What are your WW2 specialties?

Definitely late war -1944-1945, with the proliferation of camouflaged jackets and pants. But in 1939-1942, the Germans were generally going to battle in their fancy tunics (or greatcoat)..

 

Anything dealing with the war on the Eastern Front-our war especially from Normandy onwards, German uniforms, weapons and insignias. Also, anything dealing with the men and in some cases-the Women) who became recipients of: The Knights Cross, the German Cross in Gold/Silver, the Close Combat Clasp in Gold, the Medal of Honor, The Victoria Cross, the George Cross and the Hero of the Soviet Union.

 

Waffen SS and ETO

 

I like to read about German weapons and the "super weapons" like the V1 and V2, the guided air to ground missiles they made, the U boats and their cool tech stuff like acoustic homing torpedoes. Also German small arms like the MP44 and the MG 42 that were revolutionary. Alot about the Eastern front and the clever tactics and leadership that enabled the Germans to fight on so long while being totally outnumbered. I have studied almost all conflicts since post WW1 including Vietnam and the present wars in Iraq and Afganistan for over 30 years and fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately) there's never any shortage of material.

For some reason i have little interest in WW1, maybe because WW2 makes anything that happened 1914-1918 look like ancient history.

 

Allied Airborne Forces, with GPR as main.

Steve W.

 

Naval warfare in the PTO. I'm not talking about those "sexy" carrier duels of Coral Sea, Midway, Solomon Islands, etc. I'm talking about the cruisers and detroyers fighting it out off the shores of Horianu (sp?) and Kolombangara, to Java Sea and ABDACOM. Of course I do like the carrier battles as well.

 

I don't have a specialty within the past year or so i've been trying to learn more on ww2, before this i was really into the civil war so ww2 was always on the back burner for me. I have a interestt in learning though about the MTO and primarily Italy, the battle of Monte Cassino, Rome, and Sicily., but i also want to learn more on Italy's social problems prior war and during war.

 

I mostly research the snipers,relying heavily on the Soviet Unions part

 

Mike -- The Naval Institute Press has a book coming out next month which may interest you:

South Pacific Destroyer: The Battle for the Solomons from Savo Island to Vella Gulf

ISBN: 978-1591141433

I'll be reviewing it in the book review section but, in case you cannot wait for the review, the book should be published in mid-August.

 

Thanks David! Already purchased my copy. Now I just have to wait for it's release. I would salute you, but I'm out, and I need to spread the rep around a bit more.

 

Dont know,have a bit of everything,probably weakest on the pacific theatre because i can never remember in what order the different battles happaned.I'm ok on doctrine.

Currently brushing up on japanese infantry.

 

Thanks Lou, Actually it's one of my favorite books. Recently purchased Hornfischers book Ship of Ghosts about the USS Houston as well.

 

Armor,Eastern front, Grossdeutschland, and the Waffen SS...well at least the first three divisions but I have learned Wiking was pretty good. It's the small details where I am very weak.

 

SMLE shooter:

I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tell you that you and I
share the same love affair with the Corsair.

I worked with a lot of different aircraft during World War Two, but the "Whistling Death" is, by far, my favorite and sentimental airplane. It was the old Lincoln Continental of aircraft. Other planes could fly faster, climb faster and land on aircraft carriers less awkwardly, but few had the graceful lines and the style of the Corsair. And, no other airplane cold scare hell out of the Japs more than the whistling sound that the Corsair made in a dive.

It even LOOKED mean!

I can attest to the fact that, for close air support of front line troops, the most efficient and deadly Corsairs were those piloted by a Marine officer who had once served as a company commander on the ground in his earlier days in the Marine Corps. Enlisted Marine pilots that flew at the beginning of the war would fit into this same catagory, but I’m not sure enlisted people were still flying air support after the Corsair was introduced.

Anyone know if they did or not?

vcs-ww2
. -- . -- .

 

It's all pretty interesting to me, but for so long the bulk of my concentration was in the ETO. But as of late, I have been drawn to the smaller details of the conflict, small actions that won't have a movie made about it. I have developed an interest in first-hand reports, especially of the enemy's thoughts of fighting against Allied units, and of POW's experiences. Since I watched the Ken Burns series titled "The War," and toured and read every article in the National WW2 Museum in New Orleans, reading up on the home front is becoming a little more interesting as well.

I still like to read about the airborne forces of course, and NOT because of BoB or SPR....

And I also like to read up on proposed military operations that were cancelled. Neat stuff (to me anyway).

 

Big fan of the Marines in the Pacific... Especially the War Dog Platoons in Guam. There was a thread started a while back pertaining to where you would serve in WW2... speaking for myself, I would have enjoyed serving in the Marines with my trusty Doberman or Shepard next to me. There is so much we can learn from animals, especially dogs. The fact that they were used in combat and soldier survival blows me away!

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I also share the same passion for this amazing machine

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enjoy!

Mark

 

The reason for the difference was that the US for the first time in modern history came up with a "combat" uniform versus just the uniforms men in the military had been issued for centuries. That is, US WW 2 troops did not fight in their dress uniforms, the ones they would wear in garrison or on leave. The Germans and everybody else did (the British followed the US lead and by mid war had the same sort of "battle dress" going for their troops).
So, German soldiers had all their rank, medals, and other military trappings on their uniforms in combat. The US soldier, wearing a combat uniform, had just rank and possibly a unit badge on his. Now, some soldiers would wear certain extra items like the Combat Infantryman's Badge for reasons of personal pride or to show their veteran status. But, they didn't normally wear medals, or other items that would get in the way of a basic fighting uniform.
The US uniform by 1943 also was the first to make use of layered clothing.

 

I wouldn't claim to have any "specialties", but I am most interested in weapons/small arms/militaria. This would be followed by aviation and Eastern Front operations.

I was born on Guam, and I have always been in awe of those men and their dogs. I have some pictures of the dog cemetary/memorial over there, but they are at a relatives house. May have to see if I can get them scanned. They are old slides, so I'll have to figure something out.

Jemimas, have you heard of this book?

Amazon.com: Always Faithful: A Memoir of the Marine Dogs of WWII: William W. Putney: Books

Here is a sample: Marine Dogs of World War II