617 Squadron is the most famous bombing unit in the Royal Air Force. The squadron attained instant fame in 1943 when it successfully breached important dams in Germany’s industrial heartland using an ingenious weapon: the bouncing bomb. The raid flew the “Dambusters” into legend but 617’s subsequent history is just as accomplished. History of War Issue 32 discovers 617’s role in sinking the German battleship “Tirpitz”, interviews a Lancaster bomber pilot who attacked Adolf Hitler’s mountain retreat and unearths the squadrons more recent role in the Iraq War.
Elsewhere in a packed issue, “Great Battles” visits the blood-soaked field of Borodino where Napoleon was taught the bitterest limit of his ambition in Russia. There is a fascinating insight into the Afrika Korps as seen through the eyes of Rudolf Schneider, Erwin Rommel’s driver and the brutal aftermath of the Battle of Hastings is investigated when the English stubbornly refused to accept the Norman Conquest.
Also in Issue 32:
-Operators Handbook: HMS Belfast
-Turkey vs Russia: The Balkan Reckoning
-Medal of Honor Hero: Alexander Bonnyman
-The Briefing. Congo: the heart of darkness
-Artefact of War: Civil War breastplate
History of War issue 32 is in stores now, you can also order it directly from our shop or subscribe now and save 25% off the cover price.