General History & Ephemera
- WWII Resources. Comprehensive site.
- HyperWar. Documents, histories (many official), lots of links.
- Battlefields of World War II. Photographs (then/now) and descriptions.
- George Duncan's Historical Facts of WWII
- Dwight D. Eisenhower Foundation site. History, documents, photographs, more.
- Generals of World War II.
- Real War Photos collections of photos, mainly NARA (National Archives U.S.).
- Pictures of World War II (also National Archives).
- Lone Sentry. Lots of text, photos, diagrams; great site. Tactics, weapons, warfare, more.
- WW2 day by day (Christoph Awender). Chronology and history of the war, plus uniform info, etc.. Note: This site is undergoing an entire makeover.
- World War II Teaching resource pages (Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (U.S.)). Covering many facets of the War and aftermath.
- World War II Links on the Internet. Links to all topics.
- Find World War II Historical Materials. All topics covered. Includes a section on materials for educators.
- World War II Multimedia Database. Images, histories, videos, more.
- World War II Net. All sorts of materials.
Illustrations, Posters, Visual Reference Materials
- World War II in Color. Color photos of the war from different nations. Includes a large number of lesser-seen national forces.
- Pictures of World War II (U.S. National Archives (NARA)). Photographs, posters, and other illustrations from some of the best war photographers and artists.
- Second World War Gallery (World War Photos). Great collection; organized by country and type (e.g., aircraft, tanks). Many unique photos (some color).
- World War 2 Photos. Contains over 16,566 pictures from 6 countries. Good black and white photos.
- Battlefields of World War II (Paul Reed). Photographs of battlefields, histories, research, wargaming resources, and more.
- World War II blog. Heavy on photos, many originals, and original equipment.
- World War Poster Collection (Univ. of North Texas Libraries). Hundreds of great images of original posters from both World Wars. Mostly US but French, British, and other nations represented as well.
- German Propaganda Collection (Calvin College, Mich.).
Posters, art work, advertisements, leaflets, all sorts of visuals. Also on site are articles, speeches, and other Nazi documents relating to propaganda. [Note: this is an educational site and does not support or praise Nazi activities then or now--neither do I.] A few of the groups are:
- Psychological Operations Leaflet Archive. Examples of originals dropped by all countries at various times in the war. Also some posters. This site includes descriptions and history of drops.
- Additional Links to Nazi posters and art.
- Big Book of Warfare. Covers all aspects of warfare, but for WW2 resources by country, this is quite comprehensive. Search the table of contents.
Maps
- Maps (RKKA in World War II). Maps involving Soviet forces and covering various theaters and specific actions. Arranged by year and front. Also see this page for additional maps & images.
- Military Maps of World War II. From official and commercial publications. Wide variety and topics. Uses a special file format that requires reader (available free by links).
Theaters & Campaigns
Europe
War in Africa
- Afrika Korps.org. Covers all aspects with lots of photos (including color images from participants), images, detailed descriptions, books, articles, biographies, bibliographies, glossaries, abbreviations, uniforms, etc. On leaders, troops, vehicles and weapons, air power, more. Good source for modeling and gaming as well. Includes materials on all Axis and Allied forces in the desert.
- Desert War. On the North Africa war. Photos, anecdotes and eyewitness memoires, histories, etc.
Italy Campaign, 1944
Normandy Campaign 1944 (D-Day & Breakout/Pursuit)
- Battle of Normandy: Memories. Great site. Descriptions and photos of various stages of the campaign, each city and town (with photos), and more.
- D-Day: Etat des lieux. Collection of anecdotes, photos, maps, articles, and other materials on the big day.
- Normandy Allies. Site by an organization founded to preserve and promote the memory of the 1944 Allied liberation of Normandy and the post-war reconstruction of France.
- Busting the Bocage: American Combined
Arms Operations in France,
6 June-31 July 1944
(Army Command & General Staff College). Document on the tactics during the breakthrough.
- Breakout From the Hedgerows: A Lesson in Ingenuity. Article.
- Normany Region Then and Now. Amazing collection of photos taken during WW2 and in recent times (2000s).
The WW2 photos were taken during the invasion of Normandy on and after D-Day. Great for comparing sites, and also for model-making (houses, bocage, etc.).
- Normandy Landscape Gallery (Few Good Men forum). Great current and contemporary photos of bocage, landscape, and other features that were fought over.
- Fighting in Normandy, Combat Lessons No. 4. Bocage tactics, good description of bocage
- German AFV in Normandy. Listings of various vehicles, statistics, etc.
- Tiger I Tanks in Normandy
- Culin hedgerow cutter. Read also the Osprey article: Normandy legends: the Culin hedgerow cutter.
- Panzers and the Battle of Normandy. Histories, photographs, etc.
Ardennes Campaign 1944-1945
Tactics
Armed Forces
General
- Orders of Battle. Unit database covers British Commonwealth, United States, Germany and other major powers).
- World War II Armed Forces:
Orders of Battle and Organizations. OOBs, maps, book references, other.
- Battalion Organisation during the Second World War. "...devoted to the various small unit organisations deployed by the major combatants during World War Two. Covers all major countries and their dependents. Also has pages on infantry tactics and weapons.
- Infantry Anti Tank Guns.
- Big Book of Warfare. Covers all aspects of warfare, but for WW2 resources by country, this is quite comprehensive. Search the table of contents.
- WW2 Weapons: Cataloguing the weapons of the world's largest conflict: one weapon at a time. Extensive catalog of all weapons, by country, then by weapon type.
- Acepilots.com. In addition to links on Aircraft & Pilots, the following are selected:
Tanks, Guns and Vehicles
- Aberdeen Proving Ground. Original vehicles and guns. Not all the paint jobs are accurate, but the equipment is..
- AFV Database. Vehicles from all periods. Tech data and more.
- Battle Tanks. All countries, lists of all tanks/vehicles with photos, articles, statistics, etc.
- World War II Drawings. Excellent site showing color illustrations of vehicles, aircraft, ships, guns, weapons, and other, for all major, and most smaller powers. Beautifully-rendered mages show front/rear, top, side views, and are researched, with dates, specs, and other data.
- Encyclopedia of the Tanks of World War II. Comprehensive list of vehicles from all countries. Loads of photos and detail information (currently the 'new' site is down; link goes to 'old' site).
- Jagdtiger page. Photos of original vehicles in museums. Includes all nations.
- Missing Lynx. For modelers, but has historical articles and photos, as well as other materials.
- Weapon Measurement Conversion Chart. Great for trying to determine caliber/size of rounds.
- Heavy Guns and Mortars. Descriptions, histories, data, photos.
- Miniature Armoured Fighting Vehicle Association (MAFVA). Broad coverage of AFVs (all periods), with a variety of resources.
- Mortar models. Photos with titles.
- Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor. Tanks and vehicles from all nations.
- Photo Gallery of World War II. Not in English (yet), but easy to read for portraits, weapons, vehicles, etc. Arranged by topic and country.
- Vehicle Index (Henk of Holland). Great site. Primarily for modelers, has links to vehicles by country/type. Lots of photos of models and original photos of these in service. Additional links to model suppliers and dealers.
- World War II Vehicles, Tanks, Airplanes, and Guns. Very detailed data, photos, etc. Listed by country, then by type/use.
- Tanks! All countries, all types; comprehensive, with data and photos, etc.
- Tanks of World War II. All countries. Images, diagrams, statistics and tech data.
- Tanks in World War II. All countries too.
- Tank Museum (Bovington, UK).
- Tank Museum (Kubinka, Russia). Tanks from all nations; photos of tanks by nation, type; also action photos and uniform info.
- Vehicle Markings, See also: Tactical Symbols
- Archer decal site for a complete listing with illustrations.
- World Tank Museum. Photos of models of almost every tank or vehicle.
- WarWheels.Net. Comprehensive online resource for modelers and enthusiasts of armored cars and wheeled fighting vehicles from all eras. Great Site.
- WWII Tanks Vehicles produced by Country. Technical Data for all variants.
Aircraft
American
Colors, Markings, and Camouflage
Air Service
Artillery
U.S. Artillery. Very detailed data, photos, etc. Guns listed by type/use.
Tanks
Tank Destroyers
- TankDestroyer.net. All aspects; histories, personal narratives, etc. (New site; still developing).
British (includes Commonwealth/Empire (Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders, Indians, etc.))
- 8th Army and War in Africa, See: Afrika Korps.net.
- Canadians at Normandy, 1944. Maps, photos, memoires.
- Canadians in WWII (Juno Beach Centre).
- Canadian Vehicle markings.
- Armoured Acorn: the Canadian and Commonwealth Armoured Vehicle Web-site. Photos, books, articles, vehicle markings. Very good for Canadian. Also includes some German, US, and other nations, and some post-War/Modern. Includes:
- British Armor Markings of the Second World War, 1939-1945. Shows divisions and brigades. Detailed.
- British, Commonwealth and Polish tank formations in Italy 1944 and their Markings.
- British and Commonwealth Army of World-War Two, 1940-1945. For miniatures but has details, data, and useful info.
- British AFV Camouflage 1939/1945. Textual but describes each type and usage.
- British Tank Markings in Normandy. (Battlefront/Flames of War site).
- Small Unit Organization, See: Battalion Organisation during the Second World War.
- Staghound I Armoured Car. Also links to other vehicles from WWII.
- Big Book of Warfare. Covers all aspects of warfare, but for WW2 resources by country, this is quite comprehensive. Search the table of contents.
German
- Axis History Factbook (Marcus Wendel). Non-political site that covers all aspects of Axis powers for WWI and WWII. Hosts the Axis History Forum "an apolitical forum for discussions on Axis nations, as well as First and Second World Wars in general."
- Afrika Korps.org. Covers all aspects with lots of photos (including color images from participants), images, detailed descriptions, books, articles, biographies, bibliographies, etc. Good source for modeling and gaming as well. Includes materials on all Axis and Allied forces in the desert.
- Panzer Ace: Michael Wittman. Also has other data and photos.
- German Armed Forces. Comprehensive and detailed. Organizations, by name/number, by type, theater, and date. Also includes: Orders of Battle (campaign/theater), Unit Strengths (named units), Organizational Symbols, Rank Structure, Panzer Field Strengths, etc.
- Statistics of German Army Divisions:
- German Color Photographs taken during the War (not all are color).
- German Technical Manuals from World War II.
- Feldgrau. On the German armed forces 1918-1945. Variety of resources on all topics. Broken down by branch of service, and other topics. Start with a capsule history: Heer: the Army 1935-1945.
Site includes section on German allies.
- Kriegsstärkenachweisungen (KStN). Comprehensiva German unit organization, using graphic diagrams. In German.
- German Army Unit Formations. Reproduced from original documents.
- Big Book of Warfare. Covers all aspects of warfare, but for WW2 resources by country, this is quite comprehensive. Search the table of contents.
Small Unit Organization, See: Battalion Organisation during the Second World War.
Weapons
Uniforms
Unit Insignia
Panzers & Vehicles
Tactical Symbols
Colors, Markings, and Camouflage
Heer Vehicle Colors (1922-1945)
The Vehicles
Achtung Panzer! All sorts of details. (if any links don't work below, try the Site Map.)
- Captured / Foreign Equipment Registry
- Wehrmacht Vehicles
- AFVs Websites
- World War II Websites
- Hobby Websites
- Books & Magazines Websites
- Other Related Websites
- Panzer Movie Clips
- Panzers of the Wehrmacht. Division markings (great), weapons, medals, photos, specs, other, includes:
- Missing Lynx. For modelers, but has historical articles and photos, as well as other materials:
- Articles on German vehicles (with photos, etc.)
- Facts about German Camouflage Paint in World War II
- PanzerWorld (Christian Ankerstjerne). Specs, some photos, other details. Includes:
- Panzer Colors and Camouflage. Mostly text, but has some good photos and info.
- Panzer Profiles. Details, sizes and dimensions, etc. Main page.
- Panzer Punkt . All German vehicles. Drawings, sketches, photos, artifacts.
- Panzer Walkaround. Many actual tanks shown in detail.
- Panzer IV: the Workhorse of the German WWII Panzer Divisions. Loaded with articles, comments, details, and photos, this blog is dedicated to the PZ4 series. Camo section is nice.
- Panzer IV Universe. Lots of photos of interior and exterior. Also bibliography (including photo cites), extensive technical specs, and other features.
- Sturm Tiger Firing! Movie of real action.
- Sturm Tiger.com. Not just for Sturm Tigers. Vehicle markings pages are wünderbahr.
- PanzerMuseum, Muenster.
- German Armor Projects of WW2. Articles and photos, etc. of tanks, guns and vehicles, some of which were completed while others never went into production.
- German destroyed AFVs (from a Russian site). Photos of vehicles where they died.
- Vehicle Markings. Incredible visual listing; includes infantry/other insignia.
- SdKfz 251.com. Featuring the SdKfz 251 Schutzenpanzerwagen German halftrack and the post war Czech OT-810. Loaded with photos, data.
- German AFV links. Lots of sites focusing on panzers and AFVs. (has some bad links).
- Hetzers.
- Tigers
- Stowage Ideas. Photographs of model parts.
- Tank Trends. Article on German tanks in battle. Editor's note that the article is wartime information on enemy equipment published for Allied soldiers.
- Opel Trucks and Vehicles. Well-organized listing of vehicles with photos and soem data.
Captured Vehicles & Equipment
The following are from the Axis History Forum and other sites. Each has photos, text, other, and cites provenance when available.
Fallschirmjäger
- Abwurfbehälter für Nachschub (Dropping container for supplies). Drop cannisters for weapons and supplies. Everything you wanted to know; photos and diagrams.
- Fallschirmjäger.net. For reenactors, but has great resources, including uniform and equipment photos, specs, histories, and other materials.
Foreign Units in German Service
Scandiavian
5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking"
5. SS Division Wiking
Introduction to Foreign Volunteer Insignia. During the early 1930s the Fascist and Nazi movements spread all over Europe and the Middle East. Page opens with a map showing countries with participants..
History of the 5.SS Wiking Division & Other Foreign Volunteers of the German Armed Forces. Histories, photos, uniform information.
Norwegian Volunteers of Waffen SS. Photos, histories, descriptions of various units. Has a good links page for more.
Captured Soviet self-propelled gun SU-76 in service with 5th SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking" (WWII in Color site). Contains other images.
Russian (Soviet)
Standing Fast: German Defensive Doctrine on the Russian Front During World War II:
Prewar to March 1943. by Major Timothy A. Wray (U.S. Army. Command and General Staff College).
Small Unit Organization, See: Battalion Organisation during the Second World War.
- RKKA in World War II. "The Russian Project." Great site for Soviet forces. "The aim of this project is to provide information to the English-speaking community about the role of the Soviet Army (RKKA) in World War II and to supply you with translated information from the Eastern side." Has all sorts of images, maps, documents, vehicle production figures (by year), and other materials, including:
- Gallery of vehicles, artillery, etc.
- Maps arranged by front, year. Some are facsimiles of original tactical maps.
- Uniforms. Great prints covering all regions.
- Weapons. Types, production figures, numbers available (by year).
- Reproduction Soviet World War 2 uniforms , insignia, field gear, boots.
- Russian Front. Great photos, etc. Also shows a lot of German vehicles. Additional pages include:
- Stowage Ideas. Photographs of model parts.
- Russian Battlefield. Lots of great articles and photos relating to Soviets in the war. Includes:
- German captured vehicles in Russian service.
- Captured Russian Tanks in Hungarian Service.
- Soviet World War II Colors
- Big Book of Warfare. Covers all aspects of warfare, but for WW2 resources by country, this is quite comprehensive. Search the table of contents.
Other Nations
Finnish
Finland fought three separate wars during this period:
- Winter War (Talvisota) Nov. 30, 1939-Mar. 13, 1940 (vs. USSR)
- Continuation War (Jatkosota) June 25, 1941-Sept. 4, 1944 (vs USSR with German support)
- Lapland War (Lapin sota) Sept. 27, 1944-Apr. 27, 1945 (vs Germany).
The Finnish "Hakaristi" is not a Nazi Swastika. Read this explanation.
Military Equipment and Photograph Sites
- Finland (Axis History). Includes all service branches, and battles, uniforms, equipment, and other materials. Especially interesting is the "shopping list" of equipment captured from Russia and/or obtained from Germany.
- Military history of Finland during World War II. Brief capsule history with links to resources.
- Finnish Forces (World War II in Color). Unique photos of soldiers, equipment, landscape.
- Battles of the Winter War. Another site loaded with data, images, and useful stuff on the Finns and the Soviets. Details on organization and equipment included. Still being developed but has quite a bit of material.
- Mannerheim. Biographical resources and more, on Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, the military and later, national leader of Finland. Has images, articles, links, and other resources.
- Front museum in
Hanko. Museum built by Finn veterans. Built as a military installation/fieldwork display, interior covers all aspects of the Winter War and related wars. Great site.
- Mannerheim Line. Bunkers, archaeological sites, lots of photos. See also LINKS.
- Finnish Reenactor site. Has lots of history, images, and other materials. Includes a collection of over 400 wartime photos. Also photos of original and reproduction uniforms and weapons.
- Finn Reenactors in the U.S. site. Good photos, descriptions, links.
- Lessons of the Winter War: a Study in the Military Effectiveness of the Red Army, 1939–1940. Article from the Journal of Military History (available through Project Muse).
- Maps of the Karelian and Leningrad fronts.
- Jaeger Platoon. Covers all aspects of Finn forces in the wars.
- Antti's War photo GalleryFirst-Hand Continuation War History. Photos, video clips, history on a soldiers' level.
- Pictures From Wars During Finland´s Independence. Loaded with original photos (some color) of battle, equipment, uniforms, people.
- Northern Fortress Covers castles, forts and fortifications in Northwest Russia and Finland.
Tanks
Vehicles (Produced, Purchased, Captured)
Air Forces
Lotta Svärd
The Lotta Svärd was a paramilitary organization composed of women and girls who supported the military effort, by playing many roles, including sometimes, combatant activities.
Romanian
World War 2.ro. Romanian Forces in the Second World War. Covers all aspects.
Models, Modeling, & Color Matching
Stowage Photos
Coming... for now, stowage shows up in many of the links above.
Suppliers
I am mostly listing 15mm models and figures, though many of these companies also produce/supply other scales. Most of the suppliers below I have done business with and find many of these to be my favorites. More miniatures dealers can be found on the Miniature Figures page.
- Battlefront Miniatures. Flames of War rules and miniatures system (kind of what got me immersed).
- Grandiosity (WarWeb). The best store online. Really great service and lots of stuff.
- War Store. Flames of War, many other lines. Great service. Say hi to Neal...
- K & J Magnetics. Want a great way to keep your turrets on during a battle? This is the best source for small, powerful magnets with great prices and good service.
- Litko Aerosystems. Bases and tokens for models and miniatures. Very good quality, all sizes, custom work too.
- Battle Foam. Good product; storage and travel system for miniatures of all sorts. Has dedicated foam inserts for FOW and other game systems. Also does custom cutting.
- Gaming Models 15mm Miniatures. Resin-cast WWII vehicles for all powers. Gaming quality 15mm compatible with FOW. These are a low-budget way to build a force.
- MIG Productions. Want to make realistic mud? Or some other plaster-tint? Look at their pigments sets.
- Peter Pig. All periods but WW2 included. Photos of figures and vehicles.
- Plastic Soldier Company. Growing line of 15mm plastic tanks, vehicles, and figures that are very well done. Kits require assembly but allow for vehicle variations (e.g., Panzer IV F1, F2, G, or H). American suppliers, such as the WarStore carry these (make sure to select the "black box 15mm" kits).
- Resistant Roosters. 15mm WW2 figures and equipment (with photos). Also has painting tip sheets.
- Two Tin Soldiers & Legions East.
- I-94 Enterprises and Beacon Publications. Decals for armor and AFVs from 285-20 mm. Also the producers of Panzer-Keeper, Mothball and Footlocker miniature storage boxes.
- Archer Transfers. Mostly large-scale (though more 1/72 are added and perhaps 15mm is not far behind), dry-transfers, but good for reference and models in smaller-scales. Also has flags and uniform insignia.
- Legions East Miniatures. 15mm WW2 figures "will concentrate on armies in the Eastern Campaigns and the Pacific. They make: Finns, Early Russians, Romanians, Hungarians, Slovaks, Calvary of all Nations, Chinese, German, Waffen SS, and more."
- Zvezda Miniatures. Russian company making 1/100-scale WW2 miniatures. Link goes to the home site (in Russian); American suppliers (selection):
Gaming Rules
Flames of War Rules System
Flames of War Rules Related Pages
- Flames of War Command. Blog with a variety of data and items; too much duplication from official site.
- Army Builder (Lone Wolf Development). Another army builder (along with many other rules).
- FOW Lists. Calculate forces using the book values. Adds/subtracts as you go so you can prepare a finished sheet to use. Also can provide random forces for specific values.
- Flames of War Blogspot. Terrain, painting, other stuff.
- Rules Lawyer. Army building, kill tables, deviant-FOW and more.
- Flames of War Army Builder (wiki).
- Operation SeaLion campaign game. Operation Sea Lion is a Global Flames of War campaign administered by WWPD.net. The actions of your gaming group dictate whether German jackboots make footfall before Westminster Abbey, or if the Empire and her allies can hold on to their island nation in defiance of the Third Reich. This campaign takes place in an alternate history where the Battle of Britain was narrowly lost, and Stalingrad was bypassed, allowing the German army to capture the oil rich caucasus. Now the war has come to the Island. God Save the King!
- What Would Patton Do? weblog. For World War II modeling and gaming. Models compared, all kinds of resources, including videos & podcasts, and more. Use the Post Index to find everything imaginable.
- Flames of War Missions. Download missions to use with FOW.
Other Rules (Selected List)
Other Stuff
- WW2 Hobby and Modeling Links.
- WWII Fonts. Creative computer fonts for: German tactical symbols, "Cheap" German typewriter. This page is for fonts but also has WW2-related links.
- Forces of Valor. Is 15mm too small for you? Maybe you want something "bigger" with R/C included.
- WW2 Reenacting. Links for all other periods too.
- 4GROUND. Laser-cut buildings, in several scales (15mm & 28mm, but other sizes made on demand). All are built so that troops may be placed inside. All floors are accessible.
|