The M42 was an anti-aircraft vehicle, which was pressed into ground combat during the war

The specific mission of the Marine Corps has led to the development of many unusual and innovative vehicles, amphibious landing craft in particular.

Through hundreds of color photos, the bulk previously unpublished, Images of War: M2 Bradley explores Americas premier Infantry Fighting Vehicle in an unprecedented level of detail. Go inside and out the modern-day icon, then ride it into battle through they myriad of photos presented in this book. See why Bradley remains one of the most formidable armored combat vehicles of its class, even as it logs over 35 years of service.The Bradley Fighting Vehicle, made famous through extensive medi...

A pictorial history of this powerful piece of artillery, an icon of the Cold War era.In 1949, the US Army wanted an artillery gun that could fire a nuclear warhead in the event that guided missiles and long-range bombers proved insufficient in delivering atomic weapons. The result was the M65 280mm Atomic Cannon. On May 25, 1953, at 0830 hours, an M65 of A Battery, 867th Field Artillery Battalion, let loose with the only nuclear round the type would ever fire....

This photo-packed reference "will be of interest to modelers and military historians alike" ( AMPS Indianapolis).The ground war in Vietnam pitted a myriad of American tanks, artillery, APC, and trucks against not only the weapons of Communist North Vietnam, but also the terrain. Through archival images, the arsenal of the US Army and USMC are revisited in this informative volume.From the iconic M113 APC to the M48A3 tank, M551 Arm...

An illustrated history of two American tank destroyers used during World War II featuring rare photographs from wartime archives.Going into World War II, the prevailing strategy of the United States command was that tanks were not to be used to engage enemy tanks in combat. Rather, tanks were to be the armored spearhead to breach enemy positions. Enemy tanks were to be dealt with by specialized weapons, aptly named tank destroyers.While the three-inch weapo...

History of the design, development, and deployment of the US Navy's famed fleet of PT boats with rare archival photos and previously unpublished images.Patrol Torpedo—or PT boats—captured the public's imagination during WWII due to the daring exploits of their crews. Built not of plywood, as many believe, but rather of mahogany planks, and powered by a trio of Packard marine engines, these vessels operated in every theater, often facing opponents many times their s...

A photographic history of the principal main battle tank of the modern US military.Conceived to counter the threat of a massive Soviet armored incursion in Europe, the M1 Abrams tank gained considerable fame during the Persian Gulf War of 1991, and its combat record has continued to climb. With such a long service life, the Abrams has undergone continual improvements and upgrades, which are illustrated in great detail in this volume. The unique fe...

Conceived as part of a Top Secret project to disrupt Nazi Germany's atomic bomb program, the hastily developed Studebaker Weasel went on to one of, if not THE most successful of the wartime all-terrain vehicles. Designed with light weight to facilitate both air-dropping and efficient, high-speed operation in the snow, the vehicles were soon found to have excellent performance in the mud.Always amphibious, the later models, the M29C, were equipped with flotation tanks on each end an...

Although only 100 examples were produced, the 155mm Gun Motor Carriage M12 served with distinction as an infantry-support weapon and in particular as a bunker-buster during the U.S. assault on the Siegfried Line in the winter of 1944-45.The ability to rapidly ready heavy artillery for firing lead to the development of the M12 155mm gun in 1941, based on the M3 Medium Tank chassis. The trial vehicle, built by Rock Island Arsenal, was designated T6\. To accommodate the large, rear mo...

The M7 Howitzer Motor Carriage, dubbed the Priest, was the most successful and widely used example of American self-propelled artillery during WWII. Examples continued to be used by the U.S. Army during the Korean war, and beyond, even serving Allied countries into the 1970s. Coined the Priest due to its pulpit-like structure for the gun commander, this armored fighting vehicle would see action in North Africa, Italy, and the D-Day landings in Normandy and all the way to Germany.

More than 200 excellent images of the ship, most of which were scanned directly from originals by the author