ePub An Illustrated History of the Later Crusades: A chronicle of the crusades of 1200-1588 in Palestine; Spain; Italy and Northern Europe; from the Sack ... depicted in over 150 fine art images by Charles Phillips in History

Description

This volume follows the Luftwaffe's twin-engined Wunderbomber southwards to describe its deployment in North Africa and the Mediterranean Theater during World War II (1939-1945); from the Straits of Gibraltar in the west; via the beleaguered island of Malta; to the Aegean and the Suez Canal in the east. It is a story of two distinct parts - the initial lightning successes; and then the long; slow process of retreat and defeat. It began early in 1941 with the first sporadic air raids on Malta; followed in the spring by the campaign in the Balkans which resulted in the conquests of Yugoslavia; Greece and Crete. After supporting land operations in North Africa during the latter half of 1941; the Ju 88s resumed their assault on Malta. Such was their decline; however; that by the final month of the war there was just one machine left in the Mediterranean - an improved model Ju 188; which was used to drop Axis agents behind the Allied lines in Italy. Bringing the story to life are personal accounts of some of the more famous actions - the bombing of the evacuation shipping off the coast of Greece and the sinking of three Royal Navy destroyers south of Crete by the renowned 'Helbig Flyers' of LG 1; all illustrated with rare photographs and full color profiles.