
$34.95 SRP

A miniatures wargame of gritty futuristic combat, Tomorrow's War projects the tactics and technology of today's military conflicts two hundred years into the future. While robot drones, anti-gravity vehicles, and advanced battle-suit technology have changed the face of warfare, the essentials of combined-arms tactics have remained constant. Using the popular Force on Force rules as a basis, Ambush Alley Games has created the most realistic and tactically challenging science fiction wargame on the market. The rulebook includes a detailed 'future history' and a campaign system so that individual battles can be linked into an ongoing storyline.

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