Operation Ironclad: Madagascar 1942 On 5 May 1942, under the codename Operation Ironclad, the British attacked the Vichy French port of Diego Suarez on the north coast of Madagascar. It was the beginning of a six-month campaign for that island, control of which was vital if the Allies were to keep secure the lines of communication across the Indian Ocean.

Articles

• The Vistula-Oder Offensive, 1945 The Vistula-Oder Offensive of 12 January to 2 February 1945, was the largest Red Army operation up to that time in the war. In its first four days, the attackers broke out from their bridgeheads on the Vistula River and advanced up to 100 miles into German territory to a point just 43 miles east of Berlin. Here is our analysis.
• Netherlands 1940 Walcheren Island Most of the readers of this publication are familiar with the fact a crucial battle was fought for Walcheren Island, at the mouth of the Scheldt River, in the late autumn of 1944. However, there was also a battle for control of that strategic locale in May 1940. Here is that story.
• Defeating the U-boats German U-boats were a major threat to the survival of Britain and its ability to provide a base for the war in the west. From 1939 through 1942, shipping losses to U-boat attacks exceeded new construction. In 1943, the situation finally turned as construction outpaced sinkings.