#OTD, 0214 British Time in 1945, Mosquito XVI ML929 from 109 Squadron, dropped the last RAF bombs on Berlin. (The Russians were about to enter the city). The crew were Flying Officer A.C. Austin, pilot, and Flying Officer P. Moorhead, navigator. #WW2 #HISTORY
Stone effigies of an armoured knight and a lady on top of a tomb in Benington church, Hertfordshire. Both figures lie on their backs facing upwards and are shown at prayer. A large candlestick is visible in the background,
Faces of power from long ago fashioned most finely from stone. Here, Sir Edward de Benstede and his wife Joan Thornbury at Benington, Herts. Edward successfully navigated the end of Richard II’s reign to serve under Henry IV. Remarkably, he was around 77 when he died - a grand age. #TombTuesday
New Warships IFR mag in shops and supermarkets & direct from publisher, both hard copy and digital editions https://warshipsifr.com/subscriptions/ Among hot topic: Iran War & struggle for Strait of Hormuz; a commentary on UK squandering naval might; Turkish Navy task force in northern European waters.
New Warships IFR mag in shops and supermarkets & direct from publisher, both hard copy & digital editions warshipsifr.com/subscriptions/ Among hot reads: Iran War & struggle for Strait of Hormuz; a commentary on UK squandering naval might; Turkish Navy task force in northern European waters.
'Martin’s Eyes’ selected by 'The Times' as one of eight 'great historical novels to read in April’. Review says ‘a nuanced, moving take on a perpetual question: how did normal men become foot soldiers to Hitler’s appalling vision?’
'Martin’s Eyes’ selected by 'The Times' as one of eight 'great historical novels to read in April’. Review says ‘a nuanced, moving take on a perpetual question: how did normal men become foot soldiers to Hitler’s appalling vision?’ More info www.bismarckbattle.com/martins-eyes/
#WW2 #histfic
Having a chat with Stuart Leasor of Chiselbury Publishing about my new book, the historical thriller 'Martin's Eyes', which has just been unleashed www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTia...
#historicalfiction #ww2 #coldwar #newbook
More info www.bismarckbattle.com/martins-eyes/
An assembly of images I took while visiting Bad Gastein in Austria. Anyone who reads 'Martin's Eyes' will find the fruit of that trip, not least elements of these scenes, in there somewhere - brought to life during WW2 and in the early Cold War aftermath of that war.
My new book, and first novel, 'Martin's Eyes' is out officially this coming Friday, published by Chiselbury Publishing. It has many sources of inspiration. A final paperback bound proof is seen here amid an assembly of images I took while visiting Bad Gastein in Austria.
#historicalfiction #ww2
The French Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle is the main cover pic. In the background is the Italian air-defence destroyer ITS Andrea Doria. Marine Nationale image. The inset image is a Super Hornet jet about to launch from USS Abraham Lincoln during operations against Iran. US Navy pic.
Out in UK shops, supermarkets & deploying globally is the April 2026 edition of the magazine. Some hard-hitting 'bullets' on the front cover whose star vessel is the French Navy aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle. For more info on the mag visit warshipsifr.com including how to subscribe.
Daring Class (Type 45) destroyer HMS Dragon at Plymouth during Operational Sea Training (not for the current deployment related to the Iran War but an earlier one). Photo: Steve Jagger.
Our new Warships IFR magazine podcast episode has been unleashed: 'Iran War Special - Not-so-Grand Strategy Shocker' pod.fo/e/3ed082 I talk to guests Dr Gary Blackburn and Dr James Bosbotinis about the Iran War, how the conflict could shatter NATO plus the state of the Royal Navy...and a lot more!
A departure from past UK SSN designs for sure...
The March edition of Warships IFR officially out today, in UK & going global. Cover star is nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Royal Navy HMS Anson, on the way to Australia. Another fine cover image by David Parody.
The March edition of Warships IFR is officially out today, in UK & going global. Cover star is nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Royal Navy HMS Anson, on the way to Australia. Another fine cover image by David Parody. Avail via shops or direct from the publisher warshipsifr.com/subscriptions/
'Martin's Eyes' manuscript with specially commissioned pen.
Yes, I commissioned a special 'Martin's Eyes' pen to do the marks on the big 'set proof' for final tweaks to the 'set script' 😃 and which is to be published by Chiselbury Books on 10 April.
#novel #newbook #fiction #ww2 #coldwar #espionage #combat #thriller
The final hard copy script for the novel 'Martin's Eyes'.
Long hours across several weeks (day job permitting) in 'the bunker' (with occasional parole) to get 'Martin's Eyes' over the line. The final big edit is done...and dog-eared hard copy seen here.
#book #WW2 #historicalfiction #thriller #novel
LOL. Indeed...BFO cruisers may be more acurate.
Many thanks!
Front cover of the February 2026 edition of Warships IFR magazine, showing the Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS St. John's. Photo: Sandy McClearn.
A new Warships IFR mag is now out & packed with news, views, great pics & a dash of history. Cover pic by Sandy McClearn. It's of Canadian frigate HMCS St. John's returning to Halifax after a very busy time on NATO duties. Avail hard copy & digital sundialmedia.escosubs.co.uk/subscribe/wa...
Many thanks. I do not always monitor such things, but was browsing other people's books on there and noticed...
Here's a review of it www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2019/09/sund... by @drfarls.bsky.social
Cover of the paperback edition of 'Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron' by Iain Ballantyne (published by Canelo Books).
Just £1.99 for the Kindle variant of my book 'Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron' at the moment!
www.amazon.co.uk/Arnhem-Days-... In addition to museum research includes accounts by some remarkable #ww2 Airborne warriors I met and interviewed.
#history #ww2history #books
Here's the Russian Navy Kilo Class missile-armed diesel-electric submarine RFS Krasnodar (entered service late 2015) in waters off the UK, with the naval tug RFS Altay (commissioned 1988, note the profusion of aerials for a simple 'tug'). Monitoring the two Russians is the British fleet oiler RFA Tidesurge, furthest away, with a Merlin anti-submarine helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron aloft to lend a hand. It was a three-day operation, as the submarine and tug headed west from the North Sea, into the Dover Strait and then the English Channel. Once off Ushant the Russians were shadowed by other NATO units, as they had been before the UK involvement in the op. Photo: Royal Navy/UK MoD. #russians #submarine #royalnavy #royalfleetauxiliary #rfatidesurge #merlin #helicopter #kiloclass #rfskrasnodar #rfsaltay #monitoring
Here's the Russian Navy Kilo Class, missile-armed submarine RFS Krasnodar off the UK, with naval tug RFS Altay. Monitoring the two Russians is the British fleet oiler RFA Tidesurge, with a Merlin anti-submarine helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron aloft to lend a hand. Photo: Royal Navy/UK MoD.
Yes, private enterprise is part of the problem (and likely will remain an expensive, futile path), tho' the RN decided to play a greater role in recent years, but not with the resources or approach imho that is now needed.
Key word is 'volunteer' - but the special cases today are those in engineering and anyone they can bung into the carriers and prepare for the frigates (or draft to boats). Despite submarines being the top priority for UK defence. Sub Service being in a mess a tragedy 30 years + in the making.
As for recruitment - I have some current insight into sharp end of it. It is not that people do not want to serve in the boats at all. What is wrong is the recruitment system is just crap - slow, fragmented, configured wrong. Plus it is still not prioritising (& keeping) volunteer submariners.
Imho it's like the battleships - lost primacy really at end of WW1 but still slugging it out one way or another in WW2, even lingered until 1991 (last combat missions). When we start seeing them with the weapons, endurance, speed & ability to detect-shoot-kill immediately then, yes, bye bye boats.
A U-boat surrenders to the US Navy in May 1945. Photo: USNHHC/USNA/USN.
New Warships IFR mag #podcast alert: 'Churchill’s Peril: U-boat Wolfpacks'. A real pleasure to discuss the reality of WW2 warfare under the waves with Roger Moorhouse & touch on related topics & people, namely Churchill, Dönitz & the character of U-boat captains pod.fo/e/362b94
#ww2 #history
Personally, Taigei of Japan is the way to go...sorry 😀
The next episode of our podcast is a deep dive into the world of U-boats in WW2. Our guest is Roger Moorhouse whose latest book is 'Wolfpack'. Ep: 'Churchill’s Peril: U-boat Wolfpacks'. Out this week! In the meantime, check out some other episodes podfollow.com/warships-pod... #ww2 #uboats #history
...and like the early pioneer days for submarines (1860s/70s) the reality is the proposal is immature and may or may not deliver. For sure drones will one day be part of it - I did an article on that in 1995 after an RNEC Manadon visit...only taken 30 years to get where we are now 😀
Something like that is coming, but not a for a long time will it offer what an advanced SSK can. And why not Taigeis for the RN that can also operate with the drones? At this moment in time I would suggest we are in the 1860/70s where all sort of things are being promised ref drones.
Many thanks. Well done on your novel too!
