information, historical info, where do you get it?

Internet for free, hobby shops for a price.

Be more specific in your question and we will be able to point you in the right direction. Some people might know the answers for you off the top of their heads.

SteveM wrote:

Internet for free, hobby shops for a price. Be more specific in your question and we will be able to point you in the right direction. Some people might know the answers for you off the top of their heads.

Dito!

Be more precise and someone will help you out.  There are no particular website where you can find all the information.  Usually one website will link you up to another and then to another until you find the exact information you were looking for.  The local comunity library can also be a good starting point and you can make your research for free there too.

Or simply ask it here.

And don't be surprised if the second thing you find contradicts the first. There are many opinions about all subjects, in some cases they're right, in some cases they're wrong, and in other cases it's everyone's best guess but no-one knows for sure.

For a basic primer in any military subject, the Osprey and Squadron softback books are pretty decent. I imagine most people here have at least one on their bookshelf.

The internet is great, but you can't beat a book. For many modellers collecting and reading books is as much a hobby as collecting and building models!

U-96 wrote:

And don't be surprised if the second thing you find contradicts the first. There are many opinions about all subjects, in some cases they're right, in some cases they're wrong, and in other cases it's everyone's best guess but no-one knows for sure. For a basic primer in any military subject, the Osprey and Squadron softback books are pretty decent. I imagine most people here have at least one on their bookshelf. The internet is great, but you can't beat a book. For many modellers collecting and reading books is as much a hobby as collecting and building models!

Meanwhile--here's a search engine for all things military:

www.searchmil.com 

Enjoy new discoveries.

The internet and the History and Military channels are a good starting point.  Unfortunately, you'll find a lot of little mistakes with them and once a mistake has been made, other websites and TV shows perpetuate the mistakes and myths.  My wife keeps a log of all the mis-information and flat out wrong information I find on the Military and History Channel shows, although for the most part, they are very informative and make for a good starting point.  Always follow up with a web search or books and magazines to verify information or to get the "complete" picture.  That list of mistakes I find that my wife keeps is actually kinda of funny.  I may end up using that with my resume when I try to switch careers and become a researcher or editor. 

Eventually you'll want to have a good reference library containing well researched and comprehensive information.  I've been building my library over the past 20 or so years, and now I finally have at least a good reference library, with specific focus on German Armor and Aircraft.  Also, don't overlook your local library and you can browse the books at your local book store as well. 

These forums can be a good starting point as well, so don't hesitate to ask questions. 

new_kid_17 wrote:

so I finaly found the name of the city, it's Aachen in Germany. it's the first city in germany to be taken, i think...

new_kid_17;

Here's a snippet of information I found by typing "FIRST" "ALLIED" "AACHEN, GERMANY" into the search.

Aachen, Germany was the first German city to fall under control of the advancing allied armies on September 11. The city fell in the fall of 1944 to the United States 1st Army along with elements of the 7th Corps. The beleagered German units were subjected to being surrounded and constant bombardment, but held out until the German General in charge officially announced surrender of the city on October 21, 1944.

It is fairly easy to find information with the web or as others have suggested, Books. I have spent more time in used book shops looking at numerous books than I spend on the internet. Especially books printed during or shortly after the time period. I recently added a unit history of the 79th Armoured Regiment to my references. It cost me next to nothing but it is packed with details and photos. It was printed as the unit was being disbanded and sent back to the UK at the end of the war. You can't get reference material that "fresh" without being there.

Just take your time and think about what you want to find as reference. Most of the time for me it is simply typing in like I did above, hit enter and see what comes out. Sometimes it doesn't work but when it does, you are away to the races with reference.

Hope this helps.

Cheers;

Gregory

I would recommend the following;

The M12 was commonly used in a direct-fire mode as a bunker-buster and for reducing fortified buildings, as shown in the above photo. It played an important role in the taking of Aachen and was used to attack pillboxes and other fortified positions in the Siegfried Line. Try Googling "M12 Aachen", several returns will pop up describing it's use in this campaign.

I have some other photos of M12s being used in direct-fire mode, but I'm having problems finding them at the moment, I have a lot of books to look through....