Bøger udgivet af Periscope Film LLC

During WWII, the U.S. Army's ranks of men and its arsenal of equipment grew mightily. From a mere 190,000 soldiers in 1939, the Army would reach 8.4 million in 1945. That was a staggering achievement, and what is even more impressive is to consider how few guns, tanks, artillery and other essentials the military possessed prior to Pearl Harbor. Outfitting America's war machine, and assessing its needs and delivering the goods, was one of the War Department's most challenging tasks. To make it work, some weapons would be pressed into production even though they were obsolete, while others would be adopted as expedients in hopes that better replacements would soon be delivered. The full scope of what was produced in the handful of years between the military build-up that preceded December 7th and V-J Day is hard to comprehend. Fortunately, the War Department left behind this four volume "Catalogue of Standard Ordnance Items". A master catalogue that neatly lists most if not all of the vehicles, weapons, ammunition, and combat equipment that fought history's greatest war, it's an astonishing compendium. Volume 1 of the Catalogue details tanks (including light, medium and heavy tanks), gun and Howitzer motor carriages, armored cars, tank transporters, armored trailers, carriers, snow tractors, half-tracked vehicles, armored utility vehicles, service trucks, and even bicycles and motorcycles pressed into Army service. Companion books include Volume 2 which focuses on artillery, Volume 3 which examines small arms, and Volume 4 which is devoted to ammunition.

The 155-mm Howitzer M1 was first produced in 1942 as a medium artillery piece. It saw service with the US Army during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, before being replaced by the M198 Howitzer. The gun was used by the armed forces of many nations, and in some countries, it still remains in service. The 155-mm Howitzer was developed as an afterthought. A new carriage was under development for much of the 1930s for the existing World War I era M1918 until 1939 when it was realized that it did not seem logical to put a new carriage underneath an obsolete howitzer. Consequently, development began anew with a carriage designed to be used for the 155-mm Howitzer. This was completed by May 15th, 1941 when the Howitzer M1 on the Carriage M1 was standardized. The howitzer itself differed from the older model by a lengthened barrel of twenty calibers and a new breech mechanism. Uniquely, it was the sole 'slow-cone' interrupted screw mechanism to enter service after 1920. This meant that two separate movements were necessary to open the breech, versus the single movement of the 'steep cone' mechanism that simultaneously rotated and withdrew the breech. Created in 1943, this technical manual reveals a great deal about the 155-mm Howitzer M1's design and capabilities. Intended as a manual for those charged with operation and maintenance, it details many aspects of its assembly, ammunition, and accessories. Originally labeled restricted, this manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.

The Light Tank M24 was an American tank used during the later part of World War II and in postwar conflicts including the Korean War and, with the French, in the War in Algeria and the First Indochina War. In British service it was given the service name Chaffee, after the United States Army General Adna R. Chaffee, Jr., who helped develop the use of tanks in the United States armed forces. In April 1943, the Ordnance Corps, together with Cadillac division of General Motors, started work on the new project, designated Light Tank T24. Every effort was made to keep the weight of the vehicle under twenty tons. The armor was kept light, with the glacis plate only twenty five mm thick (but sloped at sixty degrees from the vertical). A new lightweight 75 mm gun was developed, a derivative of the gun used in the B-25H Mitchell bomber. The gun had the same ballistics as the M3, but used a thinly walled barrel and different recoil mechanism. The design also featured wider (sixteen inch) tracks and torsion bar suspension. It had a relatively low silhouette and a three-man turret. On October 15, 1943 the first pilot vehicle was delivered and production began in 1944 under the designation Light Tank M24. By the time production was stopped in August 1945, 4,731 M24s had left the assembly lines. The M41 155-mm Howitzer Motor Carriage was based on the M24 Chaffee Light Tank fitted with an M1 155-mm Howitzer. In addition to the Howitzer, the M41 carried twenty two rounds of 155-mm ammunition. Also known as the Gorilla, the M41 eventually saw action in Korea. Created in 1947, this technical manual reveals a great deal about both the Chaffee's and M41's design and capabilities. Intended as a manual for those charged with maintenance, it details many aspects of the Chaffee's track and suspension, hull, turret and other systems. Originally labeled restricted, this manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.

Founded in the 1830's, the Baldwin Locomotive Works rapidly became America's premier builder of steam engines for railway use. In the aftermath of the Civil War, a new standard emerged on the railroads of 4' 8.5". Yet this gauge proved prohibitively expensive in mountainous regionsand for mining operations. Thus a narrow gaugestandard was developed of three feet or, in Canada, three and one-half feet. This catalog shows Baldwin's full line of narrow gauge locomotives, and includes technical specifications and other data. This version of the book has been slightly enlarged and reformatted for readability, but care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.

Originally published by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. as a promotional, The Story of the Airship chronicles the history and development of these great "silver cruisers of the sky." Filled with photos and authoritative text, the book springs from an era when dirigibles, balloons andblimps competed against airplanes for public attention. Sadly, incidents such as those that befell the USS Macon, USS Akron and Hindenburg caused the public to lose faith in these craft. Published prior to these terrible tragedies, this book chronicles some of the stunning achievements made in the 10s, 20's and 30s. It can be seen as a testament to a golden era, when the sky was full of promise, and serene voyages of wonder were routinely made in these amazing aircraft.

Visionary designer Jack Northrop built a series of experimental "flying wing" aircraft both before and during WWII. The YB-35, a propeller-driven strategic bomber featuring the drag-reducing all-wing design, offered enormous payload capacity and terrific endurance. The YB-49, a turbojet-powered variant built on the YB-35 airframe, captured the imagination of the world when it first flew in 1947. It quickly set both an unofficial endurance record and a trans-continental speed record, and appeared poised for rapidly deployment. Tragically, in June of 1948 one of two flying prototypes was destroyed when the aircraft suffered a structural failure during a test flight. In hearings after the accident, evidence was presented that in certain circumstances the aircraft could become unstable and exceed the capabilities of a human pilot. Shortly thereafter the YB-49 program was canceled. Jack Northrop's radical design was shelved for a generation, only to re-emerge in the form of the B-2 Spirit Stealth bomber - an aircraft that relies upon computerized controls to ensure stability in flight. Originally printed by Northrop Aircraft in 1948, this YB-49 Flying Wing pilot's flight manual taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Originally classified "Restricted", the manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been slightly reformatted. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.