The June issue of Military History Monthly, the British military history magazine, is now on sale.
In this issue we cover:
Lawrence, the desert war, and the origins of special operations
This month, James Stejskal delves into the origins, officers, and weapons of modern British special operations on the Arab front from 1916 to 1918, while MHM Editor Neil Faulkner examines the Battle of Mudawwara.
Includes:
– Background
– British officers
– Weapons
– Mudawwara
– Battle Maps
Smoke and fire
David Porter explores the weapons of modern incendiary warfare.
Sadowa, 1866
Battle for the soul of Germany
Regiment: the Scotch Brigade
Patrick Mercer uncovers the role of the 94th Regiment of Foot at Ciudad Rodrigo in 1812.
Also in this issue: Behind the Image; War Culture; War Composers; War on Film; Book of the Month; Book Reviews; Museum Review; Event Listings; Competitions; and much more.
From the editor
Liar and charlatan, military genius, or something in between? The debate about T E Lawrence has raged for a century and shows no sign of abating. Witness the worldwide media coverage of a single bullet found at Hallat Ammar, site of the train ambush that was the basis for that famous scene in David Lean’s epic film (discussed by Taylor Downing this issue).
Our claim – I was part of the archaeological team involved – that the bullet was actually fired by Lawrence cannot be proved, but is, on the evidence, highly likely. More important is the wider story it illustrates: that much of Lawrence’s Seven Pillars of Wisdom military memoir has now been ground-truthed.
This issue we take a sideways look at the Lawrence phenomenon. Our focus is not on Lawrence as guerrilla leader, but on the team of British officers to which he belonged that was pioneering modern special-forces operations on the Arab front in the First World War.
James Stejskal – who dug in Jordan with the Great Arab Revolt Project – reports on the contribution of other members of that special-ops team and looks at the weapon systems deployed. We conclude our special with a close look at one particular operation: the capture of Mudawwara Station in August 1918.
Also this issue, we mark the anniversary of the Battle of Sadowa in 1866, one of the most decisive clashes in European history, David Porter analyses the flame weapons used in the world wars, and Patrick Mercer recalls the epic role of the 94th Foot at Ciudad Rodrigo in 1812.