Osprey Campaign Series SC (1990-2011 OSPREY) comic books 2005

Add to cart Near Mint $10.00

Add to cart Near Mint $10.00

Volume 147 - 1st printing. "Crete 1941!" Written by Peter Antill. Art by Howard Gerrard. Operation Mercury, the German airborne assault on the island of Crete in May 1941, was the first strategic use of airborne forces in history. The assault began on 20 May, with landings near the island's key airports, and reinforcements the next day allowed the German forces to capture one end of the runway at Maleme. By 24 May, the Germans were being reinforced by air on a huge scale and on 1 June Crete surrendered. This book describes how desperately close the battle had been and explains how German losses so shocked the Führer that he never again authorised a major airborne operation. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 148 - 1st printing. "Operation Barbarossa 1941 Part 2!" Written by Robert Kirchubel. Art by Howard Gerrard and Peter Dennis. Of the German Army Groups that attacked Soviet Russia, Von Leeb's Army Group North, tasked with seizing the Baltic States and Leningrad, was the smallest and weakest. General Kuznetzov's Northwestern Front, however, was in an even weaker state. Despite brave counterattacks and defense by the Soviet forces, the Germans smashed through the Dvina Line, then the Stalin Line, flooded into Latvia and pressed on to encircle Leningrad. This book examines the German offensive and also the courageous Soviet attempts to halt the German spearhead, defending every possible line against overwhelming odds. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 149 - 1st printing. "Falaise 1944!" Written by Ken Ford. Art by Howard Gerrard. The battle around Falaise in Normandy during August 1944 saw the destruction of the German Seventh army. This book details the chain of events which led to the German retreat and the ensuing liberation of France. The British and American breakout battles had released motorised units to wage a more mobile war against the German static defensive tactics. At Falaise, the armoured units of US Third Army encircled the German Seventh Army, squeezed them into an ever-smaller cauldron of chaos and crushed them against the advancing British Second Army. The results were devastating: those troops able to escape the disaster fled, those who remained were killed or captured and vast quantities of armour and equipment were lost. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 150 - 1st printing. "Khe Sanh 1967-68!" Written by Gordon L Rottman. Art by Peter Dennis. Khe Sanh was a small village in northwest South Vietnam that sat astride key North Vietnamese infiltration routes. In September 1966 a Marine battalion deployed into the area. Action gradually increased as the NVA attempted to destroy Free World Forces bases, and the siege of Khe Sanh proper began in October 1967. The bitter fight lasted into July 1968 when, with the changing strategic and tactical situation, the base was finally closed. This book details the siege and explains how, although the NVA successfully overran a Special Forces camp nearby, it was unable to drive US forces from Khe Sanh. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 151 - 1st printing. "Vimy Ridge 1917!" Written by Alexander Turner. Art by Peter Dennis. Vimy Ridge was one of the most important geographic features on the entire Western Front in World War I. In early 1917 it was considered practically impregnable, but on 9 April the Canadian Army Corps, under the command of the British Lieutenant General Sir Julian Byng, assaulted it as part of the Arras offensive. In one of the most spectacular operational attacks of the war, they seized almost the entire ridge in a single day. This book describes how the innovative efforts that went into every aspect of the preparation for this attack ensured that the Canadian and British troops achieved unprecedented success. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 152 - 1st printing. "Kasserine Pass 1943!" Written by Steven J Zaloga. Art by Michael Welply. The North African campaign of November 1942-May 1943 was a baptism of fire for the US Army. After relatively straightforward landings, the US II Corps advanced into Tunisia to support operations by the British 8th Army. Rommel, worried by the prospect of an attack, decided to exploit the inexperience of the US Army and strike a blow against their overextended positions around the Kasserine Pass. However, the Germans were unable to exploit their initial success, and later attacks were bloodily repulsed. The fighting in Tunisia taught the green US Army vital combat lessons, and brought to the fore senior commanders such as Eisenhower, Patton, and Bradley. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 153 - 1st printing. "Toulon 1793!" Written by Robert Forczyk. Art by Adam Hook. In August 1793 Republican France teetered on the brink of collapse. On every front her enemies' armies swept forwards across her borders - the very survival of the Revolution itself was at stake. In Toulon, the strategically vital home port of France's Mediterranean fleet, a coup had overthrown the Republican government and handed over the city to the blockading British navy. In this, perhaps her darkest hour, France's saviour was at hand in the shape of a Captain of Artillery whose name all Europe would soon know - Napoleon Bonaparte. This title describes the Republican victory at Toulon that not only saved the Revolution but also saw the young Napoleon Bonaparte begin his meteoric rise to power. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 154 - 1st printing. "Acre 1291!" Written by David Nicolle. Art by Graham Turner. In April 1291, a Mamluk army laid siege to Acre, the last great Crusader fortress in the Holy Land. For six weeks, the siege dragged on until the Mamluks took the outer wall, which had been breached in several places. The Military Orders drove back the Mamluks temporarily, but three days later the inner wall was breached. King Henry escaped, but the bulk of the defenders and most of the citizens perished in the fighting or were sold into slavery. The surviving knights fell back to their fortress, resisting for ten days, until the Mamluks broke through. This book depicts the dramatic collapse of this great fortress, whose demise marked the end of the Crusades in the Holy Land. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 155 - 1st printing. "Anzio 1944!" Written by Steven J Zaloga. Art by Peter Dennis. In January 1944, the Allies decided to land at Anzio in order to overcome the stalemate at Cassino.This amphibious landing has become one of the most controversial campaigns of World War II. Questionable decisions by the Allied leadership led to three months of World War I-style trench warfare, and the entire beachhead suffered from continuous German observation and bombardment. Vividly describing each thrust and counter-thrust, this book takes us through the agonizing struggle as each side sought to retain or regain mastery. It shows how Anzio proved to be a stepping stone not only to Rome but also to the liberation of Italy. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 157 - 1st printing. "Trafalgar 1805!" Written by Gregory Fremont-Barnes. Art by Christa Hook. Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson's decisive victory over the combined fleets of France and Spain on 21 October 1805 remains one of the greatest naval triumphs in history. Off Cape Trafalgar, 27 British and 33 Franco-Spanish ships pounded each other in an epic four-hour struggle on whose outcome rested nothing less than Britain's security against Napoleonic invasion. Nelson's brilliant tactics, inspiring leadership and the superior training and morale of his crews left his opponents shattered in a savage encounter that not only marked the last great battle fought in the age of sail, but ushered in a century of British naval mastery. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 158 - 1st printing. "El Alamein 1942!" Written by Ken Ford. Art by Howard Gerrard. The battle of El Alamein marked the turning point in Britain's fortunes in the Second World War. There were three separate battles between July and November 1942, all of which were fought to halt the advance of Rommel's army towards the Suez Canal. This final battle at El Alamein, fought in October and November, saw the continuous bombardment of the German line that Rommel was instructed to hold at all costs by Hitler himself. The Allies shattered the German defences, and Rommel led a westward retreat in order to salvage what was left of the Afrika Korps. This book provides an in-depth analysis of the battle that turned the tide in favour of the Allies in Africa. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 159 - 1st printing. "Berlin 1945!" Written by Peter Antill. Art by Peter Dennis. Hitler's Third Reich was on the brink of total ruin in mid-April 1945, and the Red Army was poised less than 60 miles to the east and ready to seize the German capital. Peter Antill describes the events in this engaging history, examining the Soviets' march towards Berlin and the Germans' final resistance. This book, supplemented with a host of maps and illustrations, provides a vivid portrayal of the death throes of the Third Reich and the end of the war in Europe, exploring the strategy of both sides and the tactics of impromptu urban warfare. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 160 - 1st printing. "Battle of the Boyne 1690!" Written by Michael McNally. Art by Graham Turner. In April 1685, James II ascended the English throne. An overt Catholic, James proved unpopular with his Protestant subjects, and a group of nobles invited the Dutch prince William of Orange to take the throne in the Glorious Revolution of 1688; James II fled to France. James returned in 1689, a French fleet landing him at Kinsale in Ireland. On 14 June 1690, William led an army to Ireland and came face-to-face with the Jacobites along the banks of the Boyne near Drogheda. This book describes the events that led to the momentous battle on 1 July that would decide the fate of the crown of England. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 161 - 1st printing. "The Third Crusade 1191!" Written by David Nicolle. Art by Christa Hook. The clash between King Richard I 'The Lionheart' of England and Saladin has become legendary. Throughout the ages, military enthusiasts have been fascinated by the strategy of the resolute, heavily armed Anglo-Saxon army versus their more lightly armed opponents. Richard's inability to recapture Jerusalem was disappointing, but it proved to the crusaders that Saladin was not invincible. This book describes the struggle that has evolved into a mythic campaign for the Holy City of Jerusalem, providing an in-depth look at the battle, the personalities involved and the tactics employed by each army. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.