This issue is broken into four sections and is one of those bumper issues that come along every now and then.

Operation Iraqi Freedom (pages 1-47)
The first 32 pages are all in colour and have close-up and semi-close-up photos of M1A1HAs, M2A2s, AAAV7A1s, HMMWVs and their crews and offer some excellent views of the vehicle details, stowage, markings including the many names added to the fume extractors of the M1s. The fact they are all in colour is a real bonus and the photos have excellent details for the modeller.
Shots of the M1s include both Army and USMC vehicles for a good cross section of details and markings. The M2 photos includes one looking into the driver's hatch showing some interior detail as well as the inside of the hatch while the HMMWV shots cover mostly M998s (incorrectly captioned as M1025s) plus a shot of an M1114 with interesting shield added to the .50cal mounted on top.

Following this are 17 pages with black and white photos of destroyed Iraqi armour predominately T-72s including a superb series of six photos of a T-72 where the turret was blown into the air and came down spearing the barrel into the hull leaving it sticking out like a giant popcicle, the photos are taken from all four sides including shots inside the turret and just cries out for a diorama from the exponents of destroyed vehicles.

Another T-72 disabled but still intact is shown in three photos to offer another diorama possibility where less surgery on the kit is required to show the damage but gives plenty of scope for the detailers.

Krupp Protze (pages 48-84)
This section covers the variants Kfz.69 3.7cm Pak towing vehicle (as per the new Tamiya kit), the Kfz.70 Personnel Carrier (as per the original Tamiya kit) and the Kfz.81 2cm vehicle.
The photos are predominately wartime in-action shots which give good overall coverage of the vehicles, stowage and markings. Mixed in with the photos are some excellent line drawings of the chassis/suspension, the interior and different rear hull layouts for the Kfz.69 and Kfz.81. Overall a very good coverage of the Protze with plenty of details and diorama possibilities in the photos.

M3A3 Stuart (pages 85-113)
A nice coverage of the M3A3 starts with a mini set of 1/35th plans showing the left and top views plus 6 pages of interior layout and detail drawings. There are many wartime photos of the vehicle in action although many of these have been seen in various other publications but it's good to have them all in one place here. The photos are of British and French vehicles in NW Europe as well as a few of M3A3s in use with the Chinese crews.
There are a couple of shots of the turret less scout vehicle as well as one of a Yugoslav vehicle mounting a 7.5 Pak and 2cm Flakvierling, this is the same photo seen in numerous publications.

Anti Tank weapons development (pages 114-141)
The final section covers the development of tank ammo, anti-tank guns and hand held weapons during WWII through to to modern weapons such as the russian AT-1, Hot and Tow missiles. The Japanese text is intermixed with many smallish photos and drawings showing the various weapons and vehicles and it would certainly help if you could read Japanese.

Another excellent issue.

Available via mail order from Rainbow Ten in Japan.

Page Created 12 September 2003