Today we're showing three pieces of artwork from our June 2025 series books! Let us know in the comments which books you'd like to see featured in our July 2025 Artwork Reveal!

 

American Civil War Amphibious Tactics

By Ron Field

Illustrated by Steve Noon

Artwork showing HAWKINS’ ZOUAVES AT HATTERAS INLET, AUGUST 28, 1861

HAWKINS’ ZOUAVES AT HATTERAS INLET, AUGUST 28, 1861

Elements of the 9th New York Infantry, also known as Hawkins’ Zouaves, land via surfboats on Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina, on August 28, 1861. The first major amphibious landing of the Civil War was disrupted by gale-force winds and high surf that stove many of the boats and caused the landings to be called off, leaving 323 troops stranded on the beach overnight. Re-forming at the point where they had struggled ashore, these men spent a miserable night ashore in a driving rain. Although vulnerable to attack from the Confederate garrison at Forts Hatteras and Clark, Colonel William F. Martin, commanding the Confederate defences in the forts, overestimated their numbers and lost the initiative, surrendering to Flag Officer Silas H. Stringham, USN, the next day.

Artwork requested by Daniel Figueroa Giraldez.

 

Cynoscephalae 197 BC: Rome Humbles Macedon

By Mark van der Enden

Illustrated by Marco Capparoni

 

SKIRMISH AT THE AOUS, 25 JUNE 198 bc artwork

SKIRMISH AT THE AOUS, 25 JUNE 198 bc

It is 25 June 197 bc. Flamininus has just put his entire force into motion and is advancing against the Macedonian positions in the Aous gorge. Banking on the arrival of a detached force towards the rear of the enemy lines, the consul is confident of victory. Preceding the legions are clouds of skirmishers. The velites surge ahead onto the flat area, which, in the preceding days, has seen repeated skirmishing between the two sides. They are armed with javelins and the Spanish sword. Added protection is provided by a helmet and a round shield. No body armour is worn. Many velites wear wolfskins over their helmets, possibly a means by which to distinguish themselves from the enemy. In battle, velites would normally open proceedings by skirmishing with their opposite number on the enemy side before retiring to the flanks of the formation.

Opposing the Romans are Thracian mercenaries and auxiliaries. Thracians were present in Philip’s forces throughout his war with the Romans and appear to have been a valued part of his army. Equipped mainly as peltasts with javelins and the thureos shield but also the imposing rhomphaia, they are slowly retiring from the field. Interspersed among their formation are slingers and archers. They wear a variety of coloured tunics and cloaks; only a few are equipped with body armour. Bronze helmets and greaves, however, are a common occurrence, particularly the characteristic Phrygian helmet. Thracians could not only be deployed as skirmishers but were also able to engage in close-quarters fighting. Some are indeed standing their ground engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the advancing velites. The general advance of the legions, with a maniple of hastati sent in support of the Roman skirmishers, necessitates the Thracians, however, to fall back on the defensive positions prepared in front of the Macedonian camp.

Artwork requested by Alex Fernández.

 

German Tanks in Barbarossa 1941

By Steven J. Zaloga

Illustrated by Felipe Rodríguez

 

Art of two PzKpfw III tanks

PzKpfw III DURING OPERATION BARBAROSSA


1. PzKpfw III Ausf. J, Stabskompanie, II./Pz.Rgt.18, 18.Panzer-Division, Panzergruppe.2. The standard camouflage scheme on Wehrmacht tanks in 1941 was an overall finish of Dunkelgrau Nr. 46 (dark gray), later redesignated as RAL 7021. Divisional markings as shown here were usually in chrome yellow while tactical markings such as turret numbers were in white or yellow. The tanks of the headquarters company as seen here usually had a tactical number starting in Roman numerals as I (Abteilung I.) or II (Abteilung II.) followed by numbers indicating battalion commander, executive officer, etc. In this case, the order is reversed with the tank number followed by the battalion number in Roman numerals.

2. PzKpfw III Ausf J, 6./II./Pz.Rgt.3, 2.Panzer-Division. Pz.Rgt.3 had a tradition of using intricate markings on each company’s tanks. For example, in 1939–40, 1.Kompanie used playing card symbols. During 1941, 6.Kompanie used geometric symbols surmounted with a winged dragon with each company identified by a color. This color was also carried over to the usual Panzer Kompanie rhomboid symbol. The precise color pattern has not been recorded but is believed to have been green (Stab Zug), blue (1.Zug), red (2.Zug) and yellow (3.Zug). The divisional insignia was painted in the usual chrome yellow.