After The Battle, Issue 97

The main feature of this issue is titled The Battle of the Alps and describes the actions of the French forces in consolidating positions in the Alps on the Italian border and ultimately driving back the Italian and German defenders.  This article, covering this under-reported campaign, accounts for approximately half of this issue and is very well illustrated throughout with many photographs following the well established “Then and Now” format.

Dambusters’ Bomb Recovery is a six-page article describing the efforts to recover some of Barnes Wallis’ bouncing bombs which were dropped on the Kent foreshore during the testing of this weapon.  In addition to the obligatory photographs there are several detailed drawings of the bombs albeit of German origin.

The following article describes the opening of the restored German V2 launching site at Wizernes.  Opened in 1997 this museum is certainly well worth a visit if you are passing through this area.

The following 12-page article titled HMS Collingwood is a historical review of this Naval Training Establishment which is responsible for training Weapon Engineering and Warfare Branch personnel from raw recruit to officer level.  This shore establishment was formed in 1939 and this review covers its inception to its role in 1997 when this article was published.

The final article, The Spitfire at Maldegem, is written in the “Wreck Recovery” style and tells of the recovery of the remains of an “unknown” pilot and his aircraft from a field in Eastern Flanders where it crashed in late 1944.

This issue contains 54 pages of well researched Second World War military history much of which is presented in the familiar “Then and Now” format for which this publication is famous.