Today we're showing three pieces of artwork from our April 2026 series books! Let us know in the comments which books you'd like to see featured in our May 2026 Artwork Reveal!

 

CAM 427 Kings Mountain 1780: The Tide Turns in the South

By David Smith

Illustrated by Graham Turner

Artwork of a group of soldiers. Two soldiers in the foreground are talking to each other and one is petting a horse

THE MUSTER OF THE OVERMOUNTAIN MEN, SEPTEMBER 25, 1780

The muster at Sycamore Shoals was a rare event, bringing together people from the scattered settlements over the mountains. Although they shared a common purpose, these were men who were used to making their own decisions and living in isolation – there were inevitable flashpoints as so many of them rubbed shoulders. Old grudges might be brought up and rehashed, although it appears the muster was mainly peaceful as the men remained focused on their goal.

 Art requested by  Karl Dietrich.

 

NVG 347 Italian MAS & MS Boats 1915–49: Italy's fast coastal forces

By Enrico Cernuschi

Illustrated by Gareth Hector and Edouard A. Groult

Artwork showing THE SINKING OF HMS MANCHESTER in the background, in the foreground is another ship

THE SINKING OF HMS MANCHESTER, 12–13 AUGUST 1942

Steaming as part of the escort for the Operation Pedestal convoy, the cruiser HMS Manchester was slightly damaged by a mine exploding in the paravane after midnight. The fore starboard searchlight jammed. At 0038hrs, two MTBs were detected by radar on the starboard side. At 0115hrs, one of them was observed on the starboard bow, but could not be illuminated. The sound of two torpedoes being launched was heard. Manchester began to turn to evade, but one of them struck abreast her aft engine room. Power failed, the lights went out and the ship came to rest, flooding fast, on the edge of a known minefield. Manchester was scuttled at 0530hrs. According to the log, MS 22 had fired torpedoes at 0114hrs from just 600yds, having penetrated the convoy at 8 knots to avoid any bow wave. It was a stealth masterpiece. Manchester was the biggest warship sunk by an MTB during World War II.

 

FLT 17 D-Day Fleet 1944, British Sector: The Royal Navy's Eastern Task Force

By Nick Hewitt

Illustrated by Paul Wright

Artwork of COASTAL FORCES ACTION OFF LE HAVRE,

COASTAL FORCES ACTION OFF LE HAVRE, JUNE 7–8

On the night of the June 7–8, four Royal Canadian Navy MTBs of the 29th MTB Flotilla were patrolling in Area Tunny, 15 miles east of the Trout Line and dangerously close to Le Havre. The Canadians were operating 71ft British Power Boat Company MTBs. Originally designed as Motor Gun Boats, these formidable little warships were powered by three supercharged Packard V12 1,250hp engines capable of driving them through the water at around 40 knots, or more than 46mph. When they picked up a radar contact just under four miles away, the Canadians assumed the ships were friendly, until star shells burst overhead, followed by tracer arcing towards them from the German fleet torpedo boats T-28, Möwe and Jaguar, now less than a mile away and faintly visible on the horizon. It was a dark, moonless night, ordinarily perfect circumstances for an MTB attack. Unfortunately, the Canadian boats were totally outmatched as their torpedo tubes had been replaced by depth charges, so they turned away to the north and retired across the choppy seas at high speed; fortunately, they escaped without serious damage or casualties.