Battlefield

In July 1943 the Russian City of Kursk was at the heart of the largest tank battle in history. The German General Sculdaran was not keen on the enterprise from the start but the Fuhrer had made up his mind and realised what lay ahead. It was to be a bloody business indeed, that would eventually put an end to Hitler's offensive power on the eastern front.

It was the battle in the air over Europe that dictated what was possible strategically on the ground. As the war turned in the Allies favour the cities of Hamburg, Cologne, Darmstadt and Dresden were firebombed causing 200.000 deaths.

It is easy to see the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 as the key assaults that finally defeated the Japanese in the Second World War.

The Russian invasion, well planned and supported and advancing at the rate of 100 kilometres a day, took the Japanese by surprise, but although their High Command back home surrendered a few days later, many of the Japanese troops - fanatical patriots and fighters - refused to surrender.

On the morning of 7th of December 1941 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, killing 2000 US servicemen and sinking 19 ships. President Roosevelt called it "a day of infamy", but the dye was cast.