Review by Terry Ashley
Fully tracked Armored Vehicles
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Wheeled and semi-tracked armored vehicles
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For each vehicle there is a small data panel with the basic data on that type plus brief text with a detailed historical and development rundown giving essential information of the type.
Each vehicle has photos included with the well known types having a couple of pages or more of data and photos and while many of the photos have been seen previously there are some new photos as well. Vehicles with many Ausf’s such as the Sd.Kfz.251 series has information on each of the 23 types to see service with similar treatment given to other higher profile types with many production variants. Lesser types such as specialized or one off types also have the data panel and historical data but only one or two photos but enough for you to easily identify the vehicle.
The photos are all in black and white apart from eight pages in the middle with some colour WWII photos which again have been seen in other publications and some shots of preserved vehicles with some in running order.
The fast majority of the 512 pages is taken up listing the info on each vehicle type and sub-type but at the end are two additional sections with a glossary which is basically a German–English dictionary with all German words and terms used in the book given their English translation and abbreviation which will be very useful to most in identifying descriptions not only in this book but elsewhere.
The final few pages list every Kfz. & Sd.Kfz. number assigned during WWII with the description of the corresponding vehicle and again this will be a valuable reference.
Conclusion:
The information on each vehicle type from the most well know Tigers and Panthers
to the types only known to the experts gives you the essential historical
and data information and while many of the images have been seen before the
main benefit of this large book is that every vehicle type is included in
the one place providing a wealth of info at your fingertips making it quick
and easy to identify each, so the next time a kit of a Minenraumgerat
mit Pz.Kpfw.Antrieb or Schwere Ladungstrager is announced you will be able to
identify this immediately.
The addition of the glossary and Kfz. & Sd.Kfz. number listings will also be a useful reference again allowing easy identification of any type.
The average as well as the more serious modeller will find this book invaluable with the info it contains and should prove to be an essential addition to the library.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to David Doyle for the review book.
Page created 13 March 2005