Combined Operations

The person behind this work, which is best described as an encyclopaedia of Combined Operations by the Allies during WWII, has compiled a detailed list of operations conducted in the European theatre of war between 1940 and 1945. Throughout the work, original wartime reports and official documents are used, with the compiler using personal comments to explain points of detail, but otherwise, he allows the work to build up by itself. Some of the operations, like Dieppe, are well known, but others are less familiar. It is interesting to read how opinions challenged the early stages of Combined Operations. The planning for Operation Chariot, the attack on St Nazaire, is very interesting and the section on preparations for D-Day raises some interesting points. The transportation used during these operations, usually amphibious craft, is considered, as are the training programmes. This is a useful volume in explaining how inter-service cooperation worked during the war.