amphibious warfare

At the sharp end: D-Day, 80 years on

In the fourth part of our series on the Normandy landings, Patrick Mercer follows three British units to understand what 6 June 1944 was really like for those at the point of the spear.

In our two-part special for this issue to mark the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, David Porter examines the planning and logistical operation that ensured Allied success, while Patrick Mercer follows three British units to understand what 6th June 1944 was really for those at the point of the spear.

LefT A member of the dive team exploring an amtrac (amphibious tractor), one of the few known underwater relics from the 1944 US invasion of Guam. The island was occupied by the Japanese for two and a half years.

Survey explores underwater battlefield in western Pacific

The survey, conducted by a team of scientists from the US National Park Service, is the first of a two-part project.

Left A 1919 caricature entitled ‘World peace in Ukraine!’ shows Ukrainians in the centre, under attack from a Bolshevik (to the north), a Russian White Army soldier (to the east), and (to the west and south west) a Polish soldier, a Hungarian (in pink uniform), and two Romanian soldiers.

Battlefield Ukraine: lessons from history

The roots of the current war in Ukraine are deeply entwined with the nation’s turbulent military history. Here, David Porter examines some of the most important episodes and events.

OPPOSITE The Death of General Wolfe at Quebec, detail from a 1770 painting by Benjamin West. Despite losing his life, Wolfe’s success shaped British strategy for a century and a half.

Wolfe at Quebec: a new analysis

Sam Allison and Jon Bradley offer a forensic reappraisal of General James Wolfe’s spectacular victory.

OPPOSITE US marines in Okinawa, June 1945. It proved one of the most gruelling and costly battles of the Pacific War, filling US leaders with grim anxiety about the likely casualties in the event of a landing on the Japanese mainland. ABOVE Major General Mitsuru Ushijima (1887 1945), the Japanese commander on Okinawa during the battle. He committed suicide on the final day. BELOW The USS Idaho shells Japanese positions on Okinawa. The US fleet played a key role in providing heavy artillery support to US ground forces.

Endgame in the Pacific: The Battle of Okinawa, 1 April – 22 June 1945

Marking the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in the Pacific, Alexander Izza analyses the ferocious last stand of the Japanese Empire.

RIGHT HMS Penelope was damaged by Stuka attack during the Dodecanese campaign. She is pictured here in June 1942, riddled with holes from an earlier attack.

Defeat from the jaws of victory: the Dodecanese campaign of 1943

Naval historian and museum curator Nick Hewitt explores a little-known British disaster of the Second World War.