Books published by Periscope Film LLC

Created during WWII by the War Department, the Handbook on Japanese Military Forces was intended to familiarize command staff with nearly every aspect of Tojo's war machine. Originally classified "restricted", the Handbook was created from the best intelligence that the OSS and other military information sources could offer. It contains comprehensive information and analysis of the Japanese military system, and includes chapters on recruitment and training, field organization, tactics and fortifications. It also contains a description of Japanese insignia, uniforms and equipment. This includes discussions of mechanized forces and weapons from small arms to mortars, artillery, vehicles and tanks, as well as naval and land-based aircraft. Additional chapters describe the Special Forces and Military Police. While some of the details within this book may bear review in light of history, it remains one of the most comprehensive compendiums of information about the Japanese forces ever assembled. Although it was declassified after WWII, it's never been easy to obtain a copy of this book. This high quality reprint includes all the original text, diagrams and photographs from the final October, 1944 edition.

With the introduction of guided missiles to the U.S. Navy, the Gunner's MateMissile (GMM) rating was created. Tasked with operating, maintaining and repairing guided missile systems, the GMM had broad responsibilities. GMM training included two phases. GMM strikers studied for the Petty Officer 3rd Class rating (GMM3) and then advanced to 2nd Class (GMM2). From these candidates, some would be given additional training to obtain 1st Class (GMM1) or Chief Petty Officer (GMMC) ranks.This Gunner's Mate Missile M 2 & 3 manual was originally issued in 1972, when the Talos, Tartar and Terrier missile systems were in use. Chapter topics include an explanation of the Gunner's Mate (Missile) rating, how to hit a target from a moving ship, principles of missile flight and jet propulsion, missile guidance and control, launching systems, typical gun and missile systems, applications of servomechanisms, hydraulics and pneumatics, electrical devices, explosives / pyrotechnics and magazines, small arms andlanding party equipment and demolition, general maintenance, common test equipment and troubleshooting, launcher checks and missile replenishmentand servicing, and information input and output.

Created in 1946 as part of a 1,000 page Report on the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), this ENIAC Technical Manual provides a fascinating glimpse into the technology behind the world's first electronic, general-purpose computer. Designed and built during WWII at the University of Pennsylvania, ENIAC was conceived by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert. It was financed by the Ordnance Department of the U.S. Army. The Army's intent was to use it to calculate artillery firing tables but ENIAC's digital, Turing-complete design meant that it could solve a wide range of problems. Eventually it was even used to compute data for the design of the hydrogen bomb. ENIAC represented a remarkable advance in technology. Its speed was 1000x faster than the electro-mechanical machines that preceded it, and it relied on no moving parts to produce calculations. Famously, the ENIAC contained almost 17,500 vacuum tubes, 7,200 crystal diodes, 1,500 relays, 70,000 resistors and 10,000 capacitors, and took up nearly 1800 square feet while consuming 150 kW of power. While vacuum tube technology was not the most reliable owing to frequent burn-outs, the ENIAC operated roughly 50% of the time it was in service. ENIAC was composed of individual panels that performed different functions, with numbers passed between the units by buses. It could be programmed to perform a variety of now-familiar operations including loops, branches and subroutines, and could hold a ten-digit decimal number in memory. It even had the ability to branch - triggering different operations depending on the sign of a computed result - and could print results to an IBM punch card. Programming the ENIAC was not easy and often took weeks of work, some of it spent mapping out the problem and much of it spent settingup the computer's numerous switches and cables. That task fell to several female programmers including the author of this book, Adele K. Goldstine. Created by the University of Pennsylvania in fulfillment of their contract, this ENIAC Technical Manual was originally restricted, and its publication limited to just 25 copies. Within its pages you'll find a complete explanation of the circuits of the machine. This text provides a unique and fascinating look into ENIAC, and is a must have for any student of computing theory and history. Please note: this book was made from an original mimeograph copy of the master typescript manuscript prepared in 1946. As a result some pages lack legibility.

The epitome of grace, beauty and design, the Supermarine Spitfire was one of the most deadly fighters of WWII. Manufactured in huge numbers - over 20,000 were built - the Spitfire was the only fighter airplane in production at thebeginning of WWII, that remained in production after the conflict. Many different variants were produced including the Seafire naval fighter. Nineteen Spitfire squadrons were available to the R.A.F. by the fall of 1940, when the Battle of Britain began in earnest. While the Hurricanes attacked Germanbombers, Spitfire pilots were most often tasked with engaging Luftwaffe fighters. With its superior maneuverability, the Spit proved more than a match.These pilot's notes for the Mark IIA and IIB were standard issue for R.A.F. pilots circa 1940. They contain information about aircraft operation, controls, handling and maneuvering, and emergencies. (An enhanced 8x10 edition is also available featuring ground crew maintenance and assembly information.)

The first monoplane fighter in the Royal Air Force, the Hurricane was designed by Sydney Camm in 1934 and first flew in 1935. A rugged,single-seat aircraft, the Hurricane was the first combat aircraft in theRAF capable of 300 mph in level flight. During the Battle of Britain,the Hurricane equipped more than three fifths of the RAF's fightercommand, accounting for 32 squadrons as opposed to just 19 for theSpitfire. While Spits took on fighters, the Hurricanes assaulted enemy bombers, forcing the Luftwaffe to use the Bf109 to protect its Bf110 escort fighters. Between 8 August and 21 September 1940, Hurricanes scored 1,593 kills out of the 2,739 total claimed by the British. The Hurricane's design evolved during the seven years (1937-44) itwas in production. Various versions of the aircraft flew as interceptors, fighter-bombers (sometimes called "Hurribombers"), in the ground support role, and for the Royal Navy as the Sea Hurricane. More than 14,000 were produced. Created by the R.A.F., these pilot's notes for the IIA, IIB, IIC, IID and IV aircraft were standard issue in 1940 They contain information about aircraft operation, handling, and emergencies.

North American's A-5 Vigilante served for nearly two decades as an all-weather supersonic strike aircraft and reconnaissance platform. An outgrowth of studies begun in 1953, the prototype first flew in 1958. Originally designed to operate as a nuclear delivery system, the Vigilante was at the time of its introduction the largest and most complex aircraft to operate from a carrier. Carrying a crew of two, the Vigilante was equipped with two General Electric J-79 turbojets, and utilized a single tailfin. It featured a high-mounted swept wing with aluminum-lithium alloy skins and no ailerons. The Vigilante featured cutting-edge technology and was one of the first aircraft to use fly-by-wire systems and a heads-up display, as well as inertial navigation among other advanced systems. The Vigilante's bomb bay was located between the aircraft's engines, giving it a streamlined appearance and making the large aircraft surprisingly agile. As a result of shifts within the Navy's nuclear strategy brought on by the advent of the nuclear ballistic missile submarine, the A-5 never served in a strategic role. Instead most were converted to the RA-5C reconnaissance platform. Beginning in 1964, Vigilantes flew missions in Vietnam. Although extremely fast and maneuverable, the RA-5C's combat record was far from stellar. Difficult and expensive to maintain in the field, the Vigilante also compiled a dubious loss record. Out of 156 built, 18 aircraft were lost in combat and nine more succumbed to accidents during the Vietnam conflict. After 1974, a phase out of the Vigilante began with smaller, less complex fighter aircraft taking on the recon role. The RA-5C was deployed for the last time in 1979.Originally printed by the U.S. Air Force, this A-5A Vigilante flight operating manual taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Originally classified "Restricted", this manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form.

Designed by Allis Chalmers on the chassis and drive train of the M2 Light Tank, the 18-ton M4 High Speed Tractor was a prime mover for the U.S. Army duringWorld War II. It was tasked with moving artillery, in particular 3-inch and90mm anti-aircraft guns, 155mm guns, and 8-inch and 240mm howitzers. Builtas a "crawler" and equipped with a 6-cylinder, water-cooled engine, the M4could travel cross-country through swamps and sand, or on the highway at speeds up to 33 mph. Over 5,500 M4s were built between 1942 and 1945, with many remaining in service into the 1960s.Created in 1943, this official TM 9-785 Technical Manual reveals a great deal about the M4's design and capabilities. Intended as a manual for those charged with operation and maintenance, this manual shows many aspects of its engine, cooling, power, drive train and other systems. Originally labeled restricted, this manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.

Designed by Wernher von Braun and Arthur Rudolph at NASA¿s Marshall Space Flight Center, the Saturn V rocket represents the pinnacle of 20th Century technological achievement. The only launch vehicle in history to transport astronauts beyond Low Earth Orbit, the Saturn V delivered 24 men to the moon. To this day it holds records as the tallest (363 feet), heaviest (nearly 7 million lbs.) and most powerful (over 7.6 million pounds-force of thrust) launch vehicle ever produced. It also remains one of the most reliable, achieving 12 successful launches with one partial failure ¿ the unmanned Apollo 6 which suffered vibration damage on lift-off, resulting in a sub-standard orbit.The Saturn series of rockets resulted from Von Braun¿s work on the German V-2 and Jupiter series rockets. The Saturn I, a 2-stage liquid-fueled rocket, flew ten times between 1961 and 1965. A uprated version the 1B carried the first crewed Apollo flight into orbit in 1968. The Saturn V, which first flew in 1967, was a three-stage rocket. The first stage, which burned RP-1 and LOX, consisted of five F-1 engines. The second stage used five J-2 engines which burned LOX and liquid hydrogen (LH2). The third stage, based on the second stage of the Saturn 1B, carried a single J-2. The Saturn V could carry up to 262,000 pounds to Low Earth Orbit and more critically, 100,000 pounds to the Moon.Created by NASA as a single-source reference as to the characteristics and functions of the Saturn V, this manual was standard issue to the astronauts of the Apollo and Skylab eras. It contains information about the Saturn Vsystem, range safety and instrumentation, monitoring and control, prelaunch events, and pogo oscillations. It provides a fascinating overview of the rocket that made ¿one giant leap for mankind¿ possible.

Developed and deployed in a short time due to the pressure of the Vietnam War, Bell's AH-1 Cobra performed well; but Army planners believed a better attack helicopter would be needed in the next war. In 1976, Hughes Helicopter's YAH-64A prototype bested the Cobra in firepower, performance and range, and won the competition to replace it. It would be 1982 before production commenced, but eventually over 1100 would be produced including the advanced AH-64D Apache Longbow. Dubbed the Apache, the AH-64 is a four- blade, twin-engine, tandem-cockpit design with tailwheel landing gear. The AH-64 features double and triple-rendundant systems that ensure maximum survivability in combat, and an awesome array of weapons that can include Hellfire missiles and a 30mm M230 Chain Gun that can be slaved to the pilot's head movements via a helmet mounted display (IHADSS). The Apache first saw combat during the invasion of Panama in 1989, and conducted the first attack of Operation Desert Storm in 1991, flying into Iraq to destroy enemy radar systems. AH-64s are credited with destroying over 500 tanks during that conflict. They continued their service in Bosnia and Kosovo, in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The AH-64 is now also deployed by the United Kingdom, Israel, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Japan and other air forces worldwide. Created by the Army for the AH-64A version of the Apache, this unclassified pilot's flight manual runs over 600 pages, and contains chapters about aircraft systems and procedures. It is reprinted here in its entirety.

During the Vietnam War fleets of transport helicopters provided U.S. forces with an unprecented level of mobility and proved the concept of ¿air cavalry¿. But without adequate support, helicopters such as the Bell UH-1 proved vulnerable to enemy ground fire. The solution was to develop a helicopter gunship. Bell¿s first foray into the category was rejected by the Army, but after Lockheed¿s AH-56 failed to meet critical goals, Bell answered the call with a new design. Equipped with a tandem cockpit, stub wings for weapons and a chin-mounted gun turret, Bell¿s Model 209 protoype was smaller and lighter than the AH-56,and used proven components from the UH-1. Developed in less than nine months, the 209 performed well and easily won the Army competition. In April 1966 the Army placed its first order for 110 aircraft, now designated the AH-1 Cobra or HueyCobra (but also widely known by the nickname ¿Snake¿). Over 1100 would eventually be built, including twin-engine SeaCobra and SuperCobra versions for the Marine Corps.After entering service in June of 1967, Cobras provided extensive support in Vietnam as fire support platforms, and achieved over a million operational hours. Cobras also flew in Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm and in Somalia before being retired in the late 1990s. They continue to fly for the Marine Corps, NATO allies and elsewhere. They also serve in a civil role as fire fighting helicopters. Created by Bell and the U.S. Army, this pilot¿s flight operating manual profiles the AH-1F Cobra. Over 300 pages long, this unclassified document is reprinted here in its entirety.

Developed to replace the UH-1 Iroquis,Sikorsky¿s UH-60 Black Hawk first entered service in 1979. A four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility helicopter, the UH-60 serves as the U.S. Army¿s primary tactical transport helicopter. Modified versions include models for the U.S. Navy and Air Force, and specialized versions including the UH-60C (modified for Command and Control missions), EH-60A (electronic systems operations and electronic warfare), and the UH-60Q (medical transport). Two major variants of the Black Hawk currently exist: the UH-60L and UH-60M. The UH-60L incorporates improvements to the basic design that provide more power and lifting capability, as well as automatic flight control. The newer UH-60M features upgraded engines, improved rotor blades, and state-of-the-art flight controls that will allow the helicopter¿s service life to extend to 2020 and beyond. Over 2500 Black Hawks have been built, and nearly 1000 more are currently on order. Black Hawks have seen combat service for the U.S. Military in Grenada, Panama, Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq. Other nations also employ the UH-60 including Brazil, Colombia, Israel, Mexico,Taiwan, Australia, Japan, and Turkey. Created by Sikorsky and the U.S. Army, this pilot¿s flight operating manual profiles the UH-60Q Black Hawk. Over 500 pages long, this unclassified document is reprinted here in its entirety.