December 2019

Volume 19, No. 1

Cover: A German Panzer IV heads to the front in Normandy during the Summer of 1944. Hitler ordered a panzer attack at Mortain to halt the Allied advance.
Bundesarchive Bild 101I-493-3356-07; Photo: Siede

December 2019

WWII History

Hitler’s Bold Attack at Mortain

By David H. Lippman

For once, the ULTRA message came late. Normally, the decoding machines and hard-working British cryptographers at Bletchley Park had an abundance of German Army messages to go through, but in the first days in August 1944, the German panzer divisions had gone to radio silence, which suggested they were going to attack, but not in which direction. Read more

December 2019

WWII History

The Film and Battle of San Pietro

By Michael E. Haskew

The monotonous rattle and snap of the film projector provided a steady accompaniment to the images flickering across the screen in the darkened room. Read more

attack on Meiktila

December 2019

WWII History

Daring British Attack on Meiktila

By Mike Phifer

While the soldiers and officers of the Japanese 15th Army fought fiercely to defend Mandalay in central Burma, they were alarmed to discover that British and Indian troops were dangerously close to attacking their supply depot at Meiktila, 90 miles to their rear. Read more

malmedy massacre

December 2019

WWII History, Editorial

Was Justice Served After the Malmedy Massacre?

By Michael E. Haskew

It was a dismal day, Sunday, December 17, 1944, just hours after the Germans had broken through the thinly held American lines in the Ardennes Forest along rugged terrain of the Western Front. Read more

December 2019

WWII History, Ordnance

What Made the B-25 Mitchell Bomber so Legendary

By Michael D. Hull

Little more than four months after the disastrous attack on Pearl Harbor, America went on the offensive against Japan with one of the boldest and best remembered bomber raids of World War II. Read more

December 2019

WWII History, Books

Midway Air Hero Remembered

The carriers weren’t there.

Lieutenant Commander Wade McClusky looked out over the Pacific Ocean from the cockpit of his Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber and saw nothing. Read more

December 2019

WWII History, Simulation Gaming

A Classic Game Returns in Commandos 2 HD Remaster

By Joseph Luster

Fans who have been into real-time strategy games for a while likely recall Commandos 2: Men of Courage, which first touched down on PC back in 2001, followed by PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2002 and Mac OS X in 2005. Read more