After The Battle #175 'Matildas On Crete' (2017)
For nearly 50 years, After the Battle has been presenting the history of the world's conflicts through 'then and now' comparison photographs. From the Zulu wars, through the First and Second World Wars; to the Falklands, all are researched on the actual battlefield to show how they appear today.
Our quarterly magazine concentrates on the Second World War, the comparison photographs adding a new dimension to recent history. As well as major battles, local actions are explored and other features include the recovery of aircraft and vehicles on land and sea, the making of war films and the preservation of military artefacts.
MATILDA TANKS ON CRETE — During the battle for Crete, which lasted from May 20 to June 1, 1941, the British, Dominion and Greek forces defending the island had very little armoured support. Jeffrey Plowman, Michael Grieve and Mark Wilson tell the story of how six and eventually nine Matilda Mk II tanks were used to defend this key strategic position in the eastern Mediterranean. The Battle for Salamaua — Phil Bradley tells us how from January to September 1943, Australian and American forces in Papua New Guinea fought a difficult and bitter battle with the Japanese Imperial Army for possession of Salamaua, a port town and commercial centre on the Huon Gulf on the island’s northern coast. Wellingtons WWII Harbour Defences — To defend its capital Wellington against enemy aggression, New Zealand before and during the Second World War built a series of coastal gun batteries, anti-aircraft batteries and radar stations. Jeffrey Plowman explains. Massacre at Hannover — In early May 1945, the Allied Military Government in the city of Hannover discovered a mass grave in the Seelhorst municipal cemetery containing the bodies of 154 Russian prisoners of war and slave labourers. They had been murdered by the local Gestapo on April 6 — four days before the Allied capture of the city. Karel Margry recounts what took place.
Single magazine in Fair to Good Condition
