Tag Archives: Italian artillery

Unseen US document reveals impact of glider battle at Maleme

Glider troops of Germany’s airborne forces landed around Maleme Bridge in Crete in May 1941. They were decimated. The Germans decided never again to mount a major airborne assault. The Allies drew the opposite lesson, as a previously unseen American document shows. … Continue reading

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Tullio Marcon: the Allied invasion of Sicily in the memories of a Balilla

As a 13 year old boy, Italian historian Tullio Marcon lived through the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943. The Fascist creed he had been taught crumbled along with Italian resistance, especially when he met Allied soldiers and discovered they … Continue reading

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Italian Artillery of WWII – Book Review

Books about the Italian artillery of WWII are rare, even in Italian. This one in English is extremely welcome, but may slightly disappoint students of Operation Ladbroke and the fall of the Piazzaforte Augusta-Siracusa (PA-S). Book Review: ‘Italian Artillery of the … Continue reading

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Admiral Leonardi takes on the Royal Navy and the SAS

It’s an extraordinary story: in July 1943, Italian Admiral Leonardi manned an abandoned gun battery almost alone against the might of the Royal Navy. Firing several shots, he forced a British ship to turn and flee. But is the story … Continue reading

Posted in All Posts, Battlefield Visits, Operation Husky - Sicily 1943, SAS Special Raiding Squadron (SRS) in Sicily | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Peter Davis of the SAS – a precious first-hand account

Until now, book-length personal records of the SAS in Sicily, written while memories were fresh, totalled exactly one.  For fans and historians who find such first-hand accounts invaluable, Peter Davis’ exciting new book has doubled our treasure. Book review: ‘S.A.S. Men … Continue reading

Posted in All Posts, Operation Husky - Sicily 1943, Reviews & Profiles, SAS Special Raiding Squadron (SRS) in Sicily | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment