Today we're showing three pieces of artwork from our September 2024 series books! Let us know in the comments which books you'd like to see featured in our October 2024 Artwork Reveal!

 

Roman Army Units in the Western Provinces (3): 4th–5th Centuries AD

By Raffaele D’Amato

Illustrated by Raffaele Ruggeri

 


HISPANIA
Left: Miles gregarius, Legio VII Gemina, AD 300–325
Bottom Right: Tribunus; Lusitania, c.AD 350
Top Right: Miles limitaneus; Carthaginiensis, AD 400–450

Artwork requested by Daniel Figueroa Giraldez

 

Romania 1944: The Turning of Arms against Nazi Germany

By Grant Harward

Illustrated by Johnny Shumate

SOVIET ATTACK ON ROMANIAN POSITIONS OUTSIDE IAŞI, 20 AUGUST 1944

At 5.15am, on 20 August 1944, Soviet 2nd Ukrainian Front began a massive bombardment of Axis positions along the Iaşi front. At the same time, Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front also hammered Axis troops huddled in bunkers along the Dniester River line. After the artillery preparation, Soviet armour spearheaded attacks to smash through the enemy defences.

In this scene, cavalrymen of the Romanian 5th Cavalry Division have emerged from their protective bunkers and taken up positions in their partially destroyed trenches to meet the assault of a corps of the Soviet Fifty-Second Army north-east of Iaşi. Soviet troops flood the Jijia river valley in a combined arms attack of tanks, infantry and anti-tank guns below the Romanian positions. Having held their fire to allow the enemy to close, a flare with five stars signalled them to open up with all their weapons. Romanian troops use rifles, machine guns, mortars, and even Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns in a direct fire role. The Soviets will be temporarily stymied by the fierce Romanian resistance in this sector but will work around to their left flank where a German unit has retreated exposing the Romanian line.

Soviet forces quickly broke holes through the front held by German Army Group South Ukraine on both the Iaşi front and the Dniester. By 12.30pm, on the Iaşi front, Soviet tanks and infantry crossed the Bahlui River and closed in on the city of Iaşi while retreating German and Romanian troops desperately tried to form a new defensive line.

Artwork requested by Paul Williams

 

Japanese Combined Fleet 1942–43: Guadalcanal to the Solomons Campaign

By Mark Stille

Illustrated by Jim Laurier

 

 

Operation I

The third strike of Yamamoto’s grand air offensive was directed at Port Moresby on April 12, 1943. It was the largest of the four strikes of Operation I and the only one targeted against airfields. The operation required a high degree of coordination, with 54 G4M medium bombers coming from two airfields and 131 Zero fighters coming from four different airfields. The fighter force was divided into two groups. The first was the Air Superiority Force, consisting of 55 Zeros from three carriers flying from bases around Rabaul. The larger Covering Force was allocated 76 Zeros from one additional carrier and three land-based units. The huge formation made a feint toward Milne Bay and then turned right toward Port Moresby. American radar picked up the bombers 83 miles away, giving time to scramble every available Allied fighter. The track of the bombers took them over the Owen Stanley Range of mountains and then to a point northwest of Port Moresby. The Japanese bombed three airfields before hitting Port Moresby, and then struck a fourth airfield before flying back over the Owen Stanleys and back to Rabaul. Allied fighters fought through the Zero escort force to shoot down six G4Ms, and another was so badly damaged it was forced to crash land at Lae. In exchange for the seven G4Ms destroyed, the Allies lost three fighters in air combat and six bombers of various types on the ground. This view shows a chutai of G4Ms from the No.705 Kokutai which broke off from the main formation to attack the 3-mile Kila Airfield. The bombers have concluded their attack and are headed northeast. Damage to the airfield was light, but the airfield’s fuel dump was hit, as is indicated by the large smoke column in this scene.