World War 2 In Review

  From Kowloon on the Chinese mainland, Japanese soldiers watch their shells falling on Hong Kong's capital below "The Peak." Published in 1948 After long years of secret preparation, Japan was ready to strike crippling blows at widely separated targets in her whirlwind expansion in the southwest Pacific. Her immediate objective was to secure the rich and natural resources of Malaya and the Netherlands East Indies. But to have freedom of action, she must first neutralize and then eliminate any major power that might prevent the realization of her plans. Three such major powers stood astride her road of access; these were the United States, Great Britain, and the Netherlands. Two of these powers, the British and the Netherlands, were already crippled by being involved in the European War. This left the United States as the first target for attack, because the United States was on record as opposing Japanese aggression in China. In order to accomplish her purpose, Jap...

Led by a piper, men of 2nd Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 15th (Scottish) Division, move forward during Operation 'Epsom', 26 June 1944. Imperial War Museum B5988. The 1st Battalion fought in the Western Desert Campaign, Crete, Abyssinia, Sicily and in the Italian Campaign. The first action for the 1st Battalion was at Sidi Barani where they joined the battle on 10 December 1940 as part of the 16th Infantry Brigade. On 17 May 1941 the battalion moved to Crete where they formed part of the defense based on the east side of the island at Tymbaki. Most of the Argylls marched from Tymbaki to the airfield at Heraklion on the night of 24 May to help support the 14th Infantry Brigade in the fighting at that airfield. They were successfully evacuated on 29 May from Heraklion but their convoy suffered air attacks and many casualties on the route away from Crete. The Argylls left at Tymbaki were captured when the island surrendered. The 1st Battalion was shipped to Alexandria and a...