Gordon L. Rottman

An enemy in the shadows, the Viet Cong was the military arm of the National Liberation Front, the Communist Party of the Republic of Vietnam. Often working with the North Vietnamese Army, they were a constant factor amid the rice paddies and battlefields throughout the war. Despite fighting an enemy with overwhelming firepower and resources, they ingeniously made use of...

An exclusive, illustrated account of the tactics of the specialized and effective armored infantry formation of World War II. Little has been published on US armored infantry units and tactics over the years. However, their contribution to the war effort was hugely important. There were a total of 57 armored infantry battalions and two regiments that served throughout the war...

A concise, thoroughly illustrated guide into the island battle that would end World War II By the spring of 1945, the Allies were sweeping all before them in the Pacific War against Japan. A series of victories had reclaimed many of the islands and territories seized by the Imperial Japanese forces in the early months of the war. The dark...

Just about every war movie—famously, Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers—includes dramatic scenes of soldiers trying to attack an enemy pillbox or trench. Gordon L. Rottman, who became expert in these tactics whilst serving in the Vietnam War, explains and illustrates the kit and techniques used in assaulting fortifications in World War II Infantry Assault Tactics. He covers the...

A Vietnam veteran explains the composition, capabilities, equipment and missions of the US Army and Marine Corps helicopter and airmobile units in the Vietnam war - and exactly how they carried out their missions. This compact, yet detailed volume centres on the classic airmobile assault mission: how it was planned and prepared; how the troop-carrying “slicks” and their “gunship” escorts...

Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork, the story of the perilous glider assaults carried out by the men who sometimes led and sometimes followed World War II paratroopers onto their objectives. Military gliders came of age in World War II, when glider assault infantry were the forerunners of today’s helicopter-delivered airmobile troops. From the light pre-war sports and training machines, several...

Besides continuing a long history of worldwide peacekeeping, the commitment of US troops to the Gulf reunified the country and restored a national pride lost in the aftermath of Vietnam. It also proved that the US armed forces were again the most capable military force in the world. This volume by veteran Osprey author Gordon L. Rottman focuses on the...

The Browning .50-caliber Machine Guns has become the longest serving weapon in the US inventory. The "fifty" has been employed in every imaginable role for a machine gun. It is considered such an effective and reliable weapon that few countries ever attempted to develop an equivalent. Even the Japanese created a copy of it during World War II when the...

Green Beret in Vietnam by Gordon L. Rottman explores the U.S. Special Forces' most complex and controversial mission in Vietnam, spanning from 1957 to 1973. During this time, Special Forces soldiers were engaged in a variety of operations, including camp strike forces, mobile strike forces, mobile guerrilla forces, special reconnaissance projects, training missions, and headquarters duty. Each of these roles...

The 1941 Japanese Pacific onslaught saw the defeat of Allied forces on all fronts, with the Philippines, Netherlands East Indies, and Commonwealth possessions falling under their control. During 1942-43, the Japanese consolidated their gains and redeployed forces in an attempt to break the Southern Lifeline between America and Australia. These plans were affected by the defeat at Midway, which forced...

Featuring battle scene maps, contemporary photographs, and diagrams throughout, this is the first organisational history of the MIKE forces in combat. US Special Forces in Vietnam created the Civilian Irregular Defence Group (CIDG), a large paramilitary organisation designed to protect the local population from Viet Cong incursions, while conducting border surveillance, raids, and combat patrols in the local area. Their...

On the southwest shore of Laguna de Bay in the Philippines stood the Los Banos Internment Camp. Held within were 2,147 starving POWs, surrounded by thousands of Japanese troops. As the desperate battle for Manila raged, only 130 Paratroopers could be spared for the rescue operation. Supported by Alamo Scouts, local guerrillas, and amphibious tractors, they seized the element of...

A highly illustrated account of the Pacific operation that was, at the time, the longest shore-to-shore amphibious assault in history. Following the capture of Tarawa in November 1943, American eyes turned to the Marshall Islands. These were the next vital stepping-stone across the Pacific towards Japan, and would bring the islands of Guam and Saipan within the reach of US...